Last fall, Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School ESL Teachers Penny Koinis and Kim Kaufman presented at the New York State Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (NYS TESOL) 43rd Annual Conference in White Plains. Koinis and Kaufman did a poster presentation entitled “Pushing our Youngest Learners (K-2) Towards Independence”.
The goal is always to apply Oyster Bay-East Norwich classroom best practices with ESL strategies to best help the students. Four ways to do this were showcased in the presentation: The use of learning targets, tactile tools and manipulatives, self-assessment rubrics, and classroom charts. All of the techniques and teaching strategies presented can be applied in either the mainstream or ESL classes. Everything reflected the implementation of the Common Core.
Koinis and Kaufman brought along a binder with plenty of examples for viewers to flip through and learn more.
A Teachers College Applied Linguistics representative, who was present, invited them both to share their presentation at the Teachers College annual winter conference.
On Saturday, March 1, Koinis and Kaufman presented at the 35th Annual NYS TESOL Applied Linguistics Winter Conference at Teachers College, Columbia University.
At both presentations, teachers and linguistic experts were amazed by the standards to which Oyster Bay-East Norwich holds the youngest learners accountable. The fact that Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School students self-assess, follow rubrics, are given a learning target as a goal for each lesson, and have so many content-rich classroom resources available was very impressive to the attendees.
See for yourself why the OBEN ESL teachers are held in such high regard. The community is encouraged to take part in their Family Literacy Outreach Program. This year, the ESL Family Literacy Outreach Program is focusing on math and is called “Math Mania.” Vernon ESL Teacher Samantha Levy-Wehr helps facilitate three Saturdays of family fun aimed at improving literacy skills. Each session takes place from 9:30 until 11 a.m. on April 26 in the Teddy Roosevelt School Computer Room, and May 31 in the OBEN Public Library.
