Anyone who's taught long enough has been forced to teach lessons using materials that are at least less than ideal for their students. Sometimes we have the options of choosing our own textbooks, and other materials; other times... not so much. Sometimes administrators or superiors demand that we teach with the materials they want rather than what would be best for the students overall. Even if the materials themselves are good, administrators may demand we teach it at a rate faster than our students can even absorb! In this presentation, I will give a basic overview of the most common types of bad materials, and will offer tips and tricks for how to make each of them into the best lesson for your classrooms! MYSTERY EASTER EGG

This talk will be a self-reflective and autoethnographic account of the speaker’s experience guiding filmmaking projects with English language learners and the evolution of these projects over 10 years, in 3 different institutions, as well during the COVID-19 pandemic. The speaker will talk about the early days when she first began doing these projects, important lessons learned along the way, and identify and highlight changes made in her approach based on experiences, institutional and environmental factors, as well as changing student demographics. Participants will see the history of a filmmaking project with English language learners from the beginning, it’s adaptations and transformations over time, and the project’s current incarnation today. Participants can also engage in an open QnA and discussion by sharing their own experiences filmmaking with second language learners. MYSTERY EASTER EGG

Motivating students is critical to the success of extensive reading programs. Therefore, intentional and creative motivational strategies can maximize the efficacy of extensive reading programs by fostering students’ will and desire to read. This presentation explores four different areas to increase students’ motivation: 1. Reducing the amount of effort students need to put forth to read. 2. Increasing the enjoyment of reading (affective aspects). 3. Developing students’ want and will to read (cognitive aspects). 4. Maximizing the use of social factors.

The presenter will offer a wide variety of strategies, considerations, and practical implications related to motivational theory and research. Some strategies focus on generating motivation while others focus on maintaining motivation. Ultimately, the teacher holds the power to effectively nurture self-motivated readers, so come and learn which strategies you can implement in your classroom and how you can make your current strategies more effective.

Handouts shared. Active participation anticipated. MYSTERY EASTER EGG