Conference on Instruction for Multilingual Advancement(CIMA) Emergent Bilingual Learners Conference is back on January 22, 2026! This event is designed for educators teaching Emergent Bilingual students in Bilingual and ESL programs. Engage with keynote speakers and attend presentations by teachers and experts who will provide actionable strategies and insights. By the end of the day, you’ll feel ready to improve learning outcomes for all students acquiring languages.
Present at CIMA Emergent Bilingual Learners
Do you have a groundbreaking idea, an effective teaching strategy, or an innovative project? If so, we want to hear from you! Share this opportunity with colleagues interested in presenting at the conference. The deadline for submissions is November 20, 2025.
Showcase your products and services to world language educators from across Texas! As a vendor or exhibitor, you’ll have the chance to connect directly with teachers, administrators, and district leaders who are passionate about language education. This is a unique opportunity to build relationships, share resources, and support the growth of world language programs statewide.
Secure your spot today and be part of a day filled with learning, collaboration, and inspiration!
Nancy Motley is the Chief Learning & Innovation Officer and a senior educational consultant for Seidlitz Education, specializing in building capacity among teachers, specifically supporting literacy and language development. For the past two decades her work with teachers, schools, and districts has centered around increasing students’ success with straightforward and actionable strategies. She is widely known for her user-friendly approach.
Nancy is the author of Small moves, big gains: Teacher habits that help kids to talk more, think more and achieve more, and Talk, read, talk, write: A practical routine for learning in all content areas (K–12), 1st and 2nd editions. She is also the co-author of The diverse learner flip book. When she is not writing, she is traveling the nation to support coaches and teachers through job embedded professional development focused on meeting the needs of multilingual learners, magnifying student engagement, and increasing reading, writing, and communication skills for all students.
Nancy’s previous educational roles include: classroom teacher, reading specialist, intervention program coordinator, professional development instructor, and curriculum developer.
Because of her dynamic approach to teaching and learning, she was awarded the Alief Independent School District’s Teacher of the Year Award in 2003. Her passion for and commitment to education is still just as evident today as she trains and coaches teachers, collaborates with leadership, and creates new educational resources.
She holds a Masters of Arts in Counseling that she uses to help teachers build strong, authentic connections with their students. Nancy lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and two wonderful daughters.
Carlene Thomas
Carlene Thomas is the CEO and founder of an educational consulting company that advocates for equity for emergent bilingual (EB) students and specializes in support for bilingual education and English as a second language (ESL) programs. Carlene also currently advocates at the national level by serving as co-chair of the Membership Committee for the National Association for English Learner Program Administrators (NAELPA) and on the leadership team for the National Newcomer Network (NNN). Throughout her career, Carlene has been able to impact EB students through multiple perspectives. After teaching as a TESOL professor at a university in Beijing, China, she returned to the states with a clear passion for EB students. In Texas, Carlene has worked in various roles including ESL teacher (in both elementary and secondary school settings), ESL curriculum writer, EB program compliance coordinator, ESL director, regional ESL/migrant educational consultant, and the ESL Program Coordinator for the state of Texas. In her work at the Texas Education Agency, Carlene developed extensive compliance guidance resources, program implementation and evaluation tools, training materials, and comprehensive guidance on instructional practices for EB students. She is dedicated to serving EB students and their families by promoting additive bilingualism within all bilingual and ESL programs.
Join our Multilingual Conference
Make a difference in the world of Multilingual education.
