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Your teachers have English Learners in their classrooms. They want to reach them. They just need the right tools. TESOL Trainers' SIOP® training gives K-12 educators practical, research-based strategies they can use the next day - through professional development that's 100% experiential, 100% interactive, and zero percent sit-and-get.
The SIOP® model is the most widely researched and validated framework for sheltered instruction in K-12 education. With 8 components and 30 features, it gives teachers a clear system for making rigorous content accessible to English Learners and every student in the room. But here's what makes our SIOP® training different from reading about the model in a book: I teach SIOP® using SIOP®. Every strategy I share, I model live. Every technique, participants experience firsthand as learners before they apply it as educators.
I'm Dr. John Kongsvik, and for 25 years I've been delivering SIOP® education and training to K-12 schools across the country and around the world. Schools choose TESOL Trainers because our training is practical, engaging, and immediately applicable - not theoretical, not passive, and not forgettable.
This Is Not Your Typical Professional DevelopmentHere's what I tell every administrator before they book us: if your teachers have ever come back from PD rolling their eyes, this will be different.
Our SIOP® training is built on three principles:
It's experiential. I teach SIOP® using SIOP®. Participants don't hear about model lessons - they're IN a model lesson from the moment we start. By the time we unpack what happened, they've already experienced every strategy firsthand. This is what makes SIOP® education transformative rather than theoretical.
It's engaging - 100% of the time. In my training, there's no sitting and listening while someone clicks through slides. Teachers are active participants from start to finish - pair sharing, cooperative learning, hands-on activities, the same techniques they'll use with their students. If I can't engage a room full of adults, how can I ask them to engage a room full of kids?
It's practical. Every strategy I teach is low-prep and classroom-ready. Teachers don't need to spend hours adapting what they learned. They can use it Monday morning - in any subject, at any grade level, with any student.
Whether you need a one-day introduction or a comprehensive multi-day institute, we've got a program that fits. Every option below can be delivered onsite at your school or live online via Zoom.
Here's what happens in one day: your teachers walk in as participants and immediately become learners in a real SIOP® model lesson. They experience strategies like think-pair-share, structured academic discussions using sentence starters and sentence frames, and scaffolding techniques - not as concepts on a PowerPoint, but as actual classroom activities they're doing in real time.
After the model lesson, we unpack it together. Teachers see exactly how each strategy works, why it works, and how to adapt it for their own classrooms. They leave with 10+ practical strategies and a clear understanding of how the SIOP® model connects students to the content, the language, and one another.
'The one-day course gave me strategies I could use right away. My ELL students were so much more engaged the very next week!'
Day One is our signature model lesson experience - teachers live through SIOP® and then dissect what made it work. We cover four core SIOP® components: Lesson Preparation, Lesson Delivery, Practice and Application, and Comprehensible Input.
Day Two is where something powerful happens. We focus on language ownership - the difference between students who rent language and students who own it. If a kid can repeat a vocabulary word on a quiz but can't use it in a sentence next week, they're renting. We show teachers how to move students from renting to owning across all four language domains - speaking, listening, reading, and writing - especially in content areas like math, science, and social studies where academic language is the gatekeeper.
'This two-day course was eye-opening. I left feeling confident and ready to implement SIOP® strategies.' - High School Math Teacher
This is our deep dive into the full Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. Over four days, teachers experience all eight SIOP® components through model lessons, collaborative practice, and hands-on activities. Part 1 covers the foundational components. Part 2 goes further - integrating all four language domains, fostering metacognition, building background knowledge, and reaching the students who've checked out.
Here's what administrators tell me about the four-day: it creates a shared language across your building. When every teacher on staff understands the SIOP® model, conversations about instruction change. Teachers start noticing what they're doing well and where they can grow. That's conscious competence in action - and it's the beginning of real, sustained improvement.
'Our entire staff did the four-day SIOP® training, and the change in our classrooms was profound.' - District Administrator
Here's a stat that should concern every administrator: research shows that without follow-up support, only about 10% of what teachers learn in PD gets implemented in the classroom. Ten percent. That means 90% of your PD investment walks out the door.
iCOACH changes that number. When we add our structured peer coaching program to SIOP® training, implementation rates jump to 90%. Teachers observe each other, provide descriptive feedback, and support one another in applying SIOP® strategies with fidelity. It's not evaluative - it's empowering.
'The peer coaching made all the difference. Watching my colleagues teach, and receiving their feedback, helped me apply SIOP® strategies so much more effectively.' - Middle School ELL Specialist
The English Learner Institute is our fully remote, live SIOP® training - and it's the most popular online sheltered instruction PD in the country. Same strategies, same energy, same experiential approach as our onsite training, delivered live on Zoom by me.
I'll be honest: when we first went remote, I wasn't sure the energy would translate. It does. Participants consistently tell us it's the best virtual PD they've ever attended - and many say it's the best PD period.
Next session: June 8-11, 2026 | $250/day | $450 for 2 days | $850 for 4 days (save $150) | Group rates available
Visit our SIOP® Components and Features page for a complete guide to all 8 components and 30 features.
Q: What is SIOP® training?
SIOP® training teaches K-12 educators how to use the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol - a research-based framework with 8 components and 30 features - to make academic content accessible for English Learners while benefiting all students. TESOL Trainers' SIOP® training is 100% experiential and hands-on.
Q: What is the SIOP® model?
The SIOP® model (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) is a research-validated instructional framework developed by Echevarria, Vogt, and Short. It organizes effective teaching into 8 components and 30 features that help teachers make rigorous content accessible to English Learners and all students.
Q: Is SIOP® training available online?
Yes. Our English Learner Institute delivers the same high-impact SIOP® training live on Zoom. Participants consistently rate it as engaging and effective as in-person PD.
Q: How long is SIOP® training?
We offer 1-day, 2-day, and 4-day programs, plus peer coaching add-ons. The right length depends on your school's goals.
Q: How much does SIOP® training cost?
Individual ELI sessions are $250/day. The full 4-day program is $850/person with group discounts available. Custom onsite training is quoted based on scope - contact us for pricing.
Q: Can SIOP® training be customized?
Absolutely. We tailor content to your grade levels, subject areas, and instructional priorities. We also offer multi-year partnerships with ongoing coaching support.
Q: What are sentence starters and how are they used in SIOP®?
Sentence starters (also called sentence frames) are structured language supports that give students a beginning phrase to help them express academic ideas. Examples include 'I agree because...' and 'The evidence shows that...' They are used across SIOP® components to support English Learners in academic discussions.
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