Seidlitz Education

09/26/2026

Somewhere between lesson plans, trainings, emails, and everything else on the list today… we’re making room for Dolly. 🎶

It is 9/25, after all. 😉

Happy Dolly Parton Day from !

09/25/2026

👀 ¿Quieren ver un poquito más?

We’ve been giving you pistas, sharing little glimpses, and keeping just enough under wraps.

But if you’re heading to TABE, you’ll finally get the chance to take a closer look.

Lotería is coming to TABE!

Stop by and take a peek at what Aloise and Mónica have been creating para nuestros maestros bilingües. We still can’t show you everything just yet... 😉

Pero en TABE? You can come see for yourself before its available for sale in November.

Nos vemos en San Antonio!

TABE 2026 takes place Oct. 16–19 at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter.

https://tabe.org/tabe2026

09/24/2026

Total Response Signals are great for getting every student involved, but participation isn’t the only reason to use them.

They can also give you a quick snapshot of what students understand, especially when the signal allows students to show different levels of understanding.

For example, after explaining a new concept, ask students to show:

✊ Everyone ready
1️⃣ Still confused
2️⃣ I think I understand
3️⃣ Ready to explain

The point isn’t that every signal requires a change in instruction. It’s that when every student responds, you’ve just collected information about your learners.

Paying attention to what those signals tell you is what turns participation into formative assessment.

09/23/2026

You probably don’t think of it as a “conference presentation.”

Maybe it’s the routine you changed that finally got more students talking. The way your team supports newcomers. A small shift in instruction that helped students access challenging content. Or a solution your campus found after trying a few things that didn’t quite work.

To you, it might just be what you do.

But that’s exactly what What’s Working 2027 is about: educators sharing the real strategies, ideas, and lessons they’re learning in classrooms, campuses, and districts.

You don’t need a revolutionary new program or a perfect success story. If you’ve found something that’s making a difference for multilingual learners, your experience is worth sharing!

What feels ordinary to you could be extraordinary to someone else and make all the difference.

The What’s Working 2027 Call for Proposals is open through October 2. We’d love to learn what’s working for you!

Submit your proposal:
tinyurl.com/WW27Proposal

09/22/2026

It’s often the little things that make the biggest difference.

A teacher taking the time to pronounce a student’s name correctly.
Seeing students’ cultures and experiences reflected in what they learn.
Providing scaffolds that communicate, “I know you can do this.”

None of these things alone creates a sense of belonging.

However, together they create a classroom where students can feel seen, valued, and capable.

Belonging isn’t always built through big programs or grand gestures. It’s shaped by the small decisions students experience with us, and with one another, every day.

On September 29 at 5:30 PM CST, join Dr. Marie Heath, Larry Ferlazzo, Carol Salva, and Anna Matis for a conversation about supporting multilingual learners’ sense of belonging. They’ll explore practical ways educators can create learning environments where multilingual learners feel valued, connected, and ready to participate, followed by a live Q&A.

Register here:
https://www.seidlitzeducation.com/upcoming_events/supporting-multilingual-learner-s-sense-of-belonging--121

09/22/2026

Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to bring authentic voices, histories, and experiences into the classroom.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino offers free bilingual resources that can help students explore those experiences in both English and Spanish. Their collections include art, music, poetry, history, cultural traditions, biographies, and other materials designed for classroom use.

Explore the Smithsonian’s free bilingual resources:
https://buff.ly/y1eYjj2

Our bilingual materials are created to explore various approaches and to enhance the classroom learning experience.

09/18/2026

The Prep Check: Before students turn and talk

A strong classroom conversation usually starts before anyone begins talking. That’s one reason we use QSSSA to give students a clear structure for processing and responding.

Before you launch the conversation, check a few things:

Is the question worth discussing?
If students can answer it with one word, there probably isn’t much to talk about.

Have you given students a signal and enough think time?
A little processing time helps more students enter the conversation ready to contribute.

Do they have a stem that supports the kind of language you want to hear?
The stem should help students get started without doing the thinking for them.

Do students know how the share will work?
Who will speak? What should partners listen for? What might they be asked to share afterward?

That little bit of structure is what turns “turn and talk” into purposeful academic conversation!

09/17/2026

There is still time to register and join us online! 9/29

Are you registered? Larry Ferlazzo, Anna Matis, and I are excited to get some practical tips from author and Seidlitz consultant Dr. Marie Heath . Here is your registration link: https://seidlitzeducation.zoom.us/meeting/register/y0w1ahvlRuu7GEzzCGsKqA #/registration Hope to see you there! Learn more here: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1767687967654164&id=100032389342443