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As educators, there are many difficult situations we have to navigate when it comes to identifying the best program pathways for students. One common situation is when a Multilingual Language Learner (MLL, also known as English Language Learners) experiences significant challenges in their learning.

But how do you know whether or not their difficulties are related to possible special education needs, or language learning? How do you know if you should the student to the attention of a school review committee?

This blog is all about what classroom educators can do when they notice an MLL is experiencing difficulties in their learning. You may be surprised to learn that there are a number of actions you can take even before bringing the student to your school’s review process.

Develop a Learner Portrait for the MLL

Knowing your learner is essential to any teaching practice, and there are a number of additional factors that should be considered when the learner is an MLL. Is the student under consideration a newcomer? Canadian born? Where are they positioned in the Steps to English Proficiency (STEP) continua? How long have they been in their current STEP?

A learner portrait is essentially a document where you can take note of a student’s cultural and linguistic funds of knowledge, level of language proficiency, as well as the student’s interests, goals, and other information you may have gathered about the student’s background. You may also want to include notes on what you are observing about their language and literacy behaviours.

With a fulsome learner portrait, you will be better equipped to adapt your programming to meet the student’s needs and address the difficulties they are experiencing. You will also find a student portrait useful if you choose to bring the learner at an in-school review.

Ensure all the Appropriate Program Adaptations are in Place

With a strong understanding of the learner, check to see that you are adapting programming appropriately for the student with accommodations and, if needed, modifications aligned with their STEP. You may also want to consider the following questions as you re-examine your programming:

Are there multi-modal options (ex. Use of assistive technology, alternative presentation formats) for the student to share knowledge and engage in learning?

Is the curriculum content comprehensible to the student at their STEP? Are you leveraging the students’ interests in your teaching and assessment? Is your programming culturally responsive? Does your teaching practice include scaffolds beneficial for MLLs, such as sentence frames, models, and graphic organizers?

If you do bring the student up to a school review committee, it is important to share what program adaptations you have already put in place so all stakeholders can see the work you are doing to meet the student’s language acquisition needs.

Gather Samples of Student Work

Looking closely at student work: journal writing, writing assessments, reading responses, mathematical problem solving, and other forms of output, can be an excellent starting point for identifying areas of support. You’ll also find having concrete pieces of evidence useful for sharing with family and support staff when discussing your academic concerns about the student.

If you are having difficulty gathering authentic and concrete samples of work from the student, consider how else you might their learning visible. Provide options for them to create video or audio content, or record anecdotal notes about what you are observing about their learning behaviours during group activities and class discussions.

Connect with the Family

Communicating and collaborating with families is critical when a student is experiencing difficulties in their learning. You will want to make sure they are aware about what challenges their child is experiencing in school, and find out if they are noticing anything about their child’s behaviour at home.

When communicating with families, include the student in the conversation if possible. Be prepared to speak to specific examples challenges and strengths for the learner. Keep track of any conversations you have with families, and take notes on what was covered during the call or meeting.

Seek Input from Other Educators that Teach the Student

You will also find it useful to connect with other educators that teach the student to see if they are observing anything similar or different in the subjects they teach them. They may also be able to share additional samples of the student’s work, and give their insights on the learner.

It’s not uncommon for other educators to see a side of the student you may not – the information they share may also help you develop a student portrait.

Find out what your Board’s Protocol is for Identifying MLLs with Possible Special Education Needs

Finally, find out what your board’s protocol is for identifying MLLs who may have special education needs. In some cases, an observation period is implemented, where classroom and support educators try different strategies to determine whether or not a student’s difficulties are related to language learning. Learning what the process is early will also help you to better prepare for that possibility.

I love when ETFO releases their heritage month posters.  They are such a valuable resource that teachers can use all year long and not just during heritage months. Annually, ETFO releases heritage month posters for Black History Month, Asian Heritage Month, Women’s History Month, and Jewish Heritage month. You can find the past years’ posters on the ETFO website. 

These posters are an important way to bring acknowledgement and celebration of different identities to the classroom.  You can be rest assured that the poster designs were created by artists who self-identify with that heritage and they are engaging and beautiful.  Accompanying each poster you will see background information for you, the educator, to feel confident in teaching and learning about the message of the poster.  You will also find a lesson plan or discussion prompts with some of the posters that help to guide conversations with students around the visual. Because they are posted on the ETFO website, you can project past and current posters to a screen or on a device so that you can look at all the details together. 

There are a few different strategies that I’ve used to engage with the heritage month posters.  I do suggest that you read the background information for educators to prepare for questions and guide conversations as students usually have lots to look at and ask questions about when they first see one of these designs. While I sometimes will engage in a whole class discussion or follow one of the ETFO lesson plans more closely, other times I will have an opening activity for students to engage with a few different posters. Two activities that I’ve used this year are: 

Carousel Walk

• Select a few posters to display around the room.  I’ve kept physical versions of past year’s posters, but you can display them on devices or project them onto a board. 
• Place a chart paper with each poster.  Have students circulate in small groups and with a marker or pencil, they write down anything they see on the poster or one word about how the design makes them feel. 
• Discuss and debrief their ideas together as a large group.  I always like to end with an exit card asking the students what they are inspired to learn more about from the posters. 

Think & Mingle

• When I use this strategy, I engage with one poster at a time and display it so everyone can see, whether projecting or a physical poster.  
• Each student receives a sticky note and writes down what they notice and wonder about the visual. 
• After a few minutes, ask students to stand up.  I usually play some soft music and ask them to move around the room and when the music stops they find a partner
• They share what they wrote with their partner and discuss.  It’s great when the teacher also participates in sharing ideas with a partner and really listens to what the students are noticing and wondering
• To wrap up, we create a class t-chart and to use their wonderings to guide a class inquiry

If you’re looking for resources that will spark conversation and inquiry in all grade levels, the ETFO Heritage Month posters are a perfect start.  They provide a launching point for so much rich conversation and are well researched documents that are ready and easy to use in the classroom.  

The Program Planning document on the Ministry of Education’s digital curriculum site is applicable to all curriculum documents from kindergarten to grade twelve. It includes an important part called the Transferable Skills.  This content is part of officially issued curriculum and, as educators, we are obligated to consider this information to guide the implementation of the curriculum and in creating the environment in which it is taught. 

The seven categories of transferable skills, or competencies, are: 

• critical thinking and problem solving
• innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship
• self-directed learning
• collaboration
• communication
• global citizenship and sustainability
• digital literacy

These broad competencies are designed for students to transfer skills from one subject to another.  For example, self-directed learning skills are applicable in every subject from language to math to physical education. It allows educators to think about developing skills that will be useful for students in any subject area and any grade level. When you read the document, you’ll see that each of the seven skills has a definition and student descriptors.  For example, the document’s definition for digital literacy is:

Digital literacy involves the ability to solve problems using technology in a safe, legal, and ethically responsible manner. With the ever-expanding role of digitalization and big data in the modern world, digital literacy also means having strong data literacy skills and the ability to engage with emerging technologies. Digitally literate students recognize the rights and responsibilities, as well as the opportunities, that come with living, learning, and working in an interconnected digital world.

The first student descriptor is: 

• Students select and use appropriate digital tools to collaborate, communicate, create, innovate, and solve problems. 

These skills are intended to be learned as part of all subject areas and not in isolation.  They are developed through student engagement in practice and in explicit teaching and learning methods.  In planning, this means that we should be considering how we can integrate digital literacy into our teaching, how students can engage in becoming digitally literate, and understand their responsibilities as digital citizens.

Students always seem to be ahead of me in areas of technology; they have more time to consume media, information, and to develop confidence in using tech.  However, when I think about Digital Literacy in respect to the curriculum documents, I recognize that it isn’t just the confident ability to navigate websites and use new technology.  The student descriptors actually lend themselves toward understanding and analysing HOW they use digital tools to enhance their learning. Being able to select the best digital tool to help them learn, critically looking at data, and even understanding how to manage their own digital footprint look differently at every grade level.  

As you look through the curriculum documents, you will also notice that the overall expectations will specifically link to the transferable skill or skills that can be developed through those expectations.  For example, in grade seven language, overall expectations D2 (Creating Texts) and D3 (Publishing, Presenting, Reflecting) both tag Digital Literacy as a competency students should be developing through these expectations. 

How does this inform my educator lens and decisions in the classroom?  I think it looks like decisions that I am making with students, for example including them in the decision to use different digital tools for communication.  Every student I’ve taught loves to create a slide deck, but that isn’t always the easiest way for students to collaborate on a project or to communicate information.  Maybe it’s having whole class conversations to categorize the purpose of different digital tools, e.g., a recorded news report vs a slide deck vs a canva poster. 

As I spend time reading through all of the new curriculum documents, I am finding myself thinking more and more about how students learn and getting curious about how to shape and plan learning experiences that explicitly engage in developing these transferable skills.  Even as the teacher in the room, there’s always so much to learn! 

This year I have been a supply teacher in a particular class a few times so I have built a rapport with the students. On one visit, a student I’ll call Jenna opened up about how she was feeling. Recently her family’s apartment, along with several others, was destroyed by a fire. Jenna went to stay with extended family while her mother stayed in a local hotel and worked with relief agencies to find new housing and get reestablished. They lost absolutely everything they owned in the fire.

The family was relieved to move into a new apartment fairly quickly but Jenna was having difficulty adjusting.

On the day I was supply teaching in her class, 7 year old Jenna got overwhelmed several times and was not able to self-regulate. She was tired from the long walk from her new apartment. She was hungry. She missed her favourite stuffed animal. She had no paper at home to draw pictures because all of mommy’s paper got burned in the fire. Her classmates and I listened and consoled her in these moments but she summed it all up by tearfully saying:

“I’ve learned that sometimes life gives you changes and you have to get used to a new situation very fast. Like what the fire did to me and my family.”

Wise words from the heart of a seven year old. Jenna has had to deal with an enormous change in a short amount of time. She is grieving the loss of her home and belongings but also has feelings of relief that her family members survived and they were able to reunite in their new home. It’s quite an emotional roller coaster to ride. No wonder she was experiencing difficulty with self-regulation.

This experience got me thinking more deeply about trauma informed practices in classrooms. Every child has a story and some of those stories include trauma. We see different types of trauma such as losing a home, the unexpected death of a loved one, a car accident, bullying, and many more, including traumas we will never know about. It’s in everyone’s best interest to have safe learning environments where children know they are protected from physical and emotional harm. A classroom teacher will not know all the details about everyone in their class but they can work to ensure the classroom is a safe place for all.

The students aren’t the only ones who are impacted by life’s tragic moments. It’s very important that teachers recognize those times when they need to seek out their peers or professionals to help them through difficult times. We can’t serve from an empty cup, and neither can our students.

Take care,

Brenda

In the beginning of my teaching, I believed that my job was to impart knowledge, to fill my students with the facts and information they needed to succeed. But over the years, I’ve come to realize that my most powerful tool is not the answers I give—it’s the questions I ask.

I remember a particular lesson on ecosystems with my Grade 4 class. We had spent the week learning about different habitats and the various plants and animals that live in them. I had prepared a quiz to assess their understanding, filled with straightforward questions like, “What is the main predator in a forest ecosystem?” and “Name three plants found in a desert.” The quiz went as expected. Most students did well, but the energy and excitement in the room was flat. It was clear that my students were just going through the motions.

Feeling like I had let my class down a bit, I began to reflect on what I could change to better engage my students. This moment sparked a memory from my early days of teaching kindergarten—a time when I skillfully used questions to promote deeper, more meaningful conversations. Inspired by this recollection, I went on a journey of research and collegial discussions, focusing on how to ask good questions. The answer to my inquiry was; open-ended questions.

Here is what I learned. Regardless of which subject, there are a few requirements that make a good open-ended question.  

1. A good open-ended question should encourage a detailed, thoughtful response, rather than a yes or no answer.
2. It should allow individuals to draw from personal experiences and knowledge, validating their diverse perspectives.
3. It often starts with words like how, why or what.
4. It should be neutral and avoid suggesting any specific answer. 

I then decided to try something different the next day. Instead of giving my students more facts, I asked them an open-ended question: “What do you think would happen if we introduced a new species into this ecosystem?” The response was immediate. Hands went up, and the room buzzed with excitement. Students began to think critically, imagining the consequences of their hypothetical scenarios. Some suggested that a new predator might disrupt the food chain, while others argued that it could balance an overpopulated species. The discussion was much livelier, and I could see the gears turning in their minds. We then took our learning outdoors and played games to reenact possible scenarios. In the process, I asked more open ended-questions and the discussions became more interactive. Some questions I asked were:

1. How might the existing animals adapt to the presence of this new species?
2. What changes do you think we might see in the plant life of this ecosystem?
3. If you were in charge of protecting this ecosystem, what steps would you take?
4. How do you think human activities might influence the success or failure of this new species?

These questions sparked even more thoughtful discussions, encouraging students to apply their knowledge, make connections, and think critically about the complex interactions within ecosystems.

This experience taught me that there is something very satisfying about asking questions that have multiple answers.  It does more than just assess knowledge; it sparks curiosity and creativity, it encourages students to think deeply and explore possibilities and feel valued in their diverse perspective. It’s not about getting to the right answer, but about the process of thinking, questioning, and discovering. And that, for me, was a beautiful thing to witness.

Over the years, I’ve made it a point to incorporate more open-ended questions into my teaching. Whether it’s in a science lesson, a language discussion, or even math. Asking good questions push students to move beyond surface-level understanding and engage with the material on a deeper level.

So, to my fellow educators, I ask: How often do you ask open-ended questions in your classroom? What happens when you give your students the freedom to explore without the pressure of finding the right answer? Consider the possibilities that can unfold when we shift from simply imparting knowledge to guiding our students in their own discovery process. What questions might you ask today to open up a world of possibilities for your students?

What do science and art have in common? Plenty! The achievement chart for the Ontario grade 1-8 Science curriculum is very similar to the achievement chart for the Arts. Both of these areas of the curriculum allow for curiosity and experimentation. Planning summative assessments that use critical and creative thinking are a fantastic way to bring these subjects together in a way that makes learning feel like a celebration.

When integrating science and art there is also a great opportunity to explore the worldview of Indigenous peoples and learn about two-eyed seeing. We can invite a guest to share arts and crafts and explore the relationship between science and art. For example, I have a beautiful talking stick created with guidance from a Métis artist. During the process she taught us about the important role of water and the gifts of the earth. On another occasion, my students painted stones that were added to a memorial at a First Nation school with teachings about mother earth and the impact of residential schools on generations of Indigenous children.

Here are some suggestions for science lessons using different mediums in art.

Draw, Sketch, Paint

Whether it’s pencil, charcoal, watercolour, acrylic or pastels, there are opportunities in every science unit to create scenes and/or diagrams of the subjects we study. Painting trees in every season, making a pastel scene of a habitat with animal silhouettes cut out and glued on top, or doing a star filled sky with planets and comets. These materials are the most common in our schools and you just need some paper or sketchbooks to get started. One of my favourite things about sketching is you can easily do this outside!

Sculpt

One memorable lesson I’ve done a few times is to create sculptures using cardboard in grade 3 science. We used plenty of masking tape and learned about creating a sturdy, solid base. Then students were able to paint their creations as well. Castles, towers, hockey arenas and more have been created this way. We have also used plasticine in a CD case, with inspiration for author/illustrator Barbara Reid to do studies of natural phenomena like clouds, flowers and planets. Sculpting with air-dry modelling clay is another wonderful medium to use. Creating a diorama can use a variety of materials together to demonstrate learning. Using natural materials to create designs and models gives us more reasons to get those kids outside to build a positive relationship with the environment.

Digital Art

Going back quite a few years we got permission to use Minecraft education and grade 7 students created a digital model of the school yard with the design of the new outdoor classroom included. The students did an amazing job and added in all kinds of details of wildlife, plants and playground equipment. We have used more basic software like Paint and Kidpix (that should be nostalgic for you teachers who were in elementary school in the early 2000’s!). Whatever drawing software is available, there will be students who absolutely love it.

Photography

This is another favourite medium for getting kids outdoors to make scientific observations. Whether you are comparing types of leaves, soil, rocks or habitats, a picture is worth a thousand words. Based on some past experiences, I do recommend putting some limits on the number of photos allowed! Putting the photos into a slide deck makes it easy to share the work with each other.

Multimedia and more

Combining mediums to create brings so much fun and higher order thinking into play. Could we create art that also incorporates electrical circuits? Could we paint paper mache planets in a solar system model? How about a mural or a collage that explores the impact humans are having on the natural environment?

Famous Artists who Study Science

We are not alone integrating science and art. Our students may be interested in learning about artists who also contributed to the world of science including: Leonardo Da Vinci, Beatrix Potter, James Audubon, and Frederick Banting.

Make a Day of It!

If our schedule allows, it’s always exciting to dedicate a day to a culminating task and have it completed in time for an art/science show for other students to view. We can integrate more learning by writing advertisements for the show and consider adding peer evaluation to the assessment.

Happy Creating!

Brenda

*Photo credits: B. MacNaughton