PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Linguistically Responsive Teaching: Reaching ELs in the Mainstream Classroom

For K-12 Educators

The essential truths about linguistics and language acquisition that mainstream teachers need to know to reach English learners and some innovative strategies to effectively do so. 

Not Your Grandma's Grammar: Inquiry-Based Learning in the Language Classroom

For K-12 Educators

Grammar worksheets and parts-of -speech drills are so last century. Let's explore some new ways to teach the structure of English, strategies where students' own natural curiosity about language drives the learning forward. 

Balancing Rigor and Engagement through Gamification

For High School Educators

For College Educators

Spotty attendance, reluctant participation, late work. Do any of these sound familiar? 

Even if video games are a foreign language to you, your class can benefit from gamification, the process of applying gaming principles to educational contexts, and can do so without sacrificing academic rigor in the process. 

Promoting Powerful Partnerships through Parent Communication

For K-12 Educators

Striking the balance between professionalism and warmth is the critical communicative sweet spot in parent-teacher communication. Learn some easy-to-implement techniques for establishing positive rapport from the start and for working with special populations of parents such as non-native English speakers. 

SEL in ESL: Attending to the Affective Filter in K-12 Classrooms

For K-12 Educators

Don't miss the forest for the trees! Language instruction is only one piece of the English learner puzzle. Affective variables such as self-confidence, lack of motivation,  and anxiety play an equally important role in language learning.  Encounter fresh strategies for educating ELs in a more holistic manner and watch how they flourish!

What Texas Teachers Needs to Know about Linguistics, Language Acquisition, & Grammar

For Pre-Service K-12 Educators

For Test Takers

Great for pre-service teachers or in-service teachers preparing to take the ESL Supplemental, the Bilingual Supplemental, or any ELAR content exam. Essential review plus test-taking tips and tricks!

Krashen, Cummins, & Chomsky, Oh My!: How Second Language Acquisition Theories Inform K-12 Education in Texas

For K-12 Educators

For College Educators

Graduate TESOL programs often are unintentionally biased toward the teaching of adult learners. But we can change that! Bridge the divide between adult and K-12 ESL by exploring the foundational differences between the two and what each can learn from the other. 

Secondary Trauma: Practicing Self-Care as a Teacher of EL's

For K-12 Educators

As teachers of English learners with sometimes-difficult backgrounds, we are the keepers of our students' stories, often at great cost to our own mental health and well-being. Prioritize your own self-care for a few minutes and discover some ways to detox, destress, and discover a new passion for the important work that you do.