Author: Colleen Elep

I have been teaching for almost 20 years, and to be quite honest this is the toughest year I think I have experienced as an educator.

We are faced with staggering cuts to our workforce in an already underfunded system. The cost of living is extraordinarily high. Students suffer from mental health and well-being issues that come from being born and raised in a digital environment designed to distract and take your attention from the world around you. Schools are losing staff at an alarming rate, and yet there is seemingly an expectation to engage in more professional learning with very few support teachers or release time.

On top of all of these things, we hear stories of outdoor learning centres closing down, special education services being reduced, and specialist staff for multilingual learners being pared down to little or nothing. Educators hear constantly about a multi-tiered support model, but the only tier most students see is “tier 1” with minimal resources to provide small group or intensive support. As ETFO’s Building Better Schools website reports:

-6.4 Billion Dollars (and counting) have been cut from public education since 2018

-67,000+ students are waiting for autism supports

-77% of ETFO members report personally experiencing violence or witnessing violence against another staff member

-95% of schools need more mental health supports

Despite what school board leaders seem to think, there is no narrated slide deck, asynchronous learning experience, or digital document that will solve these major gaps and issues in public education. What schools need are more educators that are equipped and prepared to do the work of teaching children and supporting communities.

There is some hope in the dark time we are currently living through as educators. In my own kids’ school, I have see new parent council committees created with the express purpose of collectively pushing back against the defunding of our beloved elementary schools. I am receiving emails from professional educator groups like the Council of Outdoor Educators in Ontario to engage in letter writing to our politicians to save outdoor education school sites. Whether you have a stance as an educator, parent, or both, now is the time to support your school, local, or community group in protecting public education.

Schools are the cornerstone of Ontario communities. They are where our kids spend their days, learn the basic literacy and numeracy foundations on which they will build careers and futures, and spaces where families and educators can collaborate. We are witnessing the decay of these valuable spaces in real time. And honestly, it doesn’t have to be this way. This generation of kids deserves more from the adults in charge! Take the time to write a letter to an MP or Minister that can make better decisions for our communities. Show up for your schools as if their existence depends on your action, because it does.

In the first part of this blog, we discussed some of the main concerns educators have with translanguaging: over-reliance of digital translation tools, the slowing of English acquisition skills, and families wanting their child to focus only on learning English. These concerns are justifiably good reasons to think critically about translanguaging, and what we can do to implement it purposefully in schools.

Let’s start by remembering why translanguaging is important effective in the first place. First of all, translanguaging is part of any culturally responsive teaching practice. When we encourage the use of home languages in the classroom, we send the message that the school values all the cultural funds of knowledge newcomers students bring to Ontario, while also encouraging students to bring their “whole”, authentic selves into the learning.

Translanguaging also helps educators to better understand the oral language and literacy skills newcomer students bring to the classroom. For example, if we notice a newcomer student can read, write and communicate extensively in another language, we can tell that they have already learned foundational language skills and perhaps even more sophisticated writing skills. As they they learn English, they will continue using these skills with a new language.

Finally, translanguaging provides a way for students, when they have literacy skills in the home language, to have comprehensible input in schools. For example, they can use their home language to read and explore the same content as their peers, they can express their ideas and learning in writing (teacher would use the translation device to assess their work), and have more opportunities to collaborate and socialize with others that know the same language.

Now, let’s look at some tips for using translanguaging in the classroom so we can address some of the major concerns with its practice head on.

Avoiding Over-Reliance on Translation Tools

We can encourage a culture of translanguaging while also avoiding over-reliance on tools like Google Translate by being clear on what our language output goals are for the newcomer MLLs we are teaching. The Steps to English Proficiency (STEP) continua is critical here: knowing the student’s STEP will help us to understand what we can expect for students at different points of their language learning. For example, a student who is approaching STEP 1 and is in the intermediate grades could have the language output goal of writing sentences using prompts and sentence frames, or responding through short phrases and gestures.

The same goes for setting input goals. It would be unreasonable to expect a student in grade 8 who is approaching STEP 1 read a grade-level appropriate text on the topic of Canadian Confederation. The level of academic language in English would likely be too complex for them to decode without sufficient time to develop a foundation for English comprehension. If the student has strong literacy skills in their home language, a digital translation tool would be a great way to enable them to access the content. Or, if we want to provide the student with an opportunity to learn the content in English, we might use an adapted, visually supported text for them to understand some of the core concepts in that lesson.

Generally speaking, students in the earliest STEPs would use translation tools most, and we gradually lower the use of those tools as students continue to build their oral foundation in English. At the same time, it is important that we encourage students to engage in their learning in English so they are practicing the skills to progress on the STEP continua, scaffolding as needed to support their growth.

Using Translanguaging as a Tool to Support Target Language Acquisition

This brings us right to our next point, which is understanding how translanguaging can actually support English language learning. When students can use another language, they already have developed an understanding of the connections between sounds and meaning, and structures for communicating ideas and information. Encouraging students to make connections between their home language and English means that they can transfer their existing knowledge over to an entirely new system of speaking, decoding, and encoding.

This means encouraging students to create their own language glossaries/dictionaries, to use languages interchangeably when writing notes or listening to English discussion, or writing short texts in their home language and seeing how those ideas look in English. Dual language texts, access to subtitles during videos, or having a same-language speaking peer (with higher levels of English language proficiency) to work with are just a few simple ways students can use their home language to build their English comprehension skills.

Responding to Families about using Home Languages in School

Translanguaging may be a teaching concept families are unfamiliar with, and it is important to address the concerns they may have about their child speaking their home language in schools. This can be particularly concerning for families that live in communities where they are surrounded by others that speak the same language: the time their child spends learning English in school is valuable.

One way to explain the importance of translanguaging to families is to explain that the Ontario curriculum approaches English learning from an additive perspective: schools want MLLs to learn additional languages without losing their home language. It is undoubtedly advantageous for Canadians to be multilingual in a global economy, and when we encourage the use of home languages in specific contexts (ex. Social situations) we support the additive approach.

It’s also important for families to know that translanguaging can enable their child’s thinking to be visible, especially in the early STEPs of English acquisition. You can share that translanguaging is used in curricular contexts as a scaffold until students increase their proficiency in English.

Intentional Translanguaging

Translanguaging has raised its share of criticism, and it is important that we use those concerns to develop a more intentional and purposeful practice that supports multilingualism and increased proficiency in English.

Interested in learning more? Check out ETFO’s resources for teaching Multilingual Language Learners!

Having a trauma-informed approach can be vital in Ontario’s diverse schools. Many students, particularly newcomer students, arrive in schools having experienced traumatic events: first-hand experience with armed conflict, family separation, or losing one’s home – just to name a few examples. These students may also be in the early steps of learning English, which adds to the challenge of understanding their unique needs.

Newcomer students that have experienced trauma may show up in school in a variety of ways. For example, they may be dysregulated, have hard time staying focused in their learning, be sensitive to different stimuli, or may not display any indication that they are traumatized at all. There is no single way a child will respond to trauma, but research indicates that prolonged exposure to trauma has a significant impact on the development of the brain.

I recall having multiple students that experienced the death of parents as a direct result of war in their home countries. One student was eager to engage with his peers and was open to communicating about his life experiences right away. Another student was distant and reluctant to interact with her teachers and classmates, and needed frequent breaks from her busy classroom.

Because the impact of trauma in children shows up in so many forms, it is important for educators to understand how to support learners, especially when they are emergent English speakers. These students typically a difficult time communicating their needs, emotions, and are likely also experiencing the stress that comes with learning in a new language and school environment. Adding to their unique student portrait may also be significant learning literacy and numeracy gaps from having missed years of formal schooling.

As an educator, it is not uncommon to feel underprepared and under-resourced when welcoming newcomer MLLs (multilingual language learners) that have experienced trauma into school. It’s important to know how to support these unique learners effectively, who to turn to for support, and what resources will be the most useful and practical in the contexts we work in.

In the first part of this blog, we looked at how Nara, an Ontario educator, used the “Discover – Connect – Respond” strategy to calm a newcomer MLL who was on the verge of having a bad day. Now, let’s take a look at some practical, trauma-informed approaches that can be leveraged as a starting point for helping students in this unique group.

Build a Detailed Student Portrait

Gathering information about the learner’s family background, prior experiences, and journey is an essential starting point for taking a trauma-informed approach. Take note that much of this information is highly personal and confidential, so discretion is key.

Often the first place to find out about the background of a student is through family interviews. Some boards may have a process in place to welcome newcomer students where an interpreter and settlement worker is available at the time of registration, and guardians may share information about their child’s experiences, including those that are traumatic.

When a newcomer initial assessment and orientation report is not available, sensitive information might surface through conversations with the student or family interviews. If you discover information about a student’s previous trauma through such interactions, it is important to share that information with an administrator and support team so it can be documented appropriately in your board’s student information system or the Ontario School Record (OSR).

One useful tool for gathering information is the “7 Factors Impacting Student Learning” table. Use it as a guideline for building a student portrait, or adapt it to suit your own workflow.

Create Safe and Supportive Learning Environments

There are so many ways educators can take a trauma-informed approach to managing the classroom that are good for all learners. For example, establishing predictable routines in the classroom not only makes the learning environment feel stable and organized – it helps students to feel safe and secure. Having timetables posted, routines for entry and exit times, designated areas where supplies and notebooks are kept, and clear expectations for behaviour that are consistently maintained will help students to feel supported.

When possible, create spaces in the classroom or the school where students can calm down, get quiet time, or have an alternative space to simply be in. Teamwork in the school can be critical for making this kind of space available for students and also developing guidelines for how it might be administered.

Provide Opportunities for Students to Communicate their Emotions

Newcomer students who are just learning English may need scaffolds to communicate what they are feeling and what their needs are when they are feeling dysregulated. As educators, we can facilitate communication by making translation devices accessible, teaching social emotional vocabulary, and providing aids that students can easily use to show how they are feeling.

Ultimately, taking a trauma-informed approach with newcomer multilingual learners is less about having the perfect strategy and more about developing a stance of curiosity, compassion, and shared responsibility. When we intentionally build student portraits that go beyond academic concerns, create predictable and supportive environments, and offer meaningful ways for students to communicate their emotions, we send an important message to the newcomers in our care: you are safe here, and you belong.

Part 1 may be found here.

Discover, Connect, Respond: The Importance of Social and Emotional Learning for MLLs

One day I had the privilege to spend the morning in a colleague’s classroom (let’s call her “Nara”, for anonymity), where her main focus is supporting students in English Literacy Development (ELD) programs. Students in this program have missed 2+ years of learning and may have significant gaps in numeracy and literacy. Because those years of school may be a result of coming from a country where there is political conflict, social unrest, or environmental disasters, these students may have experienced significant trauma.

Nara’s support classroom is cozy and neat, with literacy resources organized carefully on the shelves. As students walk into the room to receive support, they are full of excitement and smiles. It is clear she has built a strong sense of community in her learning space.

One student walks in and sits down quietly. Nara senses his mood and gives him some space to adjust to his surroundings. As the students introduce themselves to me, the visitor in the room, my colleague uses Google translate to let the student know he does not have to participate in the introduction. He still introduces himself to me, and it’s wonderful to hear him use the English he is learning.

At one point during the lesson, the student gets up and moves toward chart the teacher has on the board. The chart is laminated and has “Check-In” written at the top, and below it, “I’m Great”, “I’m Meh”, “I’m Struggling”, “I’m having a tough time and wouldn’t mind a check in”, and “I’m Not Doing Great”. There are hand-drawn emojis that add meaning to each phrase.

Beside the chart are magnets are student name tags and students can place their name tag to show how they are feeling. The student places his name beside “I’m Meh”. The bell rings and the other students exit the room. The teacher brings out the translator and starts “checking in” with the student.

I observe Nara ask some simple questions: did something happen today? Are you feeling well? Do you feel ready to go to your class? Do you want some time alone here?

As the translated conversation unfolds, it becomes clear that he was experiencing difficulty focusing and self-regulating that day. Though he had only been in the school for a short while, his complex family background was known to staff thanks to a detailed report from the board’s Welcome Centre and ongoing conversations with the family. The student had an incredibly traumatic and eventful journey to Canada, and was living with relatives while his mother was in the hospital. School staff and administrators understood that he expressed his emotions through outbursts and aggressive behaviour.

Working with students that come from complex, traumatic backgrounds is a major challenge for educators. Elise White Diaz, writer of Discover, Connect, Respond, provides a useful framework for educators working with students that, as she describes, “come from a hard place”. Nara, who expertly brought the student from a place of distress to a calmer mood uses some of Diaz’s strategies to create a trauma-informed practice that supports students in the ELD classroom. As the book’s title suggests, discovering is the first step: having an emotions chart or a “check in” system where emergent speakers of English can self-advocate is one way to do this. It can be frustrating for students to not be able to communicate their emotions as clearly as they would in their home language, so having a simple chart like hers can help educators to discover exactly what is going on when a student is having a bad day.

The next step, connect, is intuitive and easily facilitated with a translation tool on hand. With a few easy clicks, you can provide students with the opportunity to communicate without a language barrier. If the student is not literate in their home language, use the voice tool to translate or choose an app that has voice-to-voice translation, like Microsoft Translate.

And finally – respond. In this case, the student ended up wanting to return to class as lunch was happening soon. Knowing that the student was having a tough day, the teacher called the classroom teacher and administrator to let them know what had transpired so they could be prepared for a potentially sensitive situation.

Over the last 5 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work as a centrally assigned educator in my board. And while the job has certainly had its share of ups, downs, stressors, and successes, one thing I know I will walk away with is the ability to plan a professional learning session for staff.

If you are in the position of planning a staff meeting, lunch and learn, or professional learning activity for your school – and are feeling a bit nervous or unsure about it – keep in mind that it is completely normal. After all, you are presenting to your peers, who can sometimes feel like the most challenging audience to “teach” no matter how long you have been teaching in the classroom. These are the same people you probably not only work with, but have lunch with and perhaps even socialize with.

Here are some tips for getting your first professional learning presentation off the ground.

1. Focus on What Matters to Educators

While you may not always get to choose what topic you will present on, you should try to tailor the content you select to what matters to staff. Send out a survey, talk to your colleagues to find out what challenges they have in their classrooms, or connect with your administrator to see what they are noticing. What you want to avoid is presenting information that does not speak to their work, as they will disengage quickly from your session.

2. Avoid Reading off Text-Heavy Slides

This can be tough, but a presentation is always more engaging when you are speaking and connecting more with the audience than reading off a slide deck. A slide deck is there to provide a visual element that supports the information you are sharing, to highlight key ideas, and add a multi-modal dimension. When slides are overly text-heavy, the information becomes to overwhelming.

3. Drive Engagement through Interaction, when Possible

There are presentations where you may have to simply “stand and deliver”. However, building in points of interaction, however brief, can make the learning more engaging and memorable to your audience. Just as with kids, adults also benefit from being able to interact and engage with their learning in pairs or groups. If time does not permit for this level of interaction, do not hesitate to provide points of provocation or reflection that give learners an opportunity to “take in” and absorb what you are sharing.

4. Give “Real Life” Examples

When we are providing professional learning, we are often helping our colleagues to enhance their workflow or improve their teaching. Sharing authentic examples of student work or practical application goes a long way in getting your messaging across, since teachers can start to imagine how whatever you are sharing will look like in their classrooms.

5. Remember that you Don’t Need to Know Everything

It can be easy to feel stressed about not “knowing everything” about what you are presenting. Remember that you don’t need to know it all (in fact you will probably never know it all). If you get questions you can’t answer with certainty, you can always say you don’t have the answer. Someone else in the room may have the answer or a perspective, or you can always find out and share the information later.

6. Do a Run-Through of Your Presentation

If possible, do a practice run of your presentation before it actually happens. You will probably find that there are pieces that you need to practice parsing, or information you want to add on after you go through it. Even just one practice run can do wonders for your confidence prior to presenting, and you will feel less compelled to read off your slides and more ready to add emphasis and expression to your speaking.

Over the winter holiday break I had the opportunity to visit the NASA Space Center in Houston and naturally, I looked up the user reviews to see if it was really worth the trip. One review gave the centre a single star, largely arguing that most of the information could be found on the internet or in a Youtube video.

The review made me pause and wonder: why go and learn anything anywhere then, when you could just “Google it” or turn to artificial intelligence? What is the point of having an “in person” experience when you can learn from the privacy and comfort of your own home?

In the end, we did go to the Space Center and while there was certainly information that could easily be found online, there were experiences that were absolutely meant to be had in person. Walking beside impossibly huge rockets and engines made me realize the level of innovation and ambition it took to engage in space travel; touching one of the eight pieces of moon rock on display in the world was awe-inducing. In one exhibit, a volunteer was explaining how rockets work. A large crowd had formed around the speaker, who grew increasingly animated as he talked, using a model and a globe to support his explanation. Kids and adults listened with rapt attention, and though I had read much of what he explained in the exhibit, I think I learned so much more from listening to the speaker’s storytelling.

It occurred to me in that moment how special it was to learn in a human-centred way. School provides children (really people of all ages) with those critical moments of interaction and lived experience where curriculum content is not just received, but put into context through discussions, realia, and materials across the senses. And while it would be impossible to make every day of teaching a trip to the museum, it doesn’t take a whole lot of creativity and planning to make learning more real and visceral.

It’s hard to ignore the proliferation of artificial intelligence and digital technology in today’s world, and school is no exception. As technology compels us to re-think the way we teach and prepare students for an unpredictable world and economy, it is more important to remember that teaching is a human endeavour. Educators and schools bring so much more to learning than the delivery of curriculum content: they bring information and knowledge to life, and create spaces where authentic relationships and trust are built. one. When teachers build connections with students, they create conditions for risk-taking, curiosity, and persistence. Students are more willing to ask questions, attempt challenging tasks, and recover from mistakes when they trust that their teacher is invested in their success.

There has never been a more important time to recognize the human element of education – it is what we bring to the table as teachers in schools.

I really struggle to imagine a world in which knowledge and information is reduced to a Chat GPT prompt, or where teaching is rooted in artificial intelligence. It is painful, for me, to watch entire AI-driven dialogues occur on professional learning discussion boards, and to hear from other educators the extent to which students use AI to write their work. Losing sight of the power and impact of individual voices, complete with spelling errors, mistakes, and misconceptions, is something I hope we never devalue.

In an age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms and large language models (LLMs) that generate clear and lengthy texts at the click of a button, it’s not difficult to see how the act of writing may be changed forever. For students, it is all too easy to turn to tools like Copilot or Chat GPT to create a research report, to analyze a poem, or to write a current events article assignment. Adults similarly turn to these tools to make their workflows easier, whether it is writing emails, presentations, or a report.

You may even be wondering if what you are reading right now is an authentic piece of writing, or generated by a prompt. To clarify, I wrote this article but also prompted an LLM to write an article about the topic – as I often do to support and accelerate the work I do as an educator and as a content creator.

To be transparent, the LLM gave me a ton of great ideas, summarized succinctly in seconds. It reminded me that AI has provided educators with “a huge opportunity: we can teach better writing and better research habits by showing students how to use AI as a thinking partner rather than a shortcut.” In fact, the prompt gave me so many good ideas it made me realize how little I really know about leveraging AI effectively in a literacy classroom. It made me realize that while I can’t truly write a fulsome article on using AI in the writing classroom, I can reflect on what human-generated texts really mean to me.

I have always considered myself to be a writer, and after reading so many AI generated texts I’ve really started to deeply appreciate the insights, mistakes, and voice that only us perfectly flawed humans can make when we write. And while I truly believe educators need to lean into AI (as my AI generated text encouraged me, “teach it” don’t “ban it”), I hope there is also a mindset shift toward valuing the very human action of writing as a function, an art, and process of learning and creativity that is unique and special.

Writing is hard work. It only gets easier when we write frequently, and become skilled at spontaneously applying verb tenses, drawing from text forms, and leveraging punctuation and sentence structure to add variety to a draft. It’s easy to see why many kids and adults dislike writing longer texts or being tasked to write a paragraph, and find AI tools so alluring.

As educators and teachers of language and literacy, I think we can play a unique role in helping students to become more aware of what makes human-generated texts so important as a source of enjoyment, a way to express creativity, and a valuable skill that helps us to become more effective communicators and readers. Through human-driven writing, we learn new information and how to use new words.

How can we teach students to use AI effectively in their writing? Here are a few tips that were generated by my Chat GPT prompt:

Create an “AI Use Policy” with students in plain language. Include:

• What AI is allowed for: brainstorming topic ideas, building question banks, outlining, planning research steps, language clarification, vocabulary support, examples of structures (e.g., thesis, counterclaim), and feedback on clarity.
• What is not allowed: submitting AI-generated drafts as one’s own, fabricating sources or quotes, bypassing assigned readings, using AI to misrepresent understanding.
• Non-negotiables: protect privacy (no personal data), verify facts, and always disclose when AI materially assisted the work (“AI Acknowledgment” note at the end).
• Equity check: ensure every student has access to board-approved tools for teacher and student use (in boards that have policies around the student use of AI) or school devices during structured time so policy doesn’t advantage only those with home access.
• Post norms as an anchor chart; revisit them before major tasks.

To be honest, these tips are actually much better than anything I probably could have created about using AI!

While we may be saying goodbye to “old” ways of communicating, I think its exciting to contemplate what the future of writing will look like with so many new tools at our students’ fingertips. It’s also important to remember that guidance does exist for us as we navigate this new and evolving realm: be sure to check the members section of the ETFO website for AI advice, in addition to your board’s own AI policies. And as educators, we should always try to remember that we have the privilege and responsibility of teaching students the value of human-centred writing.

“Burning out” is something I have become all too familiar with as an educator, parent, and person that tends to take on a lot of additional roles and responsibilities. It seems like there is always somewhere to be, an appointment to make, or thing to do. And while it can truly be a privilege to be in this position, it is hard to ignore the feeling of being exhausted and “finished” by the time winter break rolls around.

Recently I had an opportunity to attend an ETFO workshop on “Building Sustainability for Complex Lives”. During this workshop, we were encouraged to examine ourselves critically and think creatively on how we manage self-care. For me, the most important part of the learning was realizing my mind was too busy to truly slow down and not always think about the next thing I needed to get done.

In my experience, part of being an educator means always trying to get ahead: planning the next lesson, special event, or presentation, finding resources, marking, assessing, or getting an important piece of paperwork or report card comment in on time. There are endless tasks, and it becomes easy to “feel behind” or overwhelmed by the amount of things to do. Sometimes even the act of making time to relax, exercise, take a walk, or watch a movie or show can feel like another task, since there is inevitably something you want to get done before I practice “self care”.

It is no surprise when the “burnout” kicks in, and I start scrolling my phone endlessly for distraction (a way to feel busy but not necessarily productive), I start avoiding work, or start to panic over not having spent my time wisely. Everything starts to irritate me, and motivation to do anything goes out the window.

So what is the best way to get through burnout? How do we make life more sustainable?

There is no shortage of advice on the internet for how we can better practice self-care. Indeed, there is an entire industry and culture built on the need for wellness in today’s modern world. Here are a few practices that I find work well for me.

Remind Yourself You May Be Exactly Where You Should Be

In the never-ending quest to get ahead, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that you may have indeed gotten everything done that you really actually needs to get done. Reminding yourself that some items on the to-do list are better done the next day or week can do wonders for your outlook and free up some time to rest or turn away from work.

Cut Things Out of your Schedule

When life gets overwhelmingly hectic, it may be a sign that you need to take cut back or cut out unnecessary items. This can be hard, as sometimes the items you can reasonably cut out or pause on are things that you genuinely want to keep, like a book club or even a home improvement project. Remember that the pause is just temporary, and that you are simply re-prioritizing to make your life make sense again.

Become a Morning Person or a Night Person (but not both)

Historically, I have been a night person throughout much of my life. I absolutely love tuning into a good show for a few episodes or getting a few things done when the house is quieter. I’ve learned, however, that the very early morning is a great time for productivity or going to the gym without cutting into family time, plus I feel more focused when I arrive at work.

Whatever you choose, make sure you get all the sleep you need to be healthy!

Stop Everything and Walk

There is nothing like a good walk to distance yourself from your screens, your work, or to take a breather after the constant stimulation of teaching in a busy classroom. I always find that walking gives me a chance to think through different problems I need to solve or simply to clear my head. Best of all you can get some steps in and maybe even some vitamin D if it’s sunny!

Find your Wellness Indulgence

Health and wellness activities are abundant where I live (the Toronto area), but you can always do at home any activity that makes you feel both healthy and a little indulged at the same time. Perhaps it is a warm soak, a great massage device, or time in a special place outdoors. Whatever it is, carve out time to do that wellness activity that takes a little more investment of time and resources.

For me, my favourite is a trip to a sauna/cold plunge circuit. The heat and stillness, combined with the shock of cold water somehow always does the trick of making me feel relaxed physically despite however I am feeling mentally, and by the end of the session the world seems a lot more calmer.

Sustain Yourself in the New Year

As I look ahead to the new year, my resolution is clear: to prioritize self-sustainability and actively guard against burnout. Working in education can be deeply meaningful, but it is also demanding, emotionally intensive, and often relentless. Without purposeful self-care, even the most passionate educators can find themselves stretched too thin.

In part 1 of this article, I talked about the difficulties I had faced when it came to sharing information about ESL/ELD programming with families. In the community where I worked, ESL/ELD programming was often viewed from a deficit perspective by many caregivers and even some school staff. Widely held deficit perspectives about ELLs, combined with my own need to learn more about ESL/ELD programming, resulted in rather poor communication with MLL families.

In my current work as an instructional leader working in ESL/ELD programming, I talk to educators that experience similar issues regularly. How should teachers go about addressing ESL/ELD programming with families that may not be aware of what it is? How should educators re-start conversations about their child’s ESL/ELD programming with families when it has gone unaddressed for an extended period of time?

Recently I spoke to a middle school colleague about how she communicates with MLL families when they transition to grade 6 from the feeder elementary school. Her practice was to call all MLL families to welcome them in the early months of the school year, and share with them that their child would be receiving ESL or ELD support. In her experience, families were often happy to hear how their child would be supported in this way.

The teacher also shared with me that she also calls families when their child is no longer receiving program adaptations, or had completed STEP 6 of the ESL continua. In her experience, caregivers often responded positively; after all, becoming proficient in another language is something to celebrate.

Listening to these reflections on family communication and transparency made me think of how empowered we are as educators to shift thinking in our schools and communities.

Let’s take a look at some ways educators can build transparency and communication with families about ESL/ELD programming, while also re-casting the work we do as MLL educators through an assets-based perspective.

Make Information about ESL/ELD programming Readily Available to Families

In an age of endless information, there is no reason families should have difficulty accessing information about ESL/ELD programming. Leave an easy-to-read brochure that explains what ESL/ELD programming looks like in your school in the main office so families can build their understanding and know who to contact should they have any questions.

Make ESL/ELD Programming part of Regular Family Communication

When you make welcome calls or share updates to families of MLLs, take the time to reference the student’s growth in language and literacy. It’s a great opportunity to share what you are doing to support their growth as multilingual learners, and keep the conversation going about academic language development.

Leverage Curriculum Night, Open House, and other school Community Events to Raise Awareness about ESL/ELD Programs

The tools, terminology and resources we reference as educators, like the STEP Continua, accommodations, and modifications, may be unfamiliar to families. Have a short presentation ready that you can use (or share with staff) to explain to families what these terms and tools are, and how educators use them to enhance and adjust programming for newcomer students. If possible, invite a settlement worker or community member that speaks the same language(s) as the communities in your school in to help interpret whenever necessary.

Sharing information with families about ESL/ELD programming should never feel like a hard or difficult conversation. With the right combination of direct communication and use of digital information, you will find that it will get increasingly easier to make programming for MLLs a regular part of your communication with families.