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Practical Strategies for Welcoming Newcomers and Their Families
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT
Presented by Lindsey Bird, Educational Coach and Consultant, Lindsey Bird Consulting and Teach Plus California
Sponsored by HMH
Learn more about earning a CE certificate and our accessibility features.
Join this practical edWebinar designed specifically for classroom educators who want actionable strategies to better support newcomer and multilingual learners. Viewers explore tools that strengthen communication with families, promote reciprocal partnerships, and create more welcoming, culturally responsive classrooms.
We highlight editable communication templates, strategies for multilingual engagement, and ways to center equity in everyday classroom practice. The session also includes guidance on supporting families through the school year—including welcoming students who enroll mid-year—and reflections that help educators deepen cultural competence and humility.
Leave with concrete tools you can use immediately to build stronger relationships, improve language access, and support newcomer student success. This recorded edWebinar is of interest to K-12 teachers, school leaders, district leaders, and any educator supporting newcomer and multilingual learners.
About the Presenter
Lindsey Bird, an educational coach and consultant, recently concluded a 17-year teaching career, including a decade leading the Language Institute in Modesto, California—a nationally recognized program serving immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking high school students. She developed, taught, and coordinated the program, advancing innovative approaches to newcomer education. She now leads the Emergent Bilingual Change Agent Network (EBCAN) for Teach Plus California, supporting educator leadership and systems change to better serve multilingual learners.
A dedicated advocate for educational equity, Lindsey has championed immigrant students and families at the local, state, and national levels. As a Teach Plus California Fellow, she advocated for tenure reform and helped advance protections for newcomer students in California’s education code. Lindsey holds a B.A. from California State University, Chico, and an M.Ed. from the University of San Diego. She has delivered a TED Talk on the power of empathy.
Learn more about earning a CE certificate and our accessibility features.
Join the Helping ELL, ESL, and Bilingual Students Succeed community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edLeader Panels, and view recordings of previous programs to earn CE certificates.
HMH is an adaptive learning company that helps educators create growth for every student. Our integrated curriculum, assessment, and professional learning solutions use data to paint a full picture of every learner and recommend how to best support their needs. By partnering with educators, we create lasting momentum so that all students can reach their full potential. HMH serves more than 50 million students and 4 million educators in 150 countries.
