Shownotes
Teachers of ELLS, hear this loud and clear: Simplicity and consistency are essential for the success of your newcomers!
In this episode of the Equipping ELLs podcast, host Beth Vaucher delves into the critical role of simplicity and consistency in supporting English language learners, addressing a common challenge faced by educators. Beth emphasizes the need to cut through the noise and maxed-out schedules and focus on essential strategies for newcomer success. She highlights practical approaches such as utilizing go-to flashcards, providing visual schedules, and implementing consistent routines to create a supportive learning environment. By embracing simplicity and consistency, teachers can empower newcomers to thrive academically and emotionally, fostering trust, confidence, and language acquisition. This insightful discussion equips educators with actionable tips for optimizing their teaching practices and enhancing the educational experience for ELLs.
Resources:
Transcripts
welcome to another episode of the Equipping Ells podcast.
Today, we're exploring a powerful concept that's often overlooked. Today, I want to dive into the transformative role of two words, simplicity and consistency when it comes to supporting your newcomers. As Leonardo da Vinci once said, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. And I've really seen more than ever the importance of simplicity. When we live in a noisy world and we have so much at our fingertips and our disposal, it can feel just part of life to have abundance and so much, and print and download all these things and have to have all these different materials ready and set up and have to do this, and this, and this and this. And what I've really seen is, when it comes to working with our newcomers, the best and most important place to begin after building that relationship, which you've heard me talk about many times before, but the next best place to begin is by creating simplicity and consistency in your lessons when you work with your ell newcomers. So let's dive into this topic today and uncover the subtle strength behind those two words, simple and consistent. Now, let's begin with the foundation of simplicity. Simplicity, in its essence, is about cutting through the noise and focusing on what truly matters. This is why I love this word when it comes to working with newcomers. And really, we need this as well. We need to cut through the noise. Anybody feel like things are really noisy right now? That everywhere you look, there's just so much getting your attention? So we need to cut through the noise. We need to decide, as the teachers, what do we truly want to focus on when it comes to supporting our newcomers? For our newcomers, the transition to a new environment can be really overwhelming. So that noise can just get extremely overwhelming when it's happening in a different language, when it's outside of anything you've experienced before, when you're still adjusting to your time of moving to this new country, of whatever that looked like. And we know for many of our students, it's traumatic and it's difficult and it's hard. And there's so much change that is happening. So complex processes or just a lot of information being thrown at them at once can really hinder more than help our newcomers. But when we simplify procedures, when we communicate clearly and straightforwardly, we really lay down a welcoming path for those who are starting their journey. In our school Rules. And of. I know as a teacher, sometimes it feels stressful to not have all of the things prepared or ready. And so we're going to talk about today, what does that look like? Because sometimes when we can just get down to the basics, when we can have simple activities, simple directions, simple lessons, we can really cut through that noise. But we also have to be comfortable with having simplicity, with having a simple activity. So what does this practically look like to build a foundation of simplicity? It looks like having a set of go to flashcards that you use. Flashcards, to me, are the most simplest way to begin and the most powerful way. Having a visual support with that set of flashcards, you can teach a lesson. You can just have them look at the cards and repeat the words after you. Maybe you say a word and they have to point to it. Maybe you put the cards around the room and they have to go walk to it and pick it up and repeat it. Maybe they try to use that word in a sentence. There's so many ways you can scaffold activities based on a set of flashcards. And so when I'm talking about the simplicity, that's what I'm talking about. We don't have to have a full curriculum ready to go on day one, where we really miss out on what's the most important thing on those beginning days with your newcomers, building those connections, seeing your students that are right in front of you, getting to know them, helping them to know who you are, helping them to know that you're safe and you can be trusted in this really vulnerable opportunity to learn another language. So we don't have to have everything set up right away. And I know that that feels really, we really have to release that. Because I know, I've been there where it's like, what do I do? I have nothing ready to go. And now I have a student who doesn't speak English. It can feel really scary. But here are the things to get set up those flashcards. Like I said, you can do a variety of activities by just pulling out your flashcards. Having those ready to go. Another simple activity would be to have a translation device available. Even just have it on your phone where you have it available to use when you need to communicate, or the students have it. You can tell that they're feeling really lost or really overwhelmed, or just really sad. So you want to make sure that you can communicate in their native language to share with them that you're there to help them, that they're going to be okay. That school gets out in an hour. That will help them to be able to calm down, to be able to know what's to expect for the rest of the day. So have a translation device available. Something else that's really simple but really powerful is to have a visual schedule. It think of what this would look like for you to go into a school where you did not speak the language. All you know is that you start school at this time and you get out of school at this time and the rest of the day is unknown to you of what's going to happen, whether you stay in the same class, whether you switch classes, what time you eat lunch, what does lunch look like? All of those questions they are unsure of unless we provide them with a visual schedule. So again, simple, just one page. We start with math class, we have reading class, we have recess here and walk through what the day looks like. That in and of itself is going to help them to feel at a little bit more secure in your environment in the classroom. You don't have to do a lot with that, but you can just keep referring back to this visual schedule as you go throughout the first couple of days, the first couple of weeks until they really become familiar with it. Another really simple activity or resource to include in those first couple of weeks is to print or have on hand a picture dictionary. And if it's bilingual in their native language, that is a huge plus. Now I'm going to link in the show notes. We have 17 different translations of picture dictionaries that have QR codes. So these are the type of activities that you don't have to prep all of these additional things right away, but having a picture dictionary on hand will help you to refer back as you're speaking. As you're introducing them to things in the classroom, they can look in their dictionary and start to see those words. And then, like in our picture dictionaries, we have the QR code. So they can scan the QR code, they can listen to the words in English and in their native language. And so that's how we start to use simplicity, use really simple activities to start to build that framework for them of the foundation of language. Now, I know that this can be easier said than done, but I want you to take a look at where are your stresses when it comes to those first couple of days with newcomers and what are some simple ways you can get them set up for success. So I shared our newcomer welcome folder. That's a free resource we have for you having something like that. It's simple. It all fits in one folder. You can pull that out, you can pull different things out of it and use it to support them. That's what I really want you to look at. For the first couple of weeks, we don't need to get out some notebooks for them right away and have them set up their notebooks and make sure they have the math book and start on that right away. And all of these other materials can really make them feel overwhelmed quickly. So slowly add in those materials and start. Simple. If we go the opposite way and we start with everything and then we really get lost in what we should be doing as teachers and providing the right support for them. And the students get really overwhelmed as well. So I always encourage everybody to start simple and add on. It's much easier than starting with everything and taking away. Now, this next key in supporting newcomers is consistency. Consistency is really the key to progress. Now, while simplicity sets the foundation, it's consistency that builds the structure. Consistency in support systems, in community engagement, in everyday interaction. This creates a reliable environment where newcomers can thrive. It's the repeated, steady efforts that foster trust and a sense of security. And that is what I have seen makes or breaks the success of your newcomer students. That is what is going to move them out of that silent period. That is what's going to get them excited about learning. Those consistent, small efforts are really going to be what helps to lower the effective filter and helps your students feel safe in your lessons, in your classroom. Because when they walk in and they know, okay, this is what we do on Monday, or when I see this activity, I know exactly what to do. We're not bombarding them with so many different things as they try to approach a new lesson. Figure out what you're saying, figure out what they're supposed to be doing. Figure out how to comprehend this and apply this and use their skills and translate from their native language into English. There are so many things that are going on at once. So when we can set up consistent routines and structures, they then can really come in and not have to carry that load. But they can come in ready to listen to what you're teaching, to apply it, to really show up and do their best work. So what does this look like? This looks like setting up weekly routines. I'm all about routines. I'm sure you've listened to some episodes about that. I've done some webinars lately about setting up consistent routines. Things like starting your class the same way. Every day is a routine that I think is a must. This could be a morning meeting, or it could be a daily speaking warm up. It could be a journal entry. When they walk in, you have to decide what is best for your. But having something that first five minutes when they walk in, they know exactly what to do. Is going to set off the rest of your time together successfully. So if you have no routine set up, start with a morning routine or just a beginning of your lesson routine. What does the first five to ten minutes look like? And start to implement that. And I promise we have so many members inside equipping ells who have started to implement our speaking and writing cards. Every day they have a writing card or a speaking card up on the board or in the students journals every day for the first five to ten minutes. That is what they do. And the results from that has been amazing. Teachers in all different grade levels, all different language levels are saying, wow. Even after just three weeks, we have seen our students speaking improve drastically because of the consistency of these routines, because they know exactly what to do and they're starting to speak right away when they get to classroom. So setting up a routine when they walk in, even just setting up your week. So on Mondays you always introduce the new vocabulary for the week and the rest of the week you're going to be doing activities based on that vocabulary. Or maybe every Friday is a games day so they know, they look forward to that, that on Fridays we get to play games, whatever. Every schedule is different. The amount of time you have with your students is different. So look at your week and decide, what can I do to create some consistency in our activities? Because I really believe that's one of the strengths inside of equipping LLS as teachers use the same types of activities month after month, whether it's the speaking and writing cards, the newcomer units, the closed reading activities, and they change out the topics and the levels they are seeing their students really engage. They are seeing their students really grow in all the domains because the students know what to expect, that consistency is really key. So we begin with simplicity. We then look at consistency and use that to build the structure. Now let's talk about some challenges that you might come up with. Implementing these principles, of course, comes with some challenges. Things like language barriers, cultural differences, resource limitations, amount of time you have with your students that can really be difficult to find those times to be consistent. If your school has a curriculum that you have to implement and so you don't have time to really go off track of that, you can still look at those things and find what does consistency look like for you? It is easy to just throw in the towel and say, oh, this doesn't work, I'm going to start over. But I think that's one of the biggest problems that we are having in education. It is over and over. We're saying, okay, we have to swing this way. Now we have to swing this way. This one, throw this out. But at the end of the day, there are things that have been happening over the years that we have seen. These are the things that work. And so let's continue to find those things and stick to that. So even if you have a curriculum given by your school district that you have to use, how do you find in how you do that, finding what works with your schedule, with the time that you have? The key is to start small, stay focused and remain committed to the consistent effort. Don't try the speaking cards for one week and say, oh, this didn't work for my students, I promise. And we've seen this happen over and over again.
If you stick with it for two or three weeks, you will see the change in your students as they know what to do when they come in and they know what to do with this card on the board. And they respond to that and you will see how they start to expand their sentences, or they begin to write a sentence or they begin to add on to their sentence, or they begin to talk with a peer and work together on writing a stronger sentence. And that all happens in that five to 10 minutes. So it's really those consistent, small efforts really maximize the way that you come around and support your students. So you might not be able to make every lesson consistent. Maybe you can't say, okay, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday when I work with my students, I'm going to do this. You might not be able to do that because of a push in model or whatever it is, that it's just a limit to how you do that. But you can find ways to bring in some consistency, and that might be through that first five to ten minute warm up. So really take a look at your schedule and start to see how can I be consistent? And then the other thing is, how can you be consistent across different groups that you're working with? If you know that you are working with seven different groups, but all seven of those groups, you can use the daily speaking and writing card. That is going to help you be consistent and get better at working with those, with the different groups you're working with because you're familiar with it, you're consistent yourself with using those. So that's the other key to really working and helping you as the teacher save time is to see how can this flow into all the groups you're working with. How can the simple activities I'm doing flow into the other groups I'm working with now, we're going to get more into what this looks like to simplify your lessons for maximize results. Okay. It's not about watering down curriculum or not being prepared. It's about being really intentional with the lessons that you're choosing do because you know it's what your students need and. It's about being adaptive and responsive to the needs of your newcomers. When we come with so many things ready to go, and we really miss out on the opportunity to connect with our students and see what do they actually need. When challenges arise, which they will, simplicity and consistency become even more critical because they allow us to quickly adjust and maintain, gain the support network without losing that momentum. I know if you have had to do a curriculum where you have way more to it than the amount of time you have to work with your students, and it has to be done with fidelity. You know what I mean by that? When you have so many moving pieces, you have the digital component and you have the flashcards they have to do, and you have to do these readings throughout the week, and you only have your students three times a week for 30 minutes. So there's no possible way you could fit all of that in that time. But you have to do with fidelity. So you need to go crazy about trying to do this. What happens? We really miss out on seeing what our students need. And so when we can pull back, and I recommend to do this every quarter, at the beginning of the quarter, pull back, slow down, simplify, connect, be consistent, see what your students need, and then add on throughout that quarter of what they need. That is how we continue to push them forward. That's how we help them to continue to have momentum, to continue to gain progress. When we really focus on meeting their needs and helping them to grow, and not just having something already set up and saying, okay, you're going to come along with me on this journey. This is what I already have for you. But no, we slow down, we simplify, and we meet them where they're at and help them along their journey. Adapting while maintaining simplicity and consistency is definitely a delicate balance. I understand that completely, but I promise you it can really lead to meaningful support for your newcomers. It really is about starting simple and adding in materials and resources as you see your students need that.
at done for you. We have over: