In this episode, I speak with best selling author and EL consultant Tonya Singer. We get some great tips from Tonya and I’m sure you’ll be inspired by the way she is working to empower teachers of ELs.

You can listen to the show in your favorite podcast app or right here:

Thanks to Tan Huynh & Dr. Katie Toppel, all of us can now participate in a book study for teachers of ELs over Twitter. You can read more about the #ELLchat_BkClub slow book chat here.  I was participating in the chat when we studied EL Excellence Every Day: The Flip To Guide for Differentiating Academic Literacy. It is a fantastic guide for teachers of ELs and we were all so happy that Tonya participated in the chat with us.

I had a chance to meet her at WIDA2018. In fact, MANY of us in our Twitter PLN got to meet her and other #ELLchat_bkClub authors.  Recognize any of the folks in this pic?  It was our #Ellchat_bkClub meet up!

I loved connecting with all of these EL advocates in Detroit and I jumped at the chance to interview Tonya to share her passion with you all.  One of my favorite quotes from this episode is when Tonya is talking about writing.  She says that she loves helping ELs see that what they want to express in the world is valuable.  What a fantastic way to look at our role as teachers.

Tonya also shares about shifting the discourse, classroom culture and why mistakes really ARE magic.  I agree with her when she says that teachers must feel comfortable taking risks and that sometimes, the productive struggle is exactly what will propel a student forward.  Hmmmmm… now that’s something to think about!  If you listen to the show, you’ll hear so many more great insights from Tonya.

To give you a sense of who Tonya is, you’ll love this short video.  Tonya surprised a family in Mexico who she hadn’t seen in 25 years.  She dedicated her book to them and you will love watching that moment unfold in this short clip:

A favorite tip of mine from the show is when Tonya tells us about how she creates sentence frames from what the class says when they are speaking about a topic.  She shares with us that the “I do, We do, You do” model is important but sometimes, we just need to let them speak to hear what they are able to really do.

You can follow Tonya Singer on Twitter at @TonyaWardSinger

Lots of free downloads here: TonyaSinger.com/ELExcellence

sure to also check out her website and blog here: TonyaSinger.com

Big Thanks to Tonya for being my guest and for her work in the field. I’m a fan!

And a big thanks to YOU for all the greatness you are putting into the world.  If you’re listening to this show, it’s because you have an interest in supporting English learners.  I hope you enjoyed this show and I hope you’ll connect with me and Tonya about it.

{{Hugs}}

Carol

PS: Have you left a review for the show in your podcast app?  It would really help! TIA!!

PSS: Can you join me in Des Moines, Detroit, or Omaha?  I’d love to see you at one of these events if you’re reading this before January 2019.  Otherwise, check out upcoming events here: seidlitzeducation.com/upcoming-events