Giving Compass' Take:

• Wisconsin 2019 Teacher of the Year Sarahi Monterrey provides advice on how to design a learning environment that will be the most beneficial for English learners. 

• How can English language learning programs thrive in a flexible and intentional classroom space? What can educators do to make this happen? 

• Read about how maker education supports English language learners in STEM. 

Administrators and educators looking to build and broaden an English language learning (ELL) program should first spend the time to assess what a facility needs before moving forward, Wisconsin 2019 Teacher of the Year Sarahi Monterrey writes for Edutopia, based on her experience helping to develop an English learner (EL) program for students at Waukesha North High School.

Monterrey writes that she focused on developing classes that were not self-contained for ELs, but were inclusive with other courses. She also made sure there was support for staff, including, for example, names of EL students listed with the pronunciation spelled phonetically.

It’s important for educators to have a plan in place for ELL programs. This need is only growing as the number of EL students enrolled in a language instruction education program (LIEP) is growing in counties across all regions of the country, according to the “Our Nation’s English Learners” report from the U.S. Department of Education. Many districts that previously either didn't have or had a minimal EL student population are also growing in numbers.

Read the full article about teaching English learners by Lauren Barack at Education Dive.