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Suggestions for using the 6Ps Quick Guide for Paraeducators

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Suggestions for using the 6Ps Quick Guide for Paraeducators

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Scavenger Hunt and PreTest with a Partner

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TESOL Press

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Item Detail - The 6 Principles® Quick Guide for Paraeducators (single) - Description

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5 Things ELs Need

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That's the number of English language learners enrolled in K-12 schools, according to the U.S. Department of Education. In other words, at least one out of every 10 students in classrooms today is an English language learner (ELL). As the number of ELLs continues to increase at lightning speed, the pressure is on for classroom teachers to examine their practices and find new ways of meeting the needs of this ever-growing population of students.

As an English as a second language (ESL) specialist, teachers often come to me full of questions about what they should be doing to help language learners in their classrooms. They worry that because they don't speak another language, they won't be able to provide the support their ELLs require. Yet, I know that with some reassurance and some new strategies, all teachers are capable of being outstanding instructors of English language learners.

In order to help educators on their way to becoming more confident instructors of ELLs, I've put together a list of the top ten things ELL students need from their classroom teachers.
Here are the first five:
Visuals

Although this might seem like ESL 101, it's important for teachers to remember just how critical visuals are in ensuring that ELLs comprehend classroom instruction. Visuals give teachers another avenue for explaining concepts to students, and provide learners an additional way of accessing the information they may not have the language proficiency to understand in its written or spoken form alone.

For example, ELLs often struggle to process auditory information at the speed in which it's delivered during a classroom lecture. Visual cues like photos, graphs, gestures, real-life objects, and even quick drawings help students immensely in following along with the content that's being presented. In addition, clipart and other images -- when added to definitions, directions, and reading passages -- can greatly increase student comprehension of the written text. Becoming more intentional about incorporating visuals regularly in both classroom instruction and handouts will greatly benefit the language learners in our classrooms.
Here are a few of my favorite visuals resources for language learners:
Repetition

Repetition is essential for ELLs to be able to acquire new vocabulary, content concepts, and sentence structures. It's unrealistic to expect that language learners will be able to process and retain new information that's introduced only one time.
Here are a few ideas you can use to help build more repetition into your instruction:

Rewind that video. Replace longer videos with shorter clips that can be replayed for students more than one time. To keep it fresh for more advanced students, provide them with a different focus question for each viewing of the video. Should you decide to opt to show a longer video, make sure you've provided access and/or the opportunity for your ELLs to view it more than one time.

Review with students at the end of class. Dedicate the last 5-10 minutes of class every day to leading the students in some type of quick review activity of the information you covered in the day's lesson. Be sure to incorporate a spoken component to your review, so your ELLs will be able to hear the important information you covered in class that day repeated.

Play weekly review games. Once a week, plan a review day of vocabulary and content concepts you covered the last four days of class. This will help you gauge whether or not you're moving through material too quickly and need to slow down to practice some more. Take a look at Janelle Cox's article Fun Review Activities, Classroom Games to Do Now for some inspiration in planning fun and engaging review days for your students.

Plan for student interaction. Use an interaction strategy like Conga Line or Inside-Outside Circle that requires students to answer the same question aloud multiple times to different partners. The more English learners are able to practice and rehearse the language, the stronger and more clear their answers will become.

As you practice repetition in your lessons, try to incorporate the total physical response technique.

Clear Directions

As someone who provides additional support to ELL students with their daily assignments, I can tell you that one of the major barriers to students completing a task is the quality of the directions their teachers have provided.
There are several factors a teacher should consider when providing directions to ELLs:

Always provide both oral and written directions. Some ELLs may not yet have the proficiency to process information in its written or oral form alone, so providing directions in both formats can help the students who are still developing their listening or reading skills to better understand your directions.

Use familiar vocabulary when writing directions. Many times when students struggle to follow the directions of an assignment it's because they don't recognize the wording used in the directions. While exposing ELLs to academic vocabulary is essential, make sure you have thoroughly discussed what words like analyze, demonstrate, and infer mean before placing them in your directions.

Avoid giving a lengthy list of directions all at once. Another aspect that can be challenging about understanding directions for ELLs is when too many directions are presented at one time. ELLs will be much more successful at following the directions when they're chunked into smaller segments and they're allowed time to complete the first part of the assignment before receiving additional directions.

Provide a model or example of the task. Often times, even the most carefully written directions can be misinterpreted by students. That's why providing a model or example of the assignment you want students to complete can really help clarify confusing directions and demonstrate the quality of work you're expecting. Models are especially important for ELLs as they provide language structures the students can incorporate into their own work. In addition, examples from classroom teachers can help guide paraprofessionals or ELL teachers who are also supporting the students with their daily work from their content-area classes.

Ask students to explain the directions to a partner. The final tip to consider when delivering directions to students is to make sure you've checked in to see whether or not they've understood your instructions. A great way to do this is by asking the students to turn to a partner and use their own words to explain the directions of the assignment. After all the students have had a chance to discuss the directions with a partner, call on a couple of students to share their conversations with the rest of the class. This will give you the opportunity to clear up any confusion or highlight any pieces of the assignment the students may have overlooked.

Background Information

A lack of similar background knowledge can be another stumbling block for language learners. Many of the novels, textbooks, worksheets, and assessments produced for the classroom are created under the assumption that all students are coming to the table with uniform past experiences. Yet, many factors shape our students' background knowledge, including religion, nationality, language, and socioeconomic status.

For example, consider the following review question: What do you remember about the four seasons of the year? Depending on where students were born and grew up, they may have vastly different prior knowledge about the topic of seasons. In fact in some parts of the world, students may only have learned and experienced two seasons: wet and dry. What might seem like a straightforward review of past learning can present a significant challenge for students coming from diverse backgrounds. A simple rewording of the question to What do you know about the seasons of the year? opens it up to all learners in the room.

As teachers, we must be aware of the biases present in many classroom resources and identify the background knowledge our students may need before they're able to dive into a reading or activity as written. When reviewing a text or assignment that you want to use in the classroom, consider the following question: What does the author assume that the reader already knows? This will be a great jumping off point in pinpointing the prerequisite information students need before proceeding with an assignment. You might also try a strategy like three-step interviews to activate your students' prior knowledge.

Cultural Sensitivity

Research has shown time and again the most significant factor impacting student achievement is positive teacher-student relationships. Students learn better and are willing to work harder when they feel their teachers care about them and have made the effort to get to know them. One factor that's very important to ELLs in building positive teacher-student relationships is cultural sensitivity.

ELLs respond better to teachers who have put forth the effort to learn about their cultures and are respectful of their diversity. Every culture has its own unique set of unwritten rules. Teachers need to be aware of these differences in cultural expectations and be patient with students who are adjusting to a new environment that may be very different from their native country or home.
Here is a list of some common cultural differences you might encounter with the ELLs in your classroom:

Eye Contact: Some cultures believe it's impolite to make eye contact with a person of authority. Therefore, you may notice that some students will avoid making eye contact when a teacher is speaking to them, especially if they're being reprimanded.

Punctuality: In many cultures, there is much less emphasis on watching the hours of the clock and arriving at the precise moment specified. There is a general understanding that arrival times are relative and flexible. You may notice that both parents and students have different interpretations of what "being on time" means.

Asking Questions: As teachers, we want our students to ask questions when they don't understand something in class. Yet, some cultures believe it's disrespectful to ask a person in authority questions. As a result, some students may not realize that asking questions is encouraged and appropriate in the classroom.

Collective Mindset: In many cultures, the needs of the group are valued above the needs of the individual. Students are accustomed to working in groups and may never have been required to complete an assignment individually. You may observe some students having difficulty distinguishing between group and independent activities in the classroom. Additionally, you may see students making choices that negatively impact them in order to accommodate the needs of others in their lives.

Directness: Each culture has its own unique method of making requests. Some cultures value directness and getting to the point in as few words as possible, while others prefer to use subtle suggestions instead, and may never explicitly say what they're requesting. In the classroom, you may notice students that seem too direct and don't understand subtle suggestions, as well as students that really hesitate to communicate their needs.

Many of the ideas I've discussed will benefit all students. However, for ELLs, these teacher practices are essential in ensuring they're able to fully comprehend and participate in classroom instruction.

I hope this information has provided you some additional guidance and confidence in teaching the language learners in your classrooms. If you found this post useful, keep an eye out for my next post when I reveal five more ideas on my list of the top 10 things English language learners need from classroom teachers.

What strategies do you use to meet the needs of your language learners? Share your ideas in the comments below.
Erica Hilliker is a middle school EL teacher at Forest Hills Public Schools in Grand Rapids, Michigan and also serves as the Vice President of the Michigan Association for Bilingual Education. She holds a Masters of Education in Literacy Studies with an emphasis in TESOL from Grand Valley State University. She is certified to teach English and Spanish at the secondary level. During her career, Erica has worked with English learners at all grade levels, from kindergarten to adult. Additionally, she is a certified SIOP trainer and has led professional development for teachers throughout the West Michigan area. Connect with Erica through her website: Mrs. Hilliker's EL and SIOP Toolbox or on Twitter: .

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5 Things English Learners Need From Classroom Teachers

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That's the number of English language learners enrolled in K-12 schools, according to the U.S. Department of Education. In other words, at least one out of every 10 students in classrooms today is an English language learner (ELL).

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Supporting ELs as a Paraeducator

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Paraprofessionals...The unsung heroes. Paraprofessional educators truly serve more than students. They serve the teachers on the campus as well. They have one of the most challenging jobs. If you are a paraprofessional educator reading this article, let me commend you. You do so much for so many people. If are a teacher reading this, thank your paraprofessionals. Give them some extra love. And pass this article along to them so they can grow in their craft. The intention of this piece is because as a presenter, teacher trainer and professional development specialist, I recognized that there is little out there written specifically for paraprofessional educators. The need is clear. So this is for you. Personally, I have worked with many paraprofessionals in my career. I have learned from each of them. And all have had their strengths. Many have either been certified teachers themselves who didn't want the extra responsibilities of a teacher and therefore took on the paraprofessional role, or were in the midst of becoming teacher certified. No matter their own educational experiences, they were each dedicated to the students and teachers. And that's what makes the difference.

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The roles of paraprofessionals who work with English Learners are many. But here's a starting point for you. ​

1. Build relationships with the teachers you work with.
Get to know them personally and professionally. Personally meaning ask questions about their life. Do they have a spouse, kids, what do they do in their free time? Professionally meaning ask about their classroom management style. How do they prefer that students talk in the classroom, what are the expectations for classwork, restroom breaks, etc. ? Ask about your role in the room. Does the teacher want you to work with small groups during independent application time? Is there an area in the room where you can work with students without removing anyone from the classroom environment? Will there be a folder, binder, or spiral where the two of you can journal notes quickly back and forth to one another? Or will you collaborate online via google docs?

2. Know who the English learners are.
Get a list of the English learners that you will be working with. Find out any important information about their language level, background or academic history. These will not be the only students you work with, but they are your focus. We don't want to stigmatize the English learners. However it's important to identify them so that you can help to grow their language and academic success. You will also want to secure a list of accommodations that your students might benefit from. Knowing their language level and accommodations will help you support their language and academic success.

3. Get to know your students.
Beyond their permanent record folder, get to know them individually. Start by introducing yourself and letting them know that you are there to support them. Ask them questions about their hobbies and passions. This will help you to connect them with books that they might enjoy and writing topics that could help them advance in writing. Students learn more readily and at a faster rate from people who care about them. When our kids believe that we really care about who they are as people, they want to learn from us.

4. Implement strategies that support English learners.
When working with students who are learning a new language, it's helpful to give them support if they need it. For example, the use of visuals is highly powerful for all learners. If you know in advance the topic of instruction, you can prepare visuals that support learning. Visuals are also great for labeling and promote vocabulary development. Once the visuals are labeled, the labels can be used as work banks. Other supports include: gestures, modeling, sentence stems, and use of primary or native language. Each of these has its benefits for students who need them. The important thing to know is when a student needs the support and when to release the support. Some of the graphics below can give you tips and advice about working with English learners. But if you crave more knowledge, seek it! Read more from this blog or professional books on language acquisition. The more you learn, the better off your students will be too. Everyone benefits.

​When you notice something or think something is questionable, ask. Talk with your supervisor or the teacher you work with. If you think your English learner needs enrichment, gifted services, etc. or if you have questions, be a voice. Remember that you always have someone to talk with regarding the students and teachers you serve. 5. Be an advocate for your students.

6. Celebrate successes big and small.
When you witness growth or you see improvement, put a spotlight on it! Share with the students you serve that they are growing and that growth takes effort and time. Share with other educators the successes of the students. Shine the spotlight on English learners. These students do not need fixing, they are exceptional! They are future global leaders. They will hopefully be bilingual adults and that's bonus in my book! ​

Well, I know that is not everything. Certainly there is much more. If you are a paraprofessional reading this, please comment and share your thoughts. And if you're a teacher who works with paraprofessionals, what would you add?

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Supporting English Learners as a Paraprofessional

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Paraprofessionals...The unsung heroes. Paraprofessional educators truly serve more than students. They serve the teachers on the campus as well. They have one of the most challenging jobs. If you are a paraprofessional educator reading this article, let me commend you. You do so much for so many people.

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Job Duties of an ELL Paraprofessional

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ELL paraprofessionals work with English language learners in preschools, elementary schools, middle schools and high schools. They mainly play a supporting role to certified ELL teachers in helping students learn English. Qualifications for the position depend on the school district. Some districts require only a high ...

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ELL Strategies for Paraprofessionals

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Paraprofessionals who work alongside ELLs may do so in a variety of settings with a variety of roles. You may be working alongside the ELL teacher in the ESL classroom or perhaps you aid a content-area teacher who has ELLs in his/her class. You may be multilingual yourself; familiar with the challenges of learning a second language or maybe this is your first encounter with students who speak languages other than English. Whatever the case may be, there are some tips that will help you to succeed in supporting ELLs.

First Steps

Get to know your students

It may sound simple, but getting to know your students is a great first step towards helping them to succeed in the classroom.

Your role: It begins with learning their names and how to pronounce them correctly. In my experience, many ELLs will not correct a teacher who mispronounces their name. Therefore, if you ask them, "Is that how you say it?" They will most likely tell you "yes" even if you mispronounce it. Instead, try asking them how their mother says their name. You might be surprised how differently it's pronounced. In addition:

If you are working in a classroom where ELLs are integrated with non-ELLs, find out who the ELLs are.

Find out language proficiency levels of the students.

You should be able to find out both pieces of information from the classroom or ELL teacher.

Help students feel comfortable

It is common for new students, particularly at the beginning level, to experience what experts call a silent period.

Your role: You can help to make students feel comfortable by asking them some basic get to know you questions:

Find out where the student is from and what language they speak at home.

Ask them to teach you a greeting in their language.

Ask them what their favorite activities or hobbies are, and look for links to class activities or lessons.

If a student feels that you have taken a genuine interest in them, they will be more likely to request and/or accept your help.

Get to know the teacher in the classroom

Collaboration in the classroom is often ideal, but it is not always easy. Take the time to get to know the teacher with whom you are working and discuss your teaching styles and expectations.

Your Role: Set up a time to meet with the classroom teacher to discuss both of your expectations. Ask specific questions:

How and when are you expected to assist in the classroom? For example, will you be working one on one and/or off to the side with ELLs in the class or will you be walking around the classroom helping everyone?

Chances are that you will be helping students while s/he is instructing. If so, what will that look like?

Does the teacher prefer that you wait until there is a break in instruction to make clarifications or explanations to the students, or would s/he rather that you quietly clarify or explain to students in need at the moment?

The only way to find these things out is to talk about it!

What Does Help Look Like?

The help that ELLs will need from you will range from the academic content to the mechanics of the classroom, and everything in between. This includes:

Academic help

Model an example for students when they do not understand the task at hand.

Restate or simplify questions, directions, instruction, etc. When dealing with ELLs it's important to focus on the major theme or the big picture and focus less on the details.

Check for comprehension frequently. Refrain from yes or no questions because when you ask an ELL if they understand, they usually answer "Yes." Instead, ask open-ended questions that encourage them to explain their answers with words, motions or pictures.

If students are lacking the confidence to share answers with the entire class, act as their sounding board. If they are correct, encourage them to share. If they're incorrect, help them to find the correct answer.

When students need to look up vocabulary words or definitions, help them to navigate through glossaries and picture/bilingual dictionaries.

Mechanics of the classroom

Make sure that they are on the same page as the rest of the class, literally. For example, check that they're on the correct page in the textbook, correct worksheet, or the same number problem.

Ensure that they have copied down assignments correctly. If they are written on the board, help them to locate them. If an assignment was given orally, students may need to see it in writing to fully understand.

Social/emotional needs

As with many students, the scope of assistance often goes way beyond the classroom when ELLs are involved. Try to pay attention to the following.

Hygiene: Not everyone shares the same hygiene practices as we do in the U.S. One explanation for this is that before their arrival, not everyone had access to daily showers, baths, and laundry as we do. For that reason, pay attention to whether the students' clothes are clean each day. Do the students seem to be properly bathed? Did they brush their teeth? For older students, do they wear deodorant? If not, you, the teacher, the counselor or the school social worker may need to address issues of hygiene with the student.

Clothing: Watch that students wear appropriate clothing for the weather. Are they wearing socks with their sneakers or shoes? During cold winters, do they wear boots, coats, hats, and gloves?

Nourishment: Do the students look nourished? When you see them in the cafeteria, are they eating lunch? If they aren't, why not? Perhaps they didn't fill out the appropriate lunch application or they may not know where the cafeteria is! It's possible that they are afraid to eat because the food is unfamiliar and they think it may go against religious or dietary restrictions. Not all students will ask for help and not all adults in the school pay attention to such details. You could bridge the gap by keeping an eye out for such things and asking questions.

Bullying: Are the ELLs being teased, ostracized, or peer pressured? OR Are the ELLs bullying other students in an attempt to be accepted? ELLs, especially new students, often feel scared and alone. Take the initiative to introduce them to some friendly classmates who could help them feel more at ease in school.

Interpreting

If you are bilingual, you will probably interpret for students and families in a variety of settings. It goes without saying that speaking the same language as your students will put them at ease. However, it is important to establish some guidelines before interpreting.

In the classroom

Discuss your role: First, talk with the teacher to determine when the best time for clarifications and interpretation are. Discuss how the use of interpretation can be used most effectively in the classroom.

Get to know your students: Become familiar with the English language proficiency levels of your students as soon as possible. This will help you to determine when interpretation is necessary and when students are perhaps taking advantage. Beginners will certainly require more attention than advanced. Remember that there is a delicate balance between giving students the aid that they need and encouraging them to become independent learners.

Think about seating: Consider seating students who speak the same language closer together. That way you won't have to go back and forth across the classroom and repeat yourself.

Set limits: Encourage students to call on you for interpretation for academic help, but discourage them from socializing with you during instruction. It's also common for students to request your help in areas unrelated to instruction such as problems at lunch, locker issues, bus pass, etc. Sometimes, they ask for help on behalf of their parents: green card questions, landlord problems, auto insurance, etc. If this is the case, set up a time to meet about the issue later. Set a good example for your students by engaging only in academic talk during instruction.

During tests

Interpreting during instruction should look different than interpreting during tests. During tests, interpretations should follow the same parameters set by your state. For example, in New York State, interpretations during state tests are to be oral only, no writing. They should be word for word interpretations that do not clarify or explain content. By mirroring the state parameters during classroom tests, it will prepare students for final exams.

To find out more about your states testing accommodations for ELLs, speak with your principal or testing coordinator. You should also be able to find such information on your state's education website.

Interpreting for parents

You may be asked to interpret and/or translate for parents in a variety of settings. In terms of face to face interpretation, you may need to interpret during events such as a Parent/Teacher Conference, Open House, or parent organization meeting. You may be needed to interpret over the phone as well. In addition, your school may want to send home letters and information in students' native languages and you could be called upon to do some written translations.

Note: If you will be interpreting, try to clarify what your interpreting/translation responsibilities and schedule will early on. Otherwise, administrators and staff may be pulling you in different directions at the last minute to help with translation as the need arises. If you are scheduled to be "on call," that may be appropriate. If you are being pulled away from instructional time in the classroom to translate, however, it will be difficult to work effectively with your students.

Language Support

Even if you're not bilingual, there are a number of ways to offer language support to your students. First and foremost, you can help students them master academic content and language in English. However, you can also help them strengthen their native language by providing books and other materials in that language. If you don't know where to find such materials, ask other aides, teachers, librarians, or parent liaisons for ideas. Research shows that students who have strong language and literacy skills in their first language are more successful in learning English - and learning in English!

Tips for Success: The Individual vs. the Group

Americans value self-sufficiency. We have an individualistic culture which means that we value individual achievements and are more likely to take pride in being independent. Many of the cultures your students will come from, however, have a more collectivist approach. Collectivist cultures tend to focus on working together for the good of the group, rather than for the good of the individual.In the classroom, this collectivism often manifests itself in the following ways:

Working together

Students copy off of one another on homework, class work, or tests and see nothing wrong with doing so. This is a major problem because ELLs don't understand why they can't "help out" or "get help" from their classmate; however, in the U.S. cheating and plagiarism are major educational offenses.

Your Role: It's important to teach students to help their classmates in the same manner that you help. Explain that helping does not mean giving the answer. It could mean showing a classmate where to find an answer in the book. It could mean interpreting for them. Or students could help each other by clarifying the question so classmates can come up with the answer on their own.

Dependence and independence

ELLs, especially those at the beginning level, have a tendency to latch on to helpers and have difficulty working independently. While all students need some kind of support and assistance, there are those students who thrive on assistance and require continual attention from the teacher, aide, tutor, or classmates. Be careful not to get lured into a situation in which a student is relying heavily on your help. We want to provide students the support they need; in order for them to be truly successful in this culture, however, they will eventually need to learn how to do things on their own.

Your Role: Encourage students to try it on their own. One way to do this is to build them up to working independently. For example, offer them some guidance, but then walk away and tell them that you will be back to check on them in a 5 minutes (or after they have completed one task). When you return, praise their effort, offer additional assistance if needed and then tell them that you will be back in 10 minutes (or after they have completed three tasks). This process will take time, but over the course of the year you will begin to produce a more confident, self-sufficient student.

Learn more

A great way to build a toolbox of teaching strategies is to attend trainings and professional development geared towards educators who work with ELLs. What types of trainings does your school offer? It's possible that the ELL teacher in the school is available to do presentations. If not, s/he should at least be available to answer any questions you may have. Also look into what is offered at the district or regional level. Keep an eye out for seminars and conferences that are coming through town. It's also advisable to get yourself added to the mailing list for the ELL department in your school and district. You may be missing professional learning opportunities simply because you aren't aware of them.

Here's a list of some professional organizations where you can start!

Professional organizations

Job responsibilities and descriptions

Video Interviews: Paraprofessionals and ELLs

These interview excerpts highlight the important roles paraprofessionals play in supporting ELL instruction and family outreach. The following educators are featured:

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Paraprofessionals who work alongside ELLs may do so in a variety of settings with a variety of roles. You may be working alongside the ELL teacher in the ESL classroom or perhaps you aid a content-area teacher who has ELLs in his/her class.

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Effective Collaboration with your ELL Paraeducator

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Teacher Tips: Effective Collaboration with ELL Paraprofessionals | LD Topics | LD OnLine

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LD OnLine is the leading website on learning disabilities, learning disorders and differences. Parents and teachers of learning disabled children will find authoritative guidance on attention deficit disorder, ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dysnomia, reading difficulties, speech and related disorders.

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The Secrets of Learning a New Language

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Želite naučiti novi jezik, ali vas je strah ili ne znate gdje početi? Ne treba vam poseban talent ili “gen za jezik”, kaže Lýdia Machová. U optimističnom, inspirativnom govoru, otkriva tajne poliglota (ljudi koji govore više jezika) i otkriva četiri načela koji će vam pomoći da pronađete skriven talent za jezik -- i istovremeno se zabavite.

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School Aide used Ukuleles to teach English

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Someone You Should Know: School Aide Uses Ukuleles To Teach English Language

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Rissa Williams is an instructional aide at Wachter Middle School who's using music to help foreign transfer students make sense of a brand-new country.

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What does it feel like to be an ELL?

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Sean Pang is an English teacher at Rockville High School, and he was named the 2017 Washington Post Teacher of the Year. He is also a former English language learner. In this interview, he talks about coming to this country at the age of six, his memories of what it was like to be an ELL, and the ways his experiences shape his teaching today.

Bonus video: See Sean in action as he joins a flash mob in his high school cafeteria!

Acknowledgements

This Facebook Live event was made possible by generous support from the National Education Association.

Video Archive

See the original interview on Facebook: Part 1, Part 2.

Highlights

Part I: What It Feels Like to Be an ELL

Part II: Notes from an Award-Winning Teacher

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What does it feel like to be an ELL?: Event Archive

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Sean Pang is an English teacher at Rockville High School, and he was named the 2017 Washington Post Teacher of the Year. He is also a former English language learner. In this interview, he talks about coming to this country at the age of six, his memories of what it was like to be an ELL, and the ways his experiences shape his teaching today.