Welcome to ESL at Seattle Central College. If you're visiting this page, chances are good that you're new to Central or interested in a position at Central. One of the first things you'll want to look at are the different levels of English learning we offer. You can find level-specific information through the links below.

Course Outlines

All courses taught at Seattle Central have a Master Course Outline and Supplemental Course Outline. Across these two documents, you will see the course description, topical outline, course outcomes, and more. These are the topics and outcomes you are expected to teach to. How you choose to teach to them is entirely your right under academic freedom. While it's obviously helpful to look at the outline for the class you've been assigned, it can also be helpful to look at the outlines for the classes immediately above and below your assignment so you have a sense of how the skills sequence. 

Note: All of the outlines open in a new tab. If the links don't work, you may need to give your browser permission for this site to open a new tab.

All of the classes above cover reading, writing, listening, speaking, grammar, etc. Other than our electives, we do not separate skills in our levels. If you're teaching an elective, I-BEST, or other course not described here, contact the dean for information about your class. 

Sample Syllabi

Instructional Resources

The division does not require use of any standard texts or other materials, though sometimes higher-level faculty agree on a class novel. The dean will let you know if that's the case. Other than that, we have a resource library in the faculty workroom. Additionally, the division has subscriptions to Elli, Newsela, and more. Contact Jing-Song Shah, our Faculty Instructional Resources Coordinator, for information on how to access our subscriptions. 

Dates, times, and locations of our classes

Most of our ESL classes meet Monday through Friday in the mornings and Monday through Thursday in the evenings. Monday classes are generally held in Zoom (synchronous) with the remaining days taking place in person. Most in-person instruction happens on main campus, though we do have remote sites at Asian Counseling Referral Services (ACRS) and El Centro de la Raza (El Centro). Fall winter and spring classes typically meet for eleven weeks from either 9 am to 10:50 (Monday through Friday) or from 6 pm to 8:20 (Monday through Thursday). Summer classes meet for 8 weeks for longer hours.

Find a campus map here.  (Opens in a new tab.)

Unless you're teaching at ACRS or El Centro, teaching an elective class, or teaching I-BEST, your schedule likely matches the above. A schedule of classes is shared with all faculty at the beginning of the quarter, including dates, times, and classroom locations. More information about elective classes and I-BEST classes is provided below. 

I-BEST

Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) are offerings that allow ESL students to take college-level courses that are co-taught by a "content area" instructor and a basic skills instructor. We currently offer I-BEST programs in IT, Business Technology Management, Sterile Processing (healthcare), and others. 

I-BEST offers college-level training opportunities to students who otherwise might lack the language skills to place into these programs. I-BEST students must meet the same standards as all college-level students, but because the classes are co-taught by (for example) an IT instructor and an ESL instructor, there is extra support to ensure students can succeed.

If you're teaching ESL 4, ESL 5, or ESL 6, consider inviting Naomi Silanas Burton, our Transitions Manager, so she can tell you students about this opportunity. Or if you're interested in learning more about I-BEST, contact the dean.

Electives

In addition to the regular ESL classes, the schedule sometimes gives students an opportunity to take an elective. These classes are optional and available for students who want extra practice.

Check the schedule for electives, or look for an email about them. As with the regular classes, students register for electives the quarter before the classes start. 

Clustered classes

Clustered classes are single teaching assignments/classes designed for students from more than one ESL level. You will know if you've been assigned a clustered class, and faculty who teach those classes should consult course outlines and other materials from both/all the corresponding classes. 

The academic calendar

We follow the academic calendar  (opens in a new tab) of the Seattle Colleges. The start dates for each quarter and the holiday schedule (at the bottom of the page) are often most useful. Please also note that no classes are held on Faculty Professional Development Day. 

Faculty Professional Development Day

Once per quarter (except summer) all classes are canceled for Faculty Professional Development Day. Full-time faculty are required to attend activities that day, which might be scheduled by the dean, the campus faculty professional development coordinator, or by faculty themselves. Part-time faculty are encouraged--but not required--to attend, and those who participate receive a $100 stipend. Look for emails announcing the day and activities of professional development day, and cancel your class for that day. All classes are canceled--including evening classes as well as off-site classes--even though the events of that day might not conflict with your scheduled teaching time or location. You must cancel classes this day, and you cannot "trade it" for another day.

CASAS, LACES, and student orientation

We receive federal funds to offer our program, and our federal reporting requires a valid CASAS pre-test and post-test. CASAS is a standardized test required of us as a recipient of federal WIOA Title II funds. LACES is the statewide federal data reporting system used to collect and manage our data. As a faculty member, you will hear these two terms. 

Your students will have already had a CASAS pre-test during new student orientation which takes place before they arrive in your class. During the quarter, you will receive a proposed day/time for the office team to administer the CASAS post-test during one of your class sessions. On that day, you will bring your class to the computer lab for testing. While testing does not typically require a full class session for all students, the amount of time students need will vary. You can choose to plan additional class activities on CASAS testing days, or you can excuse students from class for the day upon completion of CASAS testing. 

As a faculty member, you have the option to sign up to earn extra money by teaching an ESL orientation class. These are one-credit assignments that take place toward the end of each quarter as well as during breaks between the quarters. For more information, contact Katie Heizenrader, BTS Director. 

Adds/Drops and your roster

You can access your student roster through ctcLink (see below). During the first week and periodically throughout the quarter, please check your roster in ctcLink for accuracy. If you cannot access your roster, or if your roster doesn't match students in your classroom, please check with the BTS office. During the first two weeks, you will be asked to drop any no-show students and accept new students off the wait list. A few key points:

• Do not sign-in any students to your class on your own. Send them to the BTS office. We will sign them in or place them on the wait list. If you sign a student in, you run the risk of over-filling your class. The office cannot over-ride your decision, and you may unwittingly agree to exceed your class cap (or even seats in the room!). 
• Drop any no-show students within the first five days of the quarter (unless the student contacted you and asked to stay in the class). This frees up space for other students, helps no-show students avoid being charged for a class they never attended, and helps no-show students avoid restrictions on the number of times they can repeat a class (3). 
• As a rule of thumb, do not drop students after the first five days of the quarter unless the student explicitly asks you to do so. 
• It's the division practice to cap ESL 1 at 20 students and all other ESL at 25 students. Faculty have discretion to accept students over those caps. 

You may may attempt to drop a student who has attended your class for fewer than 12 hours but the BTS office over-rides this decision. This would be because the combined attendance of that student between your class and another class (such as math or GED) equals more than 12 hours, making the student federally reportable. 

ctcLink

ctcLink is the statewide information system for all public two-year colleges in Washington. If you teach at another college, you may already have ctcLink access from that institution. While you will use the same log-in credentials, you'll be given separate access to your Seattle Central ctcLink information.

You'll use ctcLink to access your class roster, view your current course schedule, submit grades, submit absence requests, and more. Click here for the Seattle district's faculty guide to ctcLink. It includes step-by-step instructions, helpful videos, and more. 

Computer Lab time

Every faculty has weekly computer lab time. A computer lab schedule is published quarterly. Look for an email or check the division's BTS Canvas site. Contact Katie Heizenrader for more details. 

Attendance reporting

Per our federal funding, you are required to report student attendance. Attendance is reported monthly, due by the 5th of the following month (or the next work day if the 5th falls on a weekend or holiday). For example, attendance for July is due by August 5. 

You have two options for reporting attendance. You can complete an attendance roster, provided to you by the BTS office team, and turn it in to Elisa Ding. Or you can attend a training where you can learn how to directly enter your attendance into the state's reporting system, LACES. 

Keys, copies, and general needs

The BTS offices in BE 3122 house the staff and faculty mailboxes, the copier, classroom supplies, some faculty workstations, and more. You can access the area using your key card. Contact Karita Randall, Program Specialist, who will arrange your key card. To receive a key card, you must:

• Have been onboarded by the colleges and assigned a ctcLink employee ID number.
• Have your picture taken by the Enrollment Services photographer (BE 1104) or provide a headshot to Karita Randall.
• Pick up your card at the Campus Safety and Security office (BE 1108).

Parking Passes/ORCA cards

Parking & Transportation services (opens in a new tab) provides employees with information on parking passes, carpooling, ORCA cards, ferry reimbursement and more. You may need a signature from the dean to purchase a pass. 

Reporting Absences

If you need to be absent for any reason, email John Bowers, Katie Heizenrader, and Karita Randall. Add others that you feel would benefit (the more people who know, the better). Include any message you want to give to students, like if you want students to work in Canvas or complete some other work. 

You will also need to report the absence in ctcLink. The faculty leave accrual is based on a 30-hour workweek, or 6 hours a day. As such, it's typical for faculty to request 6 hours of leave if they are missing a day of class. The process can be complicated, however, if you are teaching in more than one division, if your assignment is pro-rata (more than 12 credits), or other factors. Click here for detailed guidance on how to enter everything in ctcLink. 

Grading

Classes are pass/fail, where students receive either an S, Y, or N grade. 

• S is the pass grade, meaning a student met all the learning outcomes of their level and are ready for the next level. 
• Y is the grade for students who attended and remained engaged, but who did not meet all the learning outcomes and would benefit from repeating rather than being advanced.
• NC is the grade for students who disappear.

Students can take 2 or 3 quarters to pass from one ESL level to the next, so a significant no-pass rate is normal. 

Registering Current Students for Next Quarter

Toward the end of the quarter, you will register existing students for the upcoming quarter (though some spring students will skip summer and register for the upcoming fall). At that time, you’ll need to decide if a student is ready for the next ESL level or not—and help them register accordingly. You’ll get more emails/guidance on that process during the quarter, but it is important to meet deadlines to ensure that your students can register for their classes before new/returning students--otherwise classes may fill!

Laptop Loaning for Students

Students can borrow laptops (Chromebooks) from the library (opens in a new tab) for free while they are enrolled in classes. They should either visit the library during normal business hours or make arrangements to pick up the technology after hours (which is sometimes required for students taking evening classes). 

Children in the classroom

Periodically students ask if they can bring their children to class. District policy states that children are allowed in the classroom on an “infrequent” basis and only with instructor permission. When allowed, it is expected that parents will maintain responsibility for supervising their children and that the children will not disrupt the learning environment.

So it's up to you, and I will support you in whatever decision you make. I personally appreciate efforts to accommodate students who need this flexibility when it is “infrequent,” and I’m glad we have this option.

Visitors in the classroom

Non-student visitors, such as spouses, family members, advocates, friends who are providing transportation, are not allowed in the classroom. If a student requires an accommodation, we can arrange support through the Accessibility Resource Center.

Sick leave/personal day/subs

Let the office know as soon as possible if you are going to be sick or otherwise absent. Per article 4.5 in the contract, all faculty are granted one personal day a quarter. You can take this any day you like, but you are expected to let the dean know in advance. You can use this day for anything you want except gainful employment (The personal day is paid, and the state cannot pay you for a day that you're working another job). For part-time faculty, this is a "use it or lose it" day that does not accumulate over the quarters. 

In place of an anticipated absence, faculty can request permission from the dean to move instruction online, either synchronously or asynchronously. This is a common practice, and generally involves faculty informing the dean/office staff and then making arrangements via Zoom, Canvas, or other remote learning. If an absence is not anticipated and remote learning is not possible/desired, please contact the office as early as possible. We will arrange a sub if possible, or cancel your class. If you can help us arrange a sub (most often by checking with your colleagues), it's always appreciated!

Paychecks

You'll get paid on the 10th and 25th, or whatever non-weekend/non-holiday is closest to those dates. If you were hired late, it's possible that you won't complete your hiring paperwork in time for the first pay period. Ask the dean.

The BTS Faculty CANVAS page

The faculty have their own CANVAS page, where you can find more information and resources, like course outlines, rubrics, sample syllabi, health and safety information and more. If you have trouble accessing the page, contact Katie Heizenrader. 

Snow, Hurricanes, Zombie Apocalypses, etc. 

Sign up for the college's campus alert system, and you will be notified of any campus closure. Unless otherwise notified, any closure (or decision not to close) applies to all locations--main campus, ACRS, El Centro and any others. As always, when facing hazardous conditions, take whatever safety measures you feel are appropriate, and let the office know if you will be late or unavailable. 

Collective Bargaining Agreement

All faculty are represented by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) local 1789 and work under the terms of our collective bargaining agreement. The dean and the AFT are both happy to be available to provide advice on the contract, and the resources described here and elsewhere are meant to be consistent with that contract. If you'd like to see the contract for yourself, click here. 

Whew!

That's it for now. I hope this gives you more than you need to have a great start to the quarter. I know you'll do a great job because you are awesome! Email the dean with any questions. 

John Bowers, Interim Dean