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Diane Staehr Fenner Professional Development

Presented by Diane Staehr Fenner


Diane Staehr Fenner is one of the foremost voices in multilingual learner education, bringing more than two decades of experience to her professional development offerings. As the founder of SupportEd and author of eight influential books — including Unlocking English Learners' Potential and Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners — she translates rigorous research into actionable classroom strategies that educators can implement immediately. Her PD sessions address the full spectrum of multilingual education, from scaffolding academic language and designing equitable assessments to building culturally responsive school cultures that honour students' linguistic assets. Participants consistently praise her ability to bridge the gap between policy requirements and daily instructional practice, offering concrete frameworks for co-teaching, family engagement, and advocacy. Whether you are a classroom teacher seeking differentiation strategies or a district leader developing systemic supports for multilingual learners, Diane's sessions provide evidence-based approaches grounded in real-world application. Each session combines current research, interactive activities, and practical planning time, ensuring educators leave with both the knowledge and the tools to better serve their multilingual students.

Key Takeaways

Practical scaffolding strategies for academic language development; frameworks for culturally responsive instruction with multilingual learners; co-teaching models that maximise support for ELLs; equitable assessment design that accurately measures content knowledge; advocacy approaches for systemic change in multilingual education

Evidence base: Grounded in current TESOL research, WIDA standards, and federal ELL policy requirements, with strategies drawn from Fenner's eight published works and extensive field experience across US school districts

Presenter

Diane Staehr Fenner

Dr. Diane Staehr Fenner is the founder and president of SupportEd, a woman-owned consulting firm dedicated to empowering multilingual learners. She has authored or co-authored eight books on ELL education and has provided professional development to educators in all 50 US states and internationally. Previously, she worked as a classroom teacher, district administrator, and at the US Department of Education.

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