QTEL News: End of Year Reflections

End of Year Reflections

Metacognition, or thinking about thinking, helps all people take control of their own learning. By offering space for reflection, we create an opportunity for ourselves, our teams, and our students to better understand not only what we learn, but also how we learn. This allows us to replicate successful learning methods in the future. In this issue, we recommend a few ways that you can invite yourself, your students, and/or your school team to reflect on this school year and, in so doing, prepare for the fall.

Teacher Corner 

Student reflection protocols help reinforce students’ learning journeys and also provide us with key data about our own teaching. To support this process, you can use this QTEL Reflection Chart, which asks students to individually reflect on their learning and to talk with their peers about their reflections.

It’s also essential to reflect on our own practice. Take a moment this month to focus on one of your Multilingual Learners and ask yourself:

• Where did they start? Where are they now?

• How did you support their growth?

• What did you learn about educating multilingual learners?

Leading with Purpose 

Reflection is at the heart of any lasting transformation. At Pauoa Elementary School in Honolulu, Hawaii, teachers and leaders have spent four years doing exactly that—pausing, examining their practice, and returning to classrooms with sharper tools for supporting Multilingual Learners. Through a partnership with QTEL, that culture of reflective professional learning has driven the percentage of students on track for English proficiency from 44% to over 71%. Read on to learn how a shared culture of high expectations drives real results for Multilingual Learners in Hawaii.

To learn more about QTEL professional learning opportunities, please click here.

Upcoming Opportunities 

2026 QTEL Summer Institutes

Advanced Institute: Designing and Amplifying Curricular Materials for English Learners – ELA, Math, and Science*

Advance your expertise in lesson and unit design for English Learners in Seal Beach, CA on July 7–9, 2026. Learn how to analyze and amplify existing curriculum and create content-specific lessons that build disciplinary practices and language practices together.

Register now!

*Open only to educators who have attended prior in-person QTEL Building the Base or disciplinary institutes.