Learn the what, why, and how of student shadowing to make an impact on the instruction of multilingual learners.
Beth SkeltonDecember 30, 2021
This blog post first appeared on the ColorinColorado website. How can educators of English language learners (ELLs) provide students with ample opportunities for language development in online settings? This article and the related slide deck offers some concrete tips and strategies to continue developing language skills in a virtual setting, including…
Beth SkeltonMarch 13, 2021
This blog post first appeared on the ColorinColorado website on April 17, 2020 during school closures due to the Corona virus.... Amidst the current COVID-19 crisis, most schools around the world have closed their doors and opted to reach their learning community through remote or online options. This shift to…
Beth SkeltonApril 18, 2020
As I write this post, a gentle spring snow is falling, the fire in the wood stove is warming the house, my husband is baking bread, and my daughter is practicing cello. If I didn’t know why we were all home together on this mid-March weekday, it would seem idyllic.…
Beth SkeltonMarch 19, 2020
Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in a workshop at the Danish Multikulterelle Skole Konference after my keynote address in Nyborg, Denmark. The session was facilitated by Helene Thise and Katja Vilien, the authors of a new Danish book on language teaching strategies, Broen Til Fagsproget or Bridge…
Beth SkeltonNovember 27, 2019
Many schools and districts across the US have begun developing language growth plans for their language learners. These plans, also called Individual Language Plans, have the potential to motivate students and accelerate their learning. Because there are so many components to language acquisition, having manageable goals in listening, speaking, reading,…
Beth SkeltonSeptember 22, 2019
The rapid-fire Spanish coming through the mobile phone was incomprehensible. I responded with frustration, “Lo siento. No puedo entender. Por favor, habla más despacio.” (I’m sorry. I don’t understand. Please speak more slowly.) The person on the other end of the line simply repeated whatever he had said in the…
Beth SkeltonJuly 8, 2019
Much of my work with teachers this past school year has focused on the power of lesson planning for language development. In this blog post, I will explain how to use a simple tool to add a language focus to any lesson plan and provide the necessary scaffolds and supports…
Beth SkeltonApril 4, 2019
The following three strategies help students acquire new vocabulary through interactions and making connections.
Beth SkeltonMay 28, 2018
"Speed dating” works well as an interactive test review strategy and is simple to set up. Use test review questions for your prompts, place students’ desks in two concentric circles or U-shapes facing each other. Then...
Beth SkeltonMarch 4, 2018
Finding the right balance between freedom and constraints is a challenge for all teachers. Deciding how much to model, what project elements to require, and what to leave open to student choice can be daunting for teachers. In my personal experience, some limitations really do lead to more freedom. Constraints…
Beth SkeltonNovember 6, 2017
In the past few years, I have had the opportunity to provide professional development for many English as a Second Language (ESL)1 teachers. These specialists are now expected to take on more and more roles and be skilled in areas well beyond the classroom.
Beth SkeltonSeptember 5, 2017
I woke up this morning thinking, “It’s August 1 already!?!” My husband has affectionately labeled this time of year for me as ‘August Syndrome’ to describe the conflicting emotions I inevitably experience each year.
Beth SkeltonAugust 1, 2017
Finding the focal point for language and content instruction requires teachers to conduct ongoing experiments and closely observe how students are using language. When students struggle to explain a concept, teachers have to discern if they actually understand the concept but need language support, or if they still need support…
Beth SkeltonApril 12, 2017
“For all the correcting we do, directions we give, and rubrics we create about what good work looks like, students are often unclear about what they are aiming for until they actually see and analyze strong models." Ron Berger, Leaders of their own Learning
Beth SkeltonDecember 27, 2016
Last week I participated in a marimba camp with David Alderdice and Arlyn Deva of Embodying Rhythm. What I learned during the week of afternoon marimba lessons was much broader than the melody and chord lines to each of the three songs we worked on; I learned the importance of…
Beth SkeltonJune 30, 2016
Sometimes when I walk into a classroom, students have such a sense of focus and purpose, that they don’t even look up or notice me. I recently had the opportunity to observe a second grade science class that epitomized that kind of classroom. Located in a small, rural school district…
Beth SkeltonApril 9, 2016
When I returned to the U.S. in 2013 after teaching ESL for three years at the Bavarian International School in Germany, I began to hear the term close reading in every school I consulted with. I noticed many new books with close reading in the title; I heard teachers tell…
Beth SkeltonJune 24, 2015
“Mom, I got a 96 on the math test. What does that mean?” I had to laugh at my daughter’s innocent reaction to traditional grades and percentages after 11 years of schooling with alternative forms of feedback. Entering a traditional U.S. public school in Grade 10 gave her a bit…
Beth SkeltonJanuary 27, 2015
Following recipes is like following lesson plans: it works best if you know what the end product should be, but are prepared to modify and adjust along the way.
Beth SkeltonNovember 30, 2014