18. Collaboration with teachers, families and students - Beth Mailley’s insight

Apr 26 2022 • 41 mins

In this episode, I am chatting with Beth Mailley. Beth is an ESL teacher in the Washington, DC area. She has been teaching for 23 years with 11 years as a classroom teacher before becoming an ESL teacher. She has been in that role for the past 12 years and loves it. When she is not teaching, she is most likely reading, hanging out with family, or trying to convince herself to exercise. It was such a pleasure to speak with Beth.

She shares how she ended up in the ELL field after being a language learner herself during a service trip to Mexico. She experienced first-hand how frustrating it can be to learn a new language and the importance of non-verbal communication and human connection in the process. She opens up about how she utilizes that human connection now to collaborate with teachers, families and students. And of course, she gives her best tips for making the most important connections and setting up your classroom for success.

What you’ll hear about collaboration:

Tips for collaborating with fellow teachers, even when common planning time is tight
Models for co teaching that you may not have considered
Ideas for preparing your students for a new English Learner to join your class
How to partner with parents and families by asking the right questions at parent-teacher conferences
Ways to collaborate with students on their own language learning path

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!