You likely know children in your schools and local neighborhoods who are dual-language learners—eager to explore and whose parents want the best opportunities for them in school and in life. But did you know dual-language learners in the U.S. make up 32% of children under the age of five?
When my first child was born, I was 30. I was also married, had a master’s degree, and taught in a district that paid pretty well. During my pregnancy, I learned what to look for in high-quality child care and I thought I knew how to find it. What I didn’t know was that even though my husband and I both worked, we couldn’t afford quality child care.
Across the nation, teachers learning about CLASS are asked to narrate their actions and sportscast their children’s experiences in order to support and encourage healthy language development. Hearing this, many teachers may wonder, “Will people think I’m crazy if I start talking to myself in the classroom?”
The answer is no. Self- and parallel talk are beneficial strategies for teachers to engage in because they strengthen language rich environments and enhance vocabulary development, all while supporting effective relationship building between teachers and children.
As the Community Manager with Teachstone, I have been able to talk to many observers, trainers, coaches, and general CLASS lovers. I have found a common thread among these groups: a desire to connect with other CLASS users and put their CLASS knowledge to use.
We often hear from CLASS Observers that are interested in observing more classrooms. Meanwhile, many organizations—particularly smaller organizations or those doing research studies—don’t have Certified CLASS Observers and are in search of observers in their area.
I’m often asked how teachers can improve the quality of their interactions around Instructional Support. That’s good! What’s not “good” is that we can’t just focus on one thing. We should consider how ALL the CLASS dimensions need to be in place in order to really provide effective interactions for Instructional Support.
There's a new and exciting way to contact Teachstone's Customer Support team - by text! You can text us at (866) 998-8352 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. The service is also available for Spanish users from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. Use texting for all of your Customer Support needs (it's faster and easier).
Here are three ways our new texting service benefits you!
In the summer of 2018, we began a company-wide conversation to organize the various activities, discussions, and small steps undertaken by many across Teachstone since our earliest days, to address issues of equity, cultural sensitivity, and bias. We recognized that even within our organization, a group of well-intentioned and motivated people, we had not made a formal, structured commitment to equity work.
Exciting news! Teacher materials are now available in Spanish for Infant/Toddler and Pre-K CLASS Group Coaching. Both videos below discuss what is included, when cohorts can begin, and the process behind preparing and translating these materials. The first video is in English and features Campbell Buie and Richard Aguilar. The second video is in Spanish and features Sofia Rodriguez and Richard Aguilar.
So, it’s June and you have just wrapped up the year with your students. They have made tremendous progress over the course of the year. The routine of the day flows naturally, the expectations about what is and isn’t appropriate behavior is fairly clear to all of them (and to you), and you leave the school year feeling confident that they are ready for the new challenges that lie ahead. You go into the summer months looking forward to a much needed break, but also looking forward to your new group of students in the fall.
Now that school is in session again, you're probably wondering about how you can connect with your students in the classroom and during lessons. The answer? Open-ended questions!
