During this session, attendees will apply research-based practices within the science classroom to engage multilingual learners. Participants will develop a lesson using these strategies to engage all students in the science classroom. The intended audience includes K-12 science teachers, administrators, and instructional coaches.
Secondary Science Consultant, NC Department of Public Instruction
Alexis Wood joined the NCDPI Office of Academic Standards after teaching high school for 20 years in Lenoir and Wake Counties. Her primary job as a member of the Office of Academic Standards Science Team is to provide support to PSUs at the secondary science level that ensures the... Read More →
Secondary Science Consultant, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Gavin Fradel is a science consultant in the K-12 Standards, Curriculum and Instruction section in the Office of Academic Standards at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Gavin obtained his Undergraduate teaching degree in Middle Grades Education with a concentration... Read More →
In this presentation, I will share the transformative journey of my past three years teaching multilingual learners (MLs) in the United States, after having taught for thirteen years abroad. Despite my extensive teaching experience, I faced numerous challenges upon entering U.S. classrooms, including mixed proficiency levels, a lack of established ESL guidance, numerous policies and procedures to assimilate, behavioral issues, and very low literacy skills among others.
Through perseverance and adaptability, I have identified key strategies to support MLs in various aspects of their educational journey. I discovered the importance of individualized support, fostering a trusting relationship, and addressing each student's unique needs.
This presentation will outline my progression from the initial challenges I faced at the beginning of my career, to a place where I can confidently support MLs through diverse school and afterschool activities, and I will strongly emphasize on how focusing on empathy has had a positive impact on my students.
Along this journey, I have learned valuable lessons that will be shared with other educators, highlighting practical strategies, insights, and reflections that can empower teachers to elevate outcomes for MLs.
In this session, participants will focus on how offering honors Level I heritage language courses could impact Multilingual Learners (MLs), as well as their local course sequence(s) that continue into inherently honors courses, like Level II heritage and Levels III - VIII modern languages. They will also delve into the Honors Level Coursework guidance and tools available to all content areas with examples for more and less common World Languages that show greater depth and complexity to differentiate honors and standard courses.
