Click below to hear how to create a culture of reading in your school:
Are you looking to create a culture of reading at your school and with your ELLs? We all know that reading opens so many doors for our students but getting them to read can be a struggle. Today I am joined by high school librarian Terrie Sharp, who is sharing how she helped create a culture of learning in her school.
There can be many obstacles in getting ELL students and emergent bilingual students to read but it is so important that we help them become readers. Terrie saw there was a need to make reading more accessible to the students in her high school in order to help them develop their reading skills. In this episode, Terrie is sharing her background and current role, what the Cowboys Read! program is and how it got started, how the program created a culture of reading in the school, and what’s next for the program.
Terrie is celebrating almost 30 years as an educator at McCollum high school in San Antonio, Texas. She began her career as an English teacher and taught all levels, from IS to AP and everything in between. Her love of books and reading inspired her to make a change 15 years ago and became the librarian at McCollum. Inspired by students, Terrie has developed the Cowboys Read! program to promote reading without restrictions tied to checking books out of the library. Terrie enjoys how different every year can be at the best job in the world, a librarian.
Are you looking for a way to teach engaging lessons in a much easier way? Check our the Equipping ELLs membership! You’ll have access to monthly lesson plans, resources, monthly coaching, and more!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Terrie’s background, current role, and what makes her district unique
- How the idea for the Cowboy’s Read! program came about and how Terrie was actually able to begin the program
- How the program created a culture of reading among students and teachers at school
- What feedback Terrie has receive about the program
- What’s next for the Cowboys Read! program to engage students even more
Resources:
- Cowboys Read! program
- Download the ESL Teacher Toolkit
- Join the Equipping ELLs Membership
- Check out the ELL Strategy Academy
- Shop TpT resources that help with supporting your ELLs
- Check out Thorndike Press Large Print Books
Related episodes and blog posts:
- 5 Ways to Encourage ELLs to Practice English at Home
- 3 ways to build background with students who don’t have background on that topic
Connect with Beth:
Connect with Terrie:
More about Equipping ELLs:
We all know that teaching isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be this hard. Equipping ELLs is a podcast for both ESL specialists and homeroom teachers who are looking for effective and engaging ways to support their English Language Learners without adding to their endless to-do list. Tune in each week to hear tips, strategies, and inspirational stories that will empower you to better reach your ELL students, equip them with life-long skills, and strengthen relationships with colleagues and parents.
Your host, Beth Vaucher, is the founder of Inspiring Young Learners. She is an ESL certified homeroom teacher with over 10 years of experience teaching in the US and internationally. Her background of M.Ed in ESL and Curriculum and Instruction combined with her experience has led her to develop a bestselling newcomer curriculum that has sold in over 90 countries around the globe. She brings a different perspective to teaching ELLs from her years teaching and living abroad and working with ELLs from around the world. You will walk away from each episode with the ideas and tools you need to transform your experience as a teacher and cultivate a thriving and welcoming environment for your ELL students.
