ML Chat: Conversations with Multilingual Educators

You’ll be inspired by this week’s ML Chat guest, Valentina Gonzalez. Her journey began as an immigrant and language learner, and she is now a 25-year veteran in multilingual education and co-author of Welcome to Teaching Multilingual Learners . An advocate for ML students and language-rich classrooms, Valentina supports teachers through embedded coaching and practical strategies to honor students’...

How do you serve multilingual learners across a large district using current resources? In this episode of the ML Chat Podcast, Dr. Merica Clinkenbeard, Director of ELD for Springfield Public Schools, Missouri, shares how she leverages collaboration, teacher leadership, and language-rich instruction to drive systemic change. She also reflects on launching a Newcomer Academy to support students and...

Join the ML Chat conversation with Maggie Churchill, veteran ESL Language Arts teacher and adjunct at William Paterson University. She shares how consistent routines and flexibility create stability for multilingual learners—especially those facing trauma, post-COVID challenges, and disrupted education. Discover how project-based lessons, teacher collaboration, and professional networks fuel class...

Tune in to the ML Chat Podcast for practical strategies to create literacy-rich classrooms. Heather Benitez, ESL Coordinator and veteran teacher, shares how she fosters academic discourse and builds structured literacy routines across content areas. Serving a Texas district with 26 languages, Heather champions culturally responsive teaching, ongoing support for teachers, and inclusive practices th...

ELD coach and teacher Heather Nyseth brings a unique dual perspective to the ML Chat Podcast. She shares how coach-teacher relationship-building, professional development with teacher choice, and reflective practices have fueled growth across her district. Heather highlights the resilience of multilingual learners and how collaboration among educators fosters more effective, equitable learning env...

Join our esteemed panel of educators as they reflect on their mission to integrate the science of reading into ESL instruction. Dr. Jennifer Pendergrass-Bennefield, Dr. Tabatha Tierce, Dr. David Chiesa, and Assistant Superintendent John Parker discuss Georgia’s dyslexia law and how ESL, special education, and general education teams can work together to make research-based literacy accessible to a...

In today’s MLChat, Dr. Marlowe Cross and Jon Auld from Metro Nashville Public Schools share their experiences supporting teachers and multilingual learners as EL coaches. Discover practical strategies for integrating English language development into secondary content classes for accelerated student growth. Plus, explore how modeling, feedback, reflection, and effective data analysis can elevate t...

If your goal is to offer multilingual students an inclusive and supportive environment, you won’t want to miss this episode of the ML Chat Podcast. EL Coordinator Graham Litters discusses the value of co-teaching models, sharing strategies to encourage student interaction, language usage, and engagement. With double the support, English Learners thrive when Math, Science, Social Studies, and ELA t...

This episode of ML Chat is a love letter to multilingual learners and the teachers who fight for them. Mandi Morris sits down with Martha Boisselle and Kristen Leathers, whose work in Boston Public Schools is transforming what it means to teach English—not as a barrier, but as a bridge. It’s a story of heart, courage, and the power of educators to rewrite the future.

In this episode of ML Chat, Steve Gill and Marcelo Sousa engage in a powerful conversation about what it truly means to support multilingual learners. Drawing on their personal experiences and decades of work in schools, they discuss how empathy, mentorship, and listening to students' stories can transform education. It’s a poignant reminder that real change happens when we truly see each learner...

Join the ML-Chat Podcast as Dr. Suha Solano, a trailblazing leader for multilingual learners, shares her powerful journey from the Dominican Republic to Delaware’s Brandywine School District. With heart, humor, and hard-earned wisdom, she dives into the tools and strategies transforming classrooms into empowering spaces for all!

Is curiosity the secret ingredient to success in education? This week’s ML Chat Podcast highlights Dr. Ester De Jong, a trailblazer in bilingual education. From beginning her career in the Netherlands to shaping ESL education in the U.S., Dr. De Jong shares why curiosity is key to a thriving teaching career and how self reflection empowers educators to build effective and open-minded classrooms.

In this episode of the ML Chat Podcast, ML-specialist Adriana Cernucan and K-12 science coordinator Leslie Jones dish out how they’re supercharging language learning with content-based science classes. By blending language goals with science lessons, they’re helping students boost both writing and content skills—flipping multilingualism from a challenge to a superpower!

As the Director of Multilingual Instructional Support at Aldine ISD, Jeanette Mercer leads the charge in supporting over 57,000 students across 80 campuses. Jeanette joins the ML Chat Podcast and reveals the game-changing strategies behind her district’s success, and how teachers and students alike are reaping the rewards of culturally inclusive teaching.

On this episode of the ML Chat podcast, we dive into Sarah Whitfield’s rapidly changing world as a District ML Instructional Specialist for Cabarrus County Schools. As the ML population in North Carolina grows, Sarah and her district grow along with it, developing enrichment programs and inclusive teaching practices that have students and teachers thriving.

Educator Lauren MacLean has found a powerful community-based approach to teaching multilingual learners. In this week’s ML Chat podcast, Lauren shows us the importance of building meaningful connections with students and their families, playing to a student’s strengths, and how teachers can learn from their students in return.

Get schooled by our latest discussion with Dr. Kate Toppel, educator, organizer, and author of DIY PD: A Guide to Self-Directed Learning for Educators of Multilingual Learners . She shares strategies for successful co-teaching, balancing responsibilities with motherhood, and the power of K.I.S.S. - Keeping It Simple, (for) Students.

Erick Olivas joins the ML Chat Podcast to share about his journey of immigrating to the U.S. with his family at age 2. Hear about his parents’ sacrifice, overcoming the language barrier, and how playing soccer kept his feet on the ground through it all.

In this ML Chat Podcast episode, hosts Justin Hewett and Mandi Morris talk with Erick Casallas, Assistant Superintendent for English Learners in Clark County, Las Vegas. Erick shares his journey from school volunteer to district leader, offering insights on supporting English learners through love, respect, and active student participation.

In this episode of the ML Chat Podcast, Justin Hewett and Mandi Morris chat with Jessica Payano, a former NYC science teacher and educational consultant. Jessica shares tips for integrating language learning into content classes, building schema, and activating prior knowledge. Learn high-impact, low-effort strategies and how empathy and collaboration can support multilingual learners.

In this ML Chat Podcast episode, hosts Justin Hewett and Mandy Morris welcome seasoned educators Meg Burke and Bethany Gale to discuss building impactful professional learning networks (PLNs). They share insights on creating effective PLNs, their WIDA conference presentation, and the power of flexible professional learning, all centered on student success and community engagement.

In this episode of the ML Chat Podcast, hosts Justin Hewett and Mandi Morris dive into an inspiring talk with Shawn Ford, an educator from Kapi'olani Community College in Hawai'i. Shawn reveals his unexpected path into teaching and the game-changing Second Language Teaching Program that’s shaping future TESOL educators with real-world skills. Discover his passion for hands-on learning, identity-bu...

Don't miss this episode of the ML Chat Podcast, where Mary Castanuela, a first-generation Mexican American and Regional Testing Coordinator, shares her journey of balancing cultural heritage with educational success. Mary offers powerful insights on supporting bilingual students, fostering collaboration, and preserving heritage languages.

Join host Mandi Morris on the ML Chat Podcast as she interviews Fred Pleis, an instructional specialist for multilingual learners in Charleston County. Fred shares his journey from aspiring accountant to teacher, shaped by martial arts, and his work in multilingual education across Philadelphia, California, and Colorado. He also discusses high-reliability models, profession-centered PLCs, and data...

In this ML Chat Podcast episode, hosts Justin Hewett and Mandi Morris talk with Mia Allen, a veteran educator with 25 years of experience serving language learners. Mia shares her journey as a teacher, coach, consultant, and WIDA certified trainer, discussing her work in dual language curriculums, SLIFE teaching, and her return to the classroom to support refugee students.