SURN Multilingual Learners 101 Workshop (Fall)
Do you have English Learners in your class and wonder how to meet their learning needs? Join us as we explore the fundamentals of teaching students for whom English is a second or other language. This one-day interactive workshop will provide participants with an understanding of how multilingual learners (MLL) acquire social and academic language and how we can more effectively teach them. We'll explore how to build background knowledge, identify and teach academic language, and provide language and reading practice across the content areas.
Workshop Topics
- Using an asset-based perspective to get to know our MLL,
- Identifying and teaching academic language in the Standards of Learning,
- Facilitating academic talk,
- Teaching literacy across the content areas, &
- Language practice throughout our lessons.
Facilitator
Joy Martin is the Associate Director of Professional Learning for the School-University Resource Network (SURN) at William & Mary. She began her career in education as an English as a Foreign Language teacher in China and then as an English as a Second Language teacher for elementary multilingual learners in Virginia. Following a master’s in school administration, Joy has held multiple leadership positions in school systems in Virginia, including as an assistant principal and district-wide leader in professional learning, and she has contributed in various roles to the ESL/Bilingual Education Program at William & Mary's School of Education. Whether she is facilitating a group or working with individuals through coaching, Joy enjoys learning with and supporting teachers and school leaders serving Virginia's K-12 students.
AUDIENCE
- K-12 Teachers, Coaches, Specialists, & Leaders
We strongly encourage divisions to send a team of teachers who are accompanied by a school or division leader (principal, assistant principal, coach, or specialist) who can support participants’ transfer of learning into practice.
INFORMATION
- Tuesday, November 10, 2026
- 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.; Check-in starts at 8:00 a.m.
- William & Mary School of Education
FEES
- $200/person - SURN Division Member
- $300/person - General (Non-SURN Division Member)
Registration now open!
Please email surn@wm.edu with any dietary needs you have prior to October 27, 2026. After this date, we are not able to accommodate dietary requests.
SURN is unable to provide a refund for this event. If a registered individual cannot attend, a substitute can be sent in their place. Please email surn@wm.edu with this change.
Registration will close approximately one week in advance of this event or earlier, if the event reaches capacity. We will update this webpage when registration closes.
For a full list of SURN Division Members, please visit SURN. If you're interested in your division joining SURN, please have your Superintendent or Superintendent's designee contact Dr. Amy Colley, SURN’s Executive Director, at accolley@wm.edu.
Please email surn@wm.edu with questions about registration or this event.