S7/E8: How One-to-One Conferences Empower Students to Own Their Learning Progress with Sarah Said

S7/E8: How One-to-One Conferences Empower Students to Own Their Learning Progress with Sarah Said

Author: Ellevation Education October 5, 2021 Duration: 36:26

How can teachers structure one-to-one student conferences to help ELs own their academic growth while also building relationships? What are some innovative ways we can leverage everything from testing data, student work artifacts, and portfolios to help students and teachers set and measure progress towards goals? How can schools make these conferences and learning celebrations more widely practiced and systematic across their classrooms?

We discuss these questions and more with Sarah Said. We first featured Sarah on Highest Aspirations back in 2018, and we are excited to bring her back. Sarah Said is the Director of Language and Equity Programs at the Elgin Math and Science Academy in Elgin IL.  Sarah has spent 17 years working with language learners. Currently she is launching the Stand Up Stumps, which is a social justice based public art project in Elgin. Sarah has written various articles in EdWeek Teacher and Confianza and appeared on Highest Aspirations to discuss cultural responsiveness back in 2018.

You can find additional resources and episode takeaways on our ELL Community page at ellevationeducation.com/ellcommunity. If you haven’t done so already, we invite you to join our ELL Community while you’re there so you get weekly resources, strategies and tips from that you can use right away.


At the heart of Highest Aspirations are the voices and stories of English Language Learners, a dynamic and fast-growing part of the student population. Created by Ellevation Education, this podcast moves beyond theory to explore the real-world experiences shaping classrooms today. Each episode connects you directly with educators who are in the trenches, students navigating dual languages, and researchers translating data into practical strategies. You’ll also hear from families and community advocates, whose perspectives are crucial yet often overlooked. These conversations collectively tackle a central question: how do we build systems that genuinely allow every student to thrive? Rather than offering simple answers, the series delves into the complexities of policy, instructional practice, and cultural belonging. It’s a space where the vibrant ELL community gathers to discuss both challenges and breakthroughs. Tuning in provides a nuanced look at the evolving landscape of education, emphasizing actionable insights and shared humanity. The Highest Aspirations podcast ultimately serves as a thoughtful forum for anyone invested in creating more equitable and effective learning environments for all.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Highest Aspirations
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S13/E8: Personalizing professional learning with Rocío Figueroa [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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In this episode of Highest Aspirations, Sandra sits down with Rocío Figueroa, Senior Instructional Content Manager at Ellevation, to explore how personalized professional development can transform teaching and learning f…