Kelly Latham

I am an ESOL teacher with Greenville County Schools.

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

@JenineSilen Giving students the opportunity to choose what they read and time to spend on reading and enjoying books is so important. I bet they look forward to your class!

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

#GCS_Newcomers 9Q3) I want to try literature circles as described in Chapter 4. My students are always drawn to the reading materials/area of my classroom. I want to do all I can to encourage the love of reading. @ChristineWare14

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

@MccourryC It is amazing what students can do when they have a stress-free environment!

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

@AbbyeDilling @TanELLclassroom @MsSalvac I love this chart, too! Breaking down these ideas into three categories with short, easy to read information makes it a great quick reference for teachers who are already overwhelmed with information.

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

#GCS_Newcomers 8Q4) LEA approach includes many of the best practices from Balanced Literacy including read aloud, shared reading, write aloud, and shared writing. It even leads to independent writing. @ChristineWare14

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

#GCS_Newcomers 8Q1) Structured conversations are important in all classrooms, but there's a deeper level of comfort/ease when students are having them with other ELs (in the ESOL classroom) who understand the struggle of learning a language. @ChristineWare14

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

#GCS_Newcomers Week 5 Planning with K5 teachers to best serve my ESOL students during reading "stations." The teachers provide assessment data (letter mastery) so that I will know how to focus my instruction. @ChristineWare14

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

#GCS_Newcomers Week 6 We read and followed a recipe for Christmas slime. The recipe contained pictures of the ingredients. Students then wrote a "how to" piece using sentence frames. Having so much fun, they forgot they were reading and writing! @ChristineWare14

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

@JenineSilen @JaimeKapadia I really like this strategy, too! I have it in my plans for the week after the break. I love how simple it is and the scaffolding that it provides students while they are writing. #gcs_newcomers

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

#GCS_Newcomers 7Q2 Carefully select vocabulary, pre-teach the vocabulary using pictures, provide information about the topic in the student's native language prior to teaching it, and encourage the use of visual aids whenever possible. @ChristineWare14

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

@RoseChilders14 @ChristineWare14 @MsSalvac I loved these too, Rose! I am always for a bulleted list that I can share with classroom teachers. Good for sharing information without it being so overwhelming.

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

#GCS_Newcomers 6Q4 It is vital for teachers to know how to make input comprehensible for ELs! Schools (particularly those with a large # of ELs) should have extensive/continuing PD on this topic. It would help relieve stress for both students and teachers). @ChristineWare14

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

#GCS_Newcomers 5EQ1 I pull small groups of newcomers, push-in some classrooms, and co-teach in others. When I co-teach, it is usually station teaching. This is effective, but I feel I could be more effective if I could co-plan with classroom teachers. @ChristineWare14

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

@JenineSilen @dr_aquagirl Many elementary students (esp. the very young) do not understand why they come to the US or why they have to leave loved ones behind. I see a lot of emotional distress in some of my young students as they try to make sense of their new life here. #GCS_Newcomers @ChristineWare14

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

4Q1 By practicing culturally responsive teaching and encouraging others to do so, students will gain confidence. Feeling honored and respected is vital. If we recognize their strengths, perspectives, and advantages, they will, too!#GCS_Newcomers@ChristineWare14

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

@RoseChilders14 @ChristineWare14 @MsSalvac I love this idea! My students are generally so enthusiastic about talking about their home countries. It is fun listening to what they have to share! @ChristineWare14

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

I use these "phones" I found on TpT to break the ice with my newcomers. It allows them to communicate their interests through drawing (later used for writing). I attach them to their journals to enjoy all year. #GCS_Newcomers @ChristineWare14

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

#GCS_Newcomers 3Q1 Advice for Teaching SIFE Students
1. Pair students with a buddy who speaks the same language if possible. 2. Incorporate visuals and the student's native language whenever possible. 3 Change the task, NOT the content. @ChristineWare14

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

@karmabak I agree! It would get us the information about students that we need as ESOL teachers in a timely manner AND make it easier for other teachers to get this information if the student moves around within the district.

[Kelly Latham @KLatham_ESOL]

2Q3 As advocates for these students, it is important for us to find out what students do know and remind others who work with them not to make assumptions about a student based on their inability to speak English. #GCS_Newcomers @ChristineWare14