Calling all Chatty Cathy's

Now if you haven't seen these handy dandy phones in use you are missing out!

These are great tools for students to practice speaking.

Let me demonstrate for you...

Get it? :)

You can speak at a whisper and have the phone magnify your voice right back up to your ear. I've seen these work well in classrooms when the teacher asks the students to revise and review their writing.

Lucky you, I have 4 of these ready to send off to the winner of this week's challenge.

In order to be considered for this amazing prize you have to email me an example of a lesson or activity that you did this year that went well.

I will randomly draw a winner and notify you. Plus I'll have a lot of great tips to share :)

Thanks for playing!

Get Excited about Language!

I had the pleaseure to visit our schools in Ohio this past week and picked up some great ideas to share with you!

What better way to engage a student and get them excited to play with words than to allow them access to your materials! Pathway Charter Academy makes it hard not to pick something out and take it home to play with!

Everything displayed was asking to be picked. From word games, to dictionaries and books.

A dictionary never looks as engaging when hiding away in a bookshelf.



Just like a birthday gift, these shiny bags are sent home containing stories and materials to be used and returned. From the schools experience it seemed the kids loved showing off their Book Bag of goodies.

So get your things off the shelves! Display them and encourage students to bring them home. And hopefully a little incentive will bring those materials back to you :)

Novel Study

For many of us we have rounded the ELL testing corner. Breathe a little sigh of relief.
So what is next for your ELL students?

I want to advocate for one of my all-time favorite things to do with any level any grade students; the novel study.

Here's why I love them:

1. student groups can pick/choose based on interest
2. we can immerse ourselves into the book (learn the geography and time frame of the book)
3. we can use a study guide, many of which are premade for us at http://store.learninglinks.com/novel-ties.html my favorite Novel Ties companions
4. we can be self-paced

Here's how I begin a novel study:

1. find 3-4 books that I think are interesting and engaging for my students (preferably I have pre-read them- with one noteable exception: I was reading a Boy in teh Girls bathroom to my 7th graders and could not stop laughing...it was a little embarrassing)
2. demonstrate to my small group how I preview books (look at cover, back of book blurb, first page)
3. have the group sit in a circle each beginning with one book in their hands
4. spend 2-3 minutes previewing the book
5. students write down a yes/no/thoughts about the preview on their notes
6. students pass the book along and preview the next (and so on)
7. students vote for which book we read
8. after the book is selected I gather a group set (maybe I have to visit the local libraries as well to get copies for each student)
9. I pace out the book with the amount of time I have (maybe 2-3 weeks)
10. I buy/borrow/create a novel study guide to go along with the book
11. the first lesson is always geography and time- get a map out, locate our story and discuss the contemporary events (if applicable)
12. get reading! *the books always stay with me-avoiding the 'lost book' issue

Here are some titles I have used in the past and LOVED!

What's in a Name?

When looking over your class roster for the first time, you might be a little nervous about stumbling through the pronunciation of names. It can be nerve-wracking for a teacher. You don't want to offend, you don't want to embarrass. But at the end of the day you have to say the child's name out loud for all to hear. So get ready!

A name is often much more than just that. It can represent family, culture and identity. It should be respected and all effort to pronounce and use correctly should be made. That being said, some names can be tricky. So be ready to correct yourself.

What to do:
-Think through a name. Do you know the culture or language of the name? How letters are pronounced in that language? Jorge should sound like George!
-Practice the several different ways a name could sound. (Is it Joel, or Jo 'el ?)
-Practice out loud
-Ask for opinions from a fellow teacher
-If you are unsure the gender of the name, look it up! This can be especially important for elementary classrooms that often color code their name walls.
- Take a moment before class starts as the student enters to ask for clarification
-Write their name phonetically next to their roster name to remember

What not to do-
-Not say it. Don't avoid using a the child's name, learn how to say it quickly and practice saying it!
-Mispronounce it purposefully (to either make it sound more neutral or Americanized)
-Respect a child's preference for nicknames (some people hate nicknames and by cutting the name in half it can change meaning immensely)
-Tell the child how unusual the name is (eek!)
-Make a confused face (be neutral and open!)
-Give them a different name

Obviously these rules are not hard and fast. My friend Jean Francois preferred to be addressed as 'Jeff', my friend co-teacher Megumi was not amused by being called Meg. Learn what your student's want and stick with it.

Practice makes perfect!

The art of asking a question

Have you even had that feeling, either during the middle of teaching or immediately after saying goodbye to a group of kids wearing befuddled looks on their faces, that maybe you are not getting through? This has happened to me more times than I care to admit. But similar to other shortfalls, I feel it is better to know you're missing the mark than to not.

So where to start? How to adjust?

I have found that a little self-reflection can go a long way. We as ELL teachers know we are constantly differentiating instruction. But are we differentiating our questions? Anyone familiar with the Socratic method of teaching and learning will tell you that the great bulk of learning is done through questioning.

The trick to asking questions to a group of multi-level learners is to understand the complexity of the question we are posing. Take a glance at Bloom's pyramid. Think of your questions as a ladder, you should start at the bottom if you don't want to tip over.

Want some more support with creating intentional questions? Take a look at this winner of a diagram!

Any questions? :)

Draw Write Color!

One of my all time favorite activities which I file under the heading "Laura's Go-to, no-prep needed, differentiated, all-subject, 5-minute, engaging, mini-lesson". I'd say that pretty much encompasses what it is all about.

Materials needed: scrap paper, pencils, crayons

1. Draw 1-5 lines on each paper (Kinde's get 1 line, upper grades get more)
2. Kids (and yourself- come on!) draw a picture in the blank space (maybe you want it on a certain topic, or simply a free-draw). Set a timer (2-3 minutes), stick to it.
3. Everyone write a few sentences (be clear on expectations) describing your drawing. I like to use sentence starters/stems with my younger grades ("In my picture I am..." "This picture shows..."). I also like having a white board handy to  quickly joy down proper spellings.
4. Color it in!
5. Share out, get and give positive feedback
6. I like stapling our pictures together with a construction paper cover to make simple class books.

Testing, Testing...

Whether you're a new teacher or a seasoned one, we all might harbour some fear of testing. Especially a big test like your state's approved English proficency assessment. A four parter! 

Where to start? How to divvy it up? Here's a quick list of best practices for you.

1. It might sound self explanatory, but read the Test Coordinator's Manual, or re-read it. This will answer the bulk of your questions and help frame your mind into testing mode.
2. Begin when you are able- with all the snow days, vacation days, and sick days it's best to get started when the testing window opens up. No one likes scrambling.
3. Divvy up responsibility- are there 2 ELL teachers at your school, 1? 3? Divide it up into a reasonable caseload.
4. Pick a grade level to start at, either work up or down from there. Finish a grade level before moving on the the next.
5. Don't burn yourself out with the Speaking portion- devote an hour or 2 per day where you'll do only this section. Bring a bottle of water to keep your mouth hydrated!
6. Prioritize. Many of our schools cannot find time for actual teaching during the testing window. Some can. If you fear test burn-out, or want to have a little more balance, decide which small group you will service regardless of testing. For example, I saw my high need 2nd graders each day for an hour during the test window. It broke up testing for me and also supported my most needed group.
7. Keep a record- know who you have left to test and on which parts of the test
8. Inform the classroom teachers- many of us wont be able to follow the agreed pull-out/push-in schedule. Let the teacher know this is an important test and it happens only once a year for these kids. 
9. Commander a classroom or quiet space- bargain if you have to!
10. Make sure your kids are well fed- keep a basket of nutritious treats around. Grumbling stomachs don't make for a great testing experience.

Good Luck!