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Edina High’s new sheltered creative writing and public speaking class showcases multilingual student work
Summary
Teachers and students presented a sheltered creative writing/public speaking class that uses translanguaging and serves students at English language levels 1–2; students read self-authored books in multiple languages at a community partnership event.
Edina High School teachers Amanda Schutz (EL) and Kate Gore (English), with student Vicente, presented the school’s new sheltered creative writing and public speaking class during the board’s “Excellence in Action” segment.
The class is offered to students who are English learners at levels 1–2 and combines creative writing instruction with public speaking, using a translanguaging approach that encourages students to use their home languages alongside English. Schutz and Gore told the board the classroom includes students from more than 10 countries and speakers of Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian and Somali; teachers said multilingualism is an asset and that students begin by writing in their home language and then moving into English.
Teachers described how the sheltered course aligns to Minnesota academic standards while intentionally teaching vocabulary and discourse skills at word, sentence and discourse levels so students can meet the same standards as general education classes. The class produced self‑authored books that students presented at Countryside Elementary in English, Spanish, Ukrainian and Russian as part of a partnership; a student, Vicente, told the board the class “is important because you can speak your native language and practice your English” and praised the cultural diversity.
Teachers said translanguaging and scaffolded lessons support comprehension and collaboration, and that the program builds foundational vocabulary and sequencing skills before moving to more polished speech and writing tasks.
