Erick Herrmann

Erick Herrmann is an educational consultant specialized in teaching English learners, and he runs Academic Language Learning Institute, Inc.. Erick has worked with thousands of teachers across the nation to help them improve their instructional practice and increase academic achievement for all students.

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Articles by Erick Herrmann

• Building and fostering positive relationships with diverse students in virtual, hybrid classrooms

  Monday, December 07, 2020

  As virtual and hybrid instruction continue, positive relationships are pivotal in keeping students engaged in learning. By now, you have long established positive relationships with all of your students, and they are engaged in the learning process. The process of developing and building relationships with your students is ongoing, though, and we must continually foster, nurture, and celebrate these relationships, especially as we continue with virtual and distance learning. The following strategies will help to do just that. These strategies, while beneficial for all students, are especially important with culturally and linguistically diverse students.

• Ways to check for understanding virtually with culturally and linguistically diverse students

  Monday, October 05, 2020

  Every teacher knows the importance of having students respond frequently and checking for understanding, as we need to be sure that the instruction we are providing is working, and that students are indeed learning. When it comes to culturally and linguistically diverse students, it becomes especially critical as students are learning new content in a new language. Yet, in our new era of virtual or hybrid teaching, we need to consider how we are assessing students and conducting checks for understanding through what is a new way of teaching and learning to many.

• Adapting tried-and-true instructional strategies for emergent bilinguals to the virtual environment

  Monday, August 31, 2020

  Many, many schools have started the new school year with a major shift in instruction. As teachers return to working with emergent bilinguals and English learners, teachers are having to reexamine the tried-and-true strategies they have used to build language instruction and practice into the curriculum across all of the content areas. The strategies we are used to using cannot function the way they did in the past.

• Explicit instruction for emergent bilinguals, multilingual learners in various environments

  Friday, July 24, 2020

  When people think of teaching, they may think of an expert, or teacher, imparting information to a novice, or student. For some, the term may conjure images of a person at the front of the room talking and sharing information, or "filling the brains" of people with new information. While this is indeed a portion of teaching, and is a part of explicit instruction, it does not embody everything that explicit instruction entails.

• Restarting school: Unfinished teaching and learning for emergent bilinguals, multilingual students

  Monday, July 13, 2020

  At this point in the year, teachers have finished with their teaching duties for the academic year. Some are embarking on teaching summer school, and most of those doing so are likely engaging in distance or virtual learning due to the global pandemic. In either case, questions about returning to school loom: will classes be in-person with face-to-face instruction? Will students only be allowed to be physically in school part time, with distance or virtual learning playing a significant role?

• Planning for summer: Keeping emergent bilinguals, multilingual students engaged

  Tuesday, May 26, 2020

  Many, many students around the world will not return to school until the fall at the earliest. Researchers are predicting that there could be great learning losses due to students not being in school, despite our best efforts to continue instruction through virtual or distance learning. The effect of emergent bilingual and multilingual students could also be significant. Yet there are some ways we can attempt to keep students engaged in learning, or at the very least engaged in continuing to build relationships with us as teachers and the school community.

• Critical concepts in distance learning for multilingual learners

  Monday, May 11, 2020

  The current state of affairs has caused a shifting tide from face-to-face instruction to online learning and out-of-the-classroom learning through online platforms; apps; paper packets being sent home; letters and communications; and other creative means to keep students learning. Educators have done a phenomenal job all over the world in transitioning to remote learning and are working diligently to meet the needs of each student in their classes. But for emergent bilingual and multilingual students, many issues have arisen in terms of meeting their instructional needs.

• Supporting multilingual students’ learning in a time of school closures

  Monday, March 30, 2020

  There is an old adage in education: "all students can learn." While I agree wholeheartedly with the statement, I believe a more accurate statement would be "all students will learn." Every human learns. We learn language, learn how to navigate the world around us, how to build relationships, how to feed ourselves, and myriad other skills. Of course, it is also appropriate to ask if students will learn the skills we are teaching in schools. When it comes to school closures or extended student absences, what will students continue to learn?

• Guided practice in the multilingual classroom

  Monday, March 09, 2020

  Effective instruction in multilingual education includes providing students with comprehensible instruction in the content we are teaching, explicit instruction in the language needed to learn, a process to demonstrate understanding of the new content, and opportunities for students to practice the new content and language being learned. Every teacher and learner figures out quickly that learning is not instantaneous. Students will need multiple opportunities for guided practice, wherein all students have the opportunity to practice both content and language.

• Tightening up ‘turn and talk’ to foster more purposeful linguistic practice

  Monday, February 10, 2020

  The prevalence of the "turn and talk" strategy has increased in schools over the past several years as teachers realize the importance of keeping students actively engaged in instruction; listening to students as a form of formative assessment; and, for multilingual learners, having students practice speaking the target language. While the practice has increased, some teachers may be able to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the strategy by incorporating in a few practices to develop more purposeful practice of both language and content.

• Enhancing linguistic choral responses with multilingual learners

  Monday, January 13, 2020

  In most any classroom focused on helping students learn language, phrases such as "repeat after me" are commonplace, as teachers know that students need to practice saying words and putting words into sentences in order to develop language skills. In some classrooms, you might even hear phrases such as "say it with me…" or just "say ____." All of these phrases and the practice of having students chorally respond will enhance language learning by providing practice opportunities and building engagement.

• Building and developing motivation with multilingual learners

  Monday, December 02, 2019

  Students generally start their educational career motivated and excited to learn. Multilingual learners have the benefit of learning a new language while retaining their native language. As students develop language and content skills through the educational process, they become motivated to continue to learn and grow. Yet some students struggle with language and content learning for a variety of reasons and may lose motivation over time. There are, fortunately, a variety of steps we can take to increase student motivation, and, over time, increase student achievement in terms of learning language and content.

• Adjectives and nouns: The semantics of discussing students

  Monday, September 23, 2019

  Educators have discussions about students on a daily basis. In a past article, I discussed the notion of labeling students, and how labels may be helpful or harmful to students. That article focused primarily on labeling students who speak a language other than English, and the consequences of those labels. Yet we use many other labels when we are discussing our students, sometimes with colleagues, and sometimes with the students themselves. Semantics have a powerful impact. When we are discussing students, consider the words you use with your colleagues as well as with the students themselves.

• Goal-setting with English learners and multilingual students

  Monday, August 12, 2019

  If asked, most adults would tell you that they have goals in life. For example, I have a personal goal of visiting every continent in my lifetime. When we set goals, we have not only identified what we seek, but also the steps needed to accomplish those goals. It is the same with our students; by helping them to set goals, we can support them in reaching those goals. English learners and multilingual students can benefit greatly by setting goals on a variety of topics, including learning and acquisition of a new language, while at the same time maintaining and strengthening their native language.

• STEAM education for English learners

  Monday, June 24, 2019

  Educators all over the world are familiar with the importance of STEM as critical skills in the 21st century. Employers around the world are looking for students who are proficient in these content areas as pathways to college and career readiness. Some have included another letter acronym in this abbreviation, an "a" for "art." This iteration creates the acronym STEAM: science, technology, engineering, art, and math. While it is easy to recognize the importance of integrating these areas into instruction, when working with English learners, teachers may feel that there are challenges or issues that arise for implementing deep STEAM instruction with this population.

• Building mathematical discourse with English learners

  Monday, May 20, 2019

  Learning mathematics is a critical skill in the 21st century. Mathematics builds critical skills, such as problem solving and applying logic. While some claim that mathematics might be an easier subject area for English learners due to the nature of the subject, this is clearly not the case as mathematics requires a significant amount of language. The purpose of mathematical discourse is to deepen understanding of mathematical concepts. Teachers can facilitate mathematical discourse in their classrooms for English learners in a variety of ways.

• Establishing a positive school climate meets the needs of English learners — and all students

  Monday, April 22, 2019

  It is clear that a positive work environment benefits everyone and allows for a healthy, happy, and collaborative environment where everyone can work to accomplish goals in a meaningful, engaging way. When it comes to schools, a positive environment not only benefits the staff but the students, too. This is especially important when we are discussing potentially marginalized populations in schools. We can best meet the needs of English learners, students with special needs, and other student groups when we consider their needs along with each of the populations of students in the school.

• Brain breaks for English learners increase focus, motivation, and engagement

  Monday, March 18, 2019

  We have all experienced those moments in the classroom where our students are noticeably sleepy, overwhelmed, or beginning to get disengaged. Often, these times come when we are presenting complex information, when students have spent significant time with students in one place, or towards the end of the day when students are tired from having been focusing on learning throughout the day. For our English learners, this cognitive exhaustion may be compounded by the fact that they are not only learning a lot of new information, but also learning that information in a new language. All students, but perhaps English learners in particular, can benefit from "brain breaks."

• Priming the pump: Introductory and preview strategies for English learners

  Monday, February 18, 2019

  Many teachers are familiar with the importance of building background knowledge and linking to prior knowledge for English learners. When students encounter a new topic in school, they are spending a considerable amount of mental energy as they learn and deepen their understanding of a topic. For English learners, this is compounded by leaning this new information in a new language. To better prepare all students, and especially English learners to learn and understand a new topic, we should "prime the pump."

• Building metacognitive skills with English learners: Part 2

  Monday, January 28, 2019

  In part one of this two-part series, we explored the topic of metacognition and the importance of building it into our instruction for English learners. By teaching students about metacognition, we can increase their awareness and help cultivate this skill in our students. In addition, by tapping students’ prior knowledge and linking to past experiences, we can help students to be more metacognitive and improve their learning skills. In this second part, we will look at additional instructional strategies that can be incorporated in your classroom.

• Building metacognitive skills with English learners: Part 1

  Wednesday, January 02, 2019

  Metacognition is an important yet sometimes underemphasized aspect of education, especially for English learners. In this two part series, we will explore this topic in more depth, including strategies. Metacognitions refer to thinking about our thought processes, monitoring those processes, and taking control of progress in learning. Educators know the importance of students taking charge of their learning, and expect that through the process of learning to read and write, and learning how school works, that students will become efficient and effective learners.

• Active reading strategies for English learners

  Thursday, November 15, 2018

  Teachers often use the practice of popcorn, or "round-robin," reading strategies in a number of ways. These include cold calling or randomly calling on students to read using sticks with student names on them or by teacher choice, calling on volunteers to read, or having one reader call on another student to begin reading where they left off. However, multiple studies prove that this practice does not work. In fact, round-robin reading likely does more harm than good, especially when utilized with English learners or students who are not proficient readers yet.

• Is our focus on academic language promoting a colonial mindset?

  Monday, October 22, 2018

  Teachers actively work to dismantle the disadvantages our students face, especially in our service to students of color, English learners, students who live in poverty, and other marginalized groups. In the case of this article, and English learners in particular, we should address if our focus on academic language is instilling an attitude in our students of the superiority of the dominant language and culture at the expense of their home languages and cultures. Given this, is our focus on academic language promoting a colonial mindset? The short answer to this provocative question is, hopefully not. But it may depend on the way you focus on language and culture in your classroom, and the purpose of learning academic language.

• Are student labels helpful or harmful?

  Monday, September 17, 2018

  In every school, students are labeled for a variety of reasons. Consider the students you have or have had in your classroom. Of course, our intent in schools is always to help students learn and make progress so that they can be happy, healthy, productive members of society. To better serve students, we add labels to help us consider the needs of the students and ultimately better meet their needs. However, the labels may serve to ostracize, segregate, or otherwise provide a disservice to our students.

• Simple ways to connect and build relationships with your students

  Tuesday, August 21, 2018

  Teachers get into the profession of teaching because they care about young people and want to help them be successful in life, and ultimately to make the world a better place. We all know that relationships are at the core of our work, and that this critical aspect of education and the classroom makes our job of educating children more effective and fulfilling for everyone. Yes, building relationships with students takes time, a commodity that is in limited supply in the classroom. The following list of activities and ideas can be used in virtually any context, but may need to be adapted slightly depending on the grade level and make up of your classroom.

• The ‘3D’ model of effective instruction for English learners

  Monday, July 16, 2018

  The teaching profession is an important one, designed to create healthy, happy individuals who can accomplish their goals in life and be productive and happy. Yet, as a profession, teachers are not always held in high esteem. As our job is of critical importance, it is important that we use our professional knowledge and training to meet the instructional needs of students. To do that, we should follow a similar approach to what doctors use: diagnose, decide, and deliver.

• The importance of self-reflection when teaching English learners

  Monday, June 18, 2018

  Schools all over the United States have released students and teachers for the summer break, and teachers are beginning to decompress from the hectic schedule of the school year. Hopefully, they are also taking some time to relax and spend time with loved ones. During this break, it is critically important that teachers take some time to consider the school year that has just closed, and think about what worked in terms of educating English learners as well as what they might do differently next year to improve their instruction.

• Are you schooling or educating your English learner students?

  Tuesday, May 22, 2018

  English learners, like all students, go to school to learn. They are learning the knowledge and skills of the content areas as they are developing English proficiency. The goal, of course, is that students learn to be critical thinkers, are able to engage in society, and develop the skills necessary to be happy and successful human beings. As we teach our students, then, are we creating situations in which students can develop those skills? Or are we teaching them to robotically follow the rules that are imposed by the adults in the school?

• Focus on paragraph and multiparagraph writing

  Wednesday, April 11, 2018

  ​Writing is no simple feat. Teachers help students to build their writing skills over time, starting in kindergarten and continuing over the years. Some would argue that one never truly masters writing, but that one continues to hone their skills over a lifetime.

• Focus on sentence-building activities

  Wednesday, March 21, 2018

  Last month's article focused on developing students' word-building skills by analyzing and adding affixes to words. Now, we will focus on building sentences using similar concepts — the idea being that students can begin by building simple sentences, then work to create more complex sentences.

• Using affixes, roots and base words to improve English learners’ language skills

  Wednesday, February 14, 2018

  Words. They are powerful and useful, and a key aspect of learning any new language. When it comes to learning a new language, students must absorb individual words and vocabulary — and quite a lot of them — and then figure out how to put those words together into meaningful chunks to create sentences, paragraphs and more.

• Using wordless books with English learners

  Wednesday, January 17, 2018

  ​The thought of a book without words might sound strange. How can students read a book without words? If you have ever seen, read or taught a wordless book, you are familiar with their value.

• Considerations for cultural and holiday celebrations in schools

  Wednesday, November 15, 2017

  In every culture around the world, humans engage in cultural and holiday traditions and celebrations. Just like language, it is difficult to imagine a society without them. Cultural and holiday celebrations have been a part of the fabric in U.S. schools for decades. Teachers and schools regularly engage in activities during and after school to celebrate the various cultures that are represented in the school, as well as national holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

• How important is pronunciation instruction for English learners?

  Wednesday, October 18, 2017

  One of the most notable identifiers of someone whose primary language is not English is speaking with an accent. While accents vary in English in different countries — and even by region within those countries — for most native speakers it is easy to tell if someone learned English later in life.

• SWRLing with EL: Speaking, writing, reading and listening

  Wednesday, August 16, 2017

  Language skills are important for every student, especially in terms of academic language and vocabulary. Speaking, writing, reading and listening (SWRL) skills can and should be taught to students as part of every subject area, as these skills are paramount in learning the deep academic content taught in schools. But these language skills are especially critical for English learners to ensure their success in school and in an ever-changing world.

• Co-planning for effective English language development

  Wednesday, July 19, 2017

  ​Teaching is a challenging profession. We are expected, as teachers, to meet the needs of all of our students, including those who are performing above grade level, those performing below grade level and everyone in between. We also have to take into account those students who are talented and gifted, students with special needs and students who are learning English as an additional language. Some of our students may fit into multiple categories as well, such as having special needs and learning English as an additional language.

• Preparing to more effectively teach English learners next year

  Wednesday, June 21, 2017

  As the school year wraps up for many teachers this month, we begin the process of relaxing and rejuvenating so that we can be ready to start the new school year with a fresh group of students. Many, if not most, teachers also begin thinking about and preparing for the next school year as the summer progresses. Consider the following strategies and ideas to incorporate into your summer plans to be better prepared for your English learners.

• Decreasing academic anxiety for English learners

  Wednesday, May 24, 2017

  English learners, like all students, face the pressure of achieving in school, and they hope to learn the content being presented in the class. Additionally, like all of the other students in the class, they want to make friends with their classmates and other students in the school.

• Decreasing social anxiety for English learners

  Wednesday, May 17, 2017

  English learners, like all students, face the pressure of achieving in school, and they hope to learn the content being presented in the class. Additionally, like all of the other students in the class, they want to make friends with their classmates and other students in the school.

• Working with newcomers and beginning-level ELLs across content areas

  Thursday, April 13, 2017

  For teachers working with English learners, having newcomers or beginning-level English learners in the classroom can be a challenge. Teachers are sometimes ill-equipped to understand the needs of students who are recent arrivals to the United States, or who speak no English whatsoever.

• Strategies for teaching gifted and talented English learners

  Wednesday, March 15, 2017

  Who are our gifted and talented students? What makes a student gifted? How are gifted and talented students identified? These questions are important in education as we attempt to best meet the needs of each of our students. When it comes to meeting the needs of English learners, these questions can seem more complicated.

• Teaching diverse students in an age of uncertainty

  Wednesday, February 15, 2017

  Some would say politics have little, if any, place in the classroom, outside of social studies classes that are studying current events — especially when political ideas can be divisive, controversial or provocative. The current political stage in the United States, and perhaps all over the world, has some students stressed and nervous about what their fate is going to be.

• Assigning homework to English learners

  Wednesday, February 01, 2017

  Homework can be a controversial topic in education circles. Some — including parents and educators — strongly believe homework is an important part of a student's education, and should be assigned to students on a nightly basis.

• Using gestures to enhance language instruction

  Wednesday, January 04, 2017

  Active engagement is an important tenet of instruction and learning — important in both learning and mastering content as well as language. There are many ways to keep students engaged in instruction, including using a variety of activities and discourse, and teaching relevant and interesting content to students.

• Using centers to differentiate for English learners

  Wednesday, December 07, 2016

  Centers are used in multiple grade levels and in various subject areas as a way to provide small group instruction to a group of students while keeping the rest of the students in the class engaged in meaningful and productive practice. When working with English learners, centers can provide opportunities to deliver specific lessons to help students improve language skills, preview upcoming content or review previously presented content.

• Math is about numbers, so it’s easier for English learners, right?

  Wednesday, October 19, 2016

  Mathematics is regarded as one of the core content areas that all students are expected to master as they progress through school. Mathematics instruction, however, has changed in the past several years. In past generations, mathematics often involved learning algorithms and formulas and plugging in numbers to solve math problems. With the introduction of new, rigorous state standards and college and career readiness expectations, logic, problem solving and the integration of a variety of strategies to solve problems have taken a front seat.

• Increasing our focus on general academic vocabulary

  Wednesday, September 21, 2016

  ​There has been much discussion around the topic of academic language instruction for English learners, and for all students. The discussion has revolved around the need to teach students the language of academia, the language of college and career readiness, and language needed to be successful in our ever-changing society.

• Integrating and connecting standards to increase language learning

  Wednesday, August 17, 2016

  The brain is a powerful and fascinating organ. As we encounter new stimuli throughout the day, our brain searches for meaning. Is this something that integrates in with information already stored in the brain? Is there a "hook" upon which I can hang this information ?

• Starting the school year with English learners

  Wednesday, July 20, 2016

  ​In just a few short weeks, schools will begin to fill up again with students ready for another year of learning. Of the approximately 50.1 million students in public K-12 schools in the United States, 9.3 percent will be English learners. For these students, school can be especially daunting as they will be learning new information in a new language.

• Brain-based strategies for English learners

  Wednesday, June 22, 2016

  In the past two decades, knowledge of how the brain functions has increased tremendously. New, less invasive technologies such as PET scans have helped scientists determine various ways people learn and how to facilitate learning through using brain-based teaching techniques.

• From interaction to discourse: Increase EL academic language proficiency

  Wednesday, May 25, 2016

  In classrooms all over the country, teachers have their students answer questions and engage in classroom discussions. Numerous researchers have demonstrated the importance of oral interactions in the classroom, especially for English learners.

• Fostering growth mindset with English learners

  Wednesday, April 20, 2016

  Increasingly, the topics of growth mindset and grit have entered schools and classrooms across the country. Based on the work of Carol Dweck, educators have been studying and discussing how to help students develop a stance of growth and perseverance — as opposed to a fixed mindset, where people see ability and skills as innate.

• Determining the linguistic demand of tasks

  Wednesday, March 16, 2016

  Each school day, students are asked to engage in a variety of instructional tasks that require them to utilize language in a variety of ways. Students are asked to read, write, listen and speak about content-area concepts, which are often complex and require students to use academic vocabulary and language.

• Engaging culturally and linguistically diverse parents and families

  Wednesday, February 10, 2016

  Parental and familial involvement in schools has long been known to increase academic achievement and long-term success for students. Research points out that students whose families are engaged in their education achieve at higher levels academically, have better attendance rates, graduate at higher levels and enjoy school to a higher degree.

• Which words matter most? Picking vocabulary for English learners

  Thursday, January 14, 2016

  Vocabulary is a hot topic in education. Teachers, parents, administrators and community members know words are important. Words help us to understand concepts, articulate our knowledge, express our feelings, ask questions and more.

• Assessment for English learners: Content, language or both?

  Wednesday, December 09, 2015

  ​Ask teachers about the importance of assessment, and they will likely begin sharing about their daily practice of checking student understanding and determining needed adjustments to instruction to help students achieve at higher levels, as well as the end-of-lesson, unit or term tests and assignments they give to see what students learned. The myriad standardized tests students take today will also likely be discussed, and how English learners and other populations are negatively affected by these assessments.

• Language register: What is it and why does it matter in education?

  Wednesday, November 18, 2015

  Many teacher and parents today lament a lack of formality in student language, especially writing. Ask any educator about the use of so-called "texting language" in student writing, and you will likely see eye rolls, a pained look on their face, hear a sigh or complaint about the decline in language.

• Close reading with English learners: Strategies

  Wednesday, October 28, 2015

  In this era of more demanding standards for all students, close reading has become a common exercise for students in various grade levels. For English language learners — generally defined as students who are not achieving academically due to the level of English language proficiency —accessing complex, grade-level text can be especially demanding.

• Close reading with English learners: Challenges

  Wednesday, October 21, 2015

  In this era of more demanding standards for all students, close reading has become a common exercise for students in various grade levels. For English language learners — generally defined as students who are not achieving academically due to the level of English language proficiency — accessing complex, grade-level text can be especially demanding.

• Classroom teacher and English learner teacher collaboration

  Wednesday, September 16, 2015

  What is the best way to provide a high-quality education to English learners? Recent analyses of the research by Goldenberg, Saunders and Marcelletti clearly indicate that English learners benefit from quality classroom instruction that includes supports and modifications, as well as English language development (ELD).

• Cultural competence in the classroom: A key 21st-century skill

  Thursday, August 13, 2015

  ​Schools today are becoming increasingly diverse. Any educator who has been working in schools for a long time has likely seen the differences between students who were in their classrooms 20 years ago and students who are in their classrooms today.

• What do school leaders need to know about English learners? The basics

  Thursday, July 09, 2015

  ​Each new school year, countless new administrators move into school leadership positions. There are many, many topics, skills and procedures that need to be learned, relearned or determined as the new school year starts. At times, leaders follow similar policies and procedures put into place previously. Others change policies and procedures to meet their own unique vision.

• Effectively incorporating technology with English learners

  Thursday, June 11, 2015

  ​As the school year comes to a close for students across the United States, some districts are planning and purchasing technology to incorporate into instruction. Purchases may include new devices for teachers such as interactive whiteboards, tablets or computers, as well as devices for students such as computer carts, tablets or other devices.

• Social emotional learning and English learners

  Wednesday, May 13, 2015

  In recent years, schools have increased their discussion and focus on social and emotional learning. Social and emotional learning (SEL) is characterized by the teaching, practice and implementation of social skills in the classroom as well as helping students with managing emotions, making decisions that are considerate of others, and building and maintaining positive relationships. Social and emotional skills taught in classrooms often include skills such as kindness, empathy, gratitude, resilience and fairness.

• The 4 C’s of 21st century learning for ELLs: Creativity

  Wednesday, April 08, 2015

  In this last article of the series, creativity and innovation will be discussed — with a particular emphasis on English learners. Creativity and innovation have been linked to job creation over the past decade. The rise of technology and other emerging industries rely on creativity: the ability to think outside of the box and unconventionally, to question assumptions and standard ways of doing things, and to imagine new products and solutions to problems.

• The 4 C’s of 21st century learning for ELLs: Collaboration

  Wednesday, March 11, 2015

  Critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity have been dubbed as the four C's of 21st century learning. In the first two parts of this four-part series, we explored critical thinking and communication. Collaboration is the next topic we will explore.

• The 4 C’s of 21st century learning for ELLs: Communication

  Thursday, February 12, 2015

  In the first part of this series, we explored critical thinking as an important skill that students will need to master in the 21st century. The jobs of tomorrow are unknown today, and while the world is changing quickly, it is also shrinking. Small and large companies alike are building global teams, selling services and products all over the world. Global communication is instantaneous. Given this, tomorrow's workforce will need to be skilled in communication, the second of the four C's of 21st century skills explored in this series.

• The 4 C’s of 21st century learning for ELLs: Critical thinking

  Wednesday, January 21, 2015

  We are preparing students for an unknown future. Consider how much has changed even in the past half-century. The proliferation of technology in our everyday lives has drastically changed how we function in society. While all educators want to help students be successful in the future, the world is shrinking quickly, and our society is becoming more global in nature. Reading, writing, mathematics and knowledge of the other core subject areas will remain an important component of each person's education.

• Lifelong learning: Inspiring the quest for knowledge

  Friday, December 12, 2014

  What is a teacher's role? The answer to this question has seemed to expand over the past few decades. On the surface, the role of the teacher is to help students learn the knowledge and skills prescribed in the various federal, state and local standards.

• Teaching learning strategies to ELLs: What, why, when, how

  Tuesday, November 18, 2014

  ​"Learning how to learn" is one of many goals educators have for their students. In fact, in a world where we cannot predict the jobs and work of the future, the act of learning, unlearning old ways of doing things and relearning new ways, is a 21st-century skill that is gaining increasing importance. The constantly changing landscape of technological advances in the workforce causes us to adapt ways of doing things on a seemingly daily basis.

• Providing feedback to English learners: Why, when and how

  Wednesday, October 15, 2014

  We learn by doing. More specifically, we learn by being taught, then practicing a skill or concept, receiving feedback on our progress to correct errors and reinforce what we are doing well, and finally continuing on our own once we are proficient.

• Transforming classroom management for ELLs: Strategies for success

  Wednesday, September 17, 2014

  Classroom management is a phrase and concept all teachers are familiar with and know intimately. ​There are numerous classroom management strategies that benefit all students, but that may be especially beneficial for culturally and linguistically diverse students.

• Transforming classroom management for ELLs: The issues

  Thursday, September 11, 2014

  Classroom management is a phrase and concept all teachers are familiar with and know intimately. There are numerous issues that impact classroom management skills, in general terms, but also when working with students who are English learners or who come from diverse cultural backgrounds.

• The importance of hands-on learning and movement for English learners

  Wednesday, August 13, 2014

  Consider your most memorable learning experience in school. Did the experience involve a lecture or a worksheet? Perhaps a bit more likely is that your memorable experience included a project or activity that required you to do something hands-on — building something, acting or performing, or some form of hands-on activity or movement.

• Teaching writing to ELLs across the curriculum: Strategies for success

  Tuesday, July 01, 2014

  Reading, writing, listening and speaking. Educators know the importance of these essential skills for student success, and a brief review of instructional standards will show an emphasis on these four skills.

• Pay attention! How to actively teach listening skills

  Wednesday, June 04, 2014

  If you ask teachers what their greatest frustrations are in the classroom, inevitably you will be told that students do not know how to listen. Given this frustration on the lack of student listening skills, it would seem that teachers would spend significant time actively teaching listening.

• Sheltered instruction and English language development: Defining ELD

  Wednesday, May 07, 2014

  Most educators agree that it is important to meet the needs of English learners in the classroom through sheltered instruction and differentiation, but there is sometimes confusion on explicit English language development: what it is, what should be taught in ELD and when ELD should be taught. In this article, English Language Development will be explored in more depth.

• Sheltered instruction and English language development: Key components

  Wednesday, April 23, 2014

  ​Schools today are charged with meeting the needs of each child: the average, the gifted, the special-needs student, the English learner. Our diverse classrooms make the job challenging, but through the implementation of research-based best practices, schools can meet these needs.

• Learned helplessness in the classroom

  Wednesday, March 19, 2014

  In an educational setting, students may feel that any effort is fruitless, as they do not understand the content, and so refuse to make any effort whatsoever. Learned helplessness may also result from low expectations of students, and students not being held accountable in the classroom to engage in academic tasks or activities.

• The importance of guided practice in the classroom

  Wednesday, February 12, 2014

  There is an old saying we are all familiar with: Practice makes perfect. In the classroom, students must practice the skills we are teaching for it to become internalized. It is important for us as educators, then, to not only provide opportunities for students to practice, but to practice correctly.

• Grouping students: Heterogeneous, homogeneous and random structures

  Wednesday, January 15, 2014

  ​What is the typical classroom seating arrangement? Are students seated in neat rows, in a U shape, in small groups of 4 or 5, at tables or at desks? Teachers have long recognized the power of grouping students together for a variety of reasons: to collaborate with each other on a project, for cooperative learning opportunities, to work with a small group of students on a particular skill and more. But how do teachers decide how to group students together, and when is a particular grouping structure best given the learning or task at hand?

• Compliance or engagement: When are students truly engaged in class?

  Wednesday, December 11, 2013

  ​Consider a time that you felt you were extremely engaged in the task at hand. Were all of your thoughts, attention and actions focused on the task at hand? Did your thoughts or attention wander at any time? Did upcoming tasks, events or past events from the day pop into your mind at some point? Did you still consider yourself engaged in the task, or did you feel that those moment took you off-task? In the classroom, the importance of student engagement is paramount. If students are not engaged in the tasks at hand, they are not likely learning what we are teaching and what we expect them to learn and be able to do.

• Scaffolding: Helping all students reach academic excellence

  Thursday, November 07, 2013

  Education can be seen as the act of helping students learn new content, concepts and skills over time by teaching the steps necessary to master the skills being taught. Teachers need to provide scaffolding for students to reach each skill or concept and achieve at higher levels.

• Comprehension: Do your English learners understand your instruction?

  Thursday, October 10, 2013

  Every teacher intuitively knows the importance of student comprehension of instruction. Without comprehension, there is no learning. It is our duty and charge as teachers to make sure that our students are able to grasp what we are teaching, be it the sounds of the letters, the meaning of the text they are reading, a discussion on an important event in history, a science experiment, or any other concept or skill students are expected to learn.