This session presents a series of misunderstandings or perceived misconceptions that still prevail in many parts of the American school system. Unless we fully acknowledge our personal biases when teaching  Multilinguals (MLs) and develop a conscious awareness of these biases, educators will find them to be obstacles against setting high expectations for all students. As we become aware of our prejudices, we will be able to create supportive systems that will allow our students to become successful and productive members of society. 

The second annual Impact Conference is a free virtual event that took place on December 6th, 7th, and 9th and featured experts in supporting the needs of multilingual learners. Impact is an opportunity for classroom teachers and administrators, curriculum and instruction specialists, education advocates, policymakers, and more to join in a community of professional learning with the common goal of furthering progress in multilingual education. Learn more about our presenter below and watch the all of the recorded sessions on our Community Page.

Session Resources:

• Read the article referenced during her session/session chat on Dictado as a strategy for MLLs
• Find a list of her published work on her article on Seidlitz Education Blog
• Follow Dr. Lara on Twitter to stay up to date with her work

Presenter Dr. Mónica Lara is a Senior Educational Consultant for Bilingualism and Biliteracy, Keynote speaker and author of ¡Toma la palabra!: Enlazando la oralidad y la lectoescritura and The Structure of a Reading Test in Grade 1: In Search of a Relationship with Reading in Spanish. She is also the co-author of ELLs in Texas: What Teachers Need to Know and ELs in Texas: What School Leaders Need to Know. She has been in education for over thirty years. Her roles in education include experience as a teacher, reading specialist, assistant principal, and educational specialist in the areas of dyslexia and bilingual/ESL education.  In addition, she assists districts in evaluating their Bilingual/ESL programs, and serves as an administrator and teacher coach/mentor, to ensure accountability and implementation of best practices for English Learners (ELs).