How can you collaborate with teachers and specialists to support English language learners?

I am a firm believer that every member of the school should not only know who our English Learners are, but also what language their family prefers to communicate in! Never assume that all families prefer their first language. We have 31 languages represented in my district. I have families that prefer English. Some prefer Arabic. Some prefer both. Make it a priority to ASK. How? You send an email home utilizing a google doc that is translatable. It says- "Dear Family: Your child has been identified in our school system as an EL. I think that is fantastic! Thank you for giving them this gift. I would like to know what languages you would prefer our school to use for communication. I look forward to meeting you this year!"

Here's a concise guide to collaborating with teachers and specialists for English language learners: Team Up with ESL Specialists: They have invaluable strategies and resources. Professional Development: Keep learning new methods to engage ELLs. Cultural Understanding: Work with culturally savvy teachers for relatable lessons. Tech Tools: Integrate fun and interactive language learning apps. Involve Parents: Their insights and support are crucial. Peer Support: Encourage fluent English speakers to help ELLs. Tailored Strategies: Every student is unique; adapt your approach. Feedback Loop: Share progress regularly to stay aligned. Remember, it's all about teamwork, embracing diversity, and making learning English a fun and inclusive journey

Establishing open communication with ELLs and their families not only fosters understanding but also lays the foundation for more effective teaching strategies. #1 thing that I found helpful is to prioritize active listening to their experiences, concerns, and perspectives which helps me gain valuable insights into their cultural backgrounds, strengths, and needs. This fosters a sense of respect and understanding, laying the groundwork for a collaborative relationship. By genuinely engaging in two-way communication, I can tailor my approach, creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment.

When we focus our energies on establishing a relationship with our ELL families, everything else is more accessible to accomplish. However, when we fail to develop a relationship, things can be much harder to achieve. The trust and support created in a new relationship can be the secret formula to our families' educational success.

Encourage students to read one page per day with the help of a dictionary. Reading expands vocabulary, reinforces words that you already know and improves you confidence level. The more you know the better you speak.

Join ESL teaching communities & collaborate with experts. Teachers can observe ESL specialist classes and implement some of the strategies used whilst also researching to keep up to date with new theories, strategies, and activities to make learning relatable and practical. In addition, complete/ check learner profiles of students so we can tailor activities based on the various learning styles in our classroom to minimize frustration and improve understanding and participation. Lastly, Get the students involved, and find out from them and their parents the types of activities and discussions that pique their interest and make it learner and age-appropriate. In addition,students can provide the teacher with a feedback report via Google form

In my district, I created the "Triple A's Method to steer our plan for collaboration. We Assess, Accommodate, and Activate. We meet as a team to review assessments. To "Assess" we review student data, family interviews, student interviews, and goal setting. To Accommodate, we determine what ingredients we need to begin our plan. This includes team members who will deliver needed supports, differentiation needed for content, tools we will provide for the student, and when we will meet to recheck our "recipe." When we Activate, we ensure we are including the following pieces: Connection, Communication, Confidence, Care, and Collaboration. All of these components are part of activation to promote success for our EL in and out of school!

For the past four years, our EL teams has worked together to win state and local grants. Our grant is called "Connecting the Dots: Supporting EL Students in seeing the Big Picture." Four times per year, we connect our students districtwide in two segments: K-3, and grades 4-12. We take them to local community establishments to provide authentic practice in listening, speaking, reading, and writing of English. These experiences also provide leadership and mentoring opportunities for our older EL's. Our students love meeting peers who speak the same languages as they do, and forming new friendships! This grant also allows our kids to be exposed to community establishments and return with their families at a later date. It's a win win!

Last year, I had an ELL student who did not speak English. Although I do not speak Spanish, I taught her how to speak English. I spent time with her, listening to her in Spanish and having her talk in Google Translate. If it were correct, she would say yes, and other times, she would laugh. I did not give up on communicating with her. At first, I taught her the nouns in her daily activities as she used them. Then, I added three words to make a simple sentence using the noun. I had her repeat the words until they were pronounced correctly. At the end of the third quarter, she was on the honor roll, and by the end of the year, she was speaking fluently in English. Supporting our students is extremely important to their success.