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Description

Lee Perez is the 2022 Nebraska Teacher of the Year, and he is the first-ever ESL teacher to win the award in his state.  Lee provides unbelievable information on EL students and strategies all teachers can use to support their success. It takes seven to ten years for a person to learn a language to fluency. Can you imagine going to another country and being expected to pass a standardized test two weeks later? Lee is using his newfound platform as Teacher of the Year to change what we think, believe, and know to be true about EL learners. Education will be better because of Lee's efforts.

In This Episode We Cover

• There are two types of language: social and academic


• Support students' social language development by covering every aspect of your room with sticky notes.  "scissors" on scissors, and "handle" on door handles.


• The best way to learn a language is to be immersed in a social language experience.


• Lee reminds us we need to believe EL students can achieve.


• Students "shouldn't know" unless we teach them.  It is our job to set our students up for success in all capacities.


• EL students' parents want to learn English, they just don't know the resources that are available.