Episode Summary Welcome to the mid-year slump. Whether you live in a colder climate like I do or anywhere else, the middle of the school year can get hard for so many reasons. February and March in particular can be especially tough months in the school year. Students and teachers are tired, motivation is dipping,…
How to Beat the Mid-Year Slump in the EL Classroom Read More »
Episode Summary I am very excited about today’s episode because I know it will bring so much value to you. I’ve talked about lesson planning before, but today, I wanted to share a process that has been very helpful and, honestly, is truly a great way to plan for our EL students. So in today’s
The Secret to Effective EL Lessons? Backward Lesson Design! Read More »
Episode Summary Who doesn’t love a good behind the scenes?!! Today’s episode is going to be a tad bit different than the usual teaching tips, ideas, and moments. I don’t know about you, but I love a good behind the scenes moment. In the world where we always see the final product, whether it’s a
A Look Behind the Scenes of The ESL Teaching Podcast Read More »
Episode Summary One of the themes that keeps coming up in my teaching and that of many other teachers who work with English learners is this: How much work should we give EL newcomers and any EL student? What can we expect from them? I recorded several episodes about the time it takes to acquire
The Less is More Philosophy When Teaching EL Newcomers Read More »
Episode Summary Midwinter and early spring is the season for state and language proficiency testing, and I am dedicating a couple of episodes to help you prepare your students for them so that they can show off all of the great things they’ve learned so far. Last week, I talked about peculiarities of listening and
Reading and Writing Practice for State and Proficiency Tests Read More »
Part 1 – Listening and Speaking Practice Episode Summary The testing season is upon us. I wanted to talk about a topic that every teacher working with English learners faces each year, preparing ELs for state and language proficiency tests like ACCESS, TELPAS, and others. These tests play a crucial role in measuring student progress
Preparing ELs for State and Language Proficiency Tests Read More »