We are right there with you.

You just had the most challenging 18 months in your career as an educator of culturally and linguistically diverse learners.

You strive to start the 2021-2022 school year empowered with proactive ideas, practical tools, and proven methods.

You want to build professional relationships that will help you better serve your multilingual students.

We designed this workshop series with you in mind.

About the Series

  • WHO

    Educators who want to engage in a critical friends group to seek actionable solutions to real-world issues.

  • WHAT

    Six (6) online workshops | Earn up to 12 Contact Hours

  • WHEN

    Thursdays: July 8, 15, 22, 29, August 5, 12 | 4:00pm to 6:00pm

  • WHERE

    Online via Zoom

  • HOW

    Together! You submit your challenge, and we’ll work together to create action plans that will genuinely make a difference.

  • WHY

    We’re devoted to our students and their success.

What's included

  • Resources

    Access to rich, professional reading resources via the online resource library.

  • Guidance

    Instruction on how to use protocols to collaboratively and efficiently tackle complex problems.

  • Discussion

    Courageous conversations with colleagues.

What it looks like

  1. You choose a dilemma that you anticipate will affect you during the upcoming school year. Share your dilemmas with Sara and Kelly via the online form after you register for the workshop. (The form is located inside the Resource Library.)

  2. Sara and Kelly will group you with colleagues to help seek solutions to your dilemma.

  3. Sara and Kelly will provide structure with instruction on how to use a protocol to dissect a complex issue, professional reading resources, and facilitation of collaborative work to create an action plan.

  4. One dilemma will be presented each week. The group will follow the protocol to develop solutions. Then, the whole group will meet to debrief and share our results.

  5. Resources will be added to the Synergy = Solutions Resource Library a few days after the live workshop so you can reference them on your own time, as needed.


An example dilemma submission:

I teach multilingual learners at a suburban high school. My students feel disconnected from their school community. We suffer from social issues such as teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and frequent fights. It is very difficult to help my students find entry points to feel included in our learning community. Very few of my students participate in any extracurricular activities due to lack of transportation, work schedules, or caring for younger siblings. My students also feel like they don’t have activities that appeal to them. How can I start to make a positive difference for my students and make them feel valued in our school?


There's still time to register for the first workshop!

• Zoom info will be inside the Resource Library. •

  • 00 Days
  • 00 Hours
  • 00 Minutes
  • 00 Seconds
Register Now

Facilitators

Instructor

Kelly Meyer Blum

Kelly Blum has 30 years of education experience in Westerville, Ohio. She first arrived in the area as a student of French and English education at Otterbein, where she continued on to obtain her M.A. and a TESOL endorsement as well. She currently serves as Secondary TESOL Curriculum Specialist for Westerville City Schools and is an adjunct professor for Ashland University. Her passion for culturally sustaining instructional practices drives her creation of professional development opportunities for colleagues. She believes in collaborative problem-solving approaches to make a difference one learner/educator/classroom/school community at a time until a far-reaching impact brings positive change for many.

Founder

Sara Levitt

Sara Levitt is an educator who has a passion for working with teachers and administrators to better the educational experience for all learners. She is the founder of SJL Educational Consultants and teaches graduate courses at Walsh University and Muskingum University. Described as funny, dynamic, and engaging, Sara creates a learning environment that benefits teachers with different levels of experience. She specializes in English learners, and is particularly adept at supporting diverse populations as well. Sara is a past president of the Ohio TESOL Board and currently serves as Membership Coordinator. Sara serves on OEA’s EL Cadre and the school board of the Arts and College Preparatory Academy (ACPA).

Pricing Options

Save when registering as a group.*

*If you are registering only yourself, you will gain instant access to the Resource Library, including Zoom links for upcoming workshops.

If you are registering a team of 2-4 people, you will gain instant access to the Resource Library and your team members will be added manually, after we obtain information about the people you are registering. Upon registering your team, please send their full names and email addresses to Sara Levitt at [email protected]..

If you wish to register a team of 5+ people, please contact Sara Levitt at [email protected].