As the semester begins, here are some tips to help us effectively support new English Language Learners (ELL). Andrea Bitner emphasizes the importance of knowing students’ preferred names, understanding their previous experiences, collaborating with ELL instructors, and maintaining a learner’s mindset. The podcast is sponsored by Speakable, a tool for enhancing language pronunciation practice.
It is the start of the semester, many of us will be welcoming new students into our classrooms. When a new student joins your class, especially if they have English as a second language, some of us may not know the best way to reach them. How can we quickly bring them into the classroom? How do we help them join in the classroom experience? What name do we use and how do we pronounce them?
Today’s guest shares what we need to do to reach English Language Learners effectively based on her personal experiences. Here you’ll get some powerful reminders to reach every child in this interview with Andrea Bitner.
Key Takeaways for Teachers
- Ask students what name they prefer and learn to pronounce it correctly, then communicate that preference to other teachers.
- Learn about a student’s previous school experience to better understand their literacy strengths and learning needs.
- Collaborate intentionally with English Language Learner teachers to plan supports and accommodations.
- Remember that limited language does not equal limited intelligence.
- Ask families which language they prefer for school communication instead of making assumptions.
- Keep a learner’s mindset by continuing to learn from colleagues, conferences, and shared professional experiences.
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Visual Summary
We use Google Notebook LM to generate an infographic from the show’s transcript to help highlight key points in the podcast. We hope you’ll still listen to the show!
Listen to the Show
This show is audio only.
Author Bio as Submitted – Andrea Bitner
Andrea Bitner is an educator, author, and speaker. She lives in Philadelphia, PA. She has worked with students in grades K–12 throughout her twenty-two years in public education from all around the world. Her first book, “Take Me Home,” was published by Austin Macauley in July of 2021. “Take Me Home” is the true story of 11 of her former EL students who give a first-hand account of what it’s really like to become bilingual in America. She is also a co-author of Chip Baker’s “The Impact of Influence-Volume 3 and Dr. Rick Jetter’s 100 No-Nonsense Things ALL School Leaders Shout STOP Doing.” She teaches EL’s daily, and travels the country speaking and teaching educators how to teach and reach EL students, and effectively communicate with EL families!
You can find Andrea at www.andreabitnerbooks.com
Blog: www.andreabitnerbooks.com
Twitter: @BitnerAndrea
Other social media: Twitter
Books by this author:
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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