Pilot Test: Elevating Strengths: Supporting Multilingual Learners Facing Adversity

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About Course

This self-paced, asynchronous course equips educators with research-based insights, tools, and strategies on supporting multilingual learners living with adversity. Through real-world examples, reflective exercises, and implementation planning, participants will learn to create strengths-based, responsive learning environments that promote safety, belonging, value, and competence—both in school and beyond.

Format: Asynchronous, self-paced
Total Duration: 10 hours (The PD Provider Registry of the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education approves this course).

Course Features

Participants will explore:

  • The impact of trauma, violence, and chronic stress on school-aged children

  • Strategies for shifting from a deficit-based to an asset-based mindset

  • Instructional approaches for inclusive classroom and school environments

  • Techniques for fostering positive peer relationships

  • Methods to enhance parent and family engagement

  • Practices that support strengths-based school and community engagement

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What Will You Learn?

  • Recognize the urgency of a strengths-based approach
  • Apply strengths-based, responsive practices
  • Create safe, inclusive, and empowering learning environments
  • Use evidence-based strategies to support students facing adversity
  • Sustain strengths-based practices over time
  • Build partnerships with families and communities

Course Content

Module 1: Understanding Childhood Adversity 1.5 hours
Lesson Objective • Understand how trauma, violence, and chronic stress impact school-age children • Explore research that supports a strengths-based approach to working with students facing adversity, especially multilingual learners • Use reflective journaling to identify and articulate students’ strengths beyond their challenges, and consider how to apply these insights to practices that foster resilience, connection, and academic growth

  • Welcome to Elevating Strengths: Supporting Multilingual Learners Facing Adversity
  • Module 1 Reflection Activity: Understanding Childhood Adversity
  • Pilot Course Feedback for Module 1

Module 2: Moving from deficit- to strengths-based practices – 1.5 hours
Lesson Objective: Understand the power of adversity in revealing strengths, shifting to a strengths-based stance, building positive relationships with students, and creating a culture of belonging, value, and competence.

Module 3: Creating Safe and Inclusive Classroom and School Environments – 2 hours
Review key principles of creating a physical environment that empowers learners as partners in the classroom design, affirms students' strengths, promotes voice and choice, connects learning to students' lives, and uses predictable routines and practices.

Module 4: Scaffolding Student-to-Student Relationships – 1.5 hours (copy)
Lesson Objective: Understand and apply principles and strategies for creating, implementing, and reflecting on pair and small group learning experiences, particularly in classroom settings where some multilingual learners are experiencing significant adversities.

Module 5: Fostering Family/Guardian Engagement – 1.5 hours (copy)
Lesson Objective: Understand and apply a strengths-based approach to foster family/guardian engagement.

Module 6: Infusing a Strengths-Based Approach Across a School and with Community Partners – 2 hours
Lesson Objectives Understand the importance of using a strengths-based, asset-based team approach in schools. Identify and implement strategies to scale-up positive, asset-based, caring, and empowering collaborative interactions within the school community. Recognize the value of building and sustaining school and local community partnerships using a strengths-based approach. Apply the principles of asset-based community development to enhance student and family engagement and support.

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