These informative seminars can be scheduled for conference days and for professional learning sessions both in-person and virtually. NYSUT’s Education & Learning Trust (ELT) has been approved as a CTLE provider.
For Teachers:
Collaborative Identification of English Learners with a Disability (WKS PROF163)
Available as a three-hour session
Participants will examine the many facets of identifying English learners with special needs. Federal regulations and New York’s CR Part 154-3 regulations will form the foundation of this session. Participants will analyze a case study and apply concepts and tools acquired throughout the course. Enriching discussion will focus on the collaborative process of identifying ELs who have a disability. Many practical resources and tools will be provided for educators to utilize from throughout the collaborative process of identifying ELs with a disability.
Collaborative Identification of English Learners with a Disability - 6 hour (WKS PROF162)
Available as a six-hour session
Historically, there has been a problem of over- and under-identification of English learners for special education. Participants in this six-hour seminar will simulate a team approach model using a case study as a way to address the issue. This collaborative process will include a review of state and federal regulations, an analysis of student behavior to distinguish a language difference versus a learning disability, a discussion on how the RtI process might look different for English learners, parent support at IEP meetings, and the use of data leveraged to design a program for English learners identified with a disability.
Co-teaching: Building the Partnership (WKS ELL8)
Available as a three-hour session
What important things do co-teachers need to know prior to stepping in front of students together? Participants of this workshop will experience and embed strategies to develop a positive co-teaching partnership, learn how to apply the co-teaching models for various classroom environments, and gain planning strategies to ensure the learning of all students at high levels. Please bring a laptop or device, headphones and upcoming lessons/unit plans to the session. It is highly recommended that ENL and content teachers take this seminar with their co-teaching partner.
Co-teaching: Strengthening the Collaboration (WKS ELL9)
Available as a three-hour session
You’ve been co-teaching together for a while…. Now what? This session aims to provide co-teachers with the “next steps” in co-teaching. Participants will revisit ways establish a collaborative relationship that truly represents a shared curriculum. Co-teachers will walk away with concrete steps for intentional reflection, effective communication, and thoughtful planning. Beyond this, co-teachers will also become equipped to rise above pitfalls and challenge each other to take their teaching to higher levels, where ALL students are bound to thrive. Please bring an upcoming lesson/unit plan to the session. It is highly recommended that ENL and content teachers take this seminar with their co-teaching partner.
Creating a Culturally Responsive Classroom (WKS ELL10)
Available as a three-hour session
In order to meet the needs our diverse student population, educators must possess the mindset and skills needed to foster a positive learning environment for all students as it is critical to their academic success. Culturally responsive instructional practices honor and support this diversity, connecting learning to students' cultural and linguistic background while building on prior experiences. As a result, educators create an inclusive environment that is accessible and relatable to all students. In this seminar, participants will learn how to build on their current practices to create a culturally responsive classroom for their students.
Designing Effective Instruction and Learning for English Learners (WKS ELL11)
Available as a three-hour session
The five high-leverage principles presented in this seminar synthesize the work of leading scholars and educators and reflect basic practices that can improve teaching and learning for English learners across the content areas. Participants will examine evidence-based instructional strategies that can be incorporated into daily lesson plans and routines as well as determine effective ways to teach and assess both language and disciplinary content. Through building upon students’ background knowledge, incorporating academic language functions, designing and scaffolding deeper learning tasks integrating all four domains, and providing opportunities for student participation, teachers will help EL students become proficient in English and achieve rigorous state standards.
Educating English Learners in Elementary Classrooms (WKS ELL12)
Available as a three-hour session
This seminar, designed for elementary teachers, focuses on language acquisition and the challenges ELLs at different proficiency levels face in the mainstream classroom. Teachers will experience a variety of research-based strategies and modifications and learn how to apply them in lesson plans that foster the academic achievement of ELLs in their classes.
Establishing Inclusive Classrooms Where Newcomer ELLs Thrive (WKS ELL28)
Available as a three-hour session
Newcomer students are recently-arrived immigrants representative of a range of languages, cultures, school experiences, literacy skills, and immigration circumstances. Many speak little or no English and may lack any formal education in their native countries. In order to meet the unique academic, social, and emotional needs of these students, participants will begin by identifying who their newcomers are. Guided by Eight Promising Practices, participants will learn ways to create an inclusive classroom for newcomer ELLs with spaces that embrace the voices of linguistically diverse communities and provide pathways for authentic learning opportunities. As the demographics of our classrooms continue to reflect the political climate and refugee resettlement of our country and the world, we need to educate others, advocate together, and elevate our ELLs.
Foundational Strategies for Effective Instruction with Newly Arrived ELLs (WKS ELL44)
Available as a three-hour session
This immersive 3-hour training is designed specifically for teachers new to working with ELLs. The session focuses on equipping educators with practical strategies to foster an inclusive atmosphere, to heighten their understanding of language development's role in instruction, and to employ engaging activities that facilitate student learning and linguistic advancement specifically for Newcomer and SIFE students. By utilizing a case study, attendees will have a unique opportunity to apply the strategies learned, encouraging practical implementation and deeper comprehension of how to effectively support linguistically diverse learners in their educational journey.
Implementing Social Emotional Learning Practices with ELL/MLLs (WKS ELL45)
Available as a three-hour session
The focus of this dynamic 3-hour seminar is on integrating social-emotional learning (SEL) practices for English language learners (ELLs) in K-12 education. Educators will gain actionable strategies and insights at the classroom, building, and district levels to address the unique needs of ELLs, many of whom have experienced trauma. Participants will explore evidence-based approaches to promote emotional intelligence, resilience, and cultural competence among ELLs, while also delving into practical techniques for seamlessly integrating SEL into instruction. Through reflective dialogue and collaborative activities, educators will develop personalized action plans to enhance SEL support for ELLs, fostering inclusive and nurturing learning environments where all students can thrive academically and emotionally.
Including English Learners: Strategies for Academic Success (WKS ELL1)
Available as a three-hour session
With so much attention focused on helping English learners meet grade-level expectations, teachers are looking for what works. In this seminar, participants explore four research-based recommendations for engaging English learners in subject area instruction. Participants will view real life classroom examples and experience practical hands-on activities that can be applied across grade levels and content areas.
Increasing Family Engagement to Promote the Achievement of ELLs (WKS ELL15)
Available as a three-hour session
What are some approaches educators can use to develop effective partnerships with bilingual families? In this session, you will examine ways to increase family engagement and improve the home-school connection with the families of our English learners while taking into consideration the four stages of immigrant parent involvement.
Increasing Family Engagement to Promote the Achievement of ELLs - 6 hour (WKS ELL22)
Available as a six-hour session
In this six-hour session, participants will examine a multitude of ways to develop effective home-school partnerships with the families of our English learners. Initial activities work to increase familiarity with the diverse cultures of the community in order to identify their needs, create a more welcoming school environment, and develop culturally responsive, two-way communication. The culminating activity will be to create an engagement plan in accordance with the requirements in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that targets specific academic outcomes for ELLs while strengthening the meaningful engagement of diverse families. While this training is ideal for school- or district-based teams, it is still relevant and useful for individual educators.
Instructional Supports for English Language Learners (WKS ELL19)
Available as a three-hour session
English language learners are the fastest growing student population in schools, and they must be considered when the NYS Next Generation standards are being implemented. Geared for general education teachers, this seminar will help participants design effective content-area instruction while they explore research-based strategies, instructional guidelines and resources for helping ELLs succeed.
Language Acquisition and Learning (WKS ELL5)
Available as a three-hour session
How does language development affect learning? Through exposure to research literature and information on language acquisition theory, you will gain a deeper understanding of the intersection of language and learning. Educators will be guided to reflect on how language development affects instruction and learning in their own classrooms.
Leveraging Policy and Advocacy to Advance Equity for ELLs (WKS ELL40)
Available as a three-hour session
Effective advocacy is rooted in leveraging policy. However, achieving this goal requires educators to have a strong grasp of both state and federal policies as well as civil rights laws that protect and support equitable education opportunities for ELLs. Participants will acquire skills to navigate policy structures, follow guidelines and adhere to regulations that shape the educational landscape for ELLs. Armed with this understanding, they will effectively communicate concerns and initiate advocacy efforts that play a pivotal role in fostering a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for ELLs and their families.
Mastering Literacy: Elevating English Learners’ Reading Proficiency (WKS ELL42)
Available as a six-hour session
Dive into the world of language and literacy with this immersive 6-hour seminar to deepen one’s knowledge and equip oneself with practical tools to boost English learners’ literacy achievements. Discover how teaching literacy to ELs differs from mainstream students and explore the most effective instructional practices to elevate EL reading comprehension. Throughout this comprehensive seminar, participants will review the latest research findings on successful literacy development, gaining valuable insights as they translate EL literacy research into actionable best practices for crafting tailored literacy curriculum and instructional approaches as well as assessment strategies that offer diagnostic feedback, enabling precise evaluation of ELs' reading skills and text comprehension.
Planning for the Success of ELLs in Content Classes (WKS ELL16)/(WKS ELL17)
Available as a three or six-hour session
This seminar provides the opportunity to examine research-based strategies and approaches that assist ELLs in meeting rigorous grade-level standards through a step-by-step breakdown of the lesson planning process that includes scaffolded language and content objectives. Participants will experience a variety of motivating and engaging instructional strategies that can be strategically applied to lesson plans as a way to increase academic language production and content comprehension for ELLs.
Promising Practices for Long-Term ELLs (WKS ELL36)
Available as a three-hour session
In this seminar, participants develop an understanding of who our ELLs are and learn about strategies, frameworks, and even policy recommendations that both engage with the gifts that LTELLs possess and work to address their needs.
Scaffolding Instruction Across Language Proficiency Levels (WKS ELL37)
Available as a three-hour session
Participants will be introduced to the theories that influence best practices; explore different forms of scaffolding and
best ways to use them; examine different language levels and what to expect from students at those levels; learn how
to use formative assessments to inform instruction and understand and implement the steps for scaffolding.
SIFE Success: Know Your Students and Strategies! (WKS ELL20)
Available as a three-hour session
Help! I have a newcomer in my classroom! What should I do? Teachers can start by taking this foundational seminar on Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE) students and spend time exploring characteristics of SIFE students to better serve their needs in the classroom. During this seminar, participants will learn how to design classroom environments and apply specific strategies that both honor students’ backgrounds and support the intense needs of this population in order to foster SIFE success. This also provides a strong knowledge base for future learning opportunities on SIFE literacy, differentiation and culturally responsive instruction.
Supporting and Sustaining the Social-Emotional Needs of English Learners Who Experience Trauma (WKS ELL7)
Available as a three-hour session
This seminar, designed for all educators who work with English language learners (ELLs), will address the multitude of trauma that many ELLs have experienced prior to and since their arrival to the US. Immigration, under the best of circumstances, involves separation, loss and challenges to one’s identity. Many of our recently-arrived ELLs present with traumatic stressors most educators have not dealt with before. Participants will leave this seminar with strategies to help students who have experienced trauma, tools to support ELLs’ social and emotional healing, growth and well-being, and ways to build trusting relationships with this fragile cohort.
Supporting and Sustaining Social-Emotional Needs of English Learners
Who Experience Trauma - 6 hour (WKS ELL27)
Available as a six hour session
This six-hour seminar, designed for all in the educational community who
encounter English Language Learners (ELLs), will address the topic of
significant trauma many ELLs have experienced prior and upon their arrival.
Immigration under the best of circumstances includes separation, loss and
challenges to one’s identity. Many of our recently-arrived ELLs present with
traumatic stressors most educators have not dealt before. The impact of early
trauma on brain development and early attachment will be explored. When is it
appropriate to activate prior knowledge when it includes violence, war, lack of
basic needs, disruption in human development, and/or separation from family?
What do educators know about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) that can
improve their pedagogy? This seminar will provide the necessary tools and
strategies to support ELLs’ healing and growth, both academically and
social-emotionally.
The Impact of Culture on Student Achievement (WKS ELL14)
Available as a three-hour session
In addition to learning a new language, ELLs have to adjust to a new environment and culture while learning new academic skills and content knowledge. Explore the impact of culture on academic achievement and identify factors that contribute to a culturally responsive classroom in this engaging session.
Understanding English Language Learners (WKS NEWM12)/(WKS ELL3)
Available as a two-hour for New Members or three-hour for veteran teachers
As a teacher, what can you do with students in your class who are learning English? How can you help them succeed? This seminar focuses on understanding the stages of verbal acquisition and identifying variables that influence the language acquisition process for ELLs. Strategies that have been shown to successfully engage ELLs are examined and instructional and assessment accommodations are demonstrated.
Unlocking Literacy: Strategies for English Learners’ Success (WKS ELL41)
Available as a three-hour session
In this engaging 3-hour session, participants will peruse the latest research findings on literacy development and explore how they can be applied to create effective instructional practices in literacy curriculum and instruction that focuses on the unique challenges of ELLs. Learn and demonstrate strategies that empower ELLs to develop crucial literacy skills and enhance their reading comprehension. Additionally, discover assessment techniques that provide valuable diagnostic feedback on ELLs' reading skills and their comprehension of text. This seminar is the gateway to understanding and improving literacy outcomes for English language learners.
These seminars can be used to meet CTLE hours and C.R. Part 154 Language Acquisition requirements.
