Classroom Q and A

Our guests explore strategies to encourage kids to embrace the process of revising and refining their writing.

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Melissa A. Butler is a writer, speaker, and educator living in Pittsburgh, PA. She was a classroom teacher for 23 years and now consults to help people slow down to notice more. Much of her work focuses on trust, intrinsic motivation, curiosity, and notice-to-wonder practices. Mary Beth Nicklaus is a language arts teacher and reading specialist for Wisconsin Rapids Area Middle School in Wisconsin. Jenny Vo has spent all her 23 years in education working with English Learners and currently serves as an ESL ISST in Katy ISD in Katy, Texas. Jeremy Hyler is a middle school English and science teacher at Fulton Middle School in Middleton, Michigan. He is a teacher consultant for the Chippewa River Writing Project, a Community Ambassador for NCTE, and a Medial Literacy Innovator for KQED. He co-authored Create, Compose, Connect! Reading, Writing, and Learning with Digital Tools with Dr. Troy Hicks, From Texting to Teaching: Grammar Instruction in a Digital Age (2017) as well as Ask, Explore, Write. Blog MiddleWeb.

As our student ranks become increasingly diverse around culture and language, culturally responsive teaching is becoming more important. Here are some practical approaches to consider.

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Chiquita Jenkins has been an educator for over 10 years. She teaches 2nd grade in New York and is finishing up her last year in her doctoral studies at St John's University. She is also the CEO of Life Setters which is a motivational blog dedicated to sharing and inspiring individuals through interviews and stories. Autumn Kelley is a professional educator here in the Washington, DC metro area. and has 20 years of experience in the field of education and absolutely love what I do. She has experience as a teacher, school administrator, author, curriculum development and publication, speaking engagements at national conferences and consultation for executive boards at private schools. Dr. Jim Ewing is an associate professor at Stephen F. Austin State University and author of the book Math for ELLs. As Easy as Uno, Dos, Tres. Jim gives motivating workshops to teachers all over the country about meeting the needs of ELs in math.

Hosting asynchronous online discussions is a well-established teaching strategy. In this episode, we look at the dos and don’ts of creating effective online discussions.

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Dr. Taurean Branch is an instructional coach supporting math instruction with Baltimore City Schools. His mission is to empower teachers with tips, tools, and techniques that improve student outcomes. He is the host of the podcast show Copy Jams where he shares ideas and inspiration that drives his mission. Dr. Theresa Capra is a professor at a community college focusing on the social sciences while helping students prepare for a career in education. She also supervises teacher candidates at the baccalaureate level in their clinical placements. Dr. Capra is the founder Ed Tapas, a research blog dedicated to trends, technology, and teaching tips for educators at all levels.

Creating the conditions that develop an intrinsic interest in reading is a longstanding challenge that is exacerbated by distance learning. In this episode, we explore ways to encourage students to read in traditional and online classes.

Follow on Twitter: @SJEducate @larryferlazzo @bamradionetwork, @butler__melissa @jenorr @Dr_Katie_AlanizDr. Sawsan Jaber, a global educator of twenty years in the U.S. and abroad, currently serves as a High School English teacher in Illinois. She is an Our Voice Academy Board Director, the founder of Education Unfiltered Consulting, and a founding member of the Arab American Education Network. Sawsan is a proud Palestinian American. Melissa A. Butler is a writer, speaker, and educator living in Pittsburgh, PA. She was a classroom teacher for 23 years and now consults to help people slow down to notice more. Much of her work focuses on trust, intrinsic motivation, curiosity, and notice-to-wonder practices. Jennifer Orr is a kindergarten teacher in a Title 1 school in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. Previously she has taught 5th, 4th, and 1st graders, as well as her own two daughters. Katie Alaniz, Ed.D., is a faculty member and Director of Online Learning and Professional Development within the College of Education Behavioral Sciences at HBU. As a teacher and digital learning specialist for over a decade in both public and private schools, including her service as a digital learning specialist at River Oaks Baptist School, she guides fellow educators as they meaningfully integrate digital resources within their classrooms.

Today, the elephant in every classroom is politics: How are you managing the thorny issues that are present in your classroom, whether you discuss them or not?  Four educators share their approaches.

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Dr. Angela M. Ward is a public-school administrator with over 20 years of experience. She is focused on creating identity-safe schools and workplaces and strives daily to nurture equity-centered schooling. Follow Dr. Ward http://2wardequity.com/blog/  Holly Spinelli is a students' rights activist with specific focuses in alternative, strengths-based pedagogical approaches where students' voices serve as the catalyst for their education. She is a New York public high school teacher, an adjunct instructor at SUNY Orange County Community College, and an active member of the NCTE's Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English. Keisha Rembert is a passionate learner and fierce equity advocate.  She was an award-winning middle school ELA and United States History teacher who now instructs preservice teachers. She hopes to change our world one student at a time. Dr. Rocio del Castillo began her career as a school psychologist in Peru and has dedicated her professional career to being an advocate for educational equity and social justice. She currently serves as Assistant Superintendent for Special Services in Huntley Community School District 158 and as an adjunct professor.

In the episode, we cover practical tips for avoiding the most common mistakes we often make when teaching English Language Learners. We look at both typical classroom examples and examples when teaching ELLs virtually.

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Altagracia (Grace) H. Delgado has been in field education for 26 years. She has worked as a bilingual teacher, literacy coach, and school administrator. In addition, she has written curriculum for Spanish Language Arts and English Language Development and is currently the Executive Director of Multilingual Services at Aldine ISD. Dr. Denita Harris is a Curriculum Coordinator for the MSD of Wayne Township, Indianapolis, Indiana.  She has over twenty years of experience as a teacher, assistant principal, and district-level administrator. She is the recipient of the 2019 INTESOL (Indiana Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages) Best of the Best in K-12 Education. Marina Rodriguez is a 4th-grade dual language teacher in College Station, Texas. She has taught 4th-grade dual language over 14 years, leads an after school blogging club for multilingual students, and is one of the co-authors of Two Writing Teachers. Sarah Said has spent years overseeing ELL programming in schools in Illinois.  In addition to her current role as a Director of Language and Equity programs, she is also a contributor for ELL Confianza. She is also a course writer for English Learner portal.

The number of Arab speaking ELL students has grown by 75 percent over the past eight years. Join us for a discussion on the evolving face and needs of English language learners and what every teacher needs to know.

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Dr. Sawsan Jaber, a global educator of twenty years in the U.S. and abroad, currently serves as a High School English teacher in Illinois. She is an Our Voice Academy Board Director, the founder of Education Unfiltered Consulting, and a founding member of the Arab American Education Network. Sawsan is a proud Palestinian American. Dr. Nina Shoman-Dajani is Assistant Dean of Learning Enrichment and College Readiness at Moraine Valley Community College in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. She also currently teaches Middle Eastern Studies at Saint Xavier University. She holds a doctorate in Higher Education and Organizational Change and her research focuses on the racial identity construction of Arab American College Students. She is one of the founders of the Arab American Educators Network. Abeer Shinnawi is an 18-year veteran middle school social studies teacher who is currently a secondary resource teacher for the Office of Social Studies for Baltimore County Public Schools in MD and is also the founder of Altair Education Consulting, LLC an education consulting company. Abeer is also a member of the teacher advisory group for the National Museum of the Native American. Including her and three other educators, she is also the founder of the Arab American Educators Network-AAEN.