You know the moment: you look down at the roster to take attendance the first day of school and there is a name that you know you are going to butcher if you try it.

Instead of having English Learners or other culturally and linguistically diverse learners pronounce their name day-after-day for us, there is a strategy that I do every year.

It's simple, easy, and such a great way to learn how to pronounce new names. Check it out!

Follow me on Instagram

Grab my FREEBIE, “67 AI Prompts for Teachers of English Learners”

________________________________________________________________

I don’t have a lot of regrets in my teaching career. But one that sticks out to me is embracing “English Only” mindsets. Oof, I cringe when I think about it.

By allowing and encouraging translanguaging in our classrooms, we are making equitable spaces for multilingual learners to thrive.

In this episode, you can expect to learn

• What translanguaging is and what it looks like in the classroom

• 5 Myths about translanguaging and the realities rooted in research

• How to embrace translanguaging, even if you’re a monolingual teacher

• Experts in the field that you can learn more from

Mentioned in the episode:

The Translanguaging Classroom: Leveraging Student Bilingualism for Learning– the gold standard for learning about translanguaging by Ofelia Garcia, Susana Ibarra Johnson, and Kate Seltzer– get it here!

Follow Dual Language expert Dr. José Medina on Instagram

As you're preparing to go back-to-school, you've already got so much on your plate. And now you realize that you've got a new (or several new) students who are also new to the country.

If you're like most teachers, you might be panicking thinking about what to do. If you've got the support of an ELL teacher, that's wonderful. But so many ELL teachers also have a lot on their plates and might not be able to help you every day or every class. What is a classroom teacher to do?!

One of the people that I consider to be an expert in all things newcomer is Zoe Kinney. She's a remarkable teacher and colleague and has almost 30 years of experience in the field. I knew I had to get her on the podcast. She'll give you strategies that go well beyond just using Google translate and she has ways to think about newly-arrived students that you probably haven't before.

General education teacher, if you're ready to start your year right with your newcomer ELL students, go ahead and hit that play button. You won't regret it!

Don't forget to follow the podcast to get these episodes every Wednesday!

Find me on Instagram

To learn more about the program at Kansas City Public Schools, click here.

Resources that Zoe mentioned in the episode:

Carol Salva's blog

Boosting Achievement by Carol Salva

Understanding By Design by Wiggins and McTighe

7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive Classroom 2nd Edition by Seidlitz and Perryman

I was diagnosed with Adult ADHD years ago, but just recently, I've been able to come to terms with it.

It has affected every part of my life, but in the classroom, I honestly think it has made me a better teacher.

Not only do I empathize with students of differing abilities, ADHD has actually given me strategies to support Multilingual Learners in the classroom. And today, I'm sharing those 6 secrets. You might even get a bonus secret if you stay tuned.

In this episode, you'll hear my journey with ADHD from elementary school to adulthood. It's a raw and vulnerable episode for me. One that I'm nervous to share. You'll also be equipped with practical, helpful strategies to take back to your general education classroom.

Download the FREE No-Prep Power Move Guide to get you started on your journey.

Follow Risa on Instagram

Have you had immigrant and refugee students act out in class? Put their head down? Be defiant or unresponsive?

It's easy to get overwhelmed by these behaviors.

In episode 2, we sit down with Meaghan Fanning, a licensed clinic social worker that supports youth with Jewish Vocational Services of Kansas City. She reminds us of what trauma is and how it impacts the immigrant students in our classroom.

In this episode, you will:

• hear the work Meagan and her team do at JVS
• define the term "refugee," "migrant," "immigrant," and "unaccompanied minor"
• hear examples of experiences refugees and immigrant students in your classrooms may face
• come away with bite-sized strategies and easy-to-implement tips on interacting with these students
• identify how to connect with refugee and immigrant families practically
• learn how secondary trauma can impact teachers and what to do about it

I promise, teacher friend, if you want to learn how to become more trauma-informed in your classroom, you won't want to miss this episode!

To support JVS and the work they do, click here.

The book Meaghan mentioned: Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide for Caring for Self While Caring for Others

Meaghan mentioned United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. You can learn more about that ⁠here.⁠

If you're relying on a single instructional strategy to meet the needs of English Learners, you're in trouble. I know you're trying so hard, but general education teacher, it's time to add more tools to your toolbox.

In this episode, I'm breaking down the strategy not to rely on in your general education classroom. I also give you a big strategy to add to your toolbox- and it's so simple!

Download the FREE No-Prep Power Move Guide mentioned in this episode to get started on your journey!

Follow Risa on Instagram

Are you a K-12 general education teacher, instructional coach, administrator, or hold a support role in schools? Do you struggle to know how to teach English Learners in your class? Do you want to gain your classroom confidence? You're in the right place.

If you have specific questions or topics you would like to see me cover, send me a message on Instagram! @risawoods_ell

If you'd like me at your school/district for professional development, email me at risa@risawoods.com