When I was still teaching lower elementary English Language Learners, one of my students was a Chinese-American girl whose native language was Mandarin. She didn’t know any English when she started school…

When I was in 5th grade, my math teacher showed the class how to write the number 7 in a different way from what I was used to. She told us that was how people in France wrote it. I was learning French at the time so ever since, I’ve crossed my sevens. When I became an ESL teacher…

English language learners have always held a special place in my teaching heart. Perhaps it’s because my own grandfather immigrated to the United Stated without knowing a single word of English. Whenever I meet a newly-arrived ELL, I think of my grandfather as a nine-year-old, and try to be the most compassionate teacher possible.

When I received my first class of newcomers, I searched high and low for a pacing guide, an outline, anything, and came up short…

Meet Teacher-Author Deb Hanson whose twin sister is also her resource and blog proofreader extraordinaire (we should all be so lucky!). Learn more about Deb right here, including how one special…