During a keynote on creating the conditions in which multilingual learners flourish, I asked participants a question. What do you wish your colleagues knew about the multilingual learners you serve? The district’s educators were participating in a professional learning day that began in a high school auditorium. Several school resource …
Imagine being in a small boat when a surge of waves causes it to capsize. Survival depends not on a single act, but on a series of rapid, moment-to-moment decisions: conserving energy, regulating breath, timing movements between the powerful waves, drawing the attention of a nearby craft, and resisting panic.
College rarely prepares teachers, administrators, and other school professionals to work with children and youth who have experienced trauma, particularly those living under the constant fear of family separation. Yet across the country, educators are increasingly being asked to navigate the very real effects of fear, instability, and uncertainty on …
When Mrs. Moyner planned her math lesson, she recalled a colleague’s advice about displaying the vocabulary she wanted students to learn. She knew that English Language and Multilingual Learners (ELs/MLs) benefit from seeing key language in consistent, accessible locations. Using the teacher’s guide for her unit on fractional ratios, she …
Debbie Zacarian and Becki Cohn-Vargas Yorleni is a fourth grader who moved to New York from Nicaragua. At enrollment, her parents express concern about Yorleni feeling comfortable in school. They share that her brother’s recent death from cancer has affected Yorleni deeply, and that she has become much quieter. They …
I am excited to announce the launch of Elevating Strengths: Supporting Multilingual Learners Facing Adversity, a comprehensive self-paced online course designed for educators and professionals supporting multilingual learners impacted by trauma, violence, or chronic stress. This 10-hour course employs a strengths-based approach and provides practical, research-backed strategies to apply immediately to enhance …
Many multilingual learners (MLs) and their families face significant challenges and barriers that highlight the profound impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on vulnerable students. Failing to recognize the adversities that our MLs and their families are experiencing can limit our ability to support them effectively. Even with knowledge, we …
I recently read a thought-provoking article in Fast Company titled “Emotional Intelligence Is So 2020.” It opens with a powerful statement: “…people are starving to be seen, acknowledged, and witnessed.” The article features a business survey on empathy conducted by Ernst & Young LLP, revealing that 86% of employees believe …
Do you have questions about the laws and regulations for educating multilingual learners? The new resource, Serving Multilingual Learners: Laws, Policies, and Regulations (2025), is here to help! It provides a clear and accessible summary of federal laws, including ten common compliance issues highlighted in the 2015 Dear Colleague Letter …
Debbie Zacarian and Becki Cohn-Vargas When Francisco Lopez was twelve, he and his parents moved from Santiago, Brazil, to a small town in Massachusetts, where his father began working as a Portuguese professor at a university. Accompanied by his parents, Francisco enrolled in a local middle school, where his father …
