Although teachers are still on vacation during summer break, they remain dedicated to their students! During the last week of July, elementary school teachers learned how to improve the ways they teach our English Language Learners with Project GLAD. GLAD, which stands for Guided Language Acquisition Design, specializes in techniques to integrate instruction of all subject areas to a diverse classroom. Project GLAD works with teachers to improve English Language Learners (ELL) competency in reading comprehension, vocabulary, and other subjects while ensuring that their English proficient peers are not slowed down. It also makes learning more engaging, interactive, and accessible to all students without losing any of the core content.
Over the course of six days, 26 Corvallis School District elementary school teachers learned about the research and theory behind GLAD and had demonstration lessons with a Project GLAD trainer to observe the strategies in practice. Teachers were provided with high-end strategies that encourage critical thinking and collaboration, without assuming any student’s level of knowledge or proficiency.
Project GLAD helps teachers instruct to diverse classrooms and allows students to build meaningful relationships that transcend language and culture. As of October 1, 2017, 11.4% of elementary students across the district are receiving ELL services. Based upon data gathered by the district, students self-reported over 50 unique languages spoken in their households. “Because our community has a culturally diverse population, implementing inclusive teaching techniques and promoting diversity remain top priorities in our school district,” said Marcianne Rivero Koetje, the Equity and ELL Coordinator for Corvallis School District. “With GLAD training, our teachers can ensure that their classroom environment encourages the value in education across all cultures.”
Thank you to our teachers who participated in this training!