Alabama-Mississippi
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
AMTESOL has a new mailing address! AMTESOL PO Box 360122 Hoover, AL 35236
ESOL Teacher Advocacy Forum 2026
Thursday, January 29, 2026
9:00am - 12:00pm
Flowood, Mississippi
Sheraton Flowood The Refuge Hotel & Conference Center
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Price: $75 (includes lunch)
AMTESOL Advocacy Forum 2026: Playing a Different Tune
AMTESOL invites you to our annual Advocacy Forum where you will hear guest speakers and participate in interactive activities and discussion about the needs of immigrants in our communities and the ways that we can advocate for our students' social, emotional, and academic success.​
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​Join us for a morning of activities and discussion about the vital advocacy role that ESOL teachers play in the lives of their students and families. Don't miss this opportunity to hone your advocacy skills and become empowered to effectively advocate for multilingual learners and communities.
Harmonizing with Teachers: Self Advocacy
Pause the hustle as we harmonize together to focus on our own wellness. First, we will focus inward to reflect on self care and to consider whether we live in harmony with ourselves. Next we will harmonize together as we let go of our stress and consider the power of raising our voices together.
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Wear comfortable clothes. Bring a percussion instrument if you'd like. Be ready to cut loose.
Presenters
Lori Edmonds, Ph.D. is a teacher educator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) who supports all educators in their pursuit to create inclusive learning environments. She began teaching ESL in 2007 and has taught teacher education courses for 15 years. Dr. Edmonds' research focuses on students' and teachers' funds of knowledge and teacher wellness and retention. She has served on several state and regional TESOL boards, including as President of Carolina TESOL.
Josephine Prado, Ph.D. is associate professor of English learner education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where she teaches graduate courses in second language acquisition, linguistics, and TESOL methods. For the past 30 years, Prado has taught English language learners in both Ecuador and the United States in K-12, university, and post-graduate levels. A former AMTESOL board member (2013-2024), Dr. Prado now serves as ESL Program Coordinator at UAB. Her research interests include exploring ESOL teacher advocacy and ESOL teacher well-being.
Harmonizing with Students: Teaching Students to Advocate for Themselves
Mrs. Emily Day harmoniously blends two worlds by combining special education curriculum that guides students toward self-determination with the cultural awareness of an ESOL educator. Through an interactive workshop, Mrs. Day will lead participants through sample lessons designed to scaffold students toward becoming self-advocates. Then, participants will engage with scenarios to practice guiding multicultural, multilingual students toward self-advocacy. When ESOL students become self-advocates, they affirm both their identities and their learning needs, which, in turn, promotes harmony between communication and acculturation.
Presenter
Emily Day has worked in Alabama public schools for 26 years. She holds degrees in Special Education, Rehabilitation Counseling, and TESOL. Emily serves as the Special Education Specialist and Transition Coordinator for Gadsden City Schools, Alabama. She instructs students on job readiness skills including self-advocacy. She has worked with children in Honduras, Cuba, and with refugee families from Afghanistan. Recently, she and her husband became foster parents. When not in the classroom, she enjoyes reading, kayaking, and backpacking.