When my son was in second grade, his teacher was absent a lot. It seemed his class had one or more substitutes almost every week. It’s impossible for subs to run the classroom exactly as the regular teacher d

Engage Every Family:  Five Simple PrinciplesSteven M. ConstantinoISBN:  978-1506303994Amazon

Parent/Teacher Conferences were days I enjoyed when teaching at the elementary level. Yes, the days were l

Last month, I made the claim that one result of incomprehensible classroom language is the creation of long-term ELs. These are students who have been in U.S. schools for six or more years and have reached a

Dear Dr. Mooney, 

I’ve heard that teachers should provide comprehensible input to students, because it is supposed to help them acquire English. My question is  – How? It feels like I should know the ans

Note: The final article in our October 2019 series on relevant discussion topics showing how the Dear Dr. Mooney community offers teachers of English Learners a unique chance to give and receive

Note: This fourth article of our five-week series in October 2019 highlights relevant discussion topics to emphasize how the Dear Dr. Mooney community is a place where teachers of English Learners can give

Note: Taking October 2019 to new levels of community by focusing on relevant discussion topics, this article continues a five-week series raising the value of community where teachers of English Learners can

Note: Continuing our second-ever month focused on discussion (October 2019), this article forms part of a five-week series raising the value of community where teachers of English Learners can give and

Note:  October 2019 is our second-ever month focused on discussion. This article and four more like it form a month-long series emphasizing the value of community where teachers of English Learners can give

Dear Dr. Mooney,

I have a couple of newcomers from the Marshall Islands in my class this year, and I don’t speak Marshallese. Thankfully, I have some other students who do! The problem is that when I

The Newcomers: Finding Refuge, Friendship, and Hope in an American ClassroomHelen ThorpeISBN:  978-1501159091Amazon

I had been teaching English learners for 11 years when I met a true newcomer for

Dear Dr. Mooney,About half of my students are ELs. Their language abilities range from beginner to almost native-speaker like. Most are really well behaved, polite, kind, and hard working. I really enjoy

Don't Let ELs' Chatter Fool You! Have you ever wondered why your English learners can chatter away in English, telling detailed stories about their weekend? Or why they complain