Maria Angala, NBCT A literacy framework sitting in one classroom helps a handful of kids. The same framework, adapted and tested across different countries and contexts by a community of teachers, has the potential to shift outcomes for multilingual and neurodivergent learners at scale. That’s the vision behind building this out as a global community of practice, not a one-off resource.
Most schools buy the AI tool first and figure out the training later — or never. The research is blunt about this: adoption is climbing, but professional development isn’t keeping pace, and that gap is exactly where good intentions go to die. Empower the teachers first. The tool comes second.
Most AI tools are designed around a “typical” learner who doesn’t actually exist in your classroom. If you teach neurodivergent students, you have to get selective — look for tools that support executive functioning, flexible communication, and sensory needs, not just ones that check an accessibility box. A few small choices in what you pick (and how you use it) make a huge difference.
A special friend of mine sent me this book last week, Leading for Refugees and Newcomers: Cases for K–12 Educators. The kind you put down after a chapter and just… sit with. I haven’t finished it yet. Well, I haven’t even got into the middle of the chapters. But I sat with the first two … Read more
I remember sitting in an initial evaluation meeting early in my career, looking at a young girl who had just moved to the country six months prior. The data showed she was struggling with reading and followed almost no verbal directions. The team was ready to label her with a “Specific Learning Disability.” But something … Read more
The first time I had to call a parent to discuss a significant behavioral regression, my palms were sweating so much I nearly dropped the classroom phone. I was a new teacher, and I felt like I was being summoned to the principal’s office—even though I was the one in charge. I worried they’d think … Read more
As a Special Education and English Learner teacher, I used this lesson with students who struggle with reading comprehension and written expression at my Washington DC school. In my role as the Digital Literacy Academy lead, I often see students who are essentially “information-blind” when they look at a complex page of text. For a … Read more
Sharing resources on Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) isn’t just a side hustle; it’s a powerful tool for professional advocacy and teacher retention. By putting your specialized SPED and ELL materials into the world, you amplify your impact far beyond your own four walls and help keep fellow educators in the profession. I remember sitting at … Read more
I remember the first time I sat across from a new teacher who was nearly in tears. She had a classroom full of students who were both English Language Learners (ELLs) and had significant cognitive disabilities. She looked at me and said, “I have 50 minutes for English, and I’m spending 40 of them just … Read more
Sitting at your desk at 5:00 PM on a Friday with a mountain of crumpled sticky notes, half-filled clipboards, and the nagging feeling that you missed a data point for “Student A’s” social-emotional goal is a rite of passage in special education. But I’m here to tell you: it doesn’t have to be your reality. … Read more
