Equipping ELLs

When it comes to language objectives, writing them in student-friendly language and making them visible for our ELL students is so important for them and has a huge impact. With help from today’s guest, you’ll learn exactly how these objectives impact your students and see that writing language objectives doesn’t have to be complicated. In today’s episode, Courtney Morgan shares about language objectives and scaffolds you can use in your classroom to address those objectives as well as some tips for navigating the WIDA standards.Courtney understands first-hand the overwhelm that Gen. Ed. teachers feel, and she is determined to keep things simple and easy to implement. If you’re looking for a way to boost the quality of your lessons, be sure to grab a FREE copy of Courtney’s Language and Content Objectives Quick Template here.Courtney Morgan is an English learner specialist and teacher living near Asheville, North Carolina, where she loves having the mountains at her doorstep. After 16 years as an elementary classroom teacher in districts large and small, Courtney shifted into her current role to focus her efforts on supporting multilingual students. Through her business, The All-Access Classroom, Courtney equips Gen. Ed. teachers to confidently make their lessons accessible to English learners.To access all resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.inspiringyounglearners.com/language-objectives/--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/equippingells/message

Do you have a clear idea of what ELL students at each of the 5 language levels are able to do? It can be overwhelming when you aren’t confident you know how to best support your students. In today's episode, I'm going to give you a simple and clear breakdown of each of the language levels to help you get started.If you’d like more support teaching your ELL students, you can sign up for my FREE resource Library of ELL Materials by signing up here. You’ll have access to checklists, strategies, vocabulary cards, digital centers, and more!For all resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.inspiringyounglearners.com/language-levels--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/equippingells/message

Imagine living in a war-torn country where there are not enough school buildings because they’ve been destroyed by war, not enough teachers because wages are so low, and many families are living in camps because they’ve been displaced and are living far away from everything that is familiar to them. Just think of the impact this has on children, families, and communities after years and years of this type of crisis that nations like Iraq in the Middle East and in other parts of the world are facing.Sometimes it can feel like we are so far away from those types of conditions that it can be difficult to shift our perspective, but as teachers of ELLs, it is so important for us to be aware of what’s going on in the world and how it is impacting education.Today’s guest, Elle Burdett, gives us insight into how to support students and families who immigrate to the United States and help them feel welcomed. When we open ourselves up to learn about what people have gone through, it can change us forever and give us a new perspective, allowing us to approach students and families from other parts of the world with empathy and understanding.For all resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.inspiringyounglearners.com/support-refugee-students--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/equippingells/message

How is it possible to build a positive home-school connection with parents of ELLs when they don’t speak the same language as us? We know the power these connections have on our students and how important it is to their success, but how do we practically make it happen?In today’s episode, I'll be sharing tips and tricks to help build those connections so the families of your English language learners feel welcome in your classroom and school. I’ll share from the perspective of my own experience as a parent of a second language learner.Join the Equipping ELLs Membership: https://www.equippingells.com/ell-sales-pageCheck out the ELL Strategy Academy: https://www.equippingells.com/yesFor all resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.inspiringyounglearners.com/parents-of-ells/--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/equippingells/message

How do you connect with homeroom teachers who aren't really interested in working with ELLs and expect you to do all of the work? How can you successfully build a strong relationship with your co-teachers so you can better support your ELL students? If you’ve asked these questions yourself, this episode is for you.With a background as both an ESL teacher and a homeroom teacher, I’ll be sharing my perspective from both roles. I made plenty of mistakes in the beginning and learned a few things about how important it is for ESL teachers to build a solid connection with the homeroom teachers that they’re supporting.When you and the homeroom teacher are connected, building trust, and communicating well, it’s so beneficial and helpful for your ELL students. Today I’m sharing 3 ways that you can engage and build relationships with your homeroom and content area teachers so your ELL students can soar.Join the Equipping ELLs Membership: https://www.equippingells.com/ell-sales-pageCheck out the ELL Strategy Academy: https://www.equippingells.com/yesFor all resources mentioned in this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.inspiringyounglearners.com/connect-with-homeroom-teachers/--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/equippingells/message

Using read alouds is one of the most effective ways you can reach all levels of your English Language Learners, no matter what age your students are. Read alouds provide opportunities for students to connect with relatable characters and feel welcome and safe in the classroom. With visuals already provided for you, read alouds cut down on your prep work while encouraging your students to make tons of connections so they can better comprehend the text.In today’s episode, I’m sharing the easiest way to cover all 4 language domains for all levels of ELLs with very little prep work. You can take one book and really pack so much into a 30-45 minute lesson that includes discussion, vocabulary, reading and listening comprehension, and so much more.Unlock Language Through Read Alouds: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/ESL-Lessons-and-Activities-ESL-Sub-Plans-ESL-Reading-Comprehension-Writing-7680048Grab my FREE WIDA Can-Do Descriptors: https://www.inspiringyounglearners.com/wida/For full show notes and more resources, head to https://www.inspiringyounglearners.com/cover-all-4-domains-through-a-read-aloud/--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/equippingells/message

“Students who have pride in their racial background or ethnic background actually do better in school. They feel a sense of belonging. They’re more engaged. Their grades are better. So it’s really important that we instill that pride in those students and really celebrate that we all look different and that’s what makes us beautiful.” - Jenny LaRocqueIn today’s episode, I am joined by Jenny LaRocque, a kindergarten teacher who is passionate about including diverse books in her classroom and providing a multicultural curriculum in her classroom. Jenny started the social media movement #allarewelcomeinmyclassroom on June 20th, 2018. She has spoken across the country about implementing culturally responsive teaching and was honored to speak at ISTE and Get Your Teach On. You can follow her on Instagram @themulticulturalclassroom.Jenny and I discuss the beauty and power of using diverse books in the classroom. This interview is loaded with resources and ideas for you to use with your own students to ensure that you are bringing in diverse books and stories and providing more equity for all students.You can connect with Jenny on Instagram @themulticulturalclassroom.For full show notes and more resources, head to https://www.inspiringyounglearners.com/jenny-larocque/--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/equippingells/message

Schools across the United States are welcoming a record number of ELL students who are new to the country and new to the English language. When you’re working with newcomers, it's really important that you take time to get to know them so they feel welcomed and comfortable in the classroom environment. I talk more about this in Episode 3, so if you haven’t listened, be sure to check it out.It’s also important to gather background information about each newcomer so that you can understand how to best support them and their language needs. There is a big difference in how you approach learning for a newcomer that has a foundation of literacy in their native language and a newcomer who doesn't.If you’ve welcomed newcomers to your classroom and you’re wondering what to do next to get them excited and engaged with learning, you are going to love today's episode. I'm laying out step-by-step what to do once you've welcomed your newcomers and you are ready to scaffold your lessons to meet their needs.For full show notes and more resources, head to https://www.inspiringyounglearners.com/scaffold-your-lessons-for-newcomers/--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/equippingells/message

Every year around this time, we assess our ELL students using the ACCESS test. This test causes stress and overwhelm for many teachers, but in this episode, I want to remind you that you are not defined by the results of this test.Today I'm going to share why you don’t need to stress about ACCESS testing. Plus I’m going to give you a few ways to truly assess your students so that you can celebrate their progress and you can know what areas they need to work on.For full show notes and more resources, head to https://www.inspiringyounglearners.com/authentically-assess-your-ells/--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/equippingells/message

What pops into your head when you hear the term “reluctant learners”? Finding a way to reach our reluctant learners can be a challenge, but unlocking the desire to learn in these students and helping them reach their full potential is incredibly rewarding and totally worth it. If you have ELL students who just seem to have no desire to learn the language, you’re not alone. Many teachers are facing this challenge right now. In this episode, I’m sharing 3 different ways you can help your reluctant learners begin to learn English.For full show notes and more resources, head to https://www.inspiringyounglearners.com/reluctant-to-learn-english--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/equippingells/message