See below for upcoming SABES PD events for ESOL,or check out the ESOL Upcoming Events Calendar tab anytime!
Note: you are welcome to request ESOL instructional coaching for program staff. If interested, please email Kate Anderson, Assistant Director (kateanderson@edc.org), or Cynthia Faulkner, Adult ESOL and Professional Development Specialist (cfaulkner@edc.org).
All PD offerings are online and facilitated unless indicated otherwise.
Tuesday, September 22
This blended series provides an overview of second language acquisition (SLA) theories and principles, with a focus on their application in the adult ESOL classroom. Participants will explore how research-based approaches to language acquisition support learners in developing the English language skills needed for effective communication, lifelong learning, workforce readiness, and increased opportunities for economic mobility. The series includes three facilitated virtual sessions and three self-directed interim activities. Participation in all three webinars and interim activities is required.
- September 22, 2026 | Course opens at 8 a.m.
- September 29, 2026 | 3:30–5:30 p.m.
- October 6, 2026 | 3:30–5:30 p.m.
- October 13, 2026 | 3:30–5:30 p.m.
Collaboration Events
Tuesday, September 22
Teaching Adult Learners with Language-Based Learning Disabilities: An Overview
In this session, learn about common language-based learning disabilities (LBLD)—difficulties related to the understanding and use of spoken and written language, such as dyslexia—and specific strategies to support adult learners with LBLD. This session is the first in a series offered by the SABES ELA, ESOL, and Math Curriculum and Instruction teams on teaching adult learners with learning disabilities.
- September 22, 2026 | 3–4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, September 30
This session maps digital skills and tools to instructional routines through the lens of content, process, and product, helping ELA, ESOL, and Math instructors expand their learners’ aural and oral communication skills while building digital and AI literacy. Participants consider how focused listening, data gathering surveys, and team tasks can deepen content knowledge, strengthen communication skills, and support digital literacy development across all three instructional contexts.
- September 30, 2026 | 2–4 p.m.
Thursday, October 1
Beyond the Checklist: Elevating Your Classroom Observation Experience (Online Blended)
As an adult education leader, you are responsible for creating the conditions in which teachers can thrive and students can succeed. Every day, you make decisions about instructional support, professional learning, and program priorities—but how often do you have the opportunity to see what is happening in classrooms and use that knowledge to guide your decisions? Classroom observations can provide that window. When designed as a collaborative and growth-focused process, observations become more than a compliance requirement—they become a powerful leadership tool for identifying effective practices, supporting teachers, and strengthening instruction across your program. This professional learning series will help you build an observation process that turns classroom visits into meaningful opportunities for learning and improvement. You will learn how to gather evidence of teaching and learning, provide feedback that leads to growth, and use observation findings to focus coaching, professional development, and program improvement efforts.
- October 1, 2026 | Course pre-work opens at 9 a.m.
- October 16, 2026 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
- November 20, 2026 | 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
- January 29, 2027 | 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
- February 5, 2027 | 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
- April 9, 2027 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
- April 15, 2027 | Course closes at 11:59 p.m.
