World Language Classroom

#256 This is episode 1 in my 2026 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 31st, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday. For today we take a look back at Student Motivation in episodes 235 and 237. Topics in this Episode:  Episode; 235: Suppor...

#255 As the school year winds down and we go into summer mode, hopefully your schedule begins to open up a bit and you have an opportunity to reflect with a little more space and a little less urgency. This is the perfect time to get into what I call your “summer headspace.”  What do I mean by that?  It’s about taking some time to perhaps revisit episodes from the past year in a fresh way that can...

#254 When was the last time you had enough time to actually think about your teaching instead of just keeping up with it? If you're like most language teachers, the school year is a constant cycle of planning lessons, grading, answering emails, attending meetings, and preparing for the next day. Summer offers something different: space. Space to reflect, learn, create, and prepare for the kin...

#253 What if your students could use the language they’re learning to build real relationships with peers across the globe? In this episode French teacher Heidi Trude joins me to explore how authentic global connections can transform language learning. Heidi shares how a partnership that began with a simple idea grew into meaningful collaborations that deepen students’ language proficiency, cultur...

#252 Have you ever wondered whether your tests, quizzes or assessments truly measure what your students can do with the language, or are they just looking at what students can memorize or explain about the language? In this episode we're diving into Integrated Performance Assessments, or IPAs, an effective way to assess how students are actually able to use the grammar, vocabulary and cultura...

#251 Have you ever felt like you’re not allowed to say this out loud? That Comprehensible Input works beautifully with novices… but something feels different at Intermediate High and Advanced? That maybe your students plateau, avoid complex structures, or fossilize errors and you quietly wonder if you’re doing something wrong? What if the issue isn’t you… and it isn’t your students… but the choice...

#250 What if a few intentional moments of gratitude each day could help you feel more connected, energized, and sustained in your teaching life? In this episode, I speak with Dr. Allyson Power about how gratitude practices can help world language teachers reconnect with what they enjoy most about teaching. Drawing from her doctoral research and years in the classroom, Dr. Power shares practical in...

#249 Do you spend hours correcting student writing—marking every error, fixing every verb, circling every agreement mistake—only to see those same exact errors show up on the next assignment? What if the issue isn’t your students… and it’s not your effort… but the way you’re giving feedback? Today we’re talking about how to shift your writing feedback so students actually use it , improve their ac...

#248 When you think about participation in your classroom… who comes to mind first? Is it the students raising their hands? The ones who always have something to say? The ones who are quick, confident, and ready with an answer? Now think about everyone else. The quiet processors. The students building confidence. The ones still developing language. Are they participating—or are they being left out...

#247 Do you use songs and films with your students? Do you have some go-to activities that you normally do, but could maybe use some new ideas?  In this episode I’m joined by Sybil Sanchez Jacome, a Spanish teacher in New Jersey and the president-elect of AATSP. We explore how music and film can move beyond being classroom “extras” to become meaningful sources of input, culture, and communication....

#246 Your students read the text and you had comprehension questions ready, yet the conversation never really took off. Instead of an authentic discussion, it became a sequence of teacher questions and short student answers. Today we’re going to talk about how to move beyond simple Q&A and toward richer literary and cultural discussions in language classes so students actually respond to each...

What if language class could help students talk about the issues shaping our world today? In this episode, I’m joined by Carmen Reyes, a Spanish teacher in Virginia, to explore how the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals can bring language, culture, and global citizenship together in meaningful ways. We talk about what the SDGs are, why they matter, and how they can help students move bey...

#244 Have you ever reached the last five minutes of class and thought, I wish my students spoke or wrote a little bit more today… but we didn’t have time . That moment happens to all of us. Not because speaking and writing aren’t important, but because we think those activities require planning, materials, or a carefully designed task. But what if meaningful communication could happen any time in...

#243 Have your students finished listening to something or reading in the target language and you looked around the room, and wondered… Did anyone actually understand that? Not because your students weren’t trying. Not because the language was too challenging. But because they didn’t yet know how to listen for meaning. Today’s episode is about something that often gets overlooked in language teach...

#242 Do you have required vocabulary lists by units that you’re expected to teach? Let’s say that you have a list of 30 or 40 words per unit. Your colleagues teaching other sections have the same list for consistency. You introduce them, do a few games, quiz students on the definitions… but something feels incomplete. Because while your students know the words, they’re not really using them. So ho...

#241 What would happen if the artwork on your classroom walls became the catalyst for real communication in the target language? In this episode I’m joined by Spanish teacher Courtney Bonino to explore how adding art to your curriculum can transform engagement and deepen proficiency. We talk about why art is such a powerful entry point for learners at different levels, how to integrate it into uni...

#240 Do your students sometimes struggle to get their ideas down in writing because they aren’t sure how to start or how to say exactly what they mean? Writing can feel overwhelming without the right support—but it doesn’t have to be that way. In this episode, we’ll explore how sentence frames and scaffolds can give students the structure they need to write confidently and accurately, while still...

#239 Do your students sometimes feel overwhelmed or a little hesitant when you ask them to write in the target language? Building writing confidence doesn’t happen overnight. It grows with small, purposeful moments every day. In this episode, we look at how integrating short, focused writing tasks into your lessons can help students process language, express ideas, and build confidence in their wr...

#238 Do you want to deepen your practice as a world language teacher and sharpen your skills around proficiency?  In today’s episode, we’re exploring a way to do just that through the lens of National Board Certification. I’m joined by Erin E.H. Austin, a French teacher in Colorado, and Lisa Bartels, a French teacher in North Carolina. They are both National Board Certified Teachers.  Together, we...

#237 What keeps students coming back to your language program each year?  Especially when graduation requirements, scheduling and competing electives are pulling them in other directions? This is the second episode in our advocacy series.  Last week I looked at local, state and national efforts. Today we are in the classroom. I’m joined by Ann LeClair-Ash, a National Board Certified French teacher...

#236 Curious how language programs thrive even with tight budgets and shifting graduation rules? In this episode, I share insights from conversations at the Klett World Languages booth at ACTFL . We’ll explore why language learning matters, from building communication and literacy skills to preparing students for future careers. I  share practical, actionable strategies teachers can use to advocat...

#235 What actually motivates our students? Today we explore that question through the lens of Self-Determination Theory with teacher Martha Cox-Stavros, a middle school Spanish teacher in Massachusetts. Whether this theory is brand new to you or something you’ve heard mentioned in passing, this conversation breaks it down in clear, classroom-ready ways. We dig into how competence, autonomy, and re...

#234 When did you last speak with a colleague about what really worked in your lesson? Or reflected on what helped students communicate, not just what they covered ? In this episode we look at how small, intentional habits, such as weekly reflection or purposeful collaboration, can build a shared culture of growth. You’ll walk away with actionable ideas to implement tomorrow, whether you’re workin...

#233 Do you want your students to feel more confident and eager to share their ideas in the target language? In this episode, we’ll explore strategies that help learners move beyond words and phrases and into real discourse and communication. I’m joined by Christina Margiore, a Spanish teacher in New York, who brings practical routines and low-prep techniques that create a supportive environment a...

#232 Last week in episode 231 I began a two-part series on using a simple story to show what CI looks like in real classroom practice. In this episode, I continue by building on the same story and walking through how CI activities help students stay engaged, deepen comprehension, and interact with the text in meaningful ways. These 2 episodes are focused on seeing familiar CI practices.  Topics in...