For Teachers

Here are some resources that may be helpful to you if you're a classroom teacher.  As always please feel free to contact us directly if you need something that isn't listed here!

Teaching Empathy

Newsela and Teaching Tolerance teamed up to create a list of resources for teacher to teach empathy in their classrooms.  This project is called A Mile in Our Shoes and has articles and questions for helping your class learn about what different experiences other children may have being immigrants, refugees, Muslim American or a different race.  Check out some of the articles and get your class having an important discussion!

Parent Teacher Conference Talking Points

Parent-Teacher conferences with families that come from other cultures can go quite differently than your standard conference.  Here are some talking points tips sheets to help you navigate a conference with an EL family and also a sheet about how to navigate a conference with an interpreter present.

Conference with an Interpreter- General information and how to have a conference with an interpreter present.

Talking Points for Kindergarten Parent Teacher Conferences

Talking Points for First Grade Parent Teacher Conferences

Talking Points for Second Grade Parent Teacher Conferences

Talking Points for Third Grade Parent Teacher Conferences

Talking Points for Fourth & Fifth Grade Parent Teacher Conferences

Helpful Websites

Colorin Colorado has a wide range of resources for teachers who work with ELs.  Eventhing from basics about having an EL in your class to how to integrate technology with your ELs and how to help your refugee students feel welcome.  It is easy to navigate and always has interesting resources and articles.  

WIDA is the group whose mission is to advances academic language development and academic achievement for children and youth who are culturally and linguistically diverse through high quality standards, assessments, research, and professional learning for educators.  Here you can find the Can Do descriptors, ELP standards and Focus Bulletins that cover a variety of topics.  38 of the 50 states in the US belong to the WIDA consortium.