ELL News Headlines

Indianapolis Public Schools named two Teachers of the Year in surprise announcements on the last day of Teacher Appreciation Week. Below, Brandon Denning and Robin Houdek answer questions about their work and reflect on the joy of hands-on learning, the importance of reflecting on their teaching practices, and what teaching means to them.

The role of knowledge in reading comprehension has been in the news lately. Here's a teacher's "take" on it based on real-life experience in the classroom. Kyair Butts was teacher of the year for the Baltimore public schools in 2019. He supports educators and students in areas of literacy and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

When Khalis Noori and his family opened a new restaurant in Maryland, they named it My Kabul as a tribute to the home they lost when they were forced to flee during the Taliban takeover in 2021. Long before fleeing, Noori had studied the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on the citizens of developing countries while earning his master’s degree in the United Kingdom. So when Noori arrived in the United States, he was quickly hired by the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service — one of the largest resettlement agencies — at their regional office in northern Virginia. Despite burning his educational degrees and all evidence of working with foreigners only months prior, Noori shot up the ranks of the LIRS. Those years of experience had made him a resource to countless Afghans resettling in the DC region — many of them struggling with job security and housing.

Angela and her family left their home in Colombia after her husband, a police officer, received multiple death threats amid rising violence in the South American country. Through tips from other newly arrived Colombian mothers, Angela discovered a new city pilot program called Promise NYC, which in January began covering up to $700 a week in child care for low-income, undocumented immigrant families. In late March, Angela's son, just shy of 2 years old, became one of about 600 children who received vouchers to enroll in subsidized day care or after-school programs that are otherwise unavailable to those without legal immigration status. But it could all end on July 1, if the City Council approves Mayor Eric Adams' proposed budget, which slashes the pilot program for next fiscal year. 

New research into child language acquisition has made strong links between cognitive skills and language learning, challenging long-term beliefs that children develop language skills independently of cognitive function relating to abilities such as spatial awareness.

A large study across 18 countries found that adolescents with intense social media use are more likely to experience poor sleep patterns. These findings suggest that social media use by adolescents may be a global concern that should become a priority of international public health efforts. The research has been published in the journal Sleep Health.

By exploring outside their classroom — and even their schoolyard — two teachers found their students’ learning potential became boundless.

Speaking from my experience as a Spanish-language learner, it can be pretty scary to try speaking in a new language. Here are some ideas from teachers to help our students do just that ...

Latino youth in middle and high school have a lower sense of belonging at school and in the community overall when compared with white peers. That is a key finding from my analysis, which is currently under review and based on surveys with students in midsize districts – one urban and one suburban – on the East Coast. I also found that being a language learner is associated with lower school belonging.

At about 7 a.m. on a cold morning in early March, the power went out at Mount Vernon Community School in Alexandria. When the children arrived, the teachers walked them through the halls with flashlights, settled them into their classrooms and began teaching as if nothing had happened. Mount Vernon Community’s principal — Liza Burrell-Aldana — has been selected by The Washington Post as the 2023 Principal of the Year from 16 finalists in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.