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Ellen Shrager
Keynote Speaker
State Conferences
District In-services
Parent Meetings
Religious Educator Training
"Reaching All Learners -
Barriers and Solutions"
Using this title as an acrostic, I share my observations on the changing trends in today's society and how they impact student behavior in my classroom. Some of my topics include the changing roles of children, parents, and neighborhoods in society and the profound impact of entertainment, advertisement, and individual rights on a student's sense of self.
I offer my solutions to the behavior challenges in my classroom and conclude with uplifting praise for the educators and parents who continue to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and who connect with our children without enabling them.
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"I was amazed at what I learned in just 75 minutes with Ellen Shrager. If she lived near me, I'd have her speak to my FL methods students each semester. They need to know what she knows about reluctant learners!" Jean LeLoup
SUNY, Cortland Co-owner FLTEACH
"I heard you in Ashland, Oregon. I want the whole world to know about you. Have you thought about Good Morning America?"
David Raffetto
South Albany High School Albany, OR
"You inspired so many of our COFLT members just within your short stay with us."
Stephen J. Flesher, President
Confederation in Oregon for Language Teaching
"Ellen Shrager embraces the philosophy of language learning for all and is able to back it up with a variety of simple techniques that work for the most reluctant and low-ability learners. Ellen's ideas are practical, her philosophy and experience are inspiring and energizing, and her humor is entertaining. Ellen is a language teacher for the next millennium."
Bill Heller
Department Chairman and Spanish Teacher
Perry Jr. Sr. HS Perry, NY
"Ellen Shrager has an energizing delivery and a profound message, one not just for language teachers, but teachers across the curriculum at every level. She has a sharp wit and an deep sensitivity, and her ideas have helped me to become much more effective in the classroom." Matt Fitzgibbons
Xaverian Brothers High School Westwood, MA
"An entertaining and informative workshop. Applicable to all levels. Ellen is keyed into the emotional needs of children and makes us aware of what is going on inside the heads of our students and how we can reach them." Sandi Packel
Meadowbrook (Elementary) School Meadowbrook, PA
"I attended your workshop... I must tell you....IT WAS EXCELLENT! I was impressed...and I don't impress easily." Al Martino
(LOTE) New York State Education Department.
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Dear Colleagues,
What is it with kids and their parents these days?
How many times during lunch do we discuss how different our current students are compared to when we first started teaching? Compared to when we were students? How much time do we spend using exasperated tones recounting some parents’ enabling antics to our loved ones? How much classroom time do we now waste because of these differences?
A few years ago I found myself harping on these issues and realized that my students’ reality was tremendously different from my set of beliefs about classroom behavior, common courtesy and work ethic. I am ashamed to admit that to reconcile these differences, I found my self becoming more and more sarcastic in the classroom. My choice was to either make peace with this difference or leave this profession as I was burning out.
I have since learned to observe how differently we, myself included, are raising our children today. Some of my observations focus on the changing roles of children, parents, and neighborhoods in society and the profound impact of entertainment, advertisement, and individual rights on a student's sense of self.
From my observations, I learned that students’ unacceptable classroom behavior is a logical, albeit unintentional, consequence of the society that we have created! This understanding has relieved my of the burden of judging and inspired me to confront these differences so that my classroom once again reflects my beliefs.
In my keynote speech, I focus on seventeen differences in students’ upbringing that create disruptions to learning in my classroom. I use to respond to these disruptions in the moment with ‘pop-up’ lessons on manners. Now, in an impersonal and loving way, I proactively introduce the differences between the way students are accustomed to behaving and the way students will behave in class. Thus, when impulsive students act out, I remind them that we have already discussed this, and the consequence is not perceived as a personal attack. Surprisingly, even rebellious students respond to this impersonal authority. I suspect that many are secretly relieved that there is a true adult in charge who affirms that their actions have consequences; otherwise we are reinforcing the students’ most inner fear that they and their actions are meaningless. Most days, my students respond to this classroom behavior code and the moments of sarcasm, drama, and tension are minimal.
Come join me in my keynote speech “Reaching All Learners” and hear about my solutions to these seventeen barriers to learning in the classroom. Together we can inspire our students to believe that learning is inherently much more interesting than acting out.
Sincerely,
Ellen Bernard Shrager
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Keynote Speaker:
Washington State Association For Language Teaching
2003
Idaho Foreign Language Teachers
Association- 2002
New Hampshire Foreign Language Teachers
Association - 2002
Confederaton of Oregon Foreign Language
Teachers -2001
West Virginia Foreign Language Teachers
Association - 2002
Presentations:
ACTFL - Philly, 2003, SLC, 2002; Boston, 2000; Dallas,
1999; Chicago, 1998
NORTHEAST Conference - NYC, 2001
National Middle School Association - Denver, 1998
CTCOLT - Hartford, 2003, 2002
Foreign Language Educators New Jersey - 2002,
2001, 2000
Massachusetts Foreign Language Association -
2001, 2000, 1999, 1998
Penn. Modern Language Association -
Philadelphia, 1999
New York BOCES - Perry, 2000
West Chester University Foreign Language
Teachers Symposium - 1998, 1997
Workshops:
Montgomery County IU, Norristown, PA 2003, 2002, 2001
West Chester SD - West Chester, PA 2003, 2001
Downingtown MS - Downington, PA 2002; 1999
Springfield Public School Disrict - Springfield, MA 2002
Monroe County ISD - Monroe, MI 2001
Kinnelon School District - Kinnelon, NJ, 2001
North Hunterdon High School - Annandale, NJ 2001
Haverford School District - Haverford, PA 2001
West Chester SD - West Chester, PA 2001
Cumberland Valley HS - Mechanicsburg, PA 2000
Highland HighSchool - Highland, NJ 2000
Paramus School District - Paramus, NJ 2000
Edison School District - Edison, NJ 2000
Bridgewater-Raritan HS - Bridgewater, NJ 1999
Derry High School - Derry, NH 1999
Marple Newtown HS Newtown Square, PA 1999
Holliston High School - Holliston, MA 1999
McCord Middle School - Columbus, OH 1998
Syracuse, NY 2000
Columbia, MD 1999
Philadelphia, PA 1999; 1998
Newark, NJ 1999
Andover, MA 1999
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