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  • The Power of Background Knowledge in the ELT Classroom

    • Feb 3, 2025
    • Valentina Gonzalez, Tan Huynh

    The experiences and opportunities students have had might be starkly different from one another. It’s important to consider our students’ background knowledge of concepts before we teach those concepts—in fact, it is essential for reading comprehension.

  • Plugged In: Free Tools and Training for 4 EdTech Trends

    • Jan 20, 2025
    • Sarah Hodge

    The last several decades have seen a plethora of educational technology advances, like learning management systems, language learning apps, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. Discover how to energize your classroom with free tools and PD opportunities for four trends in educational technology.

  • Our ELT Classrooms as Global Ecoliteracy Hot Spots

    • Jan 6, 2025
    • Bernadette Musetti

    One of the things that can make learning English as an additional language difficult is multiple meanings for the same word or phrase. Take as an example hot spot, which has at least six meanings, including a place of unusual interest or popularity, or conversely, an area considered dangerous due to unrest. For many of our multilingual learners of English (MLEs), the most likely understanding of this term is as a place with a wireless internet connection.

  • Supporting New Teachers through Effective Mentorships

    • Dec 23, 2024
    • John Frias, Ph.D.

    Effective mentorship programs are crucial in supporting new teachers. This article aims to answer the following questions: why is mentorship important? What are the critical elements of effective mentorship programs?

  • Top 5 Qualities of an Outstanding Teacher of Multilingual Learners of English

    • Dec 9, 2024
    • Naashia Mohamed

    When you reflect on your own learning history, which teachers stand out as having made the most impact? Whoever you choose, consider what qualities they possessed that place them above the rest.

  • Empowering Preservice Teachers with Microteaching and Microlearning

    • Nov 25, 2024
    • Keely Keller

    In education, the challenge isn’t just to teach but to transform—whether in a preschool classroom or a college lecture hall. Reflecting on my time as an adjunct faculty member, I now see how two practices—microteaching and microlearning—could have significantly impacted preservice teachers, helping them to influence student outcomes positively.

  • English learners? Emergent bilinguals? Multilingual learners?: Goals, contexts, and consequences in labeling students

    • Nov 11, 2024
    • Yasuko Kanno, Cecilia Rios-Aguilar, George C. Bunch

    There is a growing concern with the label English learner, the term currently used in U.S. federal legislation, as focusing exclusively on students' English language acquisition and ignoring their multilingual resources.

  • Professional Development Podcast

    4 Ways Podcasts Will Power Up Your PD

    • Oct 28, 2024
    • Ixchell Reyes, Sarah Hodge

    While many of us are familiar with podcasts for entertainment, there is a good argument to be made for podcasts as professional development. Here are four ways to take advantage of them.

  • 5 Ways to Reclaim Your Love for Education Amid Stress and Burnout

    • Oct 15, 2024
    • Dr. Randy Richards

    the pressures of modern teaching can sometimes overshadow its rewards, leading to stress and burnout. Reclaiming your love for education is not just essential for your well-being but also for the success and inspiration of the very students you choose to lead. Here are five ways you can navigate success when the school year gets challenging.

  • 4 Ways to Discover Your Zen (and Foster SEL) in the Classroom

    • Sep 30, 2024
    • Sarah Hodge

    SEL includes five core social and emotional competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Although SEL frequently comes up in a K–12 context, it also applies equally to adult multilingual learners. Depending on the age and educational background of your students, it may be their first time encountering SEL competencies in the classroom.

  • Getting the Maximum out of Micro-Credentials

    • Aug 19, 2024
    • Sarah Hodge

    As TESOL educators, we are familiar with in-service training and external trainings and workshops, but how can we stay current on trends and techniques when time and budget may be limited? Enter the micro-credential: These bite-sized courses are the perfect way to brush up on new developments and add a variety of skills to your teaching toolbox.

  • 9 Strategies for School Administrators Navigating the Teacher Recruitment Process

    • Jul 22, 2024
    • Dr. Bridget Amory

    Seeking strategies to help with the tumultuous task of aligning high-quality staff with the needs of your students? From navigating teaching certification requirements to standing out in an increasingly competitive job market, here are some strategies to support administrators with this journey.

  • Ecological Literacy in TESOL: Benefits for Professionals and Their Students

    • Apr 15, 2024
    • Bernadette Musetti

    Ecoliteracy has been defined as the experience and understanding of how nature sustains life and how to live accordingly. Promoting greater ecological awareness and ecological literacy allows our students and us, as teachers, to view nature and all life through a more inclusive, ecocentric lens, rather than one that is more human centered and anthropocentric.

  • “Proper” and “Broken” English: The Problem of Linguistic Racism

    • Apr 8, 2024
    • Naashia Mohamed

    Linguistic racism involves mistreatment or devaluation of individuals based on their accent, dialect, or speech patterns. This discrimination can lead to unfair assumptions about a person's character and intelligence. Prioritizing standardized English perpetuates linguistic ideologies that marginalize speakers of other language varieties, reinforcing power imbalances and perpetuating discrimination. Linguistic racism needs to be tackled head on.

  • 11 Job-Embedded PD Focus Areas for Ed Leaders to Consider

    • Mar 18, 2024
    • Julie Yaeger

    Job-Embedded Professional Development (JEPD) consists of professional development activities within the teacher's regular work environment. JEPD is a critical approach to supporting teachers, schools, and districts in their efforts to improve teaching and learning.

  • Nurturing Culturally Aware Teaching

    • Mar 11, 2024
    • Sarah Hodge

    As English language instructors, we are entrusted with creating a safe environment for our students to acquire English. Your students may be refugees or asylum seekers and may be dealing not just with culture shock and a new language, but also trauma, which means the creation of a positive, safe learning environment is critically important.

  • Understanding through respectful dialogue

    Learning From Conflict: Building Understanding Through Respectful Dialogue

    • Feb 26, 2024
    • Naashia Mohamed

    Many educators are grappling with how to maintain an inclusive learning environment while using global events to build awareness and critical consciousness. Some teachers may feel it is best to avoid talking about it altogether. But rather than be the ostrich who buries its head in the sand, it is important that teachers create safe spaces in the classroom for students to address controversial issues and build understanding as they navigate the complexities of a conflict.

  • Engage Inspire and Empower

    3 Considerations When Creating Professional Development Opportunities

    • Feb 20, 2024
    • Craig Shapiro

    Has your professional development experience been one where you’ve felt valued, respected and can utilize what was learned in a quick, effective, and timely manner? If not, try focusing on these 3 core considerations to make professional development attainable, transformative, and above all - exciting!

  • Successful Presentation

    10 Tips for Hosting Successful PD Workshops

    • Feb 15, 2024
    • Sarah Hodge

    Do you have a great classroom activity, game, or technique that fellow teachers are always asking about? Professional Development Workshops are the perfect opportunity to share your expertise with colleagues! Here are 10 tips for making the most out of your next PD Workshop.

  • Mentorship

    12 Mentorship Must Haves

    • Jan 29, 2024
    • Keely Keller

    Mentors can serve as invaluable source of guidance and support for early career educators, but not all of these professional relationships are productive. Here are twelve 'must-have' suggestions for implementing a successful mentorship initiative.