Succeeding With English Language Learners » Helping you to serve the ESL / ELL community.

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About Betty

Dr. Betty Ansin Smallwood is Founder and President of Succeeding With English Language Learners (S.W.E.L.L.).  

Betty is also a Senior Fellow at the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) in Washington, DC.  Until July, 2012, she was the Director of CAL Solutions, PK-12 English Language Learner (ELL) Education at CAL (www.cal.org/solutions). She brings over 40 years of experience, including 19 years as an ESL teacher, K-adult, and over 20 years as an ELL teacher educator, Pre-K- 12. At CAL, she developed the business line of providing direct services to schools, states, and districts for their ELL population in response to individual requests and needs. Specializing in professional development and technical assistance, Dr. Smallwood has designed and directed over 100 projects nationwide, and has been the service provider in many, including multiple year projects in Alaska, New Mexico, Missouri, and Massachusetts. She has trained hundreds of teachers (and also delivered Training of Trainers) on all of CAL’s professional development programs about ELLs: Enhancing English Language Learning in Elementary Classrooms, Enriching Content Classes for Secondary ESOL Students, Professional Development for Bilingual and ESL Bilingual Paraprofessionals: The Aspire Curriculum, and What’s Different about Teaching Reading to Students Learning English (also co-editor) and Parenting for Academic Success (an author, with National Family Literacy Center). Her areas of ELL expertise include needs assessments, program and standards evaluations, curriculum development, consultation about ESL issues, such as newcomer and other ESL program models, multicultural children’s literature, singable books, early childhood education, and family engagement.

Dr. Smallwood (also known as “Dr. Betty”) has also published and presented widely in the field of ESL. Recently, she has concentrated on bringing to the field CAL’s Hot Topics in ELL Education Program, with two new professional development workbooks and videos published in 2012, and with accompanying institutes and services. Dr. Smallwood is the Series Editor, a workbook author, and producer of the videos.

Dr. Betty earned her Ph.D. in ESL and Bilingual Education at George Mason University, VA. She served on the WATESOL and International TESOL Board of Directors. She is a certified teacher and began her education career as a Peace Corps teacher (5th grade) in the Fiji Islands. Betty was also the co-founder of Friends Community School, a Quaker school (Grades K-8) in College Park, MD. The school recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and now enrolls over 215 students. Betty serves on the Board of Trustees.

When not “doing” ESL, she is known as “Mama Betty” and loves being the grandmother to an adorable 7 year old grandson and nearly 5 year old granddaughter, who live five minutes away with Betty’s son and daughter-in-law. They visit often and take care of one another.  Her other son lives near San Francisco, and was recently married on Maui to a beautiful young lady from that laid-back island.