SWEL Workshop in Alexandria

SWEL Summer Institute in Alexandria, VA

Education and Events

What if your multilingual learners of English could be supported throughout the school day and not just when you are in the room? The Teacher Leadership for School-Wide English Learning (SWEL) workshop series can help make this a reality!

During our SWEL Summer Institute, 5-8 August in Alexandria, VA, English language teaching experts will facilitate all three SWEL workshops in just four days. You will receive the training, resources, and tools you need to efficiently, effectively, and confidently share your expertise with colleagues. The SWEL systematic framework recognizes teacher professional learning is most effective when it is in-house.

Learn about the impact of SWEL below from Jenny Leroux, a SWEL coach and district ELD program facilitator!

"Our SWEL coaches-in-training have already begun coaching, and we have received survey feedback from a number of classroom and content teachers who are engaging in SWEL coaching. All of the current respondents agree or strongly agree that since working with a SWEL coach they feel more prepared to work with multilingual learners, and have more strategies and tools to support multilingual learners in their classrooms.

One classroom teacher reported, 'Working with a SWEL coach has been incredibly helpful in planning language arts, literacy, Reader's Workshop, and Writer's Workshop. It has been wonderful having this opportunity to partner with our SWEL coach to plan content objectives and language objectives, learn new ideas for teaching approaches and strategies, and design and develop lessons that support not only our multilingual learners, but all of our learners.'

I recommend SWEL training as a resource to create successful ELD coaching partners. We believe in the potential of SWEL coaching to lead to optimum learning environments for our multilingual learners."

In this four-day, 24-hour live workshop, you'll complete these three SWEL workshops.

Workshop One: SWEL Contextual Language Workshop

This workshop builds upon ESL teachers’ existing knowledge of language learning and teaching, focusing on how to harness that knowledge and share it with general education teaching colleagues. The contextual approach to language instruction provides a framework for developing content area language instruction and strengthening home language support in the general education classroom.

Workshop Two: SWEL Professional Development Workshop

The SWEL Professional Development (PD) Workshop will examine what makes PD effective for teachers and site-based decision making. Teacher participants will be trained to facilitate professional development for their peers and provided the materials to do so through their use of Teacher Leadership for School-Wide English Learning text and Framework.

Workshop Three: SWEL Coaching Workshop and Administrators’ Workshop

Workshop Three brings together ESL teachers and their school administrators. ESL teachers will learn non-evaluative peer coaching principles, set SMART goals, and plan to implement the SWEL Coaching Cycle.

This in-person workshop takes place 5 - 8 August 2024 from 9:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EDT each day at the TESOL office in Alexandria, VA.

Once you complete the workshop, you will receive a digital badge and certificate you can share online.

To use as a reference, you will receive a copy of Teacher Leadership for School-Wide English Language Learning.

Pricing*

Type	Rate
TESOL Member	US$2,150
Nonmember	US$2,298

*Participants cover food and transportation on their own. There is ample paid parking near the TESOL office and the Huntington metro stop is nearby. There are also many places to eat within walking distance.

Register by 1 August 2024. Questions? Contact us.

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More About This Workshop

SWEL Certificate

ESL Teachers are the primary audience for the SWEL Certificate Workshop Series, with special sessions that include their school administrators. Each workshop can be completed as a standalone professional development opportunity, but ESL teachers who complete all three SWEL Certificate Workshops will earn a TESOL Certificate and digital badge.

Workshop One: SWEL Contextual Language Workshop

This Workshop builds upon ESL teachers’ existing knowledge of language learning and teaching, focusing on how to harness that knowledge and share it with general education teaching colleagues. The contextual approach to language instruction provides a framework for developing content area language instruction and strengthening home language support in the general education classroom.

Workshop Two: SWEL Professional Development Workshop

The SWEL Professional Development (PD) Workshop will examine what makes PD effective for teachers and site-based decision making. Teacher participants will be trained to facilitate professional development for their peers and provided the materials to do so through their use of Teacher Leadership for School-Wide English Learning text and Framework.

Workshop Three: SWEL Coaching Workshop and Administrators’ Workshop

Workshop Three brings together ESL teachers and their school administrators. ESL teachers will learn non-evaluative peer coaching principles, set SMART goals, and plan to implement the SWEL Coaching Cycle.

Inclusive of the SWEL Coaching Workshop is the SWEL Administrators’ Workshop. Administrators who attend this workshop are leaders in schools and districts with English language teachers who are enrolled in the SWEL Coaching Workshop. Modules that are inclusive of administrators address the need for a school-wide English learning model, distributed leadership, and support in co-drafting an action plan for implementation.

Who Should Attend?

SWEL workshops are intended for practicing English as a second language (ESL, ELD, EL, ELL, ESOL, etc.) teachers. We know that ESL certification looks different from state to state and this model accounts for that variation.

What Will I Learn?

Develop enhanced expertise in non-evaluative peer instructional coaching and delivery of professional development to groups that is customized to local needs and supports general education teacher colleagues in feeling more prepared to meet the needs of their language learners.
Choose from a variety of prepared and flexible professional development materials.
Create a plan of action for your responsibilities related to supporting general education colleagues in their work with language learners.
Gain confidence in your expertise related to second language acquisition.
Ensure support for language learners throughout the school day, not just when you are able to work directly with your students.

About the Instructors

Sarah Sahr, Ed.D., is the head of education & events at TESOL International Association. Her professional career includes extensive experience as a teacher and administrator in various international settings, most notably as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia, a school teacher/administrator with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, and an English language specialist with the U.S. Department of State. Her research interests include online communities of practice/professional learning networks, teacher self-efficacy, combating teacher isolation, co-teaching practices, and translanguaging. She is a certified ashtanga yoga instructor, an avid reader, and a novice runner. She is lucky enough to have an amazing husband and cat who follow her around the world on her crazy adventures.

Gracie Allely, M.Ed., has over 12 years of experience in English language education as a K–12, adult education, and university teacher. She is now the associate director of education at TESOL International Association. She is currently completing her educational doctorate at the University of North Dakota. Additionally, she has developed and delivered on-site and/or virtual training/consulting for teachers in Ecuador, Mongolia, Turkey, and Vietnam.