NYSAFLT Annual Conference 2024

Join us for a dynamic roundtable discussion and breakout sessions on how NYSAFLT can take concrete steps to actively seek out and elevate a greater and diverse representation of presenters in all areas of our professional learning. This session will focus on strategies for increasing diversity in our conferences, virtual workshops, and committee collaborations. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue, share experiences, and brainstorm actionable solutions for fostering a more inclusive and representative professional community.We will explore best practices for identifying and reaching out to potential presenters of marginalized groups, building partnerships with organizations and communities to broaden our network, ensuring that our selection processes are inclusive and equitable, and creating supportive environments for presenters of marginalized groups to share their expertise and perspectives.Additionally, we invite you to bring your best DEI-themed bling to share at our DEI exhibitor table! From pins and stickers to educational materials and beyond, let's celebrate our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in language education. Don’t miss this chance to contribute to the ongoing dialogue and help shape the future of NYSAFLT’s professional learning landscape.

This presentation explores the intersection of Social-Emotional-Cultural Learning (SECL) and language education. Through a research-based approach, participants will discover how SECL principles can serve as foundational pillars for fostering connections between students, teachers, and the greater community. The session will offer research-based lessons and class activities designed to instill classrooms with values of cooperation, equality, justice, understanding, kindness, teamwork, diversity, and tolerance. Attendees will learn strategies to cultivate a vision of success and establish an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity, thereby enhancing cultural competence and global citizenship among students.

In this workshop the presenters will guide participants through the revised NYS Learning Standards for World Languages at Checkpoint A, sharing classroom activity and instructional strategies. As members of the OHM BOCES checkpoint assessment team, the presenters will also share tips and recommendations for assessments and performance indicators.

Our Leaders of Tomorrow are showcasing what they do in their classrooms to support the NYSED World Language Shifts. Come see what real changes they’ve applied in their classes in order to shift from themes to topics, from standards to modes, from grades to feedback. We are also available to chat if you are interested in joining our program. If you’re a former participant, stop by to share your leadership trajectory with our new leaders. This is a panel discussion.

It can be a unique experience to teach language in a non-public school: from tiny class sizes to a lack of fellow department members, many language teachers find the experience to be an isolating one. This session will provide an opportunity to meet other teachers in similar situations, share concerns and successes, and establish a network for potential future collaboration.

Do you have reluctant speakers in your class? Looking for new, energizing brain breaks or bell-ringer activities? In this session we will role play 10 low-prep, high impact interpersonal speaking strategies that can be scaffolded from novice to advanced learners. Join us and take away classroom applications that you can implement Monday morning at any level.

Michael is a Spanish teacher with 26 years of experience and Olivia is a French teacher with 4 years of experience. Both started working together on their district curriculum review team. Presenters will share their process of collaborating with different perspectives and sharing ideas as they create new thematic resources that are universal to any language. Participants will have time to collaborate together and create. Examples will be given in French and Spanish.

In our diverse classrooms, students bring unique identities, language varieties, and cultural backgrounds, including those of heritage language learners. As educators, we must respect and empower students to embrace their individuality and heritage. This presentation explores challenges like the implications of asking 'where are you from?', correctly addressing students by their names, appreciating language varieties, and implementing trauma-informed teaching. We'll discuss strategies for creating an inclusive environment that celebrates student diversity, including heritage language learners, fostering respect and belonging. Understanding these issues helps build empathetic connections, enhancing educational experiences.