PLC Facilitators






PLC Topics
Multilingual Brave Spaces: Creating a Culture of Language Inclusivity in Your Classroom
How often do we allow students to speak/write/read/listen in their native language? How do we respond when a student responds in their native language during a lesson? This PLC focuses on language inclusivity in and out of the classroom. Participants in this PLC will reflect on the culture, policies and/or procedures regarding language inclusivity in their environments. The insight gained from reflection and discussion will empower teachers to take steps to shift and strengthen their current environments to one that allows themselves and their learners to be brave and utilize their entire linguistic repertoire. Participants will cultivate strategies for teachers and parents to support the learning of their multilingual students in any and all languages available to them.
Facilitator: Diana Adkins
Leveraging Socioemotional Skills through Writing and Family Engagement
In this PLC, educators will collaborate on ways to employ family engagement activities and writing strategies to enhance student socioemotional skills. During the sessions, participants will develop and adapt project-based learning tasks to implement these strategies and activities in Grades 6-12 in their local educational settings.
Facilitator: Monica Bryant
Exploring Ways to Empower MLs and their Families’ Voices in the School Community
In this PLC, we will discuss and share potential activities and projects aimed to enhance MLs’ and families’ participation in the school community by leveraging their linguistic and cultural assets. Simultaneously, teachers will be encouraged to lead in their own schools and communities by acquiring, and then sharing, research-based strategies to purposely enhance MLs’ language, literacy, and learning development.
Facilitator: Marcelo Espinoza
What Works for Me? Differentiated Literacy Comprehension Strategies to Support Multilingual Learners Beyond the Classroom
In this PLC, participants will explore learning strategies to support multilingual learner agency with literacy comprehension. We will incorporate learner choices in literacy instruction across content areas to foster independent learners to select tools they can use beyond the classroom.
Facilitator: Carrie Jones
Identifying and Supporting Elementary MLs with Diverse Learning Needs
In elementary school it is critical to identify and support Multilingual learners with additional learning needs. In this PLC, participants will
- discuss the similarities and differences between language acquisition and learning disabilities
- explore the literacy supports and developmental needs of students that are dually identified
- investigate the Recommendations to collaborate and share resources for the unique learning needs among multilingual learners in the classroom
- explore how to adapt the Recommendations for learning at home.
Utilizing the strategies discussed, PLC participants will develop family engagement activities including informing and empowering parents in the ESL, MTSS, and EC processes.
Facilitator: Holly Kolarova
Supporting Dually Identified MLs in the Secondary Classroom and at Home
What happens when multilingual learners are also identified as having an academic learning difference? Join the conversation around building best practices to support our middle and high school students who are facing the challenges of learning a new language while also navigating the difficulties that are inherent with learning disabilities. As teachers, support personnel, and members of the educational community, we will combine our experiences and ideas to develop an approach to help these uniquely exceptional learners reach their full potential in the classroom and beyond.
Facilitator: Samantha Roberts
Celebrations of Cultural Representations: Family Engagement in the School Community
In this PLC, we will discuss and share potential activities and projects aimed to enhance MLs’ and families’ participation in the school community by leveraging their linguistic and cultural assets. Simultaneously, teachers will be encouraged to lead in their own schools and communities by acquiring, and then sharing, research-based strategies to purposely enhance MLs’ language, literacy, and learning development.
Participants: Kayla Castro; Andrea Staton; Autumn Thompson