On October 22nd, 2018 - I had the privilege to be featured on DisruptED TV Teacher Sparks. Host, Michele Hill, (a passionate educator who by the way I admire), invited me to not only share my immigrant story but also share what I am currently doing for my students and their families. We had a great conversation around elements and ways we need in our schools and classrooms to create a welcoming and comfortable environment for diverse students. Cultural responsiveness is definitely a topic we both feel very strongly about - so it became core to our conversation. Check out the video and let me know if you have any comments or questions! Thank you for reading and watching the video!!
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On October 23rd - October 26th, 2018 I had the opportunity to attend my first WIDA annual conference! The conference was in Detroit and I was able to attend with Stacey Diaz, Cabarrus County's ESL counselor and Doug Carr, Cabarrus County's social worker. I was honored to co-present a session with my colleagues and I also had a session on my own. I attended several fantastic sessions where I learned a lot and met a lot of Twitter friends! It is by far one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had! Sessions#1: Teachers, School Counselors, and Social Workers: Collaborating for Success "Research shows that students with engaged families adapt better to school, attend school more regularly, have better social skills, and pursue post-secondary opportunities. We explored the role of teachers, school counselors, and social workers in engaging families and learn about culturally responsive family engagement practices. Developed an action plan based on examples given to implement culturally responsive engagement practices at your school."
#2: Establishing a Comfortable Environment for Diverse Students - From Inside-Out "Students need a respectful environment to function to their full potential. This session provided Culturally Responsive Pedagogy strategies to create the environment diverse students need. Participants visualized that in order to establish such environment, it needs to start from within. Then, as a ripple effect it carries onto our students, our content teaching pedagogy, school culture, family and community engagement, and ultimately engage globally as open-minded individuals. After my session, I asked participants the following question as an exit ticket: A year from now, what will be important for you to remember about this session? EDUCATION ALUMNA USES PERSONAL JOURNEY TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION"Emily Francis leapt from her seat in the audience of The Ellen Show and made a run for the stage. Only after she was perched alongside Ellen Degeneres did the 2016 Cabarrus County Schools Teacher of the Year realize that in her excitement, she hadn’t given the famous talk show host time to finish her introduction. But looking back at her journey—from a one room shack in Guatemala, to a New York airport facing immigration authorities, to crossing the stage at UNC Charlotte to accept a graduate degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL)—it’s clear that Emily Francis had been racing toward a moment like this her entire life." ~ The Language of Love I love how this article was introduced! The Cato College of Education at UNC Charlotte featured my story on their website this month. They also embedded wonderful pictures and videos they took while visiting me at Concord High School. To read the entire article and watch the videos, follow this link: https://inside.uncc.edu/featured-stories/the-language-of-hope
Thank you for reading! Book DescriptionSupreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor tells her own story for young readers for the very first time! As the first Latina Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor has inspired young people around the world to reach for their dreams. But what inspired her? For young Sonia, the answer was books! They were her mirrors, her maps, her friends, and her teachers. They helped her to connect with her family in New York and in Puerto Rico, to deal with her diabetes diagnosis, to cope with her father's death, to uncover the secrets of the world, and to dream of a future for herself in which anything was possible. In Turning Pages, Justice Sotomayor shares that love of books with a new generation of readers, and inspires them to read and puzzle and dream for themselves. Accompanied by Lulu Delacre's vibrant art, this story of the Justice's life shows readers that the world is full of promise and possibility--all they need to do is turn the page. Reflection: |
AUTHOR BIO: Sonia Sotomayor was born in the Bronx, New York. She earned a BA from Princeton University and a JD from Yale Law School. She served as Assistant District Attorney in New York County, and then as a litigator at Pavia & Harcourt. In 1991, when President George H.W. Bush nominated her to the US District Court, Southern District of New York. In 1997, President William Jefferson Clinton nominated her to the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. President Barack Obama nominated her as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on May 26, 2009, and she assumed this role August 8, 2009, becoming the first Latina to ever hold such a high position. She is the author of My Beloved World and The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor. |
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#NCELs18 https://t.co/Hs8ow1JuaY
— geovana concepcion (@geovana00243548) August 7, 2018
‼️ It’s official ‼️
— Eɱιʅყ Fɾαɳƈιʂ □ (@emilyfranESL) July 7, 2018
8 unforgettable years a □ @mpelem
6 amazing years an □ @wmirvinelem □□
Now...
I’m super excited to begin a new journey at @SpidersCHS □□□
I’m a high school #ESL teacher! □ pic.twitter.com/9w1tzWcYpU
Since we were ending our school year, I wanted to challenge my kindergartners to think, talk, and write like first graders. We had already learned that complete stories have transitioning words such as FIRST - NEXT - LAST, but we learned that writers can make their stories more interesting and longer by adding another transitioning word, -THEN!
We started looking at these images and thinking and discussing with our peers about their correct order and explaining our reasoning. Then students volunteered to place the images in the correct order. |
I dislike quiet classrooms...but when students are these engaged publishing their book, then it’s OK ? #TRTW ???✍?? #ELL #ELLchat pic.twitter.com/UZqm4Ddo1Z
— Eɱιʅყ Fɾαɳƈιʂ ? (@emilyfranESL) May 9, 2018
#Read some of our Kindergartners' published books:
— Eɱιʅყ Fɾαɳƈιʂ ? (@emilyfranESL) May 24, 2018
The Green Apple Pie: https://t.co/vlPqwnwENS
From a Seed to a Pie: https://t.co/oZaAThffzq
Making a Pie: https://t.co/0voMBt7XCa
Apple Pie: https://t.co/rRhkN6bPlc pic.twitter.com/nFcwLTrO7I
Thanks to Cabarrus County Education Foundation, our class was able to obtain a few books for our classroom library. These awesome and compelling books by Buffy Silverman are amazing and perfect for students in 1st grade - 3rd grade. We love these because they are also available in Spanish.
Students were told to chose whichever topic they were interested in. Students who picked a topic were grouped together. Together we brainstormed what information we all needed to gather in order to provide the information learned. We made an anchor chart with bullet points indicating the information needed for each topic:
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1st grade #ELs researched these topics and published their own nonfiction book!#Read some:
— Eɱιʅყ Fɾαɳƈιʂ □ (@emilyfranESL) May 24, 2018
Birds: https://t.co/TE0LQM52kY
Amphibians: https://t.co/20DPnIzFNj
Mammals: https://t.co/iO6fSeZ4Re
Insects: https://t.co/HGrtVXNGYX
Fish: https://t.co/RDwgfnDUm0 pic.twitter.com/nxY9rJsXHY
After discussing report card grades and strategies to help Ss at home...our ESL parents made a chain with their children’s strengths!
— Eɱιʅყ Fɾαɳƈιʂ □ (@emilyfranESL) February 14, 2018
We learned to celebrate growth and highlight strengths for our #ELs □ #IrvinIgnites pic.twitter.com/PeJvoUOkfC
“If You Are Working On Something That You Really Care About, You Don’t Have To Be Pushed.
The Vision Pulls You.”
- Steve Jobs
Here I am with Giovanni - first grade ELL who is struggling academically and linguistically. He is not reading on grade level, but he knows that my expectation for him is to complete the work like all his peers. I provide the support he needs. I scaffold his instruction. I read aloud and he follows the text. I make him repeat to me what he learned and help him form his own sentences. It takes EXTRA work and intentionality but students CAN do the expected grade level work. |
Kindergartners: They received a big writing sheet divided into three sections. The sheet we used is perfect because it has a blank space for above illustration and writing lines for text right below! Perfect for beginning writers. Together we discussed where to write our transitional words: First, Next, Last. Students added a drawing of the character in the corresponding section. Then began to add complete sentences as to what happened to each character. |
First graders: With first grade, I thought about giving them a little more freedom with the writing. They were just provided a big blank chart piece of paper and they were to add all the elements needed to retell the story. They were instructed to be sure to include all the characters, settings, detail, and feelings characters were experiencing. After they completed their illustration, they were to share their illustration with a partner before beginning the written part. For first graders we made it clear to make sure all the necessary transitioning words were evident: First, Next, Then, and Last! Some students were challenged to think of a different ending - and a lot of them got very creative. |
These are all the books my students Kindergarteners published: Delvin's story Sebastian's Story Kiley's Story Seuz's Story Hector's Story Esteban's Story Lin's Story | These are all the books my first graders published: Christopher and Jovanni's story Mason and Larry's Story Jerett and Edisson Camila, Jacqueline, and Maya Carlos, Christian, and Kiara |
A little over a year ago, I came across a twitter post about students participating in a Spanish Spelling Bee in TX. (Go #PLN!!)
I was immediately drawn to the pictures and intrigued for more information. As matter of fact, what really caught my full attention was the number of Hispanic parents who were present to witness the event. I started doing a little research and came to find out that the USA actually holds a National Spanish Spelling Bee every year! |
2018 Spanish Spelling Bee Word List by Emily Francis on Scribd
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