World Language Classroom

#206 This is episode 2 in my 2025 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 26th, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday.  For today we take a look back at 2 more of the high leverage teaching practices. Episode 167 about guiding learners to in...

#205 This is episode 1 in my 2025 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 26th, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday. For today we take a look back at 2 of the high leverage teaching practices. Episode 160 about creating a classroom where s...

#204 Now that the school year is over hopefully you have a little less on your mind and have a little extra time. This is the perfect time to get into your summer headspace.  What do I mean by that?  You’ll soon understand.  Let’s jump in. What do I mean by “Summer Headspace?” Time to reflect without other pressing priorities and issues. Clear head. Opportunity to revisit themes and episodes with...

#203 What do we mean when we talk about representation in the classroom? More specifically representation in our language classrooms?  How can we make sure that our students understand the variety of cultures and experiences that are part of the target language culture?  In this episode, Jenniffer Whyte joins me to talk about bringing the Afro-Latinx and Black heritage into our classroom curriculu...

#202 I want to make sure that you start your new school in the fall with a clear framework for planning and teaching for proficiency. I created a free reflection and planning tool that will guide you as you create a classroom that prioritizes what students can do with language. In this episode I will tell you all about it and point you to where you can get yours today. Planning & Teaching for...

#204 Do you have some go-to activities to motivate your students to speak and engage with the target language in your classroom?  Are you always on the lookout for activities and routines to add to your list of possibilities? In this episode, I speak with Sherry Sebesta, a French and Spanish teacher in New York. Sherry shares suggestions for getting your students speaking the target language more...

#200 How do you feel about the CI strategies, proficiency-based procedures or communicative language teaching that you do in your classroom?  You hear a lot about it, either on this podcast, from colleagues or on social media.  Lots of good stuff. But, do you sometimes feel like it seems like it's always smooth sailing with no challenges in other classrooms while you definitely have them in y...

#199 How can celebrating identity and dialects transform the experience of language learners? In this episode I'm joined by Courtney Nygaard, a teacher of heritage Spanish speakers in Minnesota.  Courtney shares how she honors and values her students' identities as a way to build confidence, connection, and community in the classroom. We talk about practical strategies for embracing dial...

#198 How can simple, consistent routines create a classroom where students communicate confidently in the target language every day?  In this episode we look at how effective routines lead to successful classrooms. I’m joined by Tia Parnell, a French teacher in Ontario, Canada. Tia shares practical insight into how routines can create structure, boost engagement, and support meaningful language us...

#197 Have you heard of a Write and Discuss or have you tried it in your classroom? If you've done it, you know how useful and beneficial it is for students and yourself as the teacher. If this is new to you, in this episode you’ll hear about an incredibly useful collaborative writing activity that you can do with your students right away. No preparation needed. If this is not new to you, stic...

#196 What if your students could step inside the Louvre Museum, explore Frida Kahlo’s studio, or walk through the streets of ancient cities, all without leaving your classroom? In this episode, we explore the Google Arts & Culture app with French teacher and tech integration specialist Heidi Trude. From boosting cultural understanding to sparking meaningful conversations, Heidi shares creative...

#195 There are lots of misconceptions about teaching grammar. There are also opinions about whether or not there is a place for teaching grammar in a proficiency-based classroom. In this episode, Catherine Ritz and Mike Travers, authors of Proficiency-Based Instruction: Teaching GRAMMAR for Proficiency, join me to talk about the place of grammar in a proficiency-based classroom.  And yes, there is...

#194 Where do you find opportunities for exploring language and culture beyond the classroom? Have you found ways to involve your students in service learning projects? In this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Chris Howell who is the co-founder of the Pulsera Project . This is an organization that supports artisans in Guatemala and Nicaragua through direct connections with schools an...

#193 Do you use task cards? How can we get the most out of them in our language classrooms? Task cards are useful tools for building engagement, supporting proficiency, and adding variety to your routines. In this episode, we’re looking at 15 creative ways to use task cards. You might already have a few that you like to use, and after this episode you have lots more. Blog Post with all 15 ways to...

#192 How much flexibility or autonomy do you have over your curriculum? Are you able to integrate CI techniques and procedures? This can be a bit challenging if our curriculum is aligned with chapters in a textbook or prescribed units.  Today I speak with Ashley Mikkelsen, a Spanish teacher in North Dakota.  Ashley talks us through her personal journey and experience integrating CI activities into...

#191 Do you have effective routines that support your students’ language proficiency and communication skills?  We often think of the communication modes, proficiency levels and 90+% target language as the routines that we foster in the classroom. In this episode you’ll hear about another type of routine, student-created graphic organizers.  These are visual tools that offer a unique pathway for s...

#190 A few weeks back I posted on LinkIn and Andrea Caulfield left a comment. Andrea is the World Language Curriculum Specialist in Denver Public Schools.  She commented that she uses podcast episodes as a way of bringing professional development and coaching to the 100+ teachers in her district. I was intrigued to learn more about how she managed this logistically and wanted you to hear it as wel...

#189 We are all well aware of the importance of comprehensible input in our classrooms, and to support this many of us use stories as the way to do it.  Do you use short stories, novels or graphic novels or comprehensible (CI) readers with your students? I’m excited to see that many teachers are using and leveraging texts with their students. I want to take this a step further in this episode and...

#188 We are always taking on new vocabulary themes and language structures in our language classroom. How do you make sure that your students are engaging with these new topics, particularly when it comes to speaking? In this episode, I speak with Jessica Hall, AKA Miss Señorita, who is a Spanish teacher in Connecticut. Jessica shares 3 speaking activities that are easily modified for various leve...

#187 What do your grades look like? Do the grades that your students earn reflect their mastery and what they can do with and in the target language? In this episode, I speak with Jude Krushnowski, the Director of the World Language Teacher Education Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He walks us through a framework for competency-based grading in our proficiency-based classro...

#186 How do we ensure our students know exactly what they’re working toward in their language learning journey? In this episode, we’re diving into Writing Can Do Statements—how to make them concrete, student-friendly, and aligned with proficiency levels and ACTFL’s communication modes. We’ll explore both yearly and unit-specific Can Do Statements, their role in guiding instruction and assessment,...

#185 What have you learned about your teaching throughout your years of experience? Do you take time to look introspectively at what works well for you and why so that you can replicate it? In this episode, Carmen Scoggins, a Spanish teacher in North Carolina, joins me to talk us through her 5 universal truths about teaching. Though our personal experiences and truths may be a little different, he...

#184 Are you always on the lookout for new and inventive ideas to bring to our classrooms. I have one simple, yet powerful, tool.  A mini-folding book is a compact, 8-page book made from a single sheet of paper. They are easy to create and can be customized for a wide range of classroom activities.  In this episode I’ll tell you how to create the book and then I’ll share 10 Ways to use Mini-Foldin...

#183 Are you getting more comfortable with AI tools? Are you finding ways to use them to enhance your teaching? Last year, Noemi Rodriguez joined me on episode 116 when AI felt so new and emerging. Noemi is back to talk through advances in AI, new resources for language teachers and getting over some common hurdles.  We specifically focus on leveraging AI tools to support students, particularly ar...

#182 Calendar talk is a CI (Comprehensible Input) activity that is part of many teachers' routines in the classroom.  It is essentially just that, talking about the calendar.  What began as simply saying the date has grown into much more than that. In this episode I will share with you my own process of doing a calendar talk activity that engages students on a wide variety of topics as we beg...