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1 Word That Will Help Ground Your Classroom Management

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1 Word That Will Help Ground Your Classroom Management

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Carlson, J. (2025). 1 word that will help ground your classroom management. Kid Inspired Classroom. https://kid-inspired.com/classroom-management-outcomes/

This article addresses the change from traditional classroom management of punishment and reward to an outcome-based approach. Positive and negative outcomes allow students to understand cause-and-effect relationships in the choices made. This idea of outcomes helps students with real-world scenarios and learn responsibilities. This approach aligns with research-based practices by focusing on natural outcomes which allows teachers to provide clear structure and guidance in their academic language development.

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1 Word That Will Help Ground Your Classroom Management

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Carrot and Stick? ? How should we follow through with our students in the classroom? Does the old carrot and stick method work? Is there a better way?

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How to Create a Welcoming Classroom Environment for ELLs

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How to Create a Welcoming Classroom Environment for ELLs

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Colorin Colorado. (n.d.). How to create a welcoming classroom environment for ELLs. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/how-create-welcoming-classroom-environment

This article addresses the importance of creating a welcoming, positive, and inclusive classroom environment for English Language Learners (ELLs). Things to take into consideration include acknowledging the stages of cultural accommodation such as euphoria, culture shock, acceptance, and assimilation, the “silent period” where students will listen but not speak, and successful ways to support academic and social development. This article supports research-based best practices by focusing on building a solid rapport with the teacher and peers, increasing their confidence, and making them feel more comfortable in class.

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An important first step in helping English language learners (ELLs) succeed is making them feel welcome in the classroom.

This will:

increase their confidence

make them feel more comfortable in the class

build a foundation for positive relationships with you and their peers.

Here's how you can get started!

The ELL student population includes students who were born in the U.S. and students who have immigrated from another country. For ELLs who have recently arrived in the U.S., they will face the challenge of learning a new language in addition to adjusting to an unfamiliar cultural setting and school system.

On a daily basis, ELLs are adjusting to new ways of saying and doing things. As their teacher, you are an important bridge to this unknown culture and school system.

In the same way that ELLs go through stages of English language learning, they may also pass through stages of cultural accommodation. These stages, however, may be less defined and more difficult to notice. Being aware of these stages may help you to better understand "unusual" actions and reactions that may just be part of adjusting to a new culture.

Euphoria: ELLs may experience an initial period of excitement about their new surroundings.

Culture shock: ELLs may then experience anger, hostility, frustration, homesickness, or resentment towards the new culture.

Acceptance: ELLs may gradually accept their different surroundings.

Assimilation/adaptation: ELLs may embrace and adapt to their surroundings and their "new" culture.

It is also common for students who are learning a new language to be 'silent' for a period of time, when they are listening to the language around them without speaking yet (much as a young child listens to language first before learning to talk). This is considered the first stage of language acquisition.

Patience and creating opportunities for small successes in speaking with you and peers can help build students' confidence. In addition, keep in mind that students' silence could also be a sign of respect for you as an authority - and not a sign of their inability or refusal to participate.

Students may also have experienced trauma or face different kinds of hardship in the U.S. You can better prepare yourself for this possibility by:

Learn more from the following:

This award-winning documentary highlights how the Dearborn, MI public school district is helping its immigrant students succeed. Learn more about this project and see related videos.

Getting to Know Students

Learn how to pronounce students' names correctly

Don't forget to smile and use positive body language!

A lot of communication happens through expressions, body language, and tone. Smiling and using positive body language can go a long way in making students feel welcome and comfortable, particularly if they are newcomers, as seen in the vignette shared by a teacher below.

Build relationships with students

Veteran teachers of ELLs always point to building relationships as the most important step in their work with ELLs. Not only does it increase engagement and support students' later academic success, it also provides invaluable information that can inform your instruction and family engagement.

In addition, it can help build bridges with students who may have particularly unique experiences, such as children in migrant farmwork families or Indigenous students.

See more ideas on how to build these relationships from the following:

Video: Showing students you care

Corpus Christi teacher Christine Price talks about the importance of showing students you care early on.

Identify students' strengths and interests

It's important to remember that ELLs bring lots of strengths, talents, and rich experiences to the classroom. Getting to know students' interests can help:

build rapport

engage students in learning

find connections with new friends.

Families are also an important source of information and are often happy to talk about the activities that their child enjoys. They may also appreciate the fact that their child's teacher is taking an interest in the child's strengths and talents. (This is especially true in special education settings.)

Teacher Omar Salem describes a student who not only sings and dances but manages her own YouTube channel and edits all of the video she posts of her performances.

Video: Using parent letters to get to know my students

Albuquerque teacher Clara Gonzales-Espinoza asks her parents to write her a letter at the beginning of each school year telling her about the child's personality, interests, strengths, and anything else they think she should know. In this interview, Clara speaks more about this strategy and its impact on her relationships with parents and students.

Ensure that students have information about activities and clubs

Make sure that students have information about extra-curricular activities, sports, and clubs related to their interests. You can also encourage them to start their own club within the school.

ELL educator Christine Rowland notes, "Many students find involvement in school clubs and teams to be extremely helpful, as they are often experts in these areas, and they can provide a space where they more easily feel they belong."

Welcoming Students' Language and Culture

Invite students' cultures into the classroom

Encourage ELLs and their families to share their culture with you and your class. Show-and-tell is a good opportunity for ELLs to bring in something representative of their culture, if they wish.

Invite students and families to:

share photographs, visuals, or meaningful artifacts such as flags or mementos

tell a popular story or folktale using words, pictures, gestures, and movements

share information about important holidays or celebrations.

Looking beyond the classroom

Imagine that you are walking into your school for the first time as a parent.

What do you see on the walls?

If your first language weren't English, would you see signs in your language?

Would you see flags, maps, or books representing your home country?

Would you see your child's work on display in the hallway?

If you think more could be done to make families feel welcome, consider:

sharing some ideas with colleagues or administrators and taking small steps that you can point to as successes

looking for opportunities to celebrate all families and their languages, customs, and cultures, whether in the classroom or at a school-wide event

keeping a lookout for a special part of their lives that other families might appreciate getting to know.

See more ideas in the following:

Video: What happened when the students realized the Yemeni flag wasn't on stage

ELD Specialist Diana Alqadhi tells the story of some students who realized that the Yemeni flag was not featured prominently enough on stage before a school show.

Invite students' languages into the classroom

Label classroom objects to allow ELLs to better understand their immediate surroundings. These labels will also assist you when explaining or giving directions, and it gives peers an additional opportunity to learn some words in their classmates' language.

Start with everyday items, such as "door/puerta," "book/libro," and "chair/silla."

You may wish to ask students who can write in their first language or family members to help you with this project.

You can also invite students to teach the class some words from their home language.

Learn more about the resources available in students' home languages

Students benefit from support in their home language - what Dr. Fred Genesee calls their " most valuable resource." You have may have access to learning material in students' languages, or you may be able to find resources that support those languages.

Language access for multilingual families

In addition, it's critical to understand what language access resources you have available through your school and district, particularly for communication with families. Keep in mind that all families have a legal right to information in their home language. Family liaisons, interpreters, ESL teachers, or administrators may have more information about what language access resources are available in your district.

Video: What Do School Districts Need to Know About Language Access?

This helpful overview about what language access means for school districts is a great introduction to the requirements, best practices, and funding streams related to language access in public education. This interview features Dr. Jennifer Love, the Supervisor of Language Access and Engagement in Prince George's County Public Schools, Maryland.

Video: Language Access for Multilingual Families

What does appropriate language access mean for multilingual families? This interview also features Dr. Jennifer Love.

Ensure your students see themselves reflected in the classroom

Ask yourself if students can see representations of their culture, race, gender, and other aspects of identity reflected in your:

classroom materials and library

lesson plans and activities

classroom visuals (both in-person and virtual).

In addition:

Success in the Classroom

Encourage your students

Some ELLs may not answer voluntarily in class or ask for your help even if they need it. ELLs may smile and nod, but this does not necessarily mean that they understand. Offer one-on-one support and encouragement as much as possible. For convenience, it may be helpful to seat ELLs near your desk.

Assign a buddy

Identify a classmate who will make a good buddy for new students - someone who is friendly, patient, and a good communicator to be a buddy. This student can make sure that the new student understands what he or she is supposed to do during class activities. It is helpful if the peer partner knows the ELL's first language, but not necessary. However, remember to never use another student as an interpreter in any situation.

Learn more about ways to increase peer interaction and collaboration in these related strategies.

Ask the class how they can help welcome new students

Ask students to brainstorm ways to help ELLs in particular. You may wish to make a list of ideas on how to welcome new students at the beginning of the year so that students have these strategies in mind if a student comes with little advance notice.

Be vigilant about health issues, dietary concerns, and allergies

Students may have specific health issues or dietary restrictions due to health, cultural, or religious reasons. Be sure that you learn all essential information you need to know about student health and diet from parents or guardians. For ELLs, be sure to confirm and clarify this information with the help of interpreters.

If you learn information about a student that would be helpful for other staff to know, particularly regarding health or food allergies, talk with administrators about how to keep the child safe. In addition, be sensitive to cultural or religious norms, such as fasting for religious reasons.

Keep an eye out for signs of culture shock

Moving to a new country and leaving a familiar life, relatives, friends, and language behind can be traumatic for children in the best of circumstances. Those challenges are compounded if children have experienced trauma, violence, or upheaval. Learn more about how culture shock can impact students in the classroom and affect student behavior so that you recognize signs if newcomers act out.

Encourage students to take ownership of the classroom culture

Ask students to answer the following questions through drawings or written responses.

How can I be a good classmate to others?

What are examples of unkind or disrespectful behavior in the classroom?

To support ELLs in their discussions of these questions:

Encourage students who speak the same language to discuss their ideas in groups.

Provide scaffolded materials such as graphic organizers, sentence stems, and sentence frames.

Use a picture book to talk about different kinds of behavior with students.

Create a shared set of classroom expectations together

Return to your earlier discussion of what a respectful classroom looks like.

Brainstorm ideas on possible class rules based on that discussion.

Streamline the list of class guidelines or rules.

Add any rules or guidelines that are missing.

In order to establish appropriate consequences for disrespectful behavior, you may wish to come up with ideas with the class or determine those consequences yourself.

Post the final list classroom rules in the classroom.

Translate the rules into ELLs' native languages so that they can keep the list handy and share it at home.

To see an example of this proces in action, take a look at ELL expert Carol Salva's process for developing a community contract each year.

Help your ELLs understand expectations for the classroom

ELLs may need some extra support in understanding expectations for classroom behavior. Helping them understand these expectations can avoid misunderstandings, discipline problems, and feelings of low self-esteem.

At the same time, it's important to remember that students bridging two cultures may need guidance which behaviors are appropriate in which setting (such as eye contact, physical proximity, etc.). If you have questions, talk with a cultural liaison in the school to learn more about appropriate responses and ideas for helping students navigate a new culture. You can also learn more about cultural norms of your students, particularly related to schooling, to help inform your approach.

Here are a few strategies that you can use in class:

Use visuals like pictures, symbols, and reward systems to communicate your expectations in a positive and direct manner.

Physically model language to ELLs in classroom routines and instructional activities. ELLs will need to see you or their peers model behavior when you want them to sit down, walk to the bulletin board, work with a partner, copy a word, etc.

Be consistent and fair with all students. Once ELLs clearly understand what is expected, hold them equally accountable for their behavior.

Post a daily schedule. Even if ELLs do not yet understand all of the words that you speak, it is possible for them to understand the structure of each day. Whether through chalkboard art or images on Velcro, you can post the daily schedule each morning. By writing down times and having pictures next to words like lunch, wash hands, math, and field trip, ELLs can have a general sense of the upcoming day.

Finally, remember ELLs can make unintentional "mistakes" as they are trying hard to adjust to a new cultural setting. They are constantly transferring what they know as acceptable behaviors from their own culture to the U.S. classroom and school. Be patient as ELLs learn English and adjust - and remember that you will learn a lot from this experience too!

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How to Create a Welcoming Classroom Environment for ELLs

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An important first step in helping English language learners (ELLs) succeed is making them feel welcome in the classroom. This will: increase their confidence make them feel more comfortable in the class build a foundation for positive relationships with you and their peers. Here's how you can get started!

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6 Essential Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners

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6 Essential Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners

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Kaplan, E. (2019). 6 essential strategies for teaching English language learners. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-essential-strategies-teaching-english-language-learners

Through interviewing educators with years of experience in teaching ELLs and observers, Kaplan (2019) listed the best strategies that work in the classroom of native and non-native English-speaking students. These strategies include being culturally responsive, teaching language skills, emphasizing productive language, speaking slowly, differentiating instructions, and incorporating student's native language. These strategies align with research-based practices by focusing on effective big-picture and nitty-gritty tactics that benefit all students in the class.

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Over 10 percent of students in the United States-more than 4.8 million kids-are English language learners (ELLs), and the number is on the rise. Though these students do not learn differently than their native-English-speaking peers, they do have particular educational needs.

To learn about these needs-and best practices for addressing them-I interviewed a range of educators and observers, including Larry Ferlazzo, an educator and author of The ESL/ELL Teacher's Survival Guide; longtime teachers of English as a second language (ESL) Emily Francis and Tan Huynh; and the journalist Helen Thorpe, who spent a year observing a teacher who works with ELLs.

The group emphasized that the strategies listed here, which include both big-picture mindsets and nitty-gritty teaching tactics, can be incorporated into all classrooms, benefiting both native English speakers and ELLs.

1. Cultivate Relationships and Be Culturally Responsive

No surprise here. A successful classroom, our educators agreed, is one in which students feel known, appreciated, and comfortable taking emotional and intellectual risks. That requires intentional planning and consistent messaging by the teacher.

Emily Francis, an ESL teacher in Concord, North Carolina, makes clear that she wants her students to "embrace their culture and their language as a foundation of who they are" and to consider their acquisition of a new culture and language "not as subtractive, but as additive." To help support students who may never have attended school before or may be coping with migration-based trauma, Francis emphasizes that little things make a big difference. "The first thing that I need to think about is, how is my student feeling in my classroom?" she says. "Are they sitting next to a buddy they can ask a question in their home language? Do they feel comfortable tapping me on the shoulder if they have to go to the bathroom?"

But creating a supportive environment is also about cultivating an appreciation of diversity-it's critical that both the curriculum and the classroom environment honor and reflect the lives of the students. For instance, Francis makes certain that her classroom library is reflective of her students' diverse backgrounds and identities.

ESL teacher Katie Toppel, who teaches near Portland, Oregon, champions the value of home visits to get to know students' families and takes care to incorporate the particulars of students' lives, such as pets' names and favorite sports, into lessons. Students are most engaged when they feel a personal connection to a lesson or unit, a connection that's created in part by a teacher's investment in culturally competent relationships.

2. Teach Language Skills Across the Curriculum

English language learners should not be learning the fundamentals of English in isolation; they should be applying their developing language skills to rich academic content in all subjects.

"It is key that in mainstream classrooms, teachers understand their role as language teachers," says Valentina Gonzalez, a district leader in Katy, Texas, suggesting that all teachers should be aware of the specialized idiom they work within. "If we teach math, then we teach the language of mathematics. If we teach science, then we teach the language of science." Math teachers, in other words, should take the time to teach the unfamiliar vocabulary of mathematics- add, subtract, calculator, solve -concurrently with the teaching of math skills.

3. Emphasize Productive Language

The educators I interviewed agreed that productive language skills-hard-to-master dimensions of language fluency like speaking and writing-should be front and center from day one, even if students feel hesitant about them.

Beginning ELLs often develop receptive language skills like listening and reading first. Educators who are unaware of the typical path to fluency may believe that students who can follow verbal or written directions will be able to produce oral or written language, but that's usually not the case.

To support reluctant speakers, Tan Huynh, an educator who blogs at Empowering ELLs, suggests using sentence frames. "For example, when a science teacher wants ELLs to produce a hypothesis, they might offer the sentence, 'If _____ was added, then _____ because _____.' This sentence frame provides clues that empower ELLs to sound and think like scientists," Huynh says.

Andrea Honigsfeld, a professor of education at Molloy College in Rockville, New York, suggests that all lessons touch on every letter of the acronym SWIRL, which stands for Speak, Write, Interact, Read, Listen. The approach intentionally privileges productive language skills "from the beginning," she says.

4. Speak Slowly-and Increase Your Wait Time

Easier said than done. Still, many of the teachers I spoke to said this simple change is vital. You can record yourself speaking in class to measure your cadence, and adjust.

"Adding in an extra three to five seconds after we pose a question offers all students time to think," explains Gonzalez. "However, for English learners, it also gives time to translate, process their thinking, translate back into English, and develop the courage to answer. If we call on students too quickly, many of our students will stop thinking about the answers-or trying to answer at all."

That means undoing some of our own habits, according to Larry Ferlazzo, a high school ESL teacher in Sacramento, California. "Researchers have found that typically most teachers give one to two seconds between asking a question and expecting a student response," he says. "The same researchers have shown that if you wait three to five seconds, the quality of responses is astronomically greater."

5. Differentiate-and Use Multiple Modalities

All kids learn better when they engage with material in multiple ways: Lessons that involve writing, speaking, drawing, and listening, for example, give students four opportunities to deepen their understanding of the work. For ELLs, those additional engagements also provide a little breathing room so they can work through the language barrier.

Helen Thorpe, a journalist who spent a year observing Eddie Williams's classroom in Denver in order to write a book about immigrants called The Newcomers, marveled at Williams's method of differentiation. "Eddie would enunciate very clearly in English multiple times, he would write it on the board, and he would go to the projector to give a visual. And, finally, he'd be asking the kids to verbalize aspects of the lesson themselves," she says, tracing Williams's efforts to move his students from receptive to productive language fluency.

Toppel uses a strategy called QSSSA to scaffold classroom discussions with ELLs. The letters stand for Question (the teacher poses a question, then gives ample think time); Signal (a designated motion like a thumbs-up, a finger on the nose-something that lets students indicate that they're ready to answer); Stem (the teacher provides a sentence starter for the question-for example, for "What is your favorite place to read a book?" the stem might be, "My favorite place to read a book is _____"); Share; and Assess.

6. Incorporate Students' Native Languages-and Don't Be Afraid of Technology

Bilingualism is the goal, of course, not replacement.

Ferlazzo uses a strategy called "preview, view, review," which leverages a student's native language skills as a foundation for learning the new language. He introduces a topic and encourages students to preview it in materials in their home language (often using multilingual videos and other online resources); he then teaches the topic in English, and then has students review the information in their home language.

Ferlazzo also encourages teachers to embrace technologies that students find helpful, like Google Translate. He stresses that the app can be a useful way for students to translate words quickly-but warns that it can quickly "become a dependency" if it's used as more than a handy dictionary.

Thorpe agrees that Translate can take pressure off teachers, who sometimes find that they "just stand at the front of the room and say things over and over. And if the kids didn't know what those words are, they're out of luck." Translation technology means you can say it once (or twice) and let the students use the technology to translate key words and phrases.

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6 Essential Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners

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We interviewed educators with decades of experience in teaching ELLs and tapped a network of experts and observers to find the strategies that work.

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Tailoring Instruction to Support English Language Learners

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Tailoring Instruction to Support English Language Learners

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Edutopia. (2024). Tailoring instruction to support English language learners. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1D362yrn_E&ab_channel=Edutopia

This video from Edutopia shows an ESOL teacher teaching content in English using specific instructional strategies. Implementing New York State’s English as a New Language program is highly effective in reaching English proficiency in three to four years. This video supports research-based best practices by showing how an ESOL teacher successfully tailors instruction to support ELL students.

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Tailoring Instruction to Support English Language Learners

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Using technology to create a visual learning environment 

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Using technology to create a visual learning environment 

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Colorin Colorado. (2023). Using technology to create a visual learning environment. WETA Public. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/using-technology-create-visual-learning-environment

This article tells a story of Alma Milan, a certified ESL teacher, utilizing technology in the classroom to promote effective English learning techniques that are fresh and inspirational. She uses visual supports, colorful and interactive powerpoints, and provide opportunities for students to research on their own. This approach aligns with research-based practices by focusing on using multiple instructional methods which allows teachers to provide differentiated instructions and keep students' best interest in mind, fostering positive attitude of learning and engagement.

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Meet Alma Milan

The needs, struggles, and achievements of English language learners are diverse and unique; understanding them is not always easy for educators. However, some educators were English language learners themselves and therefore have a bit of insiders' knowledge. Such is the case of Alma Milan, a certified ESL teacher at Kosciuszko Middle School. Of Filipino background, she came to the U.S. at age six, knowing three languages - none of which was English. She can recollect what it was like to be in a classroom and not knowing what anyone was saying! She believes that having been an ELL student herself, she is more sensitive to her students' needs - especially their fear of making mistakes.

Technology use is an intrinsic part of Alma's classroom; in fact, her class takes place in a computer lab. By using visual supports (clip art and other graphic images), the students are able to see an object and associate it with the words they see and hear. She uses Power Point presentations in her lectures to introduce colors, geography concepts, and an array of nouns. She finds this method especially important for visual learners and those students with low literacy levels. Through visual representations, she helps her students build the vocabulary needed for the content lessons in their regular classes (she is required to teach some of this content in the ESL class). Her school uses the "block system," and students have a daily ESL period equivalent to half a block each day (about a 45-minute period).

A method that she finds beneficial to her students is pairing them according to skill. She will pair someone with weak literacy skills with someone with higher literacy skills; in oral conversation exercises, she will pair a shy student with a more outgoing one - students usually find a way to compensate for each other's skills and help each other learn. Sharing seems to be prevalent in her teaching methods. She has done exercises that help her students explore the holidays and traditions of peers from other countries, using these as a basis for conversation starters and even writing exercises.

Because she wants her students to be self-learners, the Internet plays an important role in her classroom. Often she will create a list of sites with useful information (and very importantly, at an adequate reading level!), then ask her students to create a presentation based on research through those sites. She often has her students use webs or concept maps to organize the information from their searches.

As with many ELL/ESL/ESOL teachers, Alma struggles with the many different levels of proficiency among her students (some have high oral skills, but low reading and writing). All of Alma's students are Hispanic. Many of them were born in the U.S., then traveled back to their parents' home countries. Now, returning to the U.S. as young teenagers, they cannot recollect much from their early years.

It seems that Alma's rapport with her students transcends their time in her classroom, as many have stayed in contact after moving on to high school. As one of her colleagues told us "Alma is not difficult to adore; she is firm and strict. Her ideas are fresh and inspirational. Her students adore her. She truly has their best interest in mind, giving them every opportunity to be technologically literate, as well as assisting them in developing their language skills. Her expectations are high, and the students respond to this very well."

Thank you to Heidi Stutzki for nominating Alma and contributing to this story.

Do you know an outstanding ELL teacher? Paraprofessional? Student?

Click here to nominate them.

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Using technology to create a visual learning environment

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The needs, struggles, and achievements of English language learners are diverse and unique; understanding them is not always easy for educators. However, some educators were English language learners themselves and therefore have a bit of insiders' knowledge. Such is the case of Alma Milan, a certified ESL teacher at Kosciuszko Middle School.

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Patrick Synan, ELL Teacher: Using technology with newcomer ELLs during COVID-19

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Patrick Synan, ELL Teacher: Using technology with newcomer ELLs during COVID-19

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Colorin Colorado. (2021). Patrick Synan, ELL teacher: using technology with newcomer ELLs during COVID-19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8cKlvOUiRs&ab_channel=ColorinColorado

This clip by Patrick Synan, a highschool ELL teacher, talks about the experience of teaching students how to use technology remotely. Since COVID, technology and use of computers had drastically become a tool for learning in the classroom, as well as online school. Using technology intentionally for teaching promotes high-accomplishments and learning. This clip aligns with research-based practices by shedding light on the positives of technology in learning.

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Patrick Synan, ELL Teacher: Using technology with newcomer ELLs during COVID-19

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10 Strategies for Supporting SEL for ELLs: "Grow As You Go"

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10 Strategies for Supporting SEL for ELLs: "Grow As You Go"

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Breiseth, L. (2022). 10 strategies for supporting SEL for ELLs: "Grow as you go". Colorin Colorado. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/sel-ell-salina

This article talks about how an elementary school is integrating social and emotional learning throughout the school community to support student success. SEL was incorporated throughout the school and staff through school-wide initiatives, celebrations, and intentional classroom environments and strategies. The results were overwhelmingly positive. This article supports research-based best practices by highlighting key reasons SEL is working and why it matters which allows teachers to integrate SEL into academics and professional development.

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One day, as her students were returning to the classroom from a specials class, first-grade teacher Amanda Tokko noticed that a little boy was upset. She asked him if he wanted to talk. He shook his head and walked over to the calm corner that Ms. Tokko had created. It included a hanging canopy, a box of fidget toys, and a book called "The boy looked through the book until he found the page about frustration. After looking at the page for a few moments, he went back to Ms. Tokko and told her he was ready to talk about what had been upsetting him. After a brief conversation, the boy had calmed down and returned to their class activity. I Know What to Do When I Am Feeling..."
At Salina Elementary School in Dearborn, Michigan, these small yet significant moments are happening in classrooms throughout the building thanks to the school's deep commitment to social and emotional learning (SEL).

Salina Elementary is a Title I school whose student population is mostly English language learners (ELLs), many of whom are newcomer immigrants from the war-torn country of Yemen. Since numerous students in the Salina community have experienced family separation, trauma, and hardship related to the war or displacement, the school has long prioritized strong social and emotional supports for its students informed by training in trauma-informed practice.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, however, the school quickly recognized that they needed to further intensify their focus on SEL. Their efforts have yielded school-wide positive results in terms of students' ability to regulate emotions, manage conflict, and focus on their learning.

We had the opportunity to learn more about Salina's approach to SEL through surveys and interviews with the school staff and leaders. The following article highlights some of the reasons SEL is working at Salina and the staff's takeaways about why it matters. You can learn more about Salina from our documentary about the school and related resources below.

School-wide Initiatives

As the Salina staff has embarked on a deeper exploration of SEL within their own professional learning, they have scaled up SEL work they were already doing before the pandemic, integrating it into the classroom more intentionally, while also focusing on the social and emotional well-being of families and staff. This work has included the following:

1. Staff training

School leaders have ensured that the staff has had extensive training related to social-emotional learning, which continues on an ongoing basis. One of the key leaders of this effort has been the school social worker, who has led regularly scheduled professional development sessions on topics such as trauma-informed instruction. This not only provides important information for staff; it also fosters more collaboration between the social worker and teachers.

Principal Sue Stanley writes, "In terms of the school social worker and collaboration, it boils down to a school-wide practice of -- not just a belief in -- collaboration. When true collaboration is present, it is natural for staff to reach out to the social worker for any questions or concerns. The social worker must be viewed as a leader...If the school leader sees it as a priority, the staff will as well." Ms. Stanley notes that the social worker is also part of the school's Multi-Tiered Support System (MTSS) meetings each week where teachers bring students for discussion and support.

2. Calm Classroom

Before COVID-19, the school had implemented the Calm Classroom program based on the recommendation of the social worker, which includes a curriculum that has weekly lessons and teaches students calming practices such as guided meditations. Principal Stanley writes, "Teachers and students start their day with short scenarios, calm breathing and classroom affirmations." Ms. Stanley notes that laying the groundwork around trauma and SEL can lead to meaningful conversations about why the Calm Classroom is important. "It's not hard to implement and takes just a few minutes a day. The results are so powerful," she says.

Ms. Tokko notes that she and her class do Calm Classroom exercises multiple times a day, including at times when the class needs to settle down. She and her students have some favorites, and she does the exercises with the students. She has noticed that the impacts of this program are extending home as well -- her students are teaching their families how to do some of the breathing exercises at home.

Teacher Diana Goodhue mentions the importance of ensuring that all students, including her ELLs, fully understand the activities before starting them. "I do the Calm Classroom activities with them so they see me model it," she says. "Then we stick with the same Calm Classroom for a week at a time so that they get comfortable with it."

3. Books and read-alouds

The school has also made reading a priority in their SEL work. For example, Classroom Book-A-Day is a school initiative that promotes read-alouds in the classroom. Many of the books that teachers read have to do with SEL. Ms. Tokko writes, "I like to read a book in the morning during morning meeting and after lunch to calm students down." Some of the books that Ms. Tokko has used are included in our SEL booklist, and others are listed at the end of the article.

In addition, the school participates in an initiative called "One School One Book," in which all students read a chapter book as a school. For example, when the school read by Katherine Applegate, which is the story about an immigrant girl who moves into a town that is not welcoming, the school planted their own Wishtree and did a dedication with their favorite quote: When things get tough, "stand tall and reach deep." The students then went into the neighborhood and left messages on the doors of their neighbors, focusing on the theme "our differences make beautiful gifts" for the school year.

4. Family engagement

The school also continues to provide regular, ongoing communication in families' languages about things that are happening in class, how families can help their students, and supports such as social services. The school also holds regular family meetings where families have a chance to share their questions and concerns and talk about any challenges they are facing. Just as importantly, the school has figured out how to make its family outreach culturally responsive and align it to families' preferences. For example, in the Salina community, many of the mothers prefer to be in groups that only include other women, and so the school plans family events accordingly.

Classroom Environment

Another priority for the staff is building relationships with students and making them feel welcome. "I try my best to help students build confidence in themselves," says Ms. Tokko. "Our classroom really is a family." Here are some ways the staff is creating a nurturing environment for students.
Dear Students,
You are important.
You are listened to.
You are cared for.
You are respected.
You can be or do
Anything
You put your mind to.
I support you.
You are in a safe place!
Love, Ms. Alhaiki
5. Creating a welcoming classroom

The staff have placed a strong emphasis on creating a welcoming environment, posting notes of encouragement around the school, and getting to know students' interests. For example, teacher Welaya Alhaiki, pictured at the top of this article, has posted the following sign outside of her room:

Other signs around the school promote a sense of community while encouraging students to adopt a growth mindset. Positive messages are almost always in view of students throughout the building.

6. Calm corners

In addition, the leadership team has provided each teacher a small budget to create a calm corner in their classroom. Items include a canopy or tent, a few fidgets, and a special book, like the one Ms. Tokko mentioned above. Teacher Rebecca Rosemary uses her calm-down tent "for students having a hard time with emotions," while Ms. Goodhue reiterates the importance of making sure students know how to use the calm corner. "I demonstrate everything they have to use in the Calm Corner," she says.

Ms. Stanley notes that she used Title funds for the calm corner supplies, but that other parent clubs, program budgets, or SEL projects could also support this kind of initiative. The investment is well-worth it, says Ms. Stanley, especially when compared to what the schools spends on supplies.

Classroom Strategies

At the core of these efforts are the daily strategies that teachers are using to check in with students and help students build their emotional vocabulary. These efforts are integrated throughout the day and are part of students' routines so that they know what to expect and how to ask for help if needed.

7. Daily check-ins

One strategy the staff has been using regularly is student check-ins. These may be through individual conversations or circle time. Ms. Tokko also uses a letter box where students can leave a private note about how they are feeling. Ms. Kdouh does the same. She says, "I have this 'mailbox' in my calm corner with a pack of large sticky notes and a special pen where students who come to the calm corner can draw/write about how they're feeling or why they came to the calm corner. Students fold their note and slip it into my letter box. I check it daily before leaving school and it is locked so no one else can open it except me. Students are aware of this and share their feelings without feeling embarrassed or afraid that a peer might see it. After a student drops a letter in there, I unlock it and remove it so I can help them as soon as possible."

8. Building emotional vocabulary

These practices have also supported creative ways to increase students' communication around emotions and calming practices. For example, the teachers talk about what different feelings might feel like and have set up different ways for students to identify their feelings on a certain day. Ms. Tokko writes, "Students complete this feelings chart (pictured to the left) in the morning and after lunch to let me know how they're feeling and how I can help. The clothespins have their student numbers on the other side but are flipped over for privacy." This way, Ms. Tokko can check in with the students who indicate they are upset.

The teachers also use commonly-used ELL scaffolds to support these resources and strategies. Kindergarten teacher Emily Wagner writes, "We use detailed visuals for emotions and calm-down practices so students know how to follow without knowing the words."

In addition, the social worker also provides SEL lessons to students and teachers look for way to make these connections to curriculum as well.

Celebrations

9. Celebrating successes

The school is also mindful of celebrating successes within the classroom and more broadly in the school. For example, Ms. Tokko has encouraged her students to clap for each other when they achieve positive accomplishments, no matter how small. She writes, "Students are always clapping for their peers' successes by themselves and using positive words in our classroom." (And she says that they clap for any guest who enters the classroom!) Ms. Stanley also notes that SEL goals and achievements will now be included in the school's Celebration Wall in the front office.

Ms. Kdouh has created a family/student picture wall in her classroom.

Ms. Goodhue gives each student a "spotlight week" where they take home a poster and a pack of crayons to fill out about themselves. Ms. Goodhue writes, "Their poster is put in the hall for the week and they get to share it with the class. This gives them a chance to share things that are important to them and their family. It also gives parents a chance to help."

10. Celebrating families in the classroom

In addition, the staff at Salina are also actively partnering with families around SEL activities in the classroom. Some of their efforts include the following ideas:

The school is also brainstorming ways to highlight these activities as part of family engagement this year so that families can continue to support SEL at home.

SEL in Action: Photos from Salina

Ms. Kdouh: "Students enjoy coming to school and don't feel uncomfortable or scared."

Ms. Goodhue: "Many students have taken charge of their own mental health, taking breaks when needed, asking for help when they need to, and working on communicating with friends when there are issues."

Ms. Wagner: "Student self-regulation has improved, and students are able to guide themselves through calming practices. Students think more deeply about their emotional state and can identify ways to help themselves feel better."

Ms. Rosemary: "I am seeing fewer abrupt meltdowns in the classroom, and students are able to have more of a discussion when they are having strong feelings."

Ms. Tokko: "I have been able to instill empathy and compassion in our classroom. Students also have respect for me as well as their peers because I have showed them that I have respect for them as well. Students are more eager to learn and listen....and I try my best to help students build confidence in themselves."

Principal Stanley: "I am amazed at the gains we are making in behavior...The overall impact on the SEL focus is the safe space that is created in our school. This space is here for everyone. The comment that everyone makes when they walk into Salina is that it has such beautiful energy. That can only be achieved by everyone in the building feeling that way. The positive energy is there because everyone, both big and small are emitting it.

Impacts of SEL and Lessons Learned

Ms. Kdouh: "There is no one size fits all. All students convey emotions in a different way. This is why I use more than one SEL strategy."

Ms. Rosemary: "The importance of how SEL can help within other aspects of the school day."

Ms. Wagner: "Students are very responsive to routine, and SEL can easily fit into the academic routine."

Ms. Tokko: "Being calm in the classroom goes a long way. I have a student who is sensitive to loud noises. Incorporating Calm Classroom and creating a stress-free environment is crucial. Also, building a classroom community full of respect, trust, and confidence helps academics. SEL is the foundation...Students need social and emotional learning in order to succeed."

Ms. Goodhue: "It doesn't take a lot of effort to make it work. A little bit goes a long way to helping a lot of kids. You can grow as you go."

When asked what the impact of these efforts have had on students, teachers' responses are overwhelmingly positive. Here are what the teachers who completed our survey had to say:

We also asked teachers to share their lessons learned about SEL. Here's what they shared:

Support from Leadership

Shown appreciation and emotional support for teachers and students

Given staff opportunities to show their appreciation for each other

Provided opportunities for staff to build community through activities such as sharing a favorite photo with colleagues

Modeled the practices that are highlighted

Supported collaboration among team members and with social workers

"Tried to keep up staff morale even through a rough school year with the pandemic"

As noted throughout the article, this strong emphasis on SEL is made possible through direct and ongoing support from the school leadership team. From the teachers' perspectives, they shared that direct feedback, training, and dedicated time and resources for SEL were key ways in which school leaders were supporting their efforts in SEL.

The staff also note that the leaders have:

Ms. Tokko writes, "Our principal is like our cheerleader. She is always there for the teachers and staff and helping us get through the toughest times, especially during this pandemic."

For her part, Ms. Stanley knows that what she does matters, not only in terms of the support and resources she provides but also in terms of her example and priorities. She writes, "We will collectively discuss how to move students forward rather than 'catching up.' As a leader, I know I must model that behavior for staff as well. Teachers feel continual pressure to fit all the academics in.

"While we understand students cannot learn until they feel safe and connected, that takes time. I will continually be the reassurer and voice for that. I will commit to creating that same type of environment for them through thoughtful and intentional planning. And as their leader, I will be standing shoulder to shoulder with them and reminding them of this every step of the way."

Videos

Principal Sue Stanley: Why creating a calm, safe environment in schools matters

Principal Sue Stanley: When loud noises in school cause post-traumatic stress

A warm welcome for immigrant families in the front office

Norieah Ahmed, the Child Accounting Secretary at Salina Elementary School in Dearborn, MI, talks about her role in welcoming newcomer immigrant families to the school from the moment they walk in the door.

Looking at the whole child: Conversations with an award-winning social worker

Meet Dr. Rola Bazzi-Gates, a special education coordinator for Dearborn Public Schools and Michigan's 2016 Social Worker of the Year. Learn how her personal experience living through conflict helped prepare her to support students and families today.

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10 Strategies for Supporting SEL for ELLs: "Grow As You Go"

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One day, as her students were returning to the classroom from a specials class, first-grade teacher Amanda Tokko noticed that a little boy was upset. She asked him if he wanted to talk. He shook his head and walked over to the calm corner that Ms. Tokko had created.

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SEL for English Language Learners: What Educators Need to Know

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SEL for English Language Learners: What Educators Need to Know

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Breiseth, L. (2023). SEL for English language learners: what educators need to know. Colorin Colorado. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/sel-english-language-learners-what-educators-need-know

This article summarizes SEL and explains how schools can ensure that ELLs are fully included and supported through SEL activities in school settings. Through considerations, examples, and ideas, Breiseth highlights ELL recommendations that strengthen teacher-student relationships, learn about the experiences of special populations, engage meaningfully, and connect to students' language. This article supports research-based best practices by focusing on concrete examples of educating ELLs to achieve fluency, goals, and aspirations.

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What is social and emotional learning (SEL)? And how can schools ensure that English language learners (ELLs) are fully included and supported through SEL activities in the school setting?

This article offers an introduction to SEL along with helpful resources from organizations such as the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). In addition, this article also shares ideas on how to ensure that ELLs are able to fully participate in SEL lessons and activities.

To highlight those examples, we have mapped a few ELL considerations and strategies to CASEL's SEL framework. These strategies represent just some of the ideas that educators can try and they also detail important considerations when introducing new initiatives or ideas in a classroom or school community.

You will also find relevant examples and strategies in Teaching and Supporting English Learners: A Guide to Welcoming and Engaging NewcomersbyEugenia Mora-Flores and Stephanie Dewing.

What is SEL?

SEL is a process by which students can develop skills that help them thrive skills such as such as the ability to regulate emotions, form healthy relationships, manage stress, and contribute to a community. While many educators have incorporated SEL into their instruction for a long time, it has gotten more attention in recent years as schools and families continue to navigate the impacts of the long-term disruptions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and also look for ways to help students navigate other changes or challenges in their lives.

CASEL describes the big picture goal of SEL in the following way:
"SEL can help all young people and adults thrive personally and academically, develop and maintain positive relationships, become lifelong learners, and contribute to a more caring, just world."
How does it do that? The CASEL framework focuses on developing the following core competencies, which you can explore via CASEL's interactive SEL wheel:

1. self-awareness

2. self-management

3. social awareness

4. relationship skills

5. responsible decision-making

These are valuable skills that not only can help students today but set the stage for healthy and productive lives in the future.

Is SEL an "extra"?

While many schools may hesitate to "add on" SEL, the renewed focus on SEL offers an opportunity to reframe its role. In fact, schools who regularly incorporate SEL describe it as the foundation from which everything else grows. The more comfortable and secure students feel in the classroom, the more likely they are take risks, try new things, and contribute to the classroom.

For example, Principal Sue Stanley, whose elementary school has long prioritized SEL, writes, "We understand students cannot learn until they feel safe and connected." This is particularly true in schools where large numbers of students have experienced trauma, as in the case of her school where many students have experienced hardship and family separation due to the civil war in Yemen.

In addition, we have heard from multiple educators of ELLs in particular that the investment of time early on building relationships, getting to know students, and creating a welcoming culture and environment in the classroom pays off all year long.

Related resources

Related videos

SEL 101: What are the core competencies and key settings? (CASEL)

Looking at the whole child: Conversations with an award-winning social worker

Principal Sue Stanley: Why creating a calm, safe environment in schools matters

Teacher Christine Price: Showing students you care

SEL and ELLs: The CASEL Framework

What does all of this look like for ELLs? One way to share some concrete examples is by using the CASEL SEL framework. We have shared excerpts of the framework here and encourage you to look at the complete framework on CASEL's website. Please note that under "Examples," we have only highlighted a few skill sets that are particularly relevant for ELLs, but CASEL lists others as well.

You may also find it helpful to pull in free bilingual resources from Feel Your Best Self, a puppet-focused SEL program for children from the University of Connecticut that provides videos and related materials for educators and caregivers in English and Spanish.

Tips for lesson/activity planning

Before jumping in, we'd like to highlight some of the ELL recommendations that you will see throughout the rest of the article:

Look for opportunities to build relationships with students and get to know them.

Learn more about the unique experiences of special populations of students, such as refugees, unaccompanied minors, children in migrant farmworker families, and Indigenous students from Latin America.

Identify the key concepts and vocabulary words that will be the focus of your lesson or activity.

Pre-teach those concepts and vocabulary so that ELLs can engage meaningfully with the content.

Use visuals, hands-on objects, and other tools to make new concepts and words clear.

Look for connections to students' languages. For examples, English and Spanish share words that are similar called cognates. You can use these connections to support student understanding.

You can learn more tips from our article on lesson planning for ELLs.

1. Self-awareness

CASEL definition: "The abilities to understand one's own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts."

Identifying personal, cultural, and linguistic assets

Reflect on the following for your setting:

Welcome students' languages and cultures by:

Do ELLs' regularly hear the message that their languages, cultures, and experiences are assets and strengths?

Do teachers and peers respect ELLs' diverse perspectives and multilingual skills?

Identifying one's emotions

ELLs may still be learning:

Teach ELLs vocabulary words for different emotions. Ask them how to say those words in their language.

Give them lots of practice using emotion words, especially through check-ins like mood meters and feelings charts.

Ask colleagues who share students' cultures if there are cultural nuances you should be aware of.

Give young students or newcomers opportunities to draw pictures about how they are feeling.

Having a growth mindset

ELLs may be so focused on what they haven't learned yet that it can be easy to lose sight of what they have learned. It can be easy to become frustrated and feel behind and left out.

Focus on what students " can do" and also teach students targeted strategies for adopting a growth mindset.

Examining prejudices and biases

This complex topic can go both ways. Students may have experienced discrimination and bias against them based on a number of factors.

Look for ways to create safe spaces for talking about identity in your classroom.

If you note that additional support or communication is needed around these topics for your or your class, look for resources or colleagues that can support you in this work.

At the same time, students will likely have their own biases as well.

Principal Nathaniel Provencio: The gifts ELLs bring to school

CASEL definition: "The abilities to manage one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations."

Managing one's emotions

As noted above, a first step in helping ELLs manage their emotions effectively is identifying and naming emotions.

If you are introducing emotion management strategies, be sure to:

clearly name and identify the target emotions you are addressing

provide students with lots of different hands-on way to show and practice the strategies through puppets, role play, stories, and more

In addition, students will benefit from:

learning how to manage different emotions

practicing new strategies they learn

Identifying and using stress management strategies

Students may have a wide range of stressors during their days, whether at school or at home.

If you are introducing stress management strategies, be sure to:

You may wish to introduce the concept of stress and ask students:

Note: For students who have experienced trauma, these conversations may be triggering. Plan activities with care and stay attuned to the needs of your students. Stay flexible and seek additional support for students if needed.

Setting personal and collective goals

As noted above, ELLs may be overwhelmed by what can feel like mountains to climb in terms of learning a new language, acclimating to a new culture, and keeping up in their classes. Reaching some smaller goals, however, can build confidence over time, as can doing activities related to their strengths.

Help ELLs set small, specific goals that they can reach to build confidence.

Incorporate activities that connect to students' interests.

When talking with the class about goals, offer the options of "collective" goals along with individual goals and encourage creative thinking about how to reach those goals.

Share examples of success stories, such as immigrants, ELLs, or others your students may relate to.

In addition, keep in mind that many ELLs may come from "collectivist" cultures that focus on the well-being of the group over the individual. Use this to your benefit in planning group work and setting goals for the class.

Jorge Bermudez, High School Math Teacher: How advisory periods are helping my students

CASEL definition: "The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts."

Taking others' perspectives

ELLs bring a rich diversity of perspective to the classroom. The opportunity to learn from those perspectives can be lost if ELLs aren't encouraged to share their ideas as part of a respectful class community.

Give ELLs scaffolds to support their participation in class discussions, such as sentence frames and sentence starters (e.g., "I agree that...because...")

Give ELLs lots of practice discussing informal topics so that they can become comfortable with using these structures.

In addition, ELLs have the opportunity to learn from their peers when classroom communication is working well.

Recognizing strengths in others

ELLs have numerous strengths, interests, and talents that may be overlooked. Provide frequent opportunities for all students, including ELLs, to share their talents and interests with the class and in personal ways.

Ask students to share special talents or interests as part of icebreakers early in the year.

Look for ways to incorporate students' interests in the classroom.

Demonstrating empathy and compassion

There are many ways to develop empathy in the classroom. Keep in mind that some of ELLs' life experiences will be shared, universal experiences; others will be very different from what their peers have gone through.

Introduce the concept of empathy and help students understand it before any empathy-focused activities.

Teacher Paul Barnwell describes an activity in which students write three statements about themselves. The teacher then reads them anonymously to the class and students begin to get an idea of the "range of intense experiences and perspectives (the) classroom community contains."

Regularly using questions such as, "What do you think that was like?" or "How do you think she's feeling right now?" can also help strengthen empathy muscles!

Using culturally responsive materials that reflect students' experiences can also open opportunities for students to share and provide teachable moments that develop empathy in peers. While it's important not to put students on the spot or force a point, being mindful of how your students see themselves in the classroom can open valuable doors.

Understanding and expressing gratitude

There are so many ways to express and lift up gratitude in the classroom. Asking students to reflect on when and why they feel gratitude is a valuable opportunity for growth.

Introduce the concept of gratitude and help students understand it before any gratitude-focused activities.

Invite students to share how they say "Thank you" in their language and make a poster board with signs of all of their translations!

We have lots of other ideas in our article Making Space for Gratitude: 15 Ideas for Schools During Challenging Times, which include appreciation boards, thank you note campaigns, and writing prompts.

You may be surprised at who in the school community or their own life is making a difference!

Identifying diverse social norms, including unjust ones

When it comes to social and cultural norms, there are a few different layers. First and foremost, students' own norms may be different, such as a cultural norm in which looking away from an authority perspective is a sign of respect, rather disrepect.

At the same time, different social norms may come up in classroom discussions. It is essential to create a culture of respect when discussing diverse experiences and perspectives. You may also need additional support if topics that relate to justice or differing expectations around concepts like human rights or women's rights are part of a discussion so that everyone feels safe within the discussion.

Teacher Omar Salem: My students' many talents

You Are Welcome Here: Preview

This preview of our award-winning film You Are Welcome Her e highlights what culturally responsive instruction can look like.

4. Relationship skills

CASEL definition: The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups.

Communicating effectively

Providing ELLs with lots of opportunities to interact in all kinds of situations and in different settings or group sizes will build their skills and confidence in communication.

Pay attention to whether ELLs are able to communicate their needs and ideas to you and to peers. Give them lots of practice to do so in both informal and formal settings.

When grouping students, you may sometimes wish to put students who speak the same language together so they can have an in-depth conversations and then summarize to the group in English.

Practicing teamwork and collaborative problem-solving

Peer learning is a great opportunity to practice teamwork and problem-solving. Making sure that ELLs understand their role, the purpose of the activity, and the steps they need to complete to make these activities more successful.

You can learn more in our related article 6 Strategies to Help ELLs Succeed in Peer Learning and Collaboration.

Peer learning Problem solving

Encourage students to try lots of hands-on activities and clubs.

Make sure ELLs know about enrichment activities where they can focus on problem-solving, such as robotics clubs, Maker space, Odyssey of the Mind, quiz bowls, and games clubs.

Resolving conflicts constructively

Students will need practice not only with new conflict resolution strategies but also with the language they need to use those strategies.

Introduce the concept of "conflict resolution" and any related vocabulary as needed.

Show students models of any strategies you are using through videos, photos, or role playing.

Give students practice with new strategies through role play or stories.

Review the tips in 8 Tips to Protect ELLs from Bullying in Your Classroom and School.

There may also be some cultural nuances in how students approach conflict and you may wish to ask students for ideas of different conflict resolution strategies before introducing new strategies.

In addition, it's critical to make sure that all students and families have a shared understanding of what bullying is and why it is not acceptable under any circumstance.

Showing leadership in groups

ELLs often have hidden reserves of leadership potential. Many ELLs are resilient, resourceful, and creative students who have navigated many challenges in their life and bring a big picture view of the world to their classroom. If the teacher isn't looking for those qualities and experiences, however, they may remain hidden.

Encourage ELLs to take leadership roles in pair or group work once they feel comfortable doing so. (Some may be ready to try it even if they are newcomers, while others may want a lot more practice!)

Also ensure that ELLs have opportunity to participate in any clubs or activities that foster leadership. Don't limit their options by assuming they won't be interested!

Note: Every spring, we read about high school valedictorians who started off in U.S. schools as ELLs and have achieved great things in a short time within a supportive school environment.

5. Responsible decision-making

CASEL definition: The abilities to make caring and constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions across diverse situations.

Identifying solutions for personal and social problems

As noted above, ELLs can show great resilience and resourcefulness when given the chance. They also understand the impacts of big social issues that may have touched their lives. For example, many ELLs were caregivers for younger siblings and relatives during school closures in the early months of the pandemic and continue those responsibilities now outside of school.

Give students choices to pursue topics that interest them where possible.

You may wish to try a project-based or inquiry-led approach where students can dive deep on a particular topic of interest.

Having lived through a range of situations (often in other countries) provides ELLs with different lens and perspectives that can enrich the class.

Anticipating and evaluating the consequences of one's actions

As with the other topics above, it's essential to ensure that students have the vocabulary and language they need to engage in conversations or activities related to sophisticated conversations about topics like consequences. Like their peers, ELLs will likely have meaningful examples to share when taking about the consequences of one's actions.

Note: An example of an English/Spanish cognate, or word that's related in two languages, is "consequence/ consecuencia."

Reflecting on one's role to promote personal, family, and community well-being

As noted above, ELLs may come from cultures that are focused on the well-being of the group, whether it's the family, community, culture, or country.

Be sure that students have opportunities to share how they are contributing to their families and community. Those activities and responsibilities may remain hidden otherwise.

Students may be caregiving, working for a family business, actively participating in a community or faith institution, and supporting their family through employment, translation help, and other ways.

Exploring these perspectives not only can provide interesting insights -- it can help your classroom run more smoothly and even improve family engagement, such as in the example of a teacher who switched to group parent teacher conferences with her ELL families and increased attendance dramatically.

Closing Thoughts

As you can from the examples above, considering ELLs' experiences and perspectives beforehand can go a long way in ensuring that they can fully participate in all classroom activities. Along the way, they and the rest of your class will also benefit from increased collaboration and communication around SEL and so much more!

Resources from Colorin Colorado

Resources from our partners

Resources collections

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SEL for English Language Learners: What Educators Need to Know

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What is social and emotional learning (SEL)? And how can schools ensure that English language learners (ELLs) are fully included and supported through SEL activities in the school setting? This article offers an introduction to SEL along with helpful resources from organizations such as the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL).

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Cultural Challenges and Recommendations for Working with ELLs

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Cultural Challenges and Recommendations for Working with ELLs

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SAGE 2YC. (2017). Cultural challenges and recommendations for working with ELLs. SERC. https://serc.carleton.edu/181970

This article addresses the cultural challenges most ESL educators and ELLs face including cultural differences, language barriers, misunderstandings, and different narrative styles. This article aligns with research-based practices by providing recommendations for teachers to provide clear and effective learning, understanding, and appreciation of different cultures.

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Jump Down To: Role of Silence | Class Participation Expectations | Concepts of Time | Narrative Styles | Science Teaching Many everyday assumptions and expectations regarding human behavior stem from societal…

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Magrath, D. (2018). Why cultural understanding is essential. MultiBriefs. https://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/why-cultural-understanding-is-essential/education

This article addresses the importance of ESL educators understanding cultural differences among ESL learners. With the rise in ELLs, teachers need to be aware of potential challenges regarding cultural differences and language barriers. Cultural understanding promotes English-language development and helps ELLs adjust to a new school and new culture. This article supports research-based best practices by focusing on integrating home language into the classroom, background knowledge, and utilizing technology to bridge together instant communication and world-wide connections.

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This is a continuation of the article, "How cultural differences can affect learning."

ESL professionals need a basic understanding of the effects of cultural contrast on ESL learners. The percentage of ESL students in public schools is a significant factor.

"English-language learners, or ELLs, represent 9.4 percent of the student population in U.S. public schools, according to the most recent federal data available. These students score well below their non-ELL peers on national assessments in reading and math and have a graduation rate of 65.1 percent-the second lowest after students with disabilities," wrote Natalie Gross in The Atlantic.

Add to these the international students coming on study visas and the residents in ABE/ESOL programs and one can see how cultural understanding is essential. As I wrote in the first part of this article, the instructor cannot be an expert on every culture but should be aware of some of the more common areas of potential conflict.

Teachers need to be aware of the challenges they may face that go beyond L2 acquisition.

To this point, Kenneth Shore wrote, "Many of these newcomers are likely to have difficulties adjusting to their new environment. As teachers, we face multiple challenges: We need to teach the content-area curriculum, while at the same time supporting students' English-language development, and helping them adjust to a new school and a new culture. The following are some strategies to consider as you try to meet the educational and social needs of your second-language learners."

Furthermore, as Nicola Prentis wrote in Quartz, "A positive view of the target culture makes learning the language easier. It helps if the learners identify with the people whose language is under study. Language learning is easier if one has a positive attitude towards the countries where the language is spoken whether it is a foreign language or ESL. For example, it is easier to learn Mandarin if you are living in China where you have firsthand experiences with the language and culture."

Cultural competence is an important key for success in today's world. Language learning improves international understanding and tolerance:

" One of these benefits that's not obvious is that language learning improves tolerance. This happens in two important ways. The first is that it opens people's eyes to a way of doing things in a way that's different from their own, which is called 'cultural competence.' The second is related to the comfort level of a person when dealing with unfamiliar situations, or 'tolerance of ambiguity.'"

The Western concept of equality may be difficult for ESL students coming from rigid hierarchical societies. Note the following from Gebhard:

"Unlike Americans, the majority of the world sees equality quite differently. Rank, status, and authority are considered far more important."

India

Even though English is one of the official languages of India, Indian students can still face obstacles. Shabina Kavimandan, from India, had to deal with cultural differences.

"Kavimandan, who moved from India when she was 22, said she often uses her own experiences of culture shock and lack of acceptance to educate teachers on how to deal with ELLs in the classroom."

"Now, along with being K-State's Associate Director of Curriculum and Innovation, she works as the project manager and instructor for the collaboration with Shawnee Mission under Herrera. The program has worked with 10 schools so far in the district.Although Kavimandan knew English when she came to K-State, she said things like accents, cultural differences and unfamiliar skills made the process of interacting with teachers and students a difficult one. 'In India, we come from a very regimented, very disciplined kind of system in classrooms,' Kavimandan said. 'You come here, and I'm sitting in my graduate level class and people were allowed to eat snacks, call the teachers on a first name basis. It was a shock. We don't realize those things.'"

The case of Puerto Rico

Even though they are Americans, people from Puerto Rico face some obstacles. Promised jobs may not be there when they arrive on the mainland, or they may discover that they need additional certification. Cultural differences exist as well. For example, a recent arrival in Florida, Sami Haiman-Marrero, says the following:

"You can't kiss your co-workers on the cheek. Don't start talking about personal things. You are supposed to be there at five minutes to the hour and be ready to work. You need to have command of English."

Companies that seem eager to hire new workers have run out of money. Also, some companies have hired new staff and then cut the positions.

As a result, workers need to be flexible and prepared to work in a different field. Being fluent in English is a priority, especially if one must suddenly seek a new job.

Cultural meaning

Students spend time learning a vast amount of vocabulary, but words may carry a cultural load.

" All material is culturally loaded; teachers may need to pre-teach cultural material especially on tests. For example the content of a reading exercise may be familiar to part of the class, but some may not comprehend the content. Words like 'carburetor' would be familiar to those from a car-centered culture like the US, but students from cultures where cars are not central may not fully grasp the idea. Another example 'punt formation' is relevant to American football, but most students are interested in soccer, which is called 'football' in their countries. Other cultural items may be political or television personalities and geographical areas."

Animal names

Animal names may be a source of cultural confusion. Various cultures give certain attributes to animal names. Consider what it means to call someone a chicken or a hawk for example. Here are some more examples from English:

"Some more exotic animals also have conventional use as epithets ('you baboon!' 'What a hyena!') No such commonplace metaphors exist for some common or barnyard animals ('what a duck she is?'), or for most rarer or more exotic animals, such as wildebeest or emus. Therefore, these are available for more creative use."

Culture and background knowledge

We take our cultural background for granted, but for the L2 learner the lack of specific cultural information may impede communication. Background knowledge is essential, especially for reading. An unfamiliar passage will be more difficult to process than something from the learners' own experiences:

According to Hilde Van Zeeland in The Modern Language Journal, "Thus, research indicates that L2 readers' background knowledge influences their lexical inferencing success, with more knowledge of the next topic enabling better inferencing."

Note what the ACTFL National Standards have to say about the importance of culture:

Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship betweenthe practices and perspectives of the culture studied.

Standard 2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied (National Standards, 1996).

Helpful hints

Teachers need to know thatlanguage use differs according to its purpose.

"Research comparing different spoken contexts reveals systemic variation in the ways that speakers use language for different communicative purposes based on situational factors."

According to the same article in The Modern Language Journal, "Doctors and nurses will use more future forms such as I will; I'm going to when dealing with patients (195). Also academic spoken discourse is closer to written discourse 196)."

Nowadays it is easier for students to stay connected to their home culture while studying abroad. Technology and social media allow instant communication and world-wide connections. This fact allows teachers to allow access between ESL students and FL students who are studying the ESL students' home languages in a "Global Classroom."

" Through teleconferencing software or instant messaging applications on our Smartphones, we connect or foreign language students to English language students in their home countries."

FL students can also connect to ESL students in their own or nearby universities. They can learn more about the target culture and the ESL students can gain insight into the culture of the country where they are studying.

Such an exchange is far better than depending on an outdated guidebook or comments from friends who may have visited an English speaking country 10 or more years ago. The classroom is an excellent way for cultural study and cross-cultural communication.

As Kate Paesani wrote, "Our classrooms are diverse sites where languages and cultures converge and diverge, this providing opportunities for rethinking how to equip students with tools to be critical consumers of linguistic, literary, and cultural content."

Suggested activity

Here is an activity suggested by John Suler:

"Gamblers and con artists long have known that people reveal their inner thoughts through body language without even knowing it. For example, if you place a coin in one hand behind your back and then present your fists to a body-savvy person, that person may be able to detect where the coin is. Your 'tell' will indicate which hand holds it. You may lean your body to one side, hold one hand higher than the other, point your nose, or unintentionally leak some other behavior that gives away your 'secret.'"

This exercise will help students understand that body language differs across cultures and it may even help them avoid being scammed.

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MultiBrief: Why cultural understanding is essential

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ESL professionals need a basic understanding of the effects of cultural contrast on ESL learners. The percentage of ESL students in public schools is a significant factor. Add to these the international students coming on study visas and the residents in ABE/ESOL programs and one can see how cultural understanding is essential.