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Inspiring English Language Learners

#OneWord2021

1/3/2021

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"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. ~ Amelia Earhart 
I feel like if I begin reflecting and writing about 2020 - it would make for a very long and sad post. 2020 was just a year we will never forget. The battles and struggles were real - But we made it through!
As I began thinking about my #OneWord for 2021 - I found myself going back to 2020's OneWord and asking myself whether I needed to keep the same word, or have a new one. 
You see, 2020 was a year where MANY - MANY things were put on hold. Because of COVID-19, schools were closed, parks, were closed, outdoor events were canceled, etc. Life seemed to have paused. So, as I read my post about my OneWord 2019, I couldn't help but think how this too needed to unpaused. 
I knew I didn't want to use the same word for 2020 so I thought about a word that would take my 2019 word to the next level. 

In 2019, I wrote:
You see, we are meant to be great! We are not to settle for just "good"...If I get comfortable with just being "good" - then I've failed myself and those around me. 


There's nothing wrong with wanting more. 
  • More knowledge
  • More readings
  • More adventures
  • More connections
  • More action
  • More keynotes
  • More presentations
  • More friendships
  • More journeys
  • More ANYTHING & EVERYTHING THAT SETS YOUR SOUL ON FIRE!"
You see, all this is still what I desire. I feel like 2021 will be a year to achieve our goals despite any difficulties encountered while achieving our goals or anything that sets our soul on fire! 
That's why my #OneWord2021 is TENACITY!

​--Tenacity says "I can" even though the impossibilities are bigger than our capabilities. 
"Tenacity is essential for accomplishment in anything you do. Without drive, determination and a strong-willed attitude, one's level of success at any endeavors will be limited in scope."
​~ Gabriella Marigold Lindsay
Do you have a #OneWord2021?!? I know many people who like doing New Year's resolutions. I don't have anything against resolutions - If that's what works for you, great. I actually prefer one word. One word that will ignite a fresh new start & new year. Share in the comments your #OneWord or your New Year's goals! I'd love to hear from ya!

Previous years' OneWord

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2020 Reading List

12/31/2020

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Click on image for slide link!
I finished reading my last book of 2020 around noon on December 31st, 2020. My last book was the awesome middle grade book Everlasting Nora by Marie Miranda Cruz (even my 7-year-old loved it).

I really loved and enjoyed every single book I read in 2020. In fact, what makes me so excited is the fact that I was able to not just meet but surpass my 2020 reading challenge!! 
Of course, this was not always the case. I've tried meeting my reading challenge for years (since 2016) and I had never been able to complete it...until 2020.
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A Framework for English Learners

11/12/2020

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**This post appeared originally in www.Middleweb.com on November 12th, 2020**
Click HERE to read original post
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Here's my review of the new book for ELA & ELL teachers by Valentina Gonzalez and Dr. Melinda Miller - Published by Seidlitz Education
Reading & Writing with English Learners: A Framework for K-5 
An extraordinary ★★★★★ book
I experienced an extraordinary feeling while reading Valentina and Melinda’s book. I was reading the introduction when I began highlighting text, making notes on the pages, and writing takeaways in my notebook. Reading & Writing for English Learners is a book that highlights the best of my two worlds: my English learner world and my educator world.
The English learner in me couldn’t contain the excitement as I was reading a book with a core belief centered on what’s best for English language learners (ELs). You see, I was once an English learner sitting at the back of class unengaged and just accumulating knowledge without the opportunity to demonstrate my learning.
Reading and writing lessons were not structured in a way that students’ background and home language were maximized. This lack of opportunities and modalities to demonstrate what I was able to do in class just made me feel like an outsider and without a sense of belonging.

So reading a professional development book that is centered around the whole child – and also provides ideas to weave in culturally responsive practices to help English learners grow linguistically – fills my heart with so much joy and hope for ELs.
The educator in me is grateful for a book that not only validates my pedagogy throughout but also provides new ways to help me grow and develop as I learn to teach reading and writing through a language lens.

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HHM Presentations

10/15/2020

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This is the second year I get invited to schools to share about my immigrant journey and my Guatemalan heritage.
This year, I had the privilege to share with an elementary school and a high school! Besides schools, I also shared about my heritage on our local publish library's Facebook page.

Of course, because of the pandemic, these presentations were organized virtually but they were still fun and filled with so much learning.

Ross Elementary - Signature Music School in KS, held their annual Hispanic Heritage Assembly virtually and I had the honor to share a stage with the amazing artist Aaron de la Cuz. Since I knew I was presenting to an elementary audience, I shared my piñata, my cascarones (confetti filled egg shells), how I make my tortillas, and much more!
Here is the recording if you'd like to see it. I know students had a blast and they had really great questions (they always ask about the Ellen experience).

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HHM 2020

9/15/2020

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National Hispanic Heritage Month is by far a favorite time of  year in the USA. From September 15th - October 15th this country honors, celebrates, and recognizes the contribution and influence of Hispanic Americans to USA culture, history and more!

This year, I decided to share a video challenging my #PLN and followers to do the following:
  1. Learn something new about a Hispanic friend, a colleague, or a neighbor and share it.
  2. Double check your bookshelf and make sure Hispanic culture is represented in books & share away! 
After sharing my challenge, I had a few friends sending me messages accepting the challenge and sharing their findings.  It was wonderful to see friends embracing this wonderful celebration.

I also began sharing all my Hispanic Heritage Books (at least the ones I had at home). Every day from September 15th to October 15th I shared a 30 second video of a book that highlights and honors Hispanic culture. I shared picture books, middle grades books, young adult books. I shared my books on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. All of these videos were curated and uploaded it to my Youtube channel. 
If you have read any of these books, share with me how you're using them with your students. If you are adding any of these books to your booklist/bookshelf let me know. I'd love to connect and discuss how to use the book with your students. 
  • Picture books
  • MG & YA
  • More Hispanic Heritage books 

Time to share some #HispanicHeritageBooks □□□□□□

Every day I’ll be adding to this thread a picture book that honors & celebrates Hispanic culture. #HispanicHeritageMonth #pd4uandme #DignidadLiteraria #LatinxAuthors pic.twitter.com/JVFI4gCDMz

— Emily Fɾαɳƈιʂ □ (@emilyfranESL) September 15, 2020
If you are on Instagram and would like to check out the curated stories, check it out HERE! 
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Thank you for reading! 
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A Balanced Co-Teaching Approach

8/2/2020

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Co-teaching according to Wenzlaff et al. (2002) is described as “two or more individuals who come together in a collaborative relationship for the purpose of shared work...for the outcome of achieving what none could have done alone”
There is no doubt that co-teaching is an effective practice to better serve English language learners.
Co-teaching is defined as two educators who team-teach by providing simultaneous instruction to a group of students. Through this model, students receive content-based language learning which means that students receive content learning as well as language acquisition support. 

Co-teaching or team teaching is an opportunity to create a culture of shared experiences and shared responsibilities among two teachers.  This, of course, increases the opportunity to provide a focus and intentional differentiation support students may need. 

But as easy and as effective as it may sound - co-teaching can be challenging for many of us!
  • Fear of the unknown begins to take over when we hear "co-teaching".
  • Doubts about our strengths begin to attack.
  • Anxiety strikes just thinking about being observed all the time by your co-teacher. 
This was true for Mrs. Eudy and me during the 2019-2020 school year. However, we both faced our fears by putting our students' needs FIRST and the outcome was very effective. We now recognize that co-teaching draws on the strengths of both - the content area teacher who understands the structure, the content, pacing of the curriculum - and the special area teacher who can identify unique challenges and individual needs students may have to fully access the content.

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Unpacking Culture

7/18/2020

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This post is featured on the Re-Imagening Migration website. Find article here: 
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You can’t be an effective teacher without being a learner at heart.
Did you know that students are NEVER too old to enjoy a picture book? This article here tells you more. Even adults can learn from picture books - I do!

The book Dreamers, written and illustrated by Yuyi Morales, is a stunning picture book with an amazing story about an immigrant mother and her baby immigrating to the US. While discussing it with our newcomer students, I began placing sticky-notes everywhere with all the ideas and thoughts that were rushing through my mind. Here is what I was thinking:

Packing Our Culture

PictureDreamers book by Yuyi Morales
I was 15 years old when I was asked to pack-up a backpack with a couple of outfits and whatever else I could fit in and carry with me on a journey from Guatemala to the USA.
I remember looking around the room and packing a few photographs and recuerditos (keepsakes) I didn't want to leave behind.

I do not doubt that many immigrants experience this moment when they have to decide what to pack and bring along their migration journey. Besides packing the essentials, many of us pack something that will remind us of the world we are leaving behind, representing our country, homeland, and believes.
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Just like we pack-up objects, we also pack-up our identity within us and hold on to it as tight as possible because we know it is what makes us who we are. The things we pack-up within us are experiences, thoughts, feelings, beliefs, family, foods, music, culture, heritage, and more. All this builds our individuality. 

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Yuyi Morales narrates this personal experience perfectly in this image. We see how her backpack includes a jatana, a pencil, nature items, and Señor Calavera. If you follow Yuyi's Instagram account, you'd see how these objects represent her identity.  Objects that she carried with her as she crossed over the Mexican border to come to the USA. And just like we see in her book, the objects that represented her identity were kept safe and packed up because they were being protected or perhaps they stayed packed up because she didn't feel like her individuality would fit in the new culture.
In Dreamers, we see the characters trying to blend in and function in a new country and culture but with a
substantial struggle to be who they are. 

I experienced this as well, and so do many immigrant students and individuals who come to the United States. While many of us love our home culture, our language, and everything about our heritage, society tells us that to function successfully, we must keep our background packed up and blend in the American culture and master the English language to be successful.
For many of us, it'll be years and years till we realize that our culture, language, and heritage are valuable and core to who we are. 
For others, this realization will never happen - and heritage, language, and culture will be lost. To me, this is a sad reality that will hinder many generations. 

Opportunities to Unpack 

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As an immigrant myself, I can tell you how intimidating it is to be yourself and unpack our background for all to see.
You look around, and everything is new and different. You listen around, you and all you hear is the new language -- a language you don't yet understand. 
However, there are ways to embrace the differences while still appreciating what is packed within us and show them to the world.
Here are a few of them:
  • ​Reading: Just like Yuyi demonstrates in her book, reading and finding books that reflect our own identity and individuality is a way to strengthen our background. Find books whose main characters are representing your experiences. Seeing your journey and heritage honored in text can empower you to unpack your own experiences. Here's a great resource that provides identity books and other tools.
  • Writing: When you feel validated and accepted, you begin to embrace your identity and will be empowered to become the author of your own story and be the main character in your stories. In this image by Yuyi Morales, we see how trust begins to grow when you realize that you matter. We see how her objects are pouring out, and through her body language and expression, we recognize that she is happy to be herself. She is then inspired to publish a picture book to tell her own experiences. Here's an article with lesson ideas on how to encourage students to write their stories. 
  • Listen: Take time to listen to others' stories. Don't listen with the intention to respond....just listen to learn and appreciate. Not long ago, I had a student who asked me a question, but her questions led to her telling HER story. Students want to share their stories. Students want to be known. It is our job to provide opportunities for those around us to share their story. Here's a podcast I just started that focuses on stories of passion and persistence. 

Unpacked Culture 

Having our culture and heritage unpacked is just the most wonderful feeling. How do you know your culture, language, and heritage is unpacked? - When you celebrate it, appreciate it, and embrace it. When you do not fear what others will say about who you are, how you speak, or what you're wearing. When you begin to find a place in your new home, you understand that we have more similarities than differences and contribute to society to create a beautifully diverse culture.  
"The teacher's task is to initiate the learning process and then get out of the way." John Warren
As we were reading this book with my student, we both had different takeaways from the text. Yousef here was able to draw what he understood what was happening in the story, then retell the story using his own words. He was able to personally connect with several parts in the story and was very confident understanding it because the images speak so much.
​I am encouraged to write my takeaways because he did the same!
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If you have read this book and would like to share your takeaways with me, please share them with me. I'd love to hear about your experience with this amazing book. Or if there is another book that would share these same ideas, I'd love to know of it.
Remember YOU matter! Your culture matters, your language matters, your heritage matters. So, showcase it...display for all to see and appreciate it.

Thank you for reading! 
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June's BookTalk

6/29/2020

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Book #1

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I was so excited to read this book that I pre-ordered it and received it 2 days after it was released. As soon as I found out that this story was about 3 Guatemalan teenagers - I knew I had to read it. 

Of  course the story does not disappoint! We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez is a hard book to read just because the journey Pulga, Chico, and Pulga (3 main characters) go through are  VERY difficult. 
This book tells the raw journey of 3 teens who ride La Bestia (a monster train) to immigrate to the USA and their journey will stay with you long after you finish the book.

As a Guatemalan and immigrant myself -  I was able to identify with the characters which is something I long for my students to do when reading our class books. I am going to be so excited to share this book with my students...especially when the Spanish version is released!!!

You can find my full booktalk/review of this 5-Star book here on my YouTube channel! 

BookTalk time ?

We Are Not From Here by @jetchez#StoriesMatter & these stories must be told!

⚓️ Pulga
⚫️ Chico
? Pequeña

3 historias fantásticas & their journey will stay with you FOREVER ?????????☀️? #DignidadLiteraria

Hear full review: https://t.co/yWPZ5OZUTW pic.twitter.com/HVpPfN6gEn

— Emily Fɾαɳƈιʂ ? (@emilyfranESL) June 17, 2020

Book #2

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I read this book over a weekend! I usually take much longer to read books because I read in between errands, parenting, cleaning, cooking, etc. THIS book, however, was a book I couldn't put down. 
Laurie Halse Anderson's book  SHOUT - is a book that that will make you want to shout and stand up for those who have experienced or are experiencing sexual abuse, rape, and/or harassment of any type.  
I would not even think twice about having this book on my class bookshelf for HS students to read.  Not only will this book encourage and empower readers to stand up and speak up agains sexual assaults, but also will ignite the desire to want to know more about this topic and advocate for those who are hurt.

Check out my review on my YouTube channel here! 
I was super excited when the author Laurie Halse Anderson shared my BookTalk - see it below!! 

We can. We should. We are. #DestroyRapeCulture#SpeakUp#ShoutTogether@PenguinTeen @PenguinClass https://t.co/b6PkJzYlob

— Laurie Halse Anderson (@halseanderson) July 1, 2020
If you read any of these books, please share with me on the comments below. I'd love to hear from you and your thoughts on any of these books or other books written by these authors. 

Thank you for reading and keep on reading!! 

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