Community of Practice: The Role of the Educational Interpreter

Over six weeks, this Community of Practice examines the multifaceted role of the educational interpreter in K–12 settings—language access, teaming, ethics, and instructional impact. Each 60-minute live session begins with a short mini-lesson, followed by facilitated breakout discussions. Discussion topics may include readings, participant insights, or application to school-based scenarios. Between sessions, participants complete targeted readings and brief discussion posts inside Canvas. The experience culminates in a practical toolkit you can use locally: (1) a one-page explainer for administrators; (2) a teacher-facing co-planning guide; (3) a short slide deck for SPED directors/building level admin; and (4) any additional templates identified by the group. 

Objectives

  • By the end of Week 2, participants will differentiate between the 5 stage points of the Role Metaphor of the K–12 interpreter, as measured by a rubric (meets/approaches/needs support). 

  • By the end of Week 4, participants will analyze one classroom scenario (e.g., small-group science lab) and produce a written decision-making rationale that cites two field sources (EIPA/BTNRH guidance or peer-reviewed literature), demonstrating alignment with educational team norms and student language needs. 

  • By the end of Week 4, participants will co-create a teacher-facing co-planning template that specifies when/how to share lesson objectives, vocabulary, grouping, and assessment plans; the template will be piloted or role-played in session and revised once based on peer feedback. 

  • By the end of Week 6, participants will submit one of the following:  

    • (1) a one-page explainer for administrators;  

    • (2) a teacher-facing co-planning guide;  

    • (3) a short slide deck for SPED directors/building-level admin;   

    • (4) any additional templates identified by the group. 

  • Participants will also deliver a 2–3 minute verbal summary in breakout rooms. 

Weekly Schedule (Subject to change)

W1—Role & boundaries in K–12: EIPA/BTNRH role guidance; team norms; who supervises what. 

W2—Paradigm Shift: what the interpreter does/doesn’t do; student visual attention and cognitive load. 

W3—Collaboration with teachers: pre-teaching vocab, grouping, labs, multimedia, behavior plans. 

W4—Data-informed decisions: observation notes to the team, IEP/504 considerations, when to adjust modality/register. 

W5—Stakeholder communication: crafting messages for admins and SPED directors; measuring impact. 

W6—Showcase & peer review: finalize and