Are you making sure to engage and build community with all your students, including your multilingual students and their families? In this interview, Carly Spina shares how she approaches fostering community with multilingual students and their families by engaging them in conversations about their lives. She discusses the importance of reflection in order to create strategies that will work best for you and your students, and she provides examples of how using social media has helped her connect with her students and their families.
Carly Spina has 15 years of experience in Multilingual Education, including her service as an EL teacher, a third-grade bilingual classroom teacher, and a district-wide Multilingual Instructional Coach. She is currently a multilingual education specialist at the Illinois Resource Center, providing professional learning opportunities and technical assistance support to educators and leaders across the state and beyond. Spina enjoys connecting with other educators and leaders across the country and beyond and is an active member of the multilingual education professional learning community. Listen and enjoy!
Key Highlights:
[00:00 - 08:44] Opening Segment
Make sure to check out "Moving Beyond For Multilingual Learners"
Carly shares her background and work
Strategies that you can use to engage your multilingual students and their families
[08:45 - 16:07] Increase Engagement with Multilingual Students
Why educators should try to engage their families in a more meaningful way beyond just sending them newsletters
How to reach out to families in a way that is comfortable for them
Carly provides examples of outreach strategies that can be used in schools
[16:08 - 23:50] Becoming More Aware of The Languages
The key insights into the goals and objectives that teachers can have in order to effectively engage multilingual learners
The reason why developing a greater understanding of one's own language skills and abilities is key
Have conversations with students about their home languages
[23:51 - 27:11] Closing Segment
Even if a teacher does not have specific expertise in a particular area, they can still be an effective advocate for change
Let’s Connect!
You can connect with our host Erica Terry on Instagram and Facebook. Be sure to check out the Healthy Wealthy Educators website to learn more about different strategies to achieve your career and lifestyle goals!
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