Amy Finsmith

Bilingual Mother, Wife, Dual Language Coach/Specialist. Learning more about coaching, multilingualism, education, languages, and social justice. (She/her/ella)

[Amy Finsmith @CoachDual]

Asychronous translanging while protecting separation of language through the "switchback." Thanks Liz Howard and Shera Simpson at #MABENE2023

[Amy Finsmith @CoachDual]

Such a great keynote by Liz Howard and Shera Simpson about translanguaging vs separation of language. Love the idea of synchronous and asynchronous tranlanguaging - such a needed conversation in our field! #MABE #MABENE #MABE2023 #DualLanguage #Bilingual

[Amy Finsmith @CoachDual]

Community matters! I can't wait to meet my community today at the first meeting of the school year of the #MABE-NE #DualLanguage Coaches Network! If you are not in a professional network for Dual Language Educators, consider joining one. https://t.co/HMYWiBk1np

[DLeNM @DLeNM]

Meet #LaCosecha2021 Presenter: Amy Finsmith
https://t.co/t2EzQIpqdI

Amy is a Dual Language Specialist in @WindhamSchools, Connecticut, and with MABE-NE. Amy co-founded DuLCE (Dual Language Connecticut Educators) and curates information at https://t.co/vIzn1Z4qwP @CoachDual

[Multistate Association for Bilingual Education, NE @MABEnortheast]

Registration for MABE's Summer Institute
https://t.co/6DrFL44331

[Pamela Broussard @LeadingELLs]

We know this past year ELLs faced many challenges. Prepare and empower your teachers to meet the needs of your students learning English. The following is a collection of some of the top trainers on the crucial topics for this upcoming school year. https://t.co/uJw5wh6ddN

[Amy Finsmith @CoachDual]

@LeadingELLs @AmberBowgren Such a great resource! Thank you for sharing

[Amy Finsmith @CoachDual]

Many DL programs still refer to the old Dual Language Goal of becoming "bicultural" that has now evolved to "sociocultural competence". This article by @drmudambi explains why our students need us to move beyond "bicultural." A quick read and a great chance to reflect.

[Learning for Justice @learnforjustice]

"We must give students opportunities to recognize that they belong to multiple identity groups, to appreciate the intersection of those identities and to explore their cultural fusions."
https://t.co/6Vp5nljso5

[Amy Finsmith @CoachDual]

Great article, especially if the Reading wars have come to your Dual district. List of suggestions at the end is helpful, though I would add one point- look for disaggregated research- proving that monolinguals learning monoliteracy may not be relevant for DL educators

[Timothy Shanahan @ReadingShanahan]

What should we do when there is no reading research to go on?
https://t.co/5cl6PCsDZa

[𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 @DrBradJohnson]

Teachers may very well be the most underappreciated leaders.

[Amy Finsmith @CoachDual]

And if you have multiple coaches in your Dual District, what is the role Dual Language Coach and what is the relationship among the different coaching roles?

[Elena Aguilar @brightmorningtm]

If a coach is struggling one of the first things I ask is, “what are the expectations for your role?” More often than not, the answer I hear is, “I don’t know!”

The first step to meeting expectations is to establish them.

[Amy Finsmith @CoachDual]

It is heartbreaking when families are told their children must give up one right (bilingual education) in order to receive another (special education).

[Amy Finsmith @CoachDual]

Hey #duallanguage friends- July is my month for unplugging and recharging, but in August I'm ready to start thinking about school again. MABE's summer workshops are a great way to get your groove back before the new school year starts!

[Multistate Association for Bilingual Education, NE @MABEnortheast]

Check out our summer offerings for educators new to #DLE #DualLanguage See all MABE Summer Institute Offerings here: https://t.co/LP9dZICbso

[Amy Finsmith @CoachDual]

#DualLanguage provides an equitable education for Emerging Bilinguals- we need to get to the point where we recognize it as a right for all our students, not a privilege for the lucky ones who win the lottery and not a program that excludes neurodiverse students. All means all.

[Amy Finsmith @CoachDual]

Great conversation at our last Dual Language Coaches Network of the year! Want to join us next year? Join MABE-NE...we'd love to have you!

[Amy Finsmith @CoachDual]

Agreed! If it doesn't come in the program languages we teach, it's not ready for our Dual Program. Releasing the purchase in English only and asking teachers to translate or figure it out is not equitable and does the opposite of elevating the language we are trying to protect.

[Carly Spina @MrsSpinasClass]

Publishers: We are committed to equity for multilingual learners.
Teachers: Oh great! Are you going to release your materials in other languages?
Publishers: OF COURSE! In about years.
Teachers: So how will I teach this in my Dual/Bilingual Program?
Publishers: We love equity.

[Carly Spina @MrsSpinasClass]

Publishers: We are committed to equity for multilingual learners.
Teachers: Oh great! Are you going to release your materials in other languages?
Publishers: OF COURSE! In about years.
Teachers: So how will I teach this in my Dual/Bilingual Program?
Publishers: We love equity.

[Amy Finsmith @CoachDual]

Love the ideas in this blog post by Liz Howard and Shera Simpson- ways to promote partnership care and stressors between partner teachers. https://t.co/8EbtediHzj

[Amy Finsmith @CoachDual]

Which of your teachers inspired you? Mine were Ellen Ahern, my kindergarten teacher, and Mec Peller, my Calculus teacher. They were the kind of teachers who really, really who their students are and are able to give each student exactly what they needed to grow.

[TIME @TIME]

From @timeforkids: U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona (@SecCardona) speaks to Kid Reporter Bellen Woodard about educating the country—and the teachers who inspired him https://t.co/ijdqGB9qwj

[Amy Finsmith @CoachDual]

To all my fellow last-minute Dual Language friends- there is still time to submit your proposal for La Cosecha in November!

[DLeNM @DLeNM]

Deadline for this year's Call for Proposals has been extended! Submit your proposal today!