June 2024

This Month's Highlights

Reflection Questions for Teachers and Students: Looking Back at Our Year

To help you reflect on the past school year, Colorín Colorado has put together some questions and writing prompts. See additional ideas here:

• How Teachers Can Benefit From End-of-Year Reflections (Edutopia)

 

New on Colorín Colorado

Resource Gallery: The Role of ELL Educators

These resources highlight the many roles that ELL educators play, as well as some of the common topics that come up within the profession. Highlights include:

• What Is an ELL educator?
• Extinguishing Teacher Burnout: Strategies and Resources for Educators

 

10 Ways ELL Coaches Can Support Student Success

In this new Colorín Colorado article, two ELL coaches from Syracuse share their tips for partnering with teachers and optimizing the coaching process for ELL student success.

Note: Stay tuned for a related video coming soon!

 

ELL Teacher Leadership in Action: The SWEL Model

The School-Wide English Learning (SWEL) initiative is a groundbreaking teacher leadership model originally developed by a team of ELL researchers at Hamline University, including Dr. Michelle Benegas, Dr. Ann Mabbott, and Dr. Amy Stolpestad. Learn more about the impact of ELL teacher leadership in this article about SWEL, based on a conversation with Dr. Michelle Benegas.

Note: The in-person SWEL Academy is taking place in August in Alexandria, VA. You can learn more about the workshops, cost, and details from the SWEL website.

 

Recommended Resources

Teacher Leadership for School-Wide English Learning

By: Dr. Michelle Benegas and Dr. Amy Stolpestad

 

Ideas for Instruction

You Are Already a Leader: Identifying Your Leadership Skills on Behalf of ELLs

Educators who work with English language learners often have deep experience in advocating and collaborating on behalf of their students. This article highlights some diverse leadership experiences of ELL educators and shares ideas for identifying and honing leadership capacity.

Co-Teaching ELLs: 8 Strategies for Success

Find out what an ELL coach suggests for making co-teaching partnerships on behalf of ELLs work. This article includes related resources and videos, and the tips are also available as a tip sheet.

Video: The Role of ESOL Specialists in Collaboration

Family Resources and Outreach

Summer Learning Tips to Go! Text Messaging Service

Sign up now for Start with a Book's 2024 summer learning tips in English or Spanish! You'll receive three messages per week, featuring hands-on activities to keep kids reading, creating, exploring — and learning — all summer long!

 

Books and Authors

Lost & Found: A Graphic Novel Based on a True Story

By Mei Yu

Being the new kid in school is scary enough. But imagine what it would be like if you were the new kid in a new school, in a new country. That’s exactly the situation Mei Yu finds herself in when her family moves from China to Canada. As she navigates her new school, she discovers a unique way to learn English and makes a new friend along the way in this heartwarming story based on the author's own experiences.

Read Across America: Reading Diverse Books All Year Long!

NEA’s 2023-24 Read Across America digital calendar highlights a monthly theme and a related picture book, middle book, and YA book. Each title includes activity suggestions, questions for discussion or reflective writing, related resources, and more titles to try. June's theme is Promote Respect for All.

Diverse Stories for Middle Grades and Young Adults: LGBTQIA+

This diverse collection of books explores LGBTQIA+ themes for middle grades and young adults, from questions of identity and culture to friendship and love. For related booklists, see:

• LGBTQ+ Characters and Social/Cultural Themes (AdLit.org)


• LGBTQ Books for Kids (Reading Rockets)