TESOL Trainers offers all types of professional development from SIOP and TESOL specific training sessions to workshops on integrating the four domains of language, vocabulary acquisition, student engagement, and much more.
Yes, both our onsite and online SIOP® programs are considered the best professional development programs in the world. In both the short- and long-term versions, teachers will acquire practical strategies and techniques that will have a profound impact on all students, especially English Learners.
Yes, we tailor-make K-12 professional development according to the needs of the school districts that serve English Learners. Dr. Kongsvik and his team work together to ensure the workshop you receive is exactly what you need to set your teachers and their students up for success.
Yes, our workshops on student engagement can help teachers engage their students 90-100% of the time. These are practical strategies that any teacher can master. They aren’t gimmicks, just good teaching practices. Every strategy we model is practical and easy to implement.
Yes, we do. TESOL Trainers offers one of the most powerful PDs on metacognition for K-12 teachers. Just like everything we do: the strategies are experiential, engaging, and empowering. Teachers walk away with tools they can use immediately in their classrooms the next day.
Yes, we do. We have a widely popular peer coaching program, iCOACH™. It is so popular that it takes up about half of our training resources. One of the reasons it is so sought after is that it catalyzes change and boosts the implementation of PD content to over 90%.
Yes, we have headlined a number of speaking venues each year. One of the most popular themes we are asked to discuss is the role that risk-taking has in both teaching and learning. We train teachers on the value of taking risks (for both teachers and learners) and on strategies they can employ to become skilled risk-takers.
Yes, most of our oldest clients have been with us for more than 5 years. We work with them on an ongoing, continuous basis. In fact, some of our clients ask us to train all of their new teachers. That way, they always start off facing in the right direction. It's far more effective to train teachers right from the beginning rather than trying to modify fossilized skills.
Dr. John Kongsvik has worked with many colleges and universities in the USA and abroad. Helping university faculty understand how to make atomic changes in the design and delivery of their lessons to make content comprehensible has been an ongoing theme of his career.
Yes, TESOL Trainers provides K-12 teacher training workshops both onsite and online. We also offer hybrid staff development sessions that meet part of time time onsite and part of time virtually.
Yes, we provide all participants who successfully complete our training sessions with a certificate stating the type of training they attended and the workshop's length in contact hours. This is critical for professional development.
All trainers have PhDs in TESOL or related areas. They are all considered experts in their fields. All trainers have at least 10 years of experiential training experience. We do not offer monotonous sit-n-gets. Our trainers engage participants from the beginning to the end. Everyone at TESOL Trainers practices what they preach.
Yes, we do. We have clients in Asia, Africa, Europe, India, and South America. In addition to working with them virtually, we also travel to these educational institutions and train their teachers. International educational institutions seek out TESOL Trainers because of our experiential training format.
SIOP stands for Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. It is a research-based instructional framework with 8 components and 30 features designed to make academic content accessible for English Learners while benefiting all students. Developed by Jana Echevarría, MaryEllen Vogt, and Deborah Short, SIOP gives teachers a clear system for planning, teaching, and reflecting on lessons that integrate content and language development. It is the most widely used sheltered instruction model in K-12 education in the United States.
Sheltered instruction is an approach to teaching that makes academic content accessible to English Learners while they are developing English proficiency. Rather than simplifying the content, sheltered instruction uses strategies like visual supports, vocabulary instruction, cooperative learning, and scaffolding to help students access grade-level material. The SIOP model is the most recognized framework for implementing sheltered instruction in K-12 classrooms.
No. While SIOP was originally designed to support English Learners, the strategies it provides benefit every student in the classroom. Clear objectives, scaffolded instruction, vocabulary support, meaningful interaction, and ongoing assessment are effective teaching practices for all learners. Many schools implement SIOP schoolwide because it raises the quality of instruction across the board.
The eight SIOP components are: Lesson Preparation, Building Background, Comprehensible Input, Strategies, Interaction, Practice and Application, Lesson Delivery, and Review and Assessment. Each component contains specific features that guide teachers in designing and delivering effective instruction for English Learners and all students. Together, the 8 components cover every aspect of a lesson from planning through assessment.
TESOL Trainers provides experiential, interactive professional development for K-12 educators on SIOP, TESOL strategies, scaffolding, student engagement, academic vocabulary, active listening, peer coaching, and more. Our flagship program is the English Learner Institute (ELI), a fully remote, live training built on the SIOP framework. We also offer customized onsite and virtual training for individual schools and districts. All of our PD is hands-on and interactive — never sit-and-get.
Three things set us apart. First, our training is 100% experiential: Dr. Kongsvik teaches the training the way he wants teachers to teach, so participants experience every strategy firsthand as learners. Second, participants are engaged 100% of the time — there are no lectures, no passive listening, and no sitting while one person presents. Third, every strategy we teach is practical and classroom-ready. Teachers can implement what they learn the very next day.
Yes. We provide K-12 professional development both onsite at your school or district and remotely via Zoom. We also offer hybrid formats where part of the training is delivered onsite and part virtually. Our remote training has been rated 5 stars by over 1,500 educators, and participants consistently say it feels as engaging as in-person PD.
Absolutely. We tailor-make our professional development to meet the specific needs of your institution. Whether you need a one-day SIOP overview, a multi-day institute, targeted training on a specific component like engagement or scaffolding, or a long-term partnership with peer coaching, we can design a program that fits. Many of our longest-running clients have been with us for five or more years.
Yes. We offer iCOACH, our structured peer coaching program that dramatically increases the transfer of training into classroom practice. Research shows that training alone leads to about 10% implementation. When peer coaching is added, implementation rates jump to 90% or higher. iCOACH pairs teachers to observe each other, provide descriptive feedback, and support each other in applying new strategies. It is available as an add-on to any of our SIOP training programs.
Yes. All participants who successfully complete our training sessions receive a certificate that states the type of training attended and the total contact hours. These certificates can be used toward professional development requirements in most states and districts.
Yes. In addition to working with K-12 schools across the United States, Dr. John Kongsvik and his team have provided professional development to educational institutions in Asia, Africa, South America, and beyond. We offer both virtual and onsite international training.
Contact Dr. John Kongsvik at info@tesoltrainers.com or call (505) 204-4361. Whether you are an individual teacher looking to register for the English Learner Institute or an administrator exploring professional development options for your school or district, we are happy to discuss your needs and design the right program for you.
