Marjorie C. Ringler

English Language Learners' Perceptions of School Environment.

Abstract The number of students who speak languages other than English continues to grow in both rural and urban public schools in the United States. This study investigated the perceptions of 123 students (57 monolingual and 66 English language learners [ELLs]) from a rural public elementary school in North Carolina with respect to school climate, curriculum and instruction, extracurricular activities, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. All of these indicators contribute to an overall perception of schools and affect learning experiences of monolingual students and ELLs. Results indicate that the perceptions of monolingual learners and ELLs in this particular elementary school are similar.

Broadening Our View of Linguistic Diversity

Even many native English speakers need instruction in the Academic English thats required to be successful in school.

Preparing Principal Candidates to Be Instructional Leaders Through Virtual Coaching Preservice Teachers

The purpose of this collaborative action research study was to determine whether practicing instructional coaching with teacher candidates (TCs) improved coaching skills of principal candidates (PCs). Findings indicated that PCs improved their coaching skills. Findings illustrated ways to improve principal preparation in an instructional supervision course and by collaborating with a teacher education program to provide field experiences to practice coaching. This study also determined that there was not a significant difference in practicing coaching with TCs through video lessons or face to face observations.

I Am, I Am Becoming: How Community Engagement Changed Our Learning, Teaching, and Leadership.

Abstract We explore the development of community-engaged scholars and practitioners through two distinct lenses: faculty who facilitate engaged learning processes and student-practitioners who are enacting these processes in their work. We use an auto-ethnographic technique, our own stories, to describe the will (motivation) and capacity (knowledge) gained through community engagement. More importantly, we provide vivid accounts of marked differences in our teaching, learning, and leadership. As a result, we have become activists in our craft as practitioners and scholars.