5 Tips for Setting Up Your ESL Classroom for the First Week of School

First Week of School in ESL Classroom

Creating a welcoming environment for MLL/ ESL (English as a Second Language) students, especially newcomers, is crucial for their success and comfort in a new school setting. Here are five essential tips to help you set up your classroom and welcome ESL students and their families to your school community:

1. Create a Welcoming Environment: Multilingual Bulletin Board

Hello Signs in Different Languages: Greet your students in their native languages by placing "Hello" signs in their languages around the classroom. This simple gesture shows respect for their cultures and helps create an inclusive environment.

Display Flags of Countries: Hang flags from the countries your students come from. This visual representation celebrates diversity and makes students feel seen and valued.

2. Label Everything in the Classroom

Classroom Object Labels: Label all classroom objects, including desks, tables, whiteboards, and supplies. Use both words and images on the labels to help students quickly associate the words with the objects. This visual support is crucial for ESL students as they develop their English skills.

Library Labels: Organize and label your classroom library baskets.  Clearly labeled bookshelves help students find what they need independently and encourage them to explore new reading materials.

Why Labeling is Beneficial for Multilingual Learners (MLLs)

- Enhance Accessibility and Understanding: Visual aids and clear labels provide immediate recognition, reducing confusion and increasing students' confidence.

- Promote Independence: Labeled items foster self-sufficiency, allowing students to navigate their new environment independently. By labeling everything in your classroom, you enable ESL students to locate and organize materials on their own. This fosters independence and reduces their reliance on teachers and peers for simple tasks, boosting their confidence.

- Support Language Development: Constant exposure to labeled items reinforces vocabulary acquisition, helping students learn and remember new words through daily interaction. Seeing words in context aids comprehension and retention, making language learning more effective and meaningful.

3. Provide ESL Survival Vocabulary and Newcomer Kit

-ESL Newcomer Kit: Designed to reduce stress and save time, this kit includes critical information and essential vocabulary for new ESL students and their families. It promotes inclusivity and ensures newcomers feel welcome and informed. Type in their name, id, homeroom info, lunch code, bus pick up times, etc. and a few essential vocabulary words in English and their language. 

This kit should include common phrases and words they will need daily, helping them navigate their new environment more confidently. 

Have these kits ready in the office to give to students upon registration, keep additional copies to distribute when you meet them, and provide another set during open school nights. Students may lose these papers, so having multiple copies on hand is essential.

4. Back to School Night: ESL Open House Brochure

An ESL open house night is a perfect opportunity to meet ESL parents and guardians, inform them about your ESL program, and create a strong foundation of support. In New York State, it is mandatory to hold this meeting within 10 days of a student's registration. Use this opportunity to welcome parents warmly and let them know you are their go-to person for any needs or concerns.

Every year, I provide parents with an ESL brochure that summarizes my program. This includes welcome signs in multiple languages and "Hello" signs posted around the building entry with room numbers. During the meeting, we explain our program, the number of minutes we serve our ESL students, and the model we use. We also discuss ESL accommodations in class and during testing, show parents videos in their languages about ELL programs in NYS, and provide tips on how to help their children, plus helpful free websites and resources. These sessions are crucial in setting our families and their children up for success.

This night is a really great opportunity to promote multilingualism.  During this special night you can incorporate discussions about the importance of maintaining and valuing home languages. Encourage parents to support their child's multilingualism and share resources that can help.

Check out these FREE Colorín Colorado Resources:

- "Being Bilingual Is a Superpower: Workshop Activities": Engage MLL families with activities designed to highlight the benefits of bilingualism.

- "Being Bilingual Is a Superpower!" Animated Video: Share this video during meetings or family outreach activities. It is available in 8 languages: English, French, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Arabic, Somali, Chinese, and Vietnamese. The video demonstrates ho

- Share 8 Great Reading Tips with Families (in 16 languages)

5. Build Connections and Get to Know Your Students

Engage in All About Me Activities: The first few weeks are all about building connections and getting to know your students. This is probably the most important time of the year. Use this time to engage your MLLs in "All About Me" activities. Check out my previous post where I describe my three favorite activities to get to know my students. These activities help create a sense of community and allow you to understand your students' backgrounds, interests, and needs.

Setting up your classroom thoughtfully can make a significant difference in your ESL students' lives. By creating a welcoming environment, labeling everything, providing essential vocabulary, and building connections, you'll help your students navigate their new school with ease and confidence.

Happy BTS Teaching!

ESL Resource Meet