Katie Toppel, EdD is a K-5 Language Development Specialist primarily supporting students in kindergarten and first grade through co-planning, co-teaching, and small group instruction. Her background includes experience as an adjunct professor at Portland State University and as a classroom teacher in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. Dr. Toppel co-created #MLLChat_BkClub with Tan Huynh and leads book studies for teachers continuing their professional learning on topics related to culturally and linguistically diverse students.
Tan Huynh is an educator specializing in providing sheltered instruction for multilingual learners. He received his M.A.Ed from the American College of Education specializing in Language Acquisition Instruction. Tan spent most of his career collaborating with teachers from elementary to high school levels to make content accessible before becoming a secondary social studies teacher himself. He has contributed articles to Middle Web, Larry Ferlazzo’s Edweek blog, and WIDA International, as well as numerous other publications. Tan maintains a blog, podcast, and online courses for teachers of MLs.
Carol Salva is a consultant at Seidlitz Education and the co-author of Boosting Achievement: Reaching Students with Interrupted or Minimal Education. She specializes in teaching grade level content to new arrival students. Carol has a background in ESL, literacy, dual language, and special education. She is a former elementary and middle school educator. She most recently taught Newcomer English Language Development in high school where she has had proven success with remote and asynchronous activities.