Dictation is one of those classic activities many of us use in our language classes—but sometimes it can feel repetitive or not very communicative.

In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I talk with Latin teacher Keith Toda about how a simple tweak can transform dictation into a purposefully communicative activity. We discuss how dictation supports comprehensible input and how we can add curiosity and interaction to make the activity more meaningful for students.

If you’re looking for a low-prep strategy that slows down your pacing, increases focus, and encourages communication in your world language classroom, this conversation will give you ideas you can try right away.

Takeaways

• Why dictation still supports language acquisition
• How to make dictation purposefully communicative
• A simple prediction twist that sparks discussion
• How to mix dictation with quick personalized questions (PQA)
• How dictation can prepare students for reading or video input

Resources

📖 Read the blog post: Dictation + Communication: How to Make Dictation Purposefully Communicative

🌍 Keith Toda – Toda-lly Comprehensible Latin
https://todallycomprehensiblelatin.blogspot.com

🎙️ Related Episodes
Talking Language Acquisition with Dr. Bill VanPatten (Part 2)
Talking Language Acquisition with Dr. Bill VanPatten (Part 1)
Beyond Exposure: Comprehensible and Meaningful Input with Dr. Florencia Henshaw (Part 1)
Making Our Classroom Communication Driven

GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
Growing With CI FB Community
Blog
Teacher Pay Teachers Store

Join host Claudia Elliott in this insightful episode of 'Growing with Proficiency, the podcast,' as she delves into the importance of listening comprehension and skills in world language education with special guest, Marta Yedinek.

Discover innovative strategies and the story behind the renowned podcast 'Cuéntame,' designed to aid Spanish learners. Claudia and Marta discuss methods to prepare students before, during, and after listening activities, offering practical advice for language teachers to implement in their classrooms.

Learn about Marta’s hands-on experience in adapting her podcast to meet the varying needs of her students and takeaway actionable tips to enhance your teaching approach. Don't miss out on this engaging conversation that promises to inspire and support language educators in cultivating proficient and culturally competent learners.

00:00 Introduction to Growing with Proficiency

01:09 Meet Your Host: Claudia Elliott

01:45 Special Guest: Martha Yedinek

01:50 The Importance of Listening Skills

03:11 Creating the Cuéntame Podcast

05:46 Strategies for Effective Listening

08:05 Using Podcasts in the Classroom

11:21 Practical Tips for Teachers

13:16 Engaging Students with Listening Activities

23:16 Reflection and Continuous Improvement

30:09 Final Thoughts and Resources

Meet our guest:

Marta Ruiz Yedinak is a National Board Certified Spanish teacher, Kohl Fellow, and a WAFLT New Teacher Award recipient. She is a passionate provider of comprehensible input and a firm believer of teaching students, not curriculum. She loves sharing with other teachers by presenting at various language conferences such as ACTFL, WAFLT, CSCTFL, FLAND, MittenCI, iFLT, and CIMW, a conference that she co-directs. Marta works for the Ripon Area School District. She is the author of “La princesa y el guerrero”, published by Wayside, and the producer of ¡Cuéntame!, a podcast for Spanish acquisition.

Resources mentioned in the podcast:

 Cuéntame Podcast

 List of all the episodes of Cuéntame

 Facebook community of Cuéntame

More resources:
GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
Growing With CI FB Community
Blog
Teacher Pay Teachers Store

La comprensión auditiva es una de las habilidades más desafiantes para nuestros estudiantes… y muchas veces también para nosotros como docentes.

En este episodio hablamos sobre cómo enseñar listening de manera intencional en la clase de español. Exploramos la diferencia entre el input oral que damos diariamente y un audio grabado, qué tipo de audios son más efectivos, y cómo crear un ciclo de instrucción que permita múltiples oportunidades de comprensión.

Te comparto un framework práctico que incluye:

• Actividades antes de escuchar para activar conocimiento previo y enfocar la atención.
• Estrategias durante la escucha para aumentar la comprensión.
• Lectura posterior con echo reading y coral reading para reforzar seguridad.
• Espacios de reflexión y autoevaluación.
• La importancia de repetir el ciclo para desarrollar resistencia auditiva.

Este episodio no es sobre evaluar si entendieron.
Es sobre crear oportunidades estructuradas para que cada estudiante pueda entender mejor cada vez.

🔗 RESOURCES

🎧 Podcast Cuéntame

🎙️ Episodio 180 en español sobre el ciclo de instrucción
[Inserta aquí el link]

🎧 Episodio 181 con Sally Barnes

🎙️ Episodio 114 sobre listening en inglés con Marta Ruiz

 🛍️ Teachers Pay Teachers: Panorama Cultural con Audio – Marzo 2026

Are you a language teacher looking for ways to engage your students?  If you’re, you’re not alone.  How to engage students is the most common question among teachers today, and that’s why I’m so excited about today's episode of Growing With Proficiency!

Let's face it, even the most compelling and relevant unit won't make much of an impact if students aren't engaged with the content. So we're diving into the topic of student engagement and discussing three low-prep activities that you can incorporate into your classes tomorrow.

I will share my insights and experience on how to create a more engaging classroom environment. We'll explore ways to spark student interest, keep them motivated, and create meaningful connections between the language and their lives.

This episode has something for everyone. So grab a cup of coffee or your favorite beverage, settle in, and join me as I explore how to keep your students engaged in language learning. Tune in now to Growing With Proficiency!

In this episode, we'll discuss how to engage language learners through three low-prep activities that promote student engagement.

Links & Resources

Growing With CI FB Community
Blog
Teacher Pay Teachers Store
IG & Twitter: @claudiamelliott

What if every student in your world language classroom was actively engaged, supported, and confident in using the target language?

In this practical and inspiring conversation, Sally Barnes shares the powerful framework behind the 7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive World Language Classroom. Rooted in research on comprehensible input, student engagement, and low-stress output, Sally offers clear routines and strategies that work across levels, languages, and curricula—so teachers can build sustainable, proficiency-driven classrooms where everyone is doing everything.

🎯 Why This Matters for Language Teachers:

The 7 Steps provide a roadmap for transforming participation, comprehension, and confidence in any world language classroom:

Replace “I Don’t Know” with Supportive Language:
Teach students how to ask for help, request time, and stay engaged instead of opting out.

Use Total Response Signals for Full Participation:
Move beyond calling on one student at a time and create low-stress, non-verbal ways for everyone to show understanding.

Strengthen Comprehensible Input with Visuals and Vocabulary:
Leverage gestures, images, annotations, and word supports to stay in the target language and lower the affective filter.

Build Structured Conversations Across Levels:
Use sentence stems, scaffolds, and clear expectations so students can speak meaningfully—from Level 1 to AP.

Design Reading, Writing, and Listening with Proactive Scaffolds:
Plan for diverse proficiency levels in the same classroom and support authentic language production with confidence.

This episode will help you increase engagement, sustain target-language use, and create an interactive classroom culture where students feel successful and motivated to communicate. Ready? Click to play!

Resources & Links:

🔗 Connect with Sally Barnes on Instagram 👉🏽 @sallybarnesTX
 💻 Growing With Proficiency Blog 👉🏽 growingwithproficiency.com
 📚 Growing With Proficiency TPT Store

Sally Barnes Bio

Sally is a former Spanish teacher and current trainer/coach with Seidlitz Education. She began her world language journey in 7th grade when she decided to become a Spanish teacher and never looked back! With 12+ years of experience in the classroom, she was named Texas Teacher of the Year by TFLA in 2018 and an Alumni of the Year by her alma mater, Northern Arizona University in 2023. In 2024, she co-authored a book entitled "7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive World Language Classroom" and strives to support language teachers all over the country with strategies and resources for all languages at any level.

Nothing works if our students aren't truly listening, and I mean truly listening.

Do you have that one class that pushes all your buttons? The chatty class where students talk over you, chat in English, and seem to tune out no matter what you try? I listened to this original episode again last week while dealing with my own challenging class, and it reminded me why this message matters so much.

Here's the truth: We design compelling input, stay in the target language, and plan engaging activities, but if students aren't listening with intention, language acquisition simply cannot happen.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• 3 things I don't know anymore about managing chatty classes (this honest reflection will shift your perspective)
• 5 practical, classroom-tested strategies to transform your chatty class into focused listeners without sacrificing comprehensible input or a positive classroom culture
• Real talk about imperfect classes, imperfect teachers, and imperfect students because your classroom doesn't need to be perfect to be effective
• Why traditional "quiet down" techniques fail in CI classrooms and what actually works

This is an old episode, but it's worth listening to again. Whether you're struggling with classroom management right now or just need a reminder that you're not alone in this challenge, these strategies work.

Resources mentioned: 

Jon Cowart

Dictation template by Meredith White

Christina Margiore

Grant Boulanger

Bertha Delgadillo’s sitting transcription templates inspired by the Comprehensible Classroom post

GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List

Click here to download 5 comprehensible legends in Spanish: Leyendas Latinoamericanas

Let's connect: 

Facebook community Growing With CI

Instagram

Blog for more resources

TPT Store for ready-to-use Spanish class materials

Planear clases no debería sentirse agotador. Muchas veces el problema no es la falta de ideas, sino no tener una estructura clara que podamos repetir.

En este episodio comparto un ciclo de instrucción del input al output que puedes usar con cualquier texto, tema o nivel. Un ciclo que te permite dejar de improvisar todos los días y empezar a enseñar con más intención.

Hablo de:

• qué necesitan tus estudiantes para entender un tema o texto
• qué lengua y qué conocimiento previo necesitan
• cómo preparar el input para que sea comprensible
• cómo hacer el input guiado 
• qué hacer para extender el input
• y cómo acompañar el output sin forzarlo

Uso ejemplos concretos como artículos de Panorama Cultural y eventos culturales actuales como el Super Bowl, para que puedas ver cómo este ciclo se adapta a distintos contextos.

Si sientes que planear te cansa más de lo normal, este episodio es una invitación a simplificar y elegir mejor.

🔗 Recursos mencionados en el episodio

• 🛒 Tienda de TPT – Growing With Proficiency
  Recursos como Panorama Cultural y Calendar Talk
• 🎧 Episodio del podcast con Anne Marie Chase sobre assessment
  Una conversación clave para repensar cómo evaluamos en clases de idiomas
   
• 📄 Freebie: Character Autopsy (Autopsia del personaje)
  Plantilla para analizar personajes de cualquier texto
   

Why do some stories immediately capture students’ attention—while others lose them halfway through?

In this episode of Growing With Proficiency, I sit down with Erica Peplinsky-Burge to explore what the brain tells us about storytelling, attention, and student engagement in the world language classroom.

This conversation goes beyond “telling better stories.” We unpack why storytelling works, how the brain processes language through narrative, and what teachers can do to keep students listening without feeling like they need to perform or entertain.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Why students tune out during stories
• How to make storytelling feel more intentional and less exhausting
• What actually keeps the brain engaged during listening

This episode will help you rethink storytelling through a brain-based lens—so your stories support comprehension, connection, and confidence.

This conversation is especially helpful for teachers who want more student engagement, stronger listening skills, and sustainable instructional practices.

RESOURCES:

• Erica Peplinski-Burge
• Mitten CI: Register here  
• GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
• Growing With CI FB Community
• Blog
• Teacher Pay Teachers Store

So many teachers ask the same questions:
"How do you assess in a proficiency-driven classroom?"
"How do you grade without overwhelming students—or yourself?"
And, "How do you keep assessment sustainable?"

That’s why this episode is worth revisiting.

In this re-released episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I sit down with AnneMarie Chase to talk about low-stress assessments and how we can shift assessment away from “gotcha” moments and toward meaningful, acquisition-aligned practices.

This conversation focuses on assessments that support language growth, build confidence, and respect both student and teacher energy.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Four essential elements of effective assessments: ease for the teacher, built-in input, low stress for students, and opportunities for every student to experience success
• Why mindset matters when it comes to grading and how assessments can become learning tools
• AnneMarie’s “magic cards” strategy for assessing speaking and other skills naturally throughout the day
• How listening and reading assessments can function as focused class practice
• Practical ways to assess speaking that feel engaging instead of intimidating
• Tips for grading during class time so assessment doesn’t take over your evenings and weekends

If you’re looking for assessment practices that align with comprehensible, communicative instruction—and help you stay sane—this episode will give you clarity and concrete ideas you can use right away.

🎧 Tune in and reimagine assessment as a low-stress, purposeful part of language learning.

Nos vemos pronto.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• AnneMarie Chase’s blog
• Edutopia article: What Does Research Say About Testing?
• GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
• Growing With CI FB Community
• Blog
• Teacher Pay Teachers Store

Interpersonal communication is what our students want most… and what many of us struggle to make happen without it turning into their common language in 10 seconds 😅

In this re-released episode, I’m joined by a friend and outstanding educator and curriculum designer Bethanie Drew to break down five repeatable, low-prep interpersonal activities that build community and keep students supported enough to stay in the target language.

We talk about:

• Fast Five interviews (quick, structured, high-yield)
• Roster interviews that push students beyond their usual partners
• A small-group discussion format that actually works—even in big classes
• A write-first → speak-later scaffold (especially powerful for AP/IB tasks)
• 20-/45-second talk cards to build confidence and fluency over time

This conversation is all about finding the balance between structure and spontaneity, so students can connect, communicate, and grow—sin estrés.

If you want conversations that feel more real, more doable, and more sustainable… hit play 🎧

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Bethanie Drew’s blog – Aventuras Nuevas
Ideas, lesson reflections, and interpersonal strategies for world language teachers
👉 https://aventurasnuevas.wordpress.com/

Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy
Ongoing support, units, training, and planning for acquisition-driven instruction
👉 https://growingwithproficiency.com/academy

(Why one-size-fits-all lessons don’t work—and what to do instead)

In this episode, I focus on what I consider the heart of acquisition-driven instruction: adjusting and personalizing what we do in class so all students can stay engaged, successful, and confident—without creating multiple lesson plans. If your classes include a wide range of proficiency levels, literacy skills, heritage learners, or students who “should know this already”… this conversation is for you.

Building on insights from my conversations with Karen Lichtman and Jason Fritze, and grounded in research by Bill VanPatten and Stephen Krashen, this episode breaks down why acquisition is slow, piecemeal, and unpredictable—and how that reality should shape the way we plan input, reading, and output. I also share practical routines you can use mañana to make your classroom more inclusive, more human, and more effective. Sí, se puede. 💛

Key Takeaways

• Comprehensible input needs support.
  Pair oral language with writing, visuals, gestures, pauses, and slower pacing to help all brains process language.
• Reading requires intentional scaffolds.
• Output improves when students have options.
  Allow multiple ways to respond—yes/no, either/or, gestures, drawings, sentence frames—so more voices are heard.
• Personalization is what builds community.
  Using names, asking real questions, co-creating texts, story asking, listen & draw, and Star Student interviews turns class into a shared experience, not a performance.
• Episodes on the Three Basic Skills for Acquisition
  – Conversation with Karen Lichtman and Jason Fritze
  – Episode 177 on asking better questions
  – Episode 176 on staying comprehensible in the target language
• Research & Frameworks
  – Bill VanPatten on acquisition as piecemeal and stage-like
  – Stephen Krashen on comprehensible input and the affective filter
  – Nancy Young’s Ladder of Reading & Writing
  – ACTFL Proficiency & Performance Descriptors (via ACTFL)
• Related Podcast Episodes
  – Episode 170 with Wesley Wood on supporting neurodivergent learners
  – Episode on Story Listening with Margarita Pérez-García
  – Episode on Embedded Reading with Michele Whaley and Laurie Clarcq
  – Episode on Star Student Interviews

If you’re a Spanish teacher who wants ongoing guidance, practical PD, ready-to-use resources, and a community that truly gets the realities of our classrooms, I’d love to invite you to join Growing With Proficiency – The Spanish Teacher Academy. 

In this episode of Growing With Proficiency, we continue the series on how to build foundational skills for language acquisition in intentional 5-minute blocks.

This episode focuses on one powerful — and often underestimated — skill: asking better questions.

We know questions are essential for staying in the target language, checking comprehension, and personalizing instruction. But when questions feel too complex or unsafe, students shut down. When we stay too long in low-level questions, attention drops.

In this episode, I break down how to sequence questions intentionally so students feel successful, engaged, and ready to communicate — without overwhelming you or them.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why asking questions is a foundational skill for acquisition-driven instruction
• The difference between display questions and referential questions — and why we need both
• How to use circling to add repetition and processing time
• Why circling alone is not enough to sustain communication
• A step-by-step questioning sequence you can use in just 5 minutes
• How to manage cognitive load while increasing student participation
• How to move from comprehension to communication intentionally

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

🎧 Episode 175:
How to Maximize Target Language Use in 5-Minute Blocks

🎧 Episode 157:
Episode with Dr. Karen Leachman and Jason Fritze on the three basic skills for language acquisition

🎧 Episode 54:
Episode with Paulino Brenner on display vs. referential questions and question complexity

Free Webinar Invitation

If you’re thinking, “This makes sense, but how do I put it all together into an actual lesson?” — I’ve got you.

I’m hosting a free live webinar where I’ll show you how to plan ONE lesson for different levels. 

👉 Register at growingwithproficiency.com/onelesson
📅 January 15 | 7:00 PM ET

Five minutes at a time — that’s how we build clarity, confidence, and sustainability in our teaching 💛

En este episodio de Growing With Proficiency, hablo de tres habilidades esenciales para la adquisición de la lengua que sostienen nuestras clases comunicativas: maximizar el uso de la lengua meta, hacer preguntas que apoyen la comprensión y muevan la conservación y ajustar y personalizar el contenido.

Pero, ¿cómo podemos cultivar estas habilidades sin que creemos una mayor carga de trabajo y mayores niveles de estrés? En bloques de cinco minutos.  Por eso, en este episodio comparto comparto una secuencia práctica de actividades, organizadas en bloques de 5 minutos, que puedes integrar fácilmente en una sola lección y adaptar a diferentes niveles.

La secuencia incluye Estudiante Estrella, Escribir y discutir (Write & Discuss) y una actividad de lectura en clase con traducción, acompañada de actividades basadas en el texto y el juego de la desaparición del texto. El enfoque no es planear más, sino planear mejor, usando rutinas repetibles y sostenibles.

🎯 Lo que aprenderás en este episodio:

• Cuáles son las tres habilidades básicas para la adquisición de la lengua
• Una secuencia clara de tres actividades que maximiza el input comprensible
• Cómo ajustar y personalizar sin añadir más carga a tu planificación
• Por qué las rutinas repetibles hacen la enseñanza más sostenible

🔗 Recursos mencionados

🎧 Episodio 157 – The Three Basic Skills for Language Acquisition Instruction
🎧 Episodio 54 – Paulino Brener: El arte de hacer preguntas en clases de lenguas

📌 Webinario gratuito en español
 🎓Regístrate acá ➡️  Cómo planear UNA lección para diferentes niveles
🗓 15 de enero | ⏰ 7:00 p. m. (hora del Este) 

Happy New Year, profe 🎉 If you’re setting classroom goals for 2026—this episode is for you.

So many language teachers want the same thing: use more target language, keep students engaged, and support acquisition… but “90% in the TL” can feel overwhelming.

In this first episode of a 3-part mini-series, I’m sharing a more realistic approach: think in 5-minute moments. Because five minutes is doable—and when you repeat it, it adds up.

Inspired by my conversation in Episode 158 with Dr. Karen Lichtman and Jason Fritze, this episode focuses on the foundation: teacher talk that’s comprehensible. Remember: what matters most isn’t how much students speak—it’s how much they understand.

✅ What you’ll learn (takeaways)

• Why comprehensible teacher talk matters more than pushing student output
• How to stop chasing percentages and start building momentum 5 minutes at a time
• 3 practical 5-minute routines to increase target language use without stress:
  • Classroom instructions you can point to, gesture, and recycle
  • A quick daily check-in / morning meeting that builds connection and input
  • A low-stress familiar text + audio (cloze) routine that boosts listening confidence
• What to do when you slip into English (hint: reflect, adjust, keep going)

🎯 Try one routine this week and DM me how it goes!

Mentioned in this episode:
Episode 158 (Dr. Karen Lichtman + Jason Fritze)
Episode 160 (Save time, reduce stress, maximize TL with routines)

Other links:

• Find me on Instagram: @claudia.m.elliott
• Join the waitlist for Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy → growingwithproficiency.com/academy
• Discover culturally rich, month-specific resources for Spanish classes in my TPT Store: Growing With Proficiency.

Nos vemos pronto 💛

Do you spend too much time lesson planning, searching for files, or managing your inbox—and still feel like you’re always behind?

In this re-released episode of Growing With Proficiency, I’m joined by Lisa McCart to talk about how systems and organization can help teachers reclaim their time without adding more stress.

Teachers spend hours every week redoing lessons, digging through Google Drive (or its equivalent), and trying to stay on top of email. Yet when we hear phrases like organize your drive or clean your inbox, it often feels overwhelming and unrealistic. In this episode, we break down simple, practical systems for teachers that make lesson planning more efficient and help reduce burnout.

Lisa shares actionable strategies for organizing digital files, creating sustainable routines, and managing your inbox so you can focus on what matters most—your students and your well-being.

This episode is especially helpful if you’re looking for:

✅ Teacher organization tips

✅ Lesson planning systems for teachers

✅ Google Drive organization for educators

✅ Time management strategies for teachers

✅ Ways to reduce teacher stress and burnout

If you want to start the year with clearer systems, less overwhelm, and more confidence in your planning, this episode is for you.

Hit play and learn how to reclaim your time—inside and outside the classroom.

In this episode, we discuss:

✨ Why teachers spend so much time searching for files and recreating lessons

✨ How simple organization systems save time instead of adding more work

✨ Practical ways to organize Google Drive for lesson planning

✨ Inbox management strategies that actually work for teachers

✨ How routines and systems create clarity, not rigidity

✨Why small, consistent systems lead to long-term time savings

Whether you’re a new teacher or a veteran educator, these strategies will help you feel more in control of your time and energy.

Resources Mentioned

• Lisa McHargue
• Join the waitlist for Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy → growingwithproficiency.com/academy
• Follow me on Instagram @claudiamelliott 
• ​​📑 Discover culturally rich, month-specific resources for Spanish classes in my TPT Store: Growing With Proficiency.

As the school year wraps up, there’s no better time to reflect—not just on what we think worked, but on how students experienced our class. In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I’m sharing how I use end-of-year surveys to gather meaningful feedback that helps me adjust my teaching and better meet my students’ needs.

I’ll walk you through key survey questions that cover classroom culture, comprehension, learning strategies, and personal progress. I’ll also reflect on the responses of my own students and how those responses are helping me to adjust some of my lessons, routines, and strategies—all while keeping things simple and actionable.

If you want to close the year with purpose and set yourself up for a stronger start next year, grab a notebook and let’s start.

Resources & Links:

1. 🎯 Freebie: 10 Stations Template – Keep students engaged while you reflect! 👉growingwithproficiency.com
2. 🎙️ Related Episodes:
   • Episode 125: 3 Creative Ways to Keep Students Engaged and Learning as the Year Ends
   • Episode 76: Talk, Read, Talk, Write with Tan Huynh
   • Episode 124: Silent Sustained Reading: Why It Works & How to Start

🎉 FREE RESOURCE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS!

“10 Ready-to-Use Station Activities to Keep Students Engaged!”

✅ Reading & Easy Tasks – Print & go!
✅ Engaging & Interactive – Keep students focused!
✅ Low-Prep & Time-Saving – Less work!

Perfect for those moments when students seem more distracted than ever. 

👉 Grab Your Free Resource Now!

In this episode, we talk about December. I’m sharing three low-stress activities that keep students engaged, help them revisit everything they’ve learned, and still give them meaningful input, even when their energy (and ours) is running low.

These ideas have worked beautifully in my own classroom. My students stay focused, they collaborate, they read, they listen… and I get to step back a little without sacrificing the quality of the lesson. 

Top Takeaways

1. Review + Recall + Input
Students list everything they remember about a story or unit, reread the text in groups, and create an illustrated or mapped version.

2. Dictation That Actually Works in December
We combine recall → dictation → comprehension tasks.

3. “Guess Who?” Based on Your Content
A collaborative guessing game using characters, themes, or topics from the semester. Students listen, discuss, negotiate meaning, and celebrate everything they’ve learned.

Free Resource

Want an easy way to keep students moving and collaborating this month?
Download my Stations Template Freebie here:
👉 growingwithproficiency.com/stations

It includes 10 ready-to-use station ideas you can apply to ANY unit — perfect for December when you need structure + movement + input.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Episode 31 — Stations & Rotations
Ten ideas you can use right away, plus the downloadable template.

Episode 125 — More on Stations
A deeper look at creating smooth, purposeful rotations.

Episode 171 — ClipChat with Amy Marshall
 Ideal for seasonal commercials and short clips during December.

Episode 173 — My ACTFL Takeaways + Dopamine
Great for managing energy and motivation during this season.

December can feel heavy… but with the right activities, it can also feel joyful, calm, and full of meaningful learning.

I hope this episode gives you simple ideas to celebrate everything your students have learned — and to take care of yourself, too. 💛✨

If you are exhausted this December and looking for simple, meaningful ways to keep your students engaged — this episode is your cafecito.

I’m sharing what truly stood out at ACTFL this year, and spoiler alert: it wasn’t a new app, a new tech tool, or a shiny new curriculum. It was something much more human:

✨ Curiosity + Safety = Motivation.

In a powerful session with Samara Spielberg, she shared how dopamine rises when learners experience curiosity, anticipation, and the desire to know what happens next. And the moment she said that, everything clicked. I suddenly saw the pattern in the effective activities. 

In today’s episode, I break down three simple, low-prep strategies I learned at ACTFL you can use right away in your world language class — even in December — to spark that curiosity while keeping comprehension and safety at the center.

🌟 In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why curiosity naturally increases student motivation
• How Picture Talk with one compelling image can create instant intrigue (learned from Mira Canion)
• How cultural storytelling (inspired by Carolina Gómez) builds prediction, anticipation, and deep meaning
• How the Movie Trailer Technique gives you easy engagement with zero prep
• How simple “cliff-hanger” moments create dopamine, motivation, and comprehension
• Why motivation is not about hype… it’s about relevance, safety, and curiosity

And toward the end, I talk about the piece many of us forget: teachers need community too. ACTFL reminded me that when we feel supported, inspired, and connected — our classrooms change.

Which is exactly why I’m so excited about the six-month membership option now open inside Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy.  This is for any Spanish teacher who wants to grow as a teacher, to gain practical, comprehensible-input strategies, and to access culturally rich units, and a supportive community — without burning out.

If you’re thinking, “I want to teach better, but I need it to feel manageable…” this six-month option is exactly for you. 👉 Join the Academy

The World Largets Lesson with SDG

Samara Spielberg IG: @samaraspielberg 

Carolina Gómez IG: @funforspanishteachers

Mira Canion www.miracanion.com

Episode of Growing With Proficiency on Picture Talk
Episode with Karen Rowan on storytelling, comprehension, and brain-friendly instruction

If this episode gave you a spark of hope this December, share it on IG and tag me @growingwithproficiency.

¿Te sientes que se te acabo la gasolina? ¿Tienes poco tiempo pero muchas ganas de que tus clases sigan vivas y activas? En este episodio te comparto 3 estrategias reales para que tus clases sean dinámicas, participativas y en español — sin que tengas que quedarte hasta tarde preparando cada día.

Hablamos de:

🎯 Preguntas personales y rutinas de entrada que activan la clase desde el minuto uno.

🔄 Brain breaks, pausas mentales y descansos estratégicos para renovar la atención y la energía.

📚 Lecturas culturales o anclas de input + actividades simples alrededor — para mantener español auténtico sin sobrecargar al profe.

💡 Cómo usar plantillas y rutinas listas (como las de la Spanish Teacher Academy) para planear menos y enseñar mejor.

Si estás buscando una forma sostenible, realista y auténtica de enseñar español, este episodio es para ti.

¿Te interesa explorar más? Ve a growingwithproficiency.com/academy para descubrir cómo puedes unirte a Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy para acceder a recursos completos, plantillas listas y apoyo para planear sin estrés.

Have you ever felt disconnected from your passion for teaching — like you’re doing all the things but nothing seems to spark joy anymore? You’re not alone. 

In this re-released episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, we talk with Spanish teacher Mirna Deakle, who shares her journey of burnout, rediscovery, and finding her authentic voice in the language classroom.

Mirna opens up about how she shifted from survival mode to purpose-driven teaching by centering her curriculum around culturally rich content and student connection. From a unit inspired by Mayan traditions to facilitating real-world interactions through virtual guest speakers, her transformation shows what’s possible when we stop teaching about the language and start using the language to communicate.

Whether you’re teaching through comprehensible input, content-based instruction, or district-mandated curriculum, this episode offers practical ideas to bring back joy, engagement, and meaning — without adding more to your workload.

🔍 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The emotional and physical challenges that lead many language teachers to feel disconnected
• How to define clear goals and stay focused on what matters despite obstacles
• Practical strategies for integrating authentic cultural content into our classes
• Why student identity, representation, and storytelling increase motivation
• How community and collaboration can reduce burnout and support growth

✨ Key takeaways for world language teachers:

• Find your authentic voice: Your personal story matters — and your students benefit when they hear it.
• Set meaningful goals: Teaching feels lighter when you’re guided by purpose rather than perfection.
• Use culturally rich content: Real voices and lived experiences lead to deeper communication and curiosity.
• Create real-world connections: Students engage more when the classroom feels connected to the world.
• Don’t go alone: Community can make this profession sustainable, energizing, and joyful.

📚 Resources mentioned:

• Balún Canán by Rosario Castellanos
• Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy
• Episode 84 — The Power of Reading for Language Acquisition with Dr. Stephen Krashen
• Episode 51 — Before, During, and After Reading Strategies

If this episode speaks to you, share it with a fellow world language teacher and leave a review — we’d love to hear how you’re rediscovering your voice and joy in the classroom.

For more resources, visit growingwithproficiency.com

If you’ve ever found yourself searching for an activity that is engaging, meaningful, and actually supports language acquisition, this episode is for you. Many of us want our students to feel confident understanding and using the language — without us spending hours planning something new every day.

In this conversation, I’m joined by Amy Marshall, a world language teacher with over 25 years of classroom experience, known for her thoughtful use of ClipChat. ClipChat blends short films with teacher-guided narration to build comprehension in a way that feels natural, visual, and compelling. Students watch, listen, and make meaning — and we guide the language to match what they need.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What ClipChat is and why it works to support real acquisition
• How to choose the right video clips for different levels
• Why slowing down can actually boost student confidence and understanding
• How small student responses (“guided output”) create a natural pathway for teachers to give even more input
• Practical routines like Write & Discuss, acting with whisper support, puppets, gallery walks, and picture grid listening
• How one short clip can carry your class for days or even weeks — without adding more planning to your plate

This episode is full of strategies that work in real classrooms — including the classes that are wiggly, chatty, distracted, or just tired.

If you’re working to design world language classes rooted in comprehension, communication, and cultural connection, you’ll find something here to take with you tomorrow.

Resources Mentioned

• Read the blog here
• ClipChat Examples & Classroom Materials:
   Zona de Profes on TPT — https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Zona-De-Profes
• Amy’s Website: https://zonadeprofes.weebly.com
• Short Film Playlist for ClipChat: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKhH5MAAh6FpSBBumo6Cv8lG_iS8Q9Lpz
• Free November Resource: Download Here: https://growingwithproficiency.com/diadegracias
• Join the Academy Waitlist: https://growingwithproficiency.com/academy-waitlist
• IG Claudia Elliott
• Growing With Proficiency TPT Store
• Free FB Community

Be Part of the Community

If this episode inspired a new idea, I’d love to hear about it. Tag me on Instagram @claudiamelliott and share which clip you’d like to try — or send me a DM and I’ll help you brainstorm one.

Make sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss the next conversation.  We grow by learning together — we learn, we try, we grow, and then we pass it on.

En este episodio, comparto uno de mis episodios favoritos en español sobre tres cambios fundamentales que transformaron mi clase y renovaron mi motivación como docente. 

Estos cambios surgieron a lo largo de 15 años en el aula y responden a una pregunta que muchas profes me hicieron recientemente: ¿Cómo construir una clase donde la conexión, la comunicación y la cultura sean el centro, y donde el español se use de manera auténtica?

Hablaremos de:

• Construir conexiones con los estudiantes empezando por sus nombres.
• Comenzar a usar el español en clase, en lugar de enfocarnos en explicar reglas.
• Poner la cultura en el corazón de la experiencia para desarrollar curiosidad, identidad y pertenencia.

Cuando nuestros estudiantes participan en eventos comunicativos significativos, la competencia lingüística crece y la clase se siente más humana y más viva — para ellos y para nosotros.

Suscríbete para seguir construyendo clases que apoyan la adquisición, la competencia comunicativa y la conexión cultural.

A conversation with Wesley Wood

What happens when we stop planning for the “average” learner and instead design our classrooms with neurodivergent students and students with disabilities in mind? In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I’m joined by Wesley Wood, Disability Specialist at Georgetown University and former world language teacher, for a powerful and eye-opening conversation about expanding what is possible in the language classroom.

Wesley brings deep experience supporting students with disabilities as well as working side-by-side with world language teachers. Rather than focusing on labels or deficits, he invites us to see the strengths and identities our neurodivergent learners bring — and to plan instruction that welcomes different ways of processing, communicating, and engaging from the very beginning.

Together, we explore:

• Why planning for the “middle” unintentionally leaves many students out
• How planning for the margins strengthens learning for everyone
• The difference between accommodations and designing with accessibility in mind
• How predictable routines, visuals, and co-created norms help students feel safe and ready to communicate
• Ways to offer multiple paths to input: visuals, text, audio, modeling, and gestures
• How choice and flexible output honor students’ strengths and lower anxiety
• What it looks like to slow down, observe, and truly see our students

This conversation connects deeply with the core of our work in world language classrooms: comprehensible input, communication, connection, and cultural competence. You’ll walk away with mindset shifts and simple classroom practices you can begin using right away — not by doing more, but by seeing differently.

If this episode resonates, make sure to follow the podcast, share it with a colleague, and tag Claudia on Instagram @claudiamelliott so we can continue learning and growing together.

Resources:

Growing With Proficiency The Blog
Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy Waitlist
Growing With Proficiency TPT Store
Free FB Community

Click here to download for FREE ➡️➡️➡️ https://growingwithproficiency.com/diadegracias

Every world language teacher knows the power of music — but how do we move beyond karaoke Fridays and make songs truly comprehensible and meaningful for our learners? 🎵

In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, host Claudia Elliott sits down with veteran teacher and blogger Kara Jacobs to unpack how she turns authentic songs and music videos into acquisition-rich, culture-centered units. Together, they explore how to create stories around songs, use visuals to support comprehension, and design lessons that engage both novice and heritage learners.

You’ll learn:

• How to choose songs that are compelling, not just grammatically useful
• Simple ways to make authentic music accessible for every proficiency level
• How “triple input” — audio, visual, and text — boosts comprehension

Why translation and storytelling can deepen students’ cultural connectionWhether you teach Spanish, French, or any other language, this episode will leave you inspired to use music as a powerful tool for communication and connection in your classroom.

🎧 Tune in, take notes, and start making songs comprehensible!
 Subscribe to Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast wherever you listen, and join a community of teachers transforming language classes through acquisition, proficiency, and culture.

Resources:

Free resources created by Kara Jacobs

Acquire & Inspired PD Opportunity with Kara and AnneMarie Chase. Details are available HERE.

Growing With Proficiency The Blog
Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy Waitlist
Growing With Proficiency TPT Store
Free FB Community

There’s never a bad time of the year for a good game. Whether it’s November, May, or that wild week before a break — a well-chosen game can transform your classroom energy and boost your students’ confidence to use Spanish.

In this re-release of one of the most-loved episodes of Growing With Proficiency, the Podcast, I sit down with Christina Margiore, a high-school Spanish teacher from Long Island (you might know her as @supersenora), to talk about how she uses games to lower the affective filter and get students speaking — authentically, joyfully, and without fear.

Christina shares four classroom-tested games that help students forget their nerves and start communicating:

🎯 Taboo with a twist — students describe in Spanish, no acting, no English, building real circumlocution skills.

💬 Heads Up! — small-group chaos that gets every student talking at once (and loving it).

🕵️‍♀️ Guess Who – ¿Quién es quién? — the childhood favorite reborn for practicing questions, adjectives, and cultural knowledge.

✍️ Collaborative Story Writing — creative writing meets competition, perfect for transitions or Fridays.

🌟 Big Takeaways

• Games are not just fillers — they can be powerful tools for output and confidence.
• When students play, they can naturally produce language, take risks, and forget they’re using target language.
• You don’t need dozens of new games — just master a few that work, and repeat them with variations.
• Building fun and community in class keeps students motivated all year long.

💌 Bonus Freebie: Grab the Language Booster Tool Christina and I created to help your students keep using Spanish outside the classroom → Download here

Growing With Proficiency The Blog
Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy Waitlist
Growing With Proficiency TPT Store
Free FB Community

Are you searching for low-prep games perfect for this busy time of year? Look no further! In this episode, join us as we welcome two incredible educators from Colombia, Profe Valentina and Carolina Gómez. They're here to share five engaging, low-prep games that are ideal for any classroom setting. These games are designed to boost engagement, foster community, review content, and add some fun to your daily routine. Who doesn't need a little extra fun, right?

In this discussion, Profe Valentina and Carolina also dive into the significance of establishing routines and modeling effective game play in the classroom. Plus, they offer advice on troubleshooting common challenges, such as when classes or individual students are hesitant to participate in game activities.

Tune in now and be part of this great conversation with my paisanas!

Key Takeaways:

• Establishing Effective Routines: Learn how to set up routines that make game play smooth and beneficial.
• 5 Engaging Classroom Games: Discover games you can seamlessly integrate into your lessons at any time of the year.
• Adapting Games for Different Levels: Gain insights on how to modify games to challenge and engage middle and high school students.
• Consistency in Game Play: Understand the importance of playing the same game repeatedly to enhance the use of the target language in your classroom.

Don't miss this opportunity to add these practical, fun-filled games to your class. Subscribe and share with fellow educators looking to uplevel their language classes!

__________________________________

Guest Bios:

Profe Valentina was born and raised in Colombia and has been teaching Spanish for over 16 years. She has experience teaching students from Pre-K through 8th grade, but her passion lies in elementary education. Valentina's language teaching approach aligns with the latest second language acquisition theories and incorporates culturally responsive practices. Her workshops and presentations are as creative, dynamic, and enthusiastic as her classes.

Carolina Gómez is a Colombian language educator with over 20 years of experience. She holds a B.A. in Languages and Education from the Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia, and a Master's degree in Intercultural Relations from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. She is currently a PreK-3 Spanish teacher at an independent school in Cambridge, MA. Carolina combines her passion for teaching her language and culture through stories in the classroom. She enjoys connecting and creating a community with other educators through her blog "Fun for Spanish Teachers," different social media outlets, conferences, and workshops.

____________________________________________

Resources:

Carolina’s blog: https://funforspanishteachers.com/

Carolina’s IG account: https://www.instagram.com/funforspanishteachers/

Valentina’s blog: https://profevalentina.com/

Valentina’s IG account: https://www.instagram.com/profevalentina/

Teacher Guide: How to Shift to A Comprehensible and Communicative Teaching Approach
Growing With Proficiency The Blog
Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy Waitlist
Growing With Proficiency TPT Store
Free FB Community

Have you ever noticed that some students struggle to see their progress in an acquisition-driven classroom?

When your lessons focus on comprehensible input and communication, progress can feel invisible to students used to “right or wrong” answers. That’s why Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) can be such a game-changer.

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Claudia Fernández, one of the leading voices on TBLT, about how this approach helps students engage in authentic language use to achieve a real communicative goal.

You’ll hear strategies for bringing TBLT into your classroom while keeping language acquisition and connection at the heart of instruction.

Key Takeaways

• A task isn’t just an activity. It has a clear communicative outcome that mirrors real-life language use.
• Authenticity builds motivation. Students feel successful because they accomplish something meaningful.
• TBLT aligns with CI. It naturally supports acquisition through input, interaction, and purpose.
• You can adapt it anywhere. From textbook classes to upper levels, TBLT fits any context.

Why It Matters

Task-Based Language Teaching bridges the gap between knowing about language and using language.
It helps students experience the power of communication — not just as practice, but as a purpose.

Recommended Resources for Teachers:

Bill VanPatten – The Nature of Language and While We’re on the Topic

Martin East – Foundational Principles of Task-Based Language Teaching (Free online)

Daniel O. Jackson – Task-Based Language Teaching: A Concise Introduction

Florencia Henshaw & Maris Hawkins – Common Ground

TBLT Task Bank – Community-shared tasks by level and theme

Growing With Proficiency The Podcast Playlist about Acquisition, Language and Communication. 

More resources:

• Join the waitlist for Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy → growingwithproficiency.com/academy
• Follow me on Instagram @claudiamelliott 
• ​​📑 Discover culturally rich, month-specific resources for Spanish classes in my TPT Store: Growing With Proficiency. 

Does comprehensible input still matter at the intermediate level? Absolutely. In this conversation with Gary DiBianca, he shares how he “levels up” intermediate classes by centering CI, intentionally modeling structures students can recycle (time frames, connectors, question stems), and layering authentic resources that stretch comprehension without overwhelming learners.

You’ll hear:

• What changes—and what doesn’t—at intermediate: same CI foundation, deeper themes, tighter recycling, and clear routines.
• Goals that motivate growth: build confidence, boost spontaneous output, and move toward Intermediate High targets while honoring each student’s starting point.
• Planning that works: start with an anchor text/story written for learners, then layer authentic materials (infographics, short news videos, songs, podcast clips) and guided discussion.
• Intentional structures > grammar dumps: model multiple time frames (present, past, future, would), connectors/transition words, and question formation inside meaningful input; zoom in on form only when it serves comprehension.
• Keep it fun: why story-asking and playful tasks still matter at upper levels.
• From input to output: scaffolded discussion days, visible vocabulary, sentence starters, and rubrics that cue learners to agree/disagree, ask follow-ups, give examples, and actually move the conversation.

Try tomorrow: run a Cultural Picture Talk for Intermediates. Model the language you want to hear later—then watch output grow.

Resources mentioned:

Gary DiBianca Resources

Socratic Seminar: Gary DiBianca

More resources:

• Join the waitlist for Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy → growingwithproficiency.com/academy
• Follow me on Instagram @claudiamelliott 
• ​​📑 Discover culturally rich, month-specific resources for Spanish classes in my TPT Store: Growing With Proficiency. 

En este episodio en español de Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, converso con la Dra. Marta Silva sobre un tema esencial para profes de español: cómo enseñar a estudiantes de herencia. Exploramos la diferencia entre clases de herencia y de segunda lengua, y por qué es clave replantear nuestros objetivos, pilares y rutinas para apoyar a estos estudiantes de manera auténtica.

En este episodio descubrirás:

• Los 4 pilares de las clases de herencia: sostenimiento de lengua y cultura, comunidad, identidad socioemocional y excelencia académica.
• Una rutina semanal clara (lunes de noticias y progreso, martes de lectura, miércoles/jueves de escritura y video-respuestas, viernes de plática comunitaria).
• Estrategias prácticas para clases mixtas donde hay estudiantes de herencia y de L2 juntos.
• Cómo evitar errores comunes como “corregir” la herencia lingüística en lugar de valorizarla.
• La inspiración del programa Latina Leadership, un modelo de comunidad, orgullo e impacto académico.

Si enseñas español y tienes (o tendrás) estudiantes de herencia en tus clases, este episodio es tu guía para empezar con claridad, propósito y corazón.

Escúchalo ahora y compártelo con un colega que también necesite estas ideas.

Why am I re-releasing this episode? Because after a few weeks back in the classroom, I felt it again — that weight of doing everything myself: picking up pencils, erasing the board, answering endless “what did I miss?” emails. And I remembered… this episode holds the solution.

In this powerful conversation with Annabelle Williamson (La Maestra Loca) and John Seifert, we dive deep into classroom jobs — not just what they are, but why they matter. Annabelle and John share:

• Their favorite jobs and how they transformed their classes.
• How to implement jobs step by step (even mid-year).
• Troubleshooting tips to keep the system running.

Whether you’re the “least type-A teacher ever” (like Annabelle) or highly structured (like John), you’ll find a way to make class jobs work for you.

If you’re feeling tired, stretched thin, or just looking for a way to re-energize your class culture, this episode is exactly what you need right now. Listen now.

Class Jobs Course: Use code: CLAUDIA for 10% OFF!

John’s Blog

Annabelle’s Blog

More resources:

• Join the waitlist for Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy → growingwithproficiency.com/academy
• Follow me on Instagram @claudiamelliott 
• ​​📑 Discover culturally rich, month-specific resources for Spanish classes in my TPT Store: Growing With Proficiency. 

Silence in the language classroom doesn’t mean students aren’t saying anything.  Silence is information. 

In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, we explore why silence can be a valuable source of information and how teachers can use it to foster curiosity, lower risk, and create more meaningful engagement.

You’ll learn: 

• The 3 main reasons students don’t respond to questions
• How to make your questions comprehensible and accessible
• Low-prep strategies that lower response risk and boost participation
• Ways to connect unit content to your students’ lives without rewriting your curriculum

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Episode 161 with Becca Silver: Moving Past the “Shoulds”
• Episode 157 with Dr. Karen Lichtman & Jason Fritze: Three Key Skills for Teaching Acquisition
• Episode 54 with Paulino Brenner: Asking Better Questions in the Language Classroom
• Episode 88 with Dr. Bill VanPatten: What about Output?

If you’re ready to reframe silence from something frustrating to something informative, this episode will give you practical tools and a new perspective to bring into your classroom tomorrow.

More resources:

• Join the waitlist for Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy → growingwithproficiency.com/academy
• Follow me on Instagram @claudiamelliott 
• ​​📑 Discover culturally rich, month-specific resources for Spanish classes in my TPT Store: Growing With Proficiency. 

Are errors or strong accents really blocking communication—or is it about how we listen? 🎧

In this episode, I share why comments about my accent made me reflect on how we approach communication in our classrooms and in our teacher communities. Together, we’ll explore:

• Why the hidden goal of “sounding native” can get in the way of real communication.
• What research says about listening, comprehensibility, and sympathetic listeners.
• How we can become better listeners by valuing diverse voices and stopping the cycle of criticism.

Because communication is a two-way street—and our job as educators is to help students (and ourselves) walk it with confidence.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Dr. Vijay Ramjattan – on antiracism and the reminder that listening is not neutral.
• ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines – defining accuracy as the use of linguistic features to convey meaning.
• Dr. Diane Neubauer & Dr. Reed Riggs – conversations reminding us that most communication is listening and reading, not speaking.

More resources:

• Join the waitlist for Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy → growingwithproficiency.com/academy
• Follow me on Instagram @claudiamelliott 
• ​​📑 Discover culturally rich, month-specific resources for Spanish classes in myTPT Store: Growing With Proficiency. 

Have you ever felt like getting your students to really use the target language with each other is the hardest thing? You want them to share ideas, agree or disagree, and ask questions. But when the moment comes, silence takes over—or worse, they switch to English.

In this episode, I sit down with my friend and incredible Spanish teacher, Chelsea Lawrence, to talk about a game-changing strategy: Silent Discussions.

✨ What you’ll learn in this episode:

• What Silent Discussions are and how to set them up step by step.
• Why this strategy works so well to lower stress and build success in interpersonal communication.
• Real classroom examples—from connecting the Panama Canal to a local tunnel, to jigsaw activities with biographies and even telescopes.
• Practical scaffolds to support your students: graphic organizers, sentence starters, question stems, and even a “How do you say…?” board.
• What to do after the Silent Discussion to extend the learning with gallery walks, reflections, or presentational tasks.

👉 If you’re a Spanish teacher and are looking for resources to create great jigsaw activities plus Silent Discussions, check out the Biographies to Celebrate Hispanic Women or explore the Panoramas Culturales, where you can assign one article to each group.

Listen now and discover how one big sheet of paper can transform into a powerful tool for authentic student interaction in your classroom.

📌 Resources 

• Join the waitlist for Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy → growingwithproficiency.com/academy
• Follow me on Instagram @claudiamelliott 
• ​​📑 Discover culturally rich, month-specific resources for Spanish classes in myTPT Store: Growing With Proficiency. 

As teachers, we’ve all been there—you’ve planned the lesson, you’ve given directions, and then… your students just don’t meet the expectations. Blank stares, missing homework, silence after a question. 😩

But here’s the thing: maybe unmet expectations aren’t really the problem. In this episode, I sit down with Becca Silver, founder of The Whole Educator, to explore how shifting our mindset can transform frustration into curiosity—and how that shift can change the way we connect with our students.

This conversation will challenge the way you see those tough classroom moments and give you strategies you can start using tomorrow.

✨ Takeaways

• Why unmet expectations feel so heavy for teachers—and what’s actually underneath them.
• The difference between a “shoulds mindset” and a curiosity mindset in the classroom.
• Simple sentence starters to reframe your response when students don’t do the reading, homework, or show up prepared.
• How a mindset shift can help you maintain joy and keep communication flowing, even on hard days.

📚 Resources & Links

Find all the resources and entire blog post here.

🎧 Related Episodes:

Episode 88 with Dr. Bill VanPatten: Why Input Still Matters

Episode 84 with Dr. Stephen Krashen: The Power of Reading

📌 Resources + Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Join the waitlist for Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy → growingwithproficiency.com/academy
• Follow me on Instagram @claudiamelliott 
• ​​📑 Discover culturally rich, month-specific resources for Spanish classes in myTPT Store: Growing With Proficiency. 
• September Calendar Talk

Seguro te ha pasado: das tu clase en español con toda la energía, pero hay un silencio total.  Esa desconexión cansa y desmotiva, porque lo que más deseamos como profes es escuchar a nuestros estudiantes usar el español de manera auténtica.

En este episodio hablamos de cómo crear momentos auténticos en clase: oportunidades naturales y significativas para que los estudiantes reaccionen, escuchen y se comuniquen en español sin sentir tanta presión.

Te comparto tres pasos claros para:
 ✅ Identificar esos momentos espontáneos que surgen en clase.
 ✅ Hacer visibles las expresiones necesarias para que tus estudiantes las usen.
 ✅ Celebrar cada intento para que poco a poco las interacciones se vuelvan espontáneas.

Al final, verás cómo estos momentos, aunque breves, sientan las bases para conversaciones más largas, más auténticas y más motivadoras tanto para ti como para tus estudiantes. 🌟

Si necesitas más recursos, haz un clic acá y encontrarás mi blog. 

Y si lo que buscas son recursos, te invito a que visites mi página de TPT acá. 

Pero si lo que te interesa es todo, recursos, ideas, apoyo y comunidad, hazte parte de Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy, donde encontrarás plantillas, entrenamientos y el acompañamiento que necesitas para enseñar con claridad y confianza.

Save time, reduce stress, and maximize target language use—because that’s how you create a sustainable school year, profe. 🌟

In this episode, we’re diving into routines: those small but powerful structures that keep your class running smoothly. I’ll walk you through why they matter, the key mindset shifts to make them stick, and practical examples you can start using right away.

Because here’s the truth—routines only work if you keep them clear, model them step by step, and stick with them consistently. And when you do? You’ll spend less time managing your class and more time communicating in Spanish.

✨ What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why routines matter and how they save time + reduce stress
• The three key mindset shifts every teacher needs: Clarity + Modeling + Consistency
• The exact questions to ask before introducing a new routine
• Examples of powerful routines (and the expectations that make them work!)—like Brain Breaks, Calendar Talk, Free Voluntary Reading, Free Writes, Exit Tickets, and more
• Tips for launching routines so they actually stick and don’t fizzle out by October

📌 Resources + Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Join the waitlist for Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy → growingwithproficiency.com/academy
• Follow me on Instagram @claudiamelliott for behind-the-scenes on how I set up my routines
• ​​📑 Discover culturally rich, month-specific resources for Spanish classes in my TPT Store: Growing With Proficiency. 
• September Calendar Talk
• Read the Blog

Related episodes you might enjoy:

• Episode 23 https://growingwithproficiency.com/beyond-the-date-and-weather-using-calendar-talk-to-connect-with-students-and-provide-comprehensible-input/
• Episode 86 https://growingwithproficiency.com/make-free-voluntary-reading-work-with-ac-quintero/

Open House isn’t just about sharing rules—it’s your chance to build trust with parents, spark curiosity, and show them how their students can thrive in your class. 

In this episode, Claudia walks you through her 7–8 minute Open House plan, including what she skips, what she highlights, and how a simple Spanish “mini-lab” makes parents leave confident and excited about language learning.

✨ Takeaways:

• Why you should skip the long rule list and focus on what makes your class unique.
• How a short demo in the target language builds trust and shows parents their kids can succeed.
• Why attention is the #1 key to success in a proficiency-based class.
• How Open House can set the tone for fewer parent conferences and stronger partnerships all year.

🎙️ Related Episodes:

• Why Teaching About Second Language Acquisition Matters
• Conference in the Cloud Takeaways with Annabelle Williamson and Elisa McLean
• How to Boost Target Language Use with Routines, Play, and Student Connections

📚 Resources & Mentions

• Conference in the Cloud — use code CLAUDIA to register
• TPT Store 
• Growing With Proficiency Blog
• Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy Waitlist

In this episode of Growing With Proficiency, I’m joined by my friends and fellow educators Annabelle Williamson (La Maestra Loca) and Elissa McLean to share our biggest takeaways from Conference in the Cloud.

We talk about simple, high-impact strategies to help you use more target language in your classroom without adding stress:

• Routines that make Spanish (or any language) the default from day one
• Playful moments that spark joy and engagement—like the Platos game from Will Adams’s Chinese class and Martha Ruiz Yedinak’s What’s in Your Pocket? student job
• Star Student Interviews with tips to keep them fresh, personal, and comprehensible all year long
• Why slowing down, adding repetitions, and remembering what it’s like to be a beginner matters

📚 Resources & Mentions

• Conference in the Cloud — use code CLAUDIA to register
• More about routines here
• Class Jobs with Annabelle Williamson and John Seifer
• Star Student Interview 
• TPT Store with Star Student Interview questions for each month
• Growing With Proficiency Blog
• Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy Waitlist
  
  

🎧 Listen now to hear the full conversation, plus practical tips you can try tomorrow to increase target language time, build community, and keep your classes joyful and connected.

How do we move from teaching about a language to using it to communicate—authentically, meaningfully, and joyfully?

In this special live episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I sit down with two powerhouses in the world of language acquisition—Dr. Karen Lichtman and Jason Fritze—to answer a BIG question:

👉 What does it actually mean to teach for acquisition?

We explore what the research says, what this looks like in real classrooms, and the three core teaching skills that every language educator needs to make acquisition-driven instruction work.

Whether you’re brand new to CI or have been doing this for years, this episode is packed with insights, encouragement, and strategies you can try mañana in your own classroom.

What We Talk About:

• What teaching for acquisition really means (and what it doesn’t)
• The difference between communication and display questions
• Why teacher use of the target language—not student output—is what matters most for acquisition
• 3 core teaching skills for every CI-based classroom:
  • Comprehensible Input – speak in the TL in a way students can understand
  • Purposeful Questioning – real, meaningful questions that spark conversation
  • Adapting Content – tailor topics, resources, and stories to your students
• How to start small (even if you’re still required to follow a textbook)

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Dr. Florencia Henshaw on authentic materials
• Donato & Glisan's Enacting the Work of Language Instruction
• Dr. Karen Lichtman research

🔗 Want more support?

Check out my blog

Check out my TPT Store 👉 Explore all the resources here

Check out my FB Group Growing With CI 📘 Facebook: Growing With CI Community

Sign up for the wait list of GWP The Spanish Teacher Academy

 https://growingwithproficiency.com/academy

💌 Loved this episode? Leave a review and tag me on Instagram @growingwithproficiency—I’d love to hear your biggest takeaway!

Planning for acquisition isn’t about perfection—it’s about intention. In this powerful episode, I sit down with Dr. Diane Neubauer and Dr. Reed Riggs for one of the most meaningful conversations I’ve ever had about lesson planning in the world language classroom.

We explore what it means to plan with purpose—centering curiosity, communication, and student connection instead of rigid structures or vocabulary lists.

✨ Key takeaways:

• Why essential questions can guide your unit better than word banks
• How to stay flexible with language goals (because students don’t always know what we think they know)
• The power of interpretive communication—why listening and reading matter just as much (or more!) than speaking
• How routines and student responses can lead the way
• Why language is the vehicle, not the destination

Whether you’re new to acquisition-driven instruction or looking to refine your approach, this episode will inspire and ground your planning process.

🛠️ Mentioned in the episode:

Neubauer, D. (2022). Chinese Language Instruction with Novice Learners: Target Language Topic Development, Engagement, and Comprehension in Online and Hybrid Classrooms: The University of Iowa. 

Jacknick, C. M. (2021). Multimodal participation and engagement: Social interaction in the classroom. Edinburgh University Press. 

Hiver, P., Al-Hoorie, A. H., & Mercer, S. (2020). Student engagement in the language classroom. Multilingual Matters.  

Diane’s YouTube channel 

Diane’s Language teaching blog 

New eBook: Comprehension-based Chinese, published by Cheng & Tsui 

Reed’s Blog: http://www.reedriggs.com/#/

Conversations About Language: https://conversationsaboutlanguage.buzzsprout.com/

More Resources:

🌐 Connect with Claudia:

Instagram: @growingwithproficiency

Website: www.growingwithproficiency.com

TpT Back to School Sale! 🗓️ August 5–6 — Use code BTS25
👉 Explore all the resources here

What happens when students expect grammar charts, parents want vocabulary lists, and administrators walk in asking, “Why are YOU doing all the talking?” If you’ve felt that tension, this episode is for you.

In this final episode of the Back to School Series, I share the exact lesson I use in the first week of school that changed a lot for me—how I shifted from feeling questioned and defensive to confidently leading my students, parents, and administrators through the “why” of how we teach languages today.

You'll hear how teaching students about language acquisition and ACTFL proficiency empowers them to engage with purpose, builds trust in your classroom, and lays the foundation for meaningful grading conversations all year long.

In This Episode:

• Why world language class is not like math or biology—and why that matters
• How I introduce language acquisition
• Why educating parents and administrators is key
• Why teaching our students about proficiency will help our students to ask better questions for assessments.
• Why this one lesson created more buy-in, better behavior, and stronger relationships in my class

🧰 Resources + Links from the Episode:

📝 Mini Lesson: How Do We Acquire Language?
 👉 Available on TpT

🎯 GWP The Spanish Teacher Academy 👉 Join the Spanish Teacher Academy

🎧 Ep. 78 – w/ Pablo Martinez
 👉 Listen now

🎧 Ep. 131 – ACTFL Proficiency Descriptors w/ Maris Hawkins
 👉 Listen now

📚 Ohio State Study: The Power of Reading Daily
 👉 Read the article

🎁 Want to Start the Year Strong with Everything You Need?

If you're a Spanish teacher ready for:

• Tailored PD for proficiency-based instruction
• Monthly planning support and fresh resources
• A full-year curriculum (Creciendo) that’s comprehensible and compelling
• Panoramas culturales with audio recorded by native speakers
• A thriving teacher community that gets it...

Then the Spanish Teacher Academy is for you! 🎉

👉 Join today at growingwithproficiency.com/academy

🎒 School paying? We accept POs!
 📩 Questions? Email: support@growingwithproficiency.com

❤️ Let’s Stay Connected:

Instagram → @claudiamelliott
Podcast archive + blog → growingwithproficiency.com

🎧 Thank you for listening! If this episode inspired you, share it with a colleague and leave a review. Here’s to a joyful, sustainable, and meaningful year!

The first week of school can feel like a whirlwind—there’s excitement, anticipation, and let’s be honest… pressure. What should you do first? What’s most important? And how can you make sure you’re setting up your students (and yourself!) for a successful, sustainable year?

In this episode, I’m opening up about what I actually prioritize during that first week of school in my Spanish classroom. I’m sharing what I focus on (and what I no longer stress about), how I build trust and connection from day one, and the routines that help students feel safe, welcomed, and ready to use Spanish with confidence.

You’ll hear about:

• What students really bring into your classroom on the first day
• How to make that very first impression count
• Why I lead with connection, not curriculum
• The small changes I’ve made that have had a big impact on student engagement
• How I create an experience where Spanish is accessible and meaningful—even on day one

If you’re feeling the back-to-school pressure or just want a plan that feels human and realistic, this episode is for you.

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Join the Spanish Teacher Academy for free: growingwithproficiency.com/trial
• Don’t miss our Live Planning Session on July 22—available to all Academy members!
• Want more back-to-school inspiration? Catch:
  • Ep. 151: The 3 Pillars of a Sustainable Language Class
  • Ep. 153: Planning a Sustainable Year
  • Episodio en Español: 5 claves para comenzar el año escolar

Planning for a new school year can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to create a class centered on communication and proficiency, not grammar features. In this episode, I walk you through five intentional steps to help you map out your year with clarity and sustainability. You’ll learn how to prioritize compelling input, build a flexible curriculum map, and keep your students’ needs and your well-being at the center of your planning. 

This episode will help you feel more grounded and confident heading into the school year.

Key Takeaways:

Start with the big picture. Use a year-at-a-glance calendar to identify your teaching windows, breaks, and celebrations you want to highlight.

• Let your communicative anchors lead. Plan around meaningful questions and content, not grammar structures.
• Reuse what worked. Bring back favorite units that felt joyful and effective.
• Fill in the gaps with purpose. Choose content that supports the required curriculum while staying rooted in compelling, comprehensible input.
• Plan for creativity. Schedule storyasking and one-word image sessions to provide rich, personalized input.
• Simplify. Step back and adjust your calendar to keep your plan flexible and realistic. Aim for sustainability, not perfection.

Resources Mentioned:

Episode 151: The 3 Pillars of a Sustainable Language Classroom

Episode 152 (Spanish): Cinco Claves para Prepararte Antes del Primer Día

Episode 131: Understanding ACTFL's New Proficiency Descriptors with Mary Hawkins

Episode 33 and 99: Featuring Dr. Karen Lichtman on Language Acquisition Research

Spanish Teacher Academy Trial Access: growingwithproficiency.com/trial

More about the Crescendo Curriculum and planning framework: growingwithproficiency.com/academy

¿Tienes todo listo para un nuevo año escolar que no solo funcione, sino que se sienta bien? En este episodio te comparto las 5 claves esenciales para un regreso a clases intencional, humano y sostenible en tu clase de español.

En vez de empezar en modo “supervivencia”, este año te invito a comenzar con claridad, conexión y propósito. Estas estrategias están pensadas para adaptarse a tu contexto real y ayudarte a enseñar con más calma y más impacto.

Aquí están las 5 claves que exploramos:

1. Diseñar un espacio lingüísticamente rico que invite al uso natural del español desde el entorno.
2. Crear una estructura de clase efectiva que fomente el input comprensible y te libere del cansancio diario.
3. Conectar de forma auténtica con tus estudiantes, construyendo relaciones que potencien la motivación y compromiso.
4. Planificar con un marco claro y funcional que reduzca decisiones improvisadas y te sostenga todo el año.
5. Establecer sistemas simples pero poderosos que te den paz mental y autonomía en el aula.

Este episodio es para ti si buscas enseñar con pasión, sin sacrificar tu bienestar ni tu energía creativa. 

🎁 Y no se te olvide: las puertas están abiertas para que vivas una prueba gratuita de 7 días dentro de  Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy. Es el espacio que diseñé para apoyarte en cada etapa de tu camino como profe de español basada en comprensión.

✨ Regístrate hoy en: growingwithproficiency.com/trial

As we step into a new school year, one word guides everything: sustainability.

In this first episode of a 4-part summer series, I’m breaking down the key to a successful and sustainable language class—one that doesn't run on exhaustion. You’ll learn about the 3 essential pillars that create a joyful, communicative, and manageable classroom experience—plus the one critical consideration teachers often overlook. Whether you're teaching Spanish or any world language, this episode will help you set up your routines, relationships, and planning framework so you can teach with energy and intention all year long.

This is not just about strategies—it’s about making them last.

Grab your cafecito and let’s get started. ☕💬

What you'll learn in this episode:

✅ Why sustainability isn’t optional—it’s essential
✅ The role of context and how it shapes your classroom decisions
✅ Pillar 1: How consistent routines support input, structure, and classroom management
✅ Pillar 2: Why relationships must come before content (especially in the first weeks)
✅ Pillar 3: A clear planning framework grounded in Second Language Acquisition
✅ What’s coming next in the Summer Series
✅ Sneak peek into the 7-day free trial of the Spanish Teacher Academy

Mentioned in this episode:

🔗 Join the waitlist for the 7-day free trial (starting July 7):
 growingwithproficiency.com/academy

🎧 Related podcast episodes:

• Episode 11 – How to Plan a 90-Minute Class
• Episode 131 with Maris Hawkins – Understanding the New ACTFL Descriptors
• Episode 90 with AnneMarie Chase – Low-Stress Assessment for Proficiency
• Episode 52 on how to adapt your textbook with CI-based strategies

Let’s keep growing — with joy, clarity, and connection.
If this episode inspired you, please leave a review or share it with a fellow teacher. ✨

This episode is a different kind of conversation—one that goes beneath the surface and straight to the heart. 💛

In this episode of Growing With Proficiency, the Podcast, I’m joined by two great friends and incredible educators, Annabelle Williamson (La Maestra Loca) and Bertha Delgadillo. Together, we open up about a topic that many teachers live with, often silently: teaching with ADHD.

Annabelle and Bertha share their personal journeys to getting diagnosed, what ADHD looks like behind the scenes, the emotional toll it can take, and the powerful tools and strategies they’ve found to support themselves and their students. We talk about the guilt, the overwhelm, and the pressure to “keep up”—and how curiosity, community, and compassion can help us rewrite the narrative.

Whether you’ve been diagnosed, suspect you might have ADHD, or simply feel like you’re always behind and overwhelmed, this episode is for you.

Because what if the problem isn’t you—but the systems we’re trying to fit into?

🎧 Tune in to hear:

• What ADHD can really look and feel like as a teacher
• The challenges no one talks about
• Strengths and superpowers hidden under the struggle
• Real-life tools like the Kaizen method, morning routines, Asana, and Finch
• How advocating for yourself and your students can change everything

We’re not experts or doctors—just teachers sharing our lived experiences in the hope that it makes someone else feel seen and supported. 💬

Because you are not alone. You are not broken. And you are exactly the teacher your students need.

📌 Full show notes and resources at growingwithproficiency.com

This isn’t your typical episode about strategies or games. Today, we’re talking about something real, something we don’t say out loud enough in our teacher circles: What do you do when your school no longer feels like home?

I’m joined by the amazing Kia D. London, a world language educator and returning guest, who opens up about the pain of leaving a school she once thought she’d retire from. In this raw and vulnerable conversation, we talk about what happens when your admin doesn’t support you, the grief that comes with leaving, and how to begin again—without losing yourself in the process.

Whether you’re in a toxic school environment or supporting a teacher who is, this episode will make you feel seen and remind you: You are not alone.

🎧 Tune in now, and let’s have the conversation we all need. 💛

Show Notes:

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• What to do when your principal doesn’t support you
  
  
• Signs of a toxic school culture
  
  
• Why grief is real when you leave a school (even if it was your choice)
  
  
• The importance of honoring your emotions while starting over
  
  
• How Kia rebuilt her confidence and professional identity in a new space
  
  
• Why we need to normalize conversations about burnout, grief, and integrity
  
  

This episode is for any teacher who has ever felt stuck, unsupported, or unsure whether it’s time to go. It’s also for those who are rebuilding after a hard transition.

🔗 Links & Resources

🎙️ Kia's podcast:
 Wisdom From An (Almost) Failed Teacher — Powerful, reflective episodes from Kia’s journey as an educator and human being.

📘 Related Blog Post:
What to Do When Your School Is No Longer a Safe Place – A deeper dive into Kia’s story and practical steps for teachers navigating unsupportive environments.

🌐 Connect with Kia:
Instagram: @clases_de_london

Website: bit.ly/klondon

Podcast: Wisdom From An Almost Veteran Teacher

Facebook Group: Culturally Diverse and Equitable Curriculum Design Group

🌐 Connect with Claudia:
Instagram: @growingwithproficiency
Website: www.growingwithproficiency.com

📩 Want more support and resources for your teaching journey?
 Join The Spanish Teacher Academy → growingwithproficiency.com/academy

🎧 Subscribe & Review
If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to rate and review the podcast. It helps us reach more teachers who need to hear these conversations.

🧡 Gracias for listening, profe. You're not alone—and your story matters.

In a season when we just can't do it all, having clarity about what truly impacts our students’ proficiency journey is key. And this episode? It's the one you’ll want to replay over and over again.

This conversation with Dr. Stephen Krashen is one of the most downloaded episodes of the podcast—and for good reason. Dr. Krashen, the architect of the comprehensible input hypothesis, shares the powerful role of reading for pleasure in language acquisition and how simple, self-selected books can create big results.

This episode is a reminder of what really moves the needle in our classes—and what we can let go of.

☕ Grab your cafecito and press play. This one is a must-listen (again).

💡 Big Takeaways:

• Reading is the most powerful tool for acquisition—it builds vocabulary, grammar, writing, and even empathy.
• Easy and self-selected reading works—comic books, picture books, and leveled readers count (and they stick).
• Grammar doesn’t create accuracy—input does—and output naturally emerges from rich, repeated input.
• Students gain more from reading than formal study—it boosts knowledge in history, science, and beyond.
• Heritage learners thrive through pleasure reading—it’s how they stay connected to and expand their language.
• Good input doesn’t need to be perfect—even “bad” or imperfect input helps learners grow.

Resources: 

Dr. Stephen Krashen’s Website

Article: The Power of Reading (PDF)

More Resources:

How to Teacher Guide: How to Shift to A Comprehensible and Communicative Teaching Approach
Growing With Proficiency The Blog
Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy Waitlist
Growing With Proficiency TPT Store
Join my Free FB Community: Growing With CI
Connect with me in IG: Claudia @‌IG

In this re-released episode, I'm sharing one of the most powerful practices I started a few years ago—and yes, I still use it today! It's called the S.T.E.P. Forward Protocol, a simple yet transformative 4-step process to help you reflect, reset, and refocus your teaching at any point in the year.

In this episode, I break down each part of the S.T.E.P. process:

• S – Student Survey (Hear how I use surveys to gather meaningful student feedback)
  
  
• T – Teacher Reflection (Why starting with your wins matters more than you think)
  
  
• E – Explore Concepts (How to go deeper in the areas where you want to grow)
  
  
• P – Plan Ahead (Set one intentional goal—and a trick to make it stick!)

💡 Whether you're wrapping up your year, in the middle of a semester, or planning ahead, this episode will help you reflect with intention and move forward with purpose.

🛠️ Resources Mentioned:

✨ Free Reflection Guide (with survey link included):
https://growingwithproficiency.com/reflection

🎧 Curated Podcast Playlists based on your area of growth:

🎙️ Related Episode: Ep. 33 – How to Use Student Surveys in a CI Class

Growing with Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy Waitlist

 “We need to do more of what’s working—but first, we need to know what’s working.”
 Let this be your reminder to pause and celebrate your growth—just like I encourage my students to do.

If this episode resonates, don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts and share it with a colleague 

There’s nothing like a good game to bring life back into your classroom—especially when everyone (including you) is counting down the days to summer 🌞.

In this conversation, I’m joined by my friend and amazing teacher, Dahiana Castro, to talk about simple, low-prep, and super engaging games you can use right now—yes, even if you feel out of energy and your students are done.

You’ll walk away with:
 ✅ A fresh take on classroom favorites like Trashketball and Grudge Ball
 ✅ Easy movement-based tweaks to boost participation
 ✅ A brilliant twist on scavenger hunts that your students will love
 ✅ Game templates you can use tomorrow

Whether you’re looking for a last-week lifesaver or just need a break from your regular plans, this episode is packed with ideas to make your life easier and your class more joyful.

👉 What game are YOU going to try first? DM me or tag me on IG with your favorite!

🎧 Listen now to this special re-release of Episode 94 of Growing With Proficiency, the Podcast.

Get ready for an amazing episode with Dahiana Castro, an amazing Spanish and French teacher! Dahiana is sharing with us today three super fun games that will bring back the energy and excitement to your classroom. These games are like hidden treasures that you'll want to keep until the perfect moment. So, grab your popcorn and tune in to discover these awesome activities that your students will be dying to play!

What I love most about these games is how easily they can be adapted to any content, language, or level you teach.  If you're looking to spice up your lessons and inject energy into your classroom, this episode is a must-listen! Join us as Dahiana Castro spills the beans on these hidden gems.  Hit play, and let's get the party started!

Links & Resources
My Framework
Growing With CI FB Community
Blog
Teacher Pay Teachers Store
IG & Twitter: @claudiamelliott
GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
Register here for CI Rebook 2025 Use code Claudia2025 to get $20 off
Hasta la cima template
Grudge Ball

Are you looking for an interactive and engaging activity to boost your students' participation and build a strong classroom community at the end of the school year? In this episode of "Growing With Proficiency, the podcast," we explore a unique twist on the popular Card Talk activity that my students absolutely loved!

In this activity, I’ll share with you how to turn the simple drawings our students do in card talk into a pair-reading activity plus a gallery walk. 

Main Highlights:

• Introduction to Card Talk and its benefits for student engagement and comprehensible input.
• Detailed activity setup with the prompt: "The Best and the Worst in the School Year."
• Step-by-step process from drawing, writing, hallway gallery walk, and class discussion.
• Personal connection and community building through shared experiences.
• Extending Card Talk: Ideas for adapting Card Talk for different thematic units such as clothing, food, and travel.

Resources and Links Mentioned:

• Free Teacher Guide: "How to Shift to A Comprehensible and Communicative Teaching Approach" – growingwithproficiency.com/guide
• Episode 82: Previous discussion on Card Talk with Ben Fisher
• Follow Claudia on Instagram: @claudiamelliott
• Connect on Facebook: Claudia M Elliott
• Join our waitlist for Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy

Thank you for tuning in to "Growing With Proficiency, the podcast." Until next time, keep growing and keep teaching with passion. ¡Hasta luego!

Are you ending the year feeling tired, disconnected, or wondering if all your hard work made a difference?

In this episode, I’m opening up about five things I wish I had known earlier in my teaching career — before burnout crept in. These aren’t just reflective lessons; they’re practical shifts that helped me move from survival mode to a place of clarity, confidence, and connection in the classroom.

Whether you're in year one or year twenty, this episode is a reminder that burnout doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong — it might just mean you're carrying too much without enough support.

💡 In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why burnout is often the result of cognitive overload and decision fatigue
  
  
• How clarity in your “why” can reduce overwhelm
  
  
• Why collecting strategies isn’t enough without a framework
  
  
• What changed when I stopped trying to create everything from scratch
  
  
• And how finding a supportive community shifted everything

📚 Related episodes and resources:

• 🎧 Ep. 69 – The  Pillars of a Comprehensible and Communicative Driven Classroom
• 🎧 Ep. 111 – How to Plan a 90-Minute Class With Confidence
• 💻 Explore The Spanish Teacher Academy – 7-Day Free Experience

Do your assessments reflect the full journey your students have taken with you this year?

In this episode, I reflect on how end-of-year assessments can do more.  They can be an opportunity to celebrate all the meaningful interactions, cultural insights, and personal growth that have happened in our classrooms.

Inspired by a powerful quote from Dr. Beniko Mason—“Assessments are more for me as a teacher than for my students”—I’m sharing three practical ideas to help you create assessments that honor what really matters in your class.

Plus, I’ll walk you through:

• Why we need to revisit the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages
• What happens when students don’t see relevance in assessments
• How reflection questions, gallery walks, and personal prompts bring connection back
• The importance of creating tasks aligned with ACTFL proficiency levels

And don’t miss the free end-of-year survey resource I use with my own students!

🌟 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why should assessments include more than one section of what we do in class?
• How the 5 Cs (Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, Communities) show up in class—and how to reflect that in assessment
• Tips for using personal questions at both novice and intermediate levels
• The power of student reflection at the end of the year

🔗 Resources + Links:

• 📄 Free End-of-Year Reflection Workbook: Click here
• 🎧 Episode 102 with AnneMarie Chase on Assessments: Listen here
• 🎧 Episode 110 with Cecile Lainé on Intercultural Competence & the 5 Cs: Listen here
• 🎧 Episode 138 with Maris Hawkins on ACTFL Updates & Proficiency Levels: Listen here

🎉 Don’t Miss This:

From May 12–22, you can get a FREE 7-day sneak peek inside Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy. No credit card, no commitment—just real support and strategy.

✨ Sign up here: growingwithproficiency.com/academy

¿Quieres planear tu próxima unidad sin caer en el “más de lo mismo”? 

En este episodio te llevo paso a paso por cómo diseño una unidad comunicativa, usando el idioma como vehículo para explorar el mundo, no como el objetivo en sí.

Te comparto el marco de Creciendo con Competencia que utilizo —un enfoque que va más allá de enseñar estructuras sueltas— para ayudarte a crear experiencias con sentido, con intención y con propósito comunicativo.

Este episodio nace de una sesión de Planeando Juntos en la Academia, donde una profe preguntó:
¿Qué puedo hacer con mis estudiantes de Español 3 y 4 en mayo?

Usamos el 5 de mayo como ejemplo, pero lo que verás aquí aplica a cualquier unidad cultural o temática que tú quieras explorar en clase.

🔍 En este episodio descubrirás:

• Cómo partir de una idea poderosa (no de una lista de vocabulario)
• Por qué es clave definir el lenguaje funcional, no solo palabras temáticas
• Qué significa tener un can-do realista y comunicativo
• Cómo estructuro mi ciclo de instrucción para mantener el input al centro
• La importancia de cerrar con reflexión y conexión, no solo con actividades finales

📣 ¿Y la sorpresa?

Del 12 al 19 de mayo abriré una experiencia gratuita de 7 días dentro de la Academia.
Podrás explorar una unidad completa del currículum Creciendo, ver cómo la aplico paso a paso y obtener ideas prácticas para cerrar tu año con intención.

🎟️ Únete a la lista de espera → http://growingwithproficiency.com/academy

Más recursos:

📕 Recurso de Cinco de Mayo

🏪 Tienda de TPT

🎧 Episodio 145: Read and Draw with a Twist: How Hieroglyphics Can Boost Comprehension

In this episode of Growing with Proficiency, we dive into a creative twist on the classic Read and Draw activity that takes student comprehension to the next level! We share an innovative classroom strategy that transforms how students engage with texts, using hieroglyphics-inspired symbols to boost memory, collaboration, and creativity. Learn how this activity, backed by research showing drawing nearly doubles recall, encourages students to replace words with illustrations, fostering deeper text understanding without the pressure of artistic skills. 

From group challenges to lively peer discussions, discover how students reimagined a story from the Creciendo curriculum, swapping symbols and retelling narratives with enthusiasm. Packed with practical tips, this episode is perfect for educators looking to refresh reading activities while keeping comprehension and engagement front and center. Tune in for actionable ideas.

Resources

🏫 Join our waitlist for Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy
 👩🏽‍💻 Our Blog: Growing With Proficiency
📥 Free Lesson: Animales en Desastres Naturales
📲 Join our free FB Community: Growing With CI
 📳 Follow us on social: IG @claudiamelliott | FB @claudiamelliott
 🖇️ TPT Store: Growing With Proficiency

AI tools are popping up everywhere — but can we use them in a way that still aligns with second language acquisition and communication-centered teaching?

In this episode, I’m walking you through how I use AI — especially ChatGPT — in my Spanish classroom without losing the heart of what we do as CI teachers. I’ll share the 5 tools I actually use (and how I stack them), plus the mindset I bring into every lesson to make sure my students get compelling, comprehensible, and connected input.

Whether you're new to AI or already experimenting with it, this episode will give you ideas, inspiration, and lots of teacher-to-teacher encouragement.

💡 Here’s what you’ll hear:

• Why AI can support (not replace) your teaching
  
  
• How I use Voice Control for ChatGPT to co-create texts that are meaningful and level-appropriate
  
  
• My exact workflow for stacking 4 AI tools to save time and still create quality input
  
  
• Tips for using Gamma, Mote, Quizziz, QuestionWell, and Diffit
  
  
• Why your voice, experience, and connection with students matter more than any tool

🛠️ Tools & Resources Mentioned:

• Free story: Los animales en los desastres naturales
  
  
• Gamma (Slide Deck Generator)
  
  
• Voice Control for ChatGPT (Chrome Extension)
  
  
• Mote for Voice Support
  
  
• Quizziz Game-Based Review
  
  
• QuestionWell AI Quiz Builder
  
  
• Diffit – AI Resource Builder for Teachers

📣 Let’s Stay Connected

If this episode was helpful, share it with a language teacher friend or tag me on Instagram @claudiamelliott.

💌 And if you’re a Spanish teacher, don’t forget to join the waitlist for Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy at growingwithproficiency.com/academy — so you’re the first to know when doors open again!

Welcome back to Growing With Proficiency The Podcast! In today’s episode, we’re diving into Picture Talk—a classic strategy that many of us use occasionally… but what if it became part of your weekly routine?

When reimagined as a sustainable and student-led practice, Picture Talk can provide meaningful input, spark student curiosity, and support communication—all with one powerful image.

In this episode, I’m sharing exactly how I use one image across different levels and for multiple days, all while keeping prep simple and language use at the center of my classroom.

Whether you’re in a season when energy is low or you’re just looking for something consistent and effective, this episode will guide you through step-by-step ways to make Picture Talk work for you and your students.

Highlights:

What Is Picture Talk?
A quick overview of this input-rich strategy and why it fits all levels.

Why Picture Talk Works Year-Round
From September to April, there are always stretches when engagement drops—Picture Talk helps keep the conversation going.

5 Ways to Stretch One Image Across the Week
From co-creating stories to reusing texts, these strategies help you build routines without more planning.

Tips to Keep It Student-Led
 Use questioning, retelling, and real-world connections to invite students to do the heavy lifting.

Differentiation Made Simple
Use the same image with different language supports for novice and intermediate learners.

🎁 And yes—there’s a free resource ready for you:
 Download the Animales en Desastres Naturales Picture Talk lesson
Perfect for Earth Day or any time you want to connect language to real-world themes.

Resources

🏫 Join our waitlist for Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy
 👩🏽‍💻 Our Blog: Growing With Proficiency
📥 Free Lesson: Animales en Desastres Naturales
📲 Join our free FB Community: Growing With CI
 📳 Follow us on social: IG @claudiamelliott | FB @claudiamelliott
 🖇️ TPT Store: Growing With Proficiency

More Podcast Episodes to Support You:

🎧 Episode 47 – Ignite Curiosity With Images (with Chelsea Lawrence)
  🎧 Episode 95 – What Is Story Asking and Why It Works

Don’t miss this episode—especially if you're looking for a way to simplify your week, provide rich input, and let students guide the learning process.

In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I’m joined by three brilliant educators—Donna Tatum-Johns, Justin Slocum Bailey, and Erika Peplinski-Burge—for a real, honest, and insightful conversation straight from the heart of CI Mitten.

Together, we answer 6 of the most common questions world language teachers ask, like:
 🎯 How can I get my upper-level students to actually speak in class?
 🧠 How do I juggle multiple preps without burning out?
 🎭 What if I’m tired of feeling like a performer?
 🧩 How do I support neurodiverse learners in a CI classroom?
 🤝 What if my department isn’t on board with CI?
 🌍 How can we advocate for our programs when cuts are everywhere?

You'll leave with tangible strategies, mindset shifts, and a deep reminder that you’re not alone in this work. 💛

Whether you’re new to CI or a seasoned teacher, this episode is packed with inspiration, practical ideas, and lots of love for our community.

Resources:

GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List

Growing With CI FB Community

Blog post

IG

TPT Store

¿Sientes que el fin de año escolar viene lleno de cansancio y falta de energía? 😮‍💨 En este episodio, te comparto dos estructuras que han transformado mis clases en esta época: las estaciones y las rotaciones.

Te explico cómo implementarlas paso a paso, qué tipo de actividades funcionan mejor, cómo organizar el tiempo, y cómo usar tu contenido existente (¡sin tener que crear todo desde cero!). También te doy ideas concretas para fomentar la autonomía, la colaboración, y el compromiso real de tus estudiantes.

Además, te cuento cómo las rotaciones pueden ayudarte a cerrar tus unidades o consolidar todo lo que han aprendido durante el año.

🎧  Si quieres escuchar más sobre estaciones, no te pierdas el episodio en inglés.  Haz clic acá.

💻 ¿Quieres las plantillas para hacer estaciones? Haz clic acá para bajarlas. 

Last week in Episode 139, I shared the 4 biggest takeaways from SCOLT — and today, I’m showing you how those ideas come to life with 4 powerful classroom strategies grounded in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research. 💡

In this episode, I’m breaking down 4 engaging, easy-to-implement strategies that are already working right now in my classroom — and they might be just what you need to re-ignite joy and purpose in yours!

Here’s what you’ll hear:

✨ “No me digas” – The reading game that sparks connection and joy

🧠 Story Mapping for Deeper Comprehension.  This flexible strategy from Kaleb Hayat helps students re-read, organize meaning, and work together with intention.

📊 Let Students Choose Their Rubric.  Learn how Liza Hyatt and Joanna Jiménez are letting students self-select rubrics based on ACTFL proficiency levels — without lowering the bar.

🌎 Calendar Talk with Purpose.   I share 3 specific ways to level up Calendar Talk and build global knowledge in the TL. From Earth Day to National Poetry Month, you’ll get concrete ideas you can use this week.

🎁 Mentioned Resources:

• Episode 139: The 4 Big Takeaways
  
  
• Episode with Maris Hawkins on ACTFL Descriptors
  
  
• AnneMarie Chase on Low-Stress Assessments
  
  
• Full Calendar Talk Episode
  
  
• My April 2025 Calendar Talk
  
  
• 7 Natural Wonders YouTube Video
  
  

🧡 If this episode helps you, please share it with a language teacher friend or tag me on Instagram @claudiamelliott. And if you’re a Spanish teacher, join the waitlist for Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy to be the first to know when doors open again!

Let’s keep creating joyful, communicative classrooms — one strategy at a time. 🙌

Have you ever needed a reminder of why this work matters? In this episode, I’m sharing the powerful moments from SCOLT 2025 that filled my teacher heart — and why what we do in the classroom matters just as much as how we make students feel.

From hallway conversations to keynote quotes that made me tear up, this episode goes beyond strategies and into the why behind the work. And yes, I’m also sharing two easy, movement-based activities you can try with your students tomorrow! 😉

Key Takeaways: 

🔥 Passion = "I pass on" – everything we do ripples
 💕 Love is the foundation for a safe classroom
 🌟 Joy is an intentional choice
 💪 Growth takes consistency, discipline, and community
 🕺 Try a silent PQA with movement & connection
 👯‍♀️ Turn & Talk with a twist: talk = movement, listen = freeze!

🧠 Looking for a great resource for Día de la Tierra?
 📖 Grab this class story about los animales en desastres naturales – perfect for comprehension and discussion!
👉Here

Resources & Links Mentioned: 

📌 Learn more about the Spanish Teacher Academy:
 https://growingwithproficiency.com/academy

 📸 Instagram: @claudiamelliott
📘 Facebook: Growing With CI Community

If this episode spoke to your heart, please leave a review and share it with another language teacher who might need the reminder: you're not behind — you're becoming. 💛

🎧 Stay tuned for Part 2 next week, where I’ll share many strategies I learned at SCOLT!

With new regulations restricting what we can and cannot teach, many of us are left wondering: How can we continue to support ALL of our students while creating a safe and inclusive classroom?

That’s exactly why I’m re-releasing this episode on the Star Student Interview—one of the most powerful and adaptable strategies for centering students, fostering engagement, and making language learning truly meaningful.

In this episode, I break down:
✅ What the Star Student Interview is and how it differs from PQAs
✅ Why it’s such an effective strategy for creating community and using language in context
✅ How to implement it in your classroom—from selecting students to engaging the whole class
✅ How to level up or down questions to meet different proficiency levels
✅ What to do after the interview to maximize learning and reinforce comprehension

At a time when many educators feel constrained by policies that limit diverse and equity-focused content, the Star Student Interview allows us to shift the focus back to our students—celebrating who they are and making them feel seen, regardless of external restrictions.

Looking for more ideas? Check out these resources:
 📌 Bryce Hedstrom’s Star Student Questions – A great collection of questions to get started.
📌 Cécile Laine’s Guide – A resource for adjusting question difficulty to different proficiency levels.

Have you tried the Star Student Interview? What’s your go-to strategy for creating a welcoming and engaging language classroom? Let’s continue the conversation!

And if this episode resonated with you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts—it helps more world language teachers discover strategies to grow with proficiency! 🎉

🔗 Listen now!

💬 Let’s Connect!
📸 Instagram: @claudiamelliott
📘 Facebook: Growing With CI Community

Seeking ways to encourage student talking and boost engagement in the target language, without forcing output? If you're wondering, 'How can I get my students talking more in class in a natural and engaging way?' then this episode is a must-listen for you.

Join me for a powerful conversation with Erica Peplinski-Burge and Justin Slocum Bailey. In this episode, we delve into the delicate balance of nurturing student communication in the target language. We're not talking about forcing output, but rather creating an environment where students feel inspired and motivated to talk.

Discover strategies backed by brain research that reveal how to enhance student engagement and encourage voluntary, natural use of the target language in your classroom. These techniques are not just about getting students to talk more; they're about transforming the way they interact with the language and each other.

Are you ready to discover new ways to encourage your students to communicate more freely and effectively in the target language? Want to know the secrets to creating a classroom atmosphere that naturally promotes student talking and engagement?

Click and join us in this episode.

Highlights of the episode:

• Utilizing rejoinders and gestures
• Creating a safe and trusting environment for language Learners
• Reflecting on brain research and students’ motivation to talk
• Discussing the effects of feedback when students are talking
• Disconnecting speaking from being graded
• The power of narration
• Enhancing student motivation through small speaking successes

__________________________________________

Our guest experts:

Justin Slocum Bailey: A longtime language, music, and martial arts teacher from Vienna, Austria, Justin has trained teachers in 37 U.S. states and given workshops, courses, and keynotes in Mexico, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and China. Justin has also published several articles and book chapters on language teaching. The many glowing testimonials of his work include “If everyone taught language like Justin Slocum Bailey, we would have a world of self-directed polyglots” and “The kind of teacher I’d like to have a beer with.” Justin is unwavering in his belief that all humans can learn another language and that good teaching consists of identifiable, learnable skills. He can’t wait to help you master these!

Erica Peplinski-Burge: A neuroscience-loving Spanish teacher with a passion for sharing knowledge and 18 years of teaching experience from Kindergarten to 8th grade, Erica was the MIWLA 2020 Teacher of the Year. Erica is a regular presenter at some of the biggest conferences in the industry, including iFLT, ACTFL, Central States, and many state-sponsored conferences. She also co-founded and presents at MittenCI. Erica is a published author, having coauthored a chapter on how the brain acquires language, and has consulted for Encyclopedia Britannica and various language curriculums. Erica also plans Voces' PD events and specialized training for teachers. She loves helping teachers find brain-friendly ways to help students acquire languages joyfully!

Resources mentioned and more:

Free training videos by Justin and Erica:  https://vocesdigital.com/training.php?tgt=av-hub

Growing With Proficiency The Blog

Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy

Growing With Proficiency TPT Store

As language teachers, supporting and facilitating student output can be both rewarding and challenging. We know how excited students feel when they see what they can write and say in the target language. At the same time, we often view output as evidence of acquisition—yet that’s not necessarily the case.

Many times, students' output does not align with our expectations, leading to frustration, stress, and even anxiety for both students and teachers. That’s why understanding the true role of output in language development is crucial.

In Episode 138 of Growing with Proficiency The Podcast, we dive deep into this topic, exploring:

✔️ The role of output in language acquisition.
✔️ The importance of realistic expectations and appropriate support for student output.
✔️ Carefully structured activities that support output without forcing it.
✔️ Two powerful classroom activities shared by Esther Galo and Christina Margiore inside the Winter Conference of Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy.

💬 Let’s Connect!
📸 Instagram: @claudiamelliott
📘 Facebook: Growing With CI Community

If you found this episode helpful, please take a moment to leave a review!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Your feedback helps other language teachers discover these ideas.

¿Cómo representamos a la mujer en nuestra clase de español? ¿Qué historias contamos y qué estereotipos perpetuamos sin darnos cuenta?

En este episodio especial por el Mes de la Historia de la Mujer, conversamos con Adriana Ramírez y Margarita Pérez García sobre la representación de la mujer en los materiales educativos y cómo podemos construir un currículo más inclusivo y auténtico.

En esta conversación, Adriana y Margarita nos ayudan a mirar con lupa:
✅ La representación de la mujer en los materiales educativos.
✅ Cómo identificar y cuestionar los estereotipos en los textos.
✅ Estrategias para integrar mujeres inspiradoras en la clase de español.
✅ Recursos y libros que presentan una visión más auténtica y diversa de las mujeres latinoamericanas.

📌 Recursos mencionados en el episodio:
🔹 Pósteres "Leyendo con Lupa" para analizar la representación de la mujer en la literatura y otros temas de justicia social. 📥 Descárgalos en Armando Bochinche.
🔹Blog de Adriana Ramírez 

🔹Blog de Margarita Pérez García

🔹Colección de libros "Revolucionarias" – Historias de mujeres que han transformado sus comunidades.

📢 Ahora te toca a ti:
¿Qué historias de mujeres estás compartiendo en tu clase? ¿Cómo puedes integrar más voces femeninas diversas y romper estereotipos en tu enseñanza?

🎧 Dale play y únete a esta conversación transformadora.

Are you on the lookout for effective strategies to enhance engagement in your world language classes? Join us in this episode as we explore the power of incorporating music into language learning with Justin from Spanish Plans. We delve into March Madness, a dynamic approach to using music that has significantly boosted student interest and participation in Spanish classes.

March Madness isn't just a competition; it's a gateway to cultural immersion and linguistic enrichment. Through this engaging three-week event, students evaluate and vote on songs, connecting them with a diverse array of artists and genres. This innovative use of music in world language education not only introduces students to high-frequency language in context but also cultivates an appreciation for the cultural nuances behind the lyrics.

Whether you're looking to fully integrate this music challenge into your lessons or seeking to adapt its format to fit your class's unique needs, March Madness provides an accessible platform for all educators to elevate the use of music in their classrooms.

In this episode, Justin will share with us great ideas to successfully integrate not only March Madness but music into our classes, ensuring our students are cultivating an appreciation for different musical genres and encouraging the exploration of Spanish music outside the classroom.

Click play now and let’s enjoy some music. 

Justin's Bio: 

Justin is a veteran Spanish teacher of nearly 20 years. He currently teaches 8th grade in nothern Chicagoland. He has been blogging at SpanishPlans since 2010. In addition to raising his bilingual daughter, Justin also enjoys listening to music, soccer, and traveling.

💬 Let’s Connect!
📸 Instagram: @claudiamelliott
📘 Facebook: Growing With CI Community

If you found this episode helpful, please take a moment to leave a review!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Your feedback helps other language teachers discover these ideas.

Links

General information about March Madness: https://spanishplans.org/mmm24/

Teacher Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/March-Music-Madness-2024-Locura-de-Marzo-Musical-10925380

Have you ever felt like you’re running low on energy in your classroom? Maybe you’ve been wondering how to bring more movement, engagement, and joy into your lessons. In this special episode, I’m sharing my biggest takeaways from the Growing With Proficiency Winter Conference! This is Part 1 of a two-part series, and today, we’re diving into Brain Breaks, Map Talk, and Bringing Stories to Life with some of the most inspiring educators in our field.

✅ Brain Breaks with Annabelle Williamson (@lamaestroloca)
✅ Map Talk & Google My Maps with Carolina Gómez (@funforspanishteachers)
✅ Storytelling with Berta Delgadillo (@profedelgadillo)

Each of these strategies can be easily implemented in your class tomorrow—or even today if you’re listening on your way to school! 🚗☕ Let’s bring more movement, curiosity, and deep cultural understanding into our language classrooms!

Key Takeaways:

🌟 Brain Breaks Keep Engagement High

• Set clear expectations and model the activity before starting.
• Try These Brain Breaks:
  • The Number Game.
  • Pass It On.

🗺️ Map Talk & Google My Maps – Exploring the World Through Geography

• Start with students’ own communities before expanding to other locations.
• Tools to use.
• What is geo-literacy and why it’s important
• Google My Maps!

📖 Storytelling

• Go beyond surface-level culture—ask deeper questions and uncover your own blind spots.
• Help students act out key story elements with Reverse Charades.

Resources & Links:

📌 La Maestra Loca Blog
📌 Explore Google My Maps for Your Classroom: 🔗https://funforspanishteachers.com/map-talk-from-our-communities-to-the-world/
📌 Bertha Delgadillo Blog

📌 Learn More About Classroom Culture: Episode 110: Six Strategies to Cultivate Classroom Culture
📌 Get More Ideas for Intercultural Teaching: Episode 134: Intercultural Competence in the Language Classroom
📌 Join the Spanish Teacher Academy: https://growingwithproficiency.com/academy

💬 Let’s Connect!
📸 Instagram: @claudiamelliott
📘 Facebook: Growing With CI Community

If you found this episode helpful, please take a moment to leave a review! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Your feedback helps other language teachers discover these ideas.

🎧 Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll dive into powerful output strategies and activities!

February can be tough. We’re not just physically exhausted—we’re emotionally drained. The weight of our classrooms, our students, and everything happening in our communities can make us lose sight of what truly matters in language teaching.

That’s why I’m bringing back this incredible conversation with Dr. Bill VanPatten. When we’re running on empty, it’s easy to forget the foundation of language acquisition: input. In this episode, Dr. VanPatten reminds us why the essential role of input in language acquisition isn’t just a theory—it’s a fact. 

Dr. VanPatten dives into the true nature of language, the limitations of traditional instruction, and how we can refocus on what our students need to acquire language.

💡 If you're feeling tired, overwhelmed, or questioning your approach, this episode is the perfect reset.

Key Takeaways:

✅ The role of input in language acquisition is a fact, not a hypothesis.
✅ Understanding the nature of language is crucial.
✅ Traditional assessments don’t accurately measure language development.
✅ Interaction and communication should be at the heart of every language class.

Join us for this important conversation, and let’s get back to what truly matters. 💛

🎧 Listen now!

Connect with Me:

💬 Join the Growing With CI FB Community 👉 Facebook Group

📝 Read the GWP Blog 👉 www.growingwithproficiency.com/blog

📚 Shop resources on Teachers Pay Teachers 👉 TPT Store

🎓 Join the GWP Spanish Teacher Academy 👉 Academy Waiting List 

💻 Comprehensible and Communicative Language Teaching Guide: Click here to download now.

Dr. Bill VanPatten Bio:

Prof. VanPatten is widely known for his work in second language acquisition and second language instruction, with special emphases on input processing, processing and parsing more generally, the interface between input processing and acquisition, morpho-syntactic relationships, and instructed SLA.

He has published eight books, eight edited volumes, six language textbooks (including the movies Sol y viento, Liaisons, and the tele series Destinos), and close to 200 articles and book chapters. In 2018 he left academia to pursue writing full-time.

His debut novel, Seidon's Tale, was the recipient of the 2019 Kops-Fetherling International Books Silver Phoenix Award for Best New Voice in Fiction. His second novel, Looks Are Deceiving, received the bronze medal from the International Readers' Favorite Book Awards for LGBTQ fiction. He is currently working on his sixth novel.

For more information, check out his personal website at http://www.billvanpatten.net

In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I’m joined by the incredible Laurie Clarcq and Michele Whaley, the pioneers of Embedded Reading, to explore how this powerful strategy can transform language learning and boost student confidence in reading.

Together, we break down the step-by-step process of Embedded Reading and discuss how it helps language learners of all levels engage with texts in a way that is meaningful, accessible, and empowering. Whether you’ve heard of Embedded Reading before or are brand new to it, this episode will give you practical strategies to bring it to life in your classroom.

We dive into proven methods to scaffold reading, build comprehension skills, and ensure all students—regardless of their proficiency level—can experience success and joy in reading.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔹 What Embedded Reading is and why it’s a game-changer
🔹 How to create engaging, layered readings that support all learners
🔹 The difference between ‘bottom-up’ and ‘top-down’ Embedded Reading
🔹 Why this strategy builds reading stamina and language acquisition
🔹 How to differentiate for mixed-proficiency classrooms with ease
🔹 20+ classroom activities to make reading more engaging and interactive
🔹 Common challenges & how to overcome them

💡 BONUS: Get your FREE Embedded Reading guide to start experimenting with this strategy today! 👉 www.growingwithproficiency.com/podcastER

Connect with Me:

💬 Join the Growing With CI FB Community 👉 Facebook Group

📝 Read the GWP Blog 👉 www.growingwithproficiency.com/blog

📚 Shop resources on Teachers Pay Teachers 👉 TPT Store

🎓 Join the GWP Spanish Teacher Academy 👉 Academy Waiting List 

💻 Comprehensible and Communicative Language Teaching Guide: Click here to download now.

Resources Mentioned:

📥 Free Embedded Reading Guide: www.growingwithproficiency.com/podcastER
📅 Sign up for the Embedded Reading Webinar: tinyurl.com/webinarER
📖 More on reading strategies:

• Episode 84: Dr. Stephen Krashen on Reading & Language Acquisition
• Episode 51: Pre, During & Post-Reading Activities for Maximum Comprehension

Connect with Laurie Clarcq & Michele Whaley:

🌍 Website: www.embeddedreading.com
📷 Instagram: @embeddedreading
📘 Facebook: Embedded Reading Community

Meet with Laurie and Michele at CI Beginnings conference in Oregon this summer

🎧 Loved This Episode? Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!

💡 Have questions about Embedded Reading? Drop them in the comments or DM me on Instagram!

📢 Share this episode with a fellow teacher who would love to bring this strategy into their classroom.

⭐ Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform—your feedback helps more educators find these valuable conversations!

🚀 Ready to make reading more engaging and accessible in your language classes? Download your FREE Embedded Reading Guide now and start experimenting today! 👉

En este episodio de Growing With Proficiency, The Podcast, nos acompaña Kodi Rain, docente de español y coautor de Los viernes de películas, para conversar sobre cómo podemos crear un entorno de aprendizaje seguro para nuestro alumnado.

Hablamos sobre estrategias para fomentar la inclusión en nuestras clases, asegurándonos de que el contenido y las interacciones reflejen la diversidad de nuestras clases. También exploramos cómo, en contextos con distintas normativas, podemos seguir promoviendo un ambiente respetuoso y seguro para todas las personas de la clase.

Además, Kodi comparte consejos sobre cómo abordar conversaciones en la comunidad educativa con respeto y empatía, promoviendo una enseñanza que motive a cada estudiante a expresarse y participar activamente en el aprendizaje del español.

🔗 ¡No te pierdas este episodio! Y si encuentras útil esta conversación, compártela con otros docentes.

Recursos:

https://www.holaamigues.com/home

https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/grammar/singular-they

Kodi Rain (elle/they) enseña español inclusivo en cuanto al género a estudiantes de grados cuarto a octavbo primaria superior y secundariaen una escuela Montessori. Anteriormente, trabajó como intérprete de español para estudiantes inmigrantes en un sistema público de escuelas secundarias y preparatorias. Coescribió Los viernes de películas, una lectura para aprendices de idiomas en español inclusivo con personajes no binarios, que GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) elogió como "innovadora" y "la primera de su tipo".

GLAAD

Kodi habla y escribe sobre cómo utilizar el español inclusivo en el aula y cómo seleccionar recursos LGBTQ+ para la enseñanza. Disfruta de estar al aire libre, andar en bicicleta, pasar tiempo con amistades y jugar con sus gatos.

In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I’m joined by the amazing Cécile Lainé to explore how to build cultural and intercultural competence in language classrooms—especially at the novice level. Together, we discuss practical strategies to move beyond surface-level cultural facts and create meaningful, authentic opportunities for students to connect with the world around them.

We dive into actionable ideas like using special person interviews, calendar talk, and holiday explorations to help students develop empathy and curiosity. Cécile also shares her insights on integrating marginalized voices into the curriculum, starting with the communities in your classroom, and facilitating deeper cultural connections through people-centered learning.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• What culture and intercultural competence is
• Why culture isn’t just about facts—it’s about empathy, connection, and understanding perspectives.
• The importance of ACTFL’s 5 C’s: communication, connection, comparison, cultures, and communities.
• Four beginner-friendly strategies to explore culture in your classroom, including:
  • Special person interviews to highlight student backgrounds.
  • Calendar talk to uncover cultural gems and celebrations.
  • Using authentic resources and picture talks to explore people, practices, and perspectives.
  • Facilitating discussions about holidays in meaningful and approachable ways.
• Why starting with self-reflection as a teacher is key to transforming your practice.

Connect with me:

• Growing With CI FB Community
• GWP Blog
• GWP Teacher Pay Teachers Store
• GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List

Resources Mentioned:

1. Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond: Amazon Link
2. ACTFL’s 5 C’s Framework: ACTFL Website
3. Connect with Cécile Lainé:
   • Website: towardproficiency.com
   • Instagram: @towardproficiency
   • Facebook: Toward Proficiency

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a fellow teacher and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! Don’t forget to connect with Cécile through the links above for more resources to support cultural exploration and connection in your classroom.

In this episode of Growing With Proficiency The Podcast, I sit down with the incredible Maris Hawkins to unpack the 2024 ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. These updated guidelines offer teachers a clearer and more actionable framework to understand and support students’ language development. 

From the introduction of the FACT framework to the inclusion of sociocultural awareness and performance descriptor tables, we explore what’s new, why it matters, and how it can transform your classroom.

Takeaways from the Episode:

1. The FACT Framework
   Learn how Functions&Tasks, Context/Content, Text Type, and Accuracy help define proficiency levels and provide teachers with clear criteria to align lessons, assessments, and feedback.
2. Performance Tables
   Discover how these tables bridge the gap between proficiency and performance, offering strategies students can use to communicate at different levels and helping teachers set realistic goals.
3. Communication Strategies and Sociocultural Awareness
   Explore the emphasis on communication strategies and integrating social-cultural awareness can help teachers design their lessons and provide feedback. .
4. Shifting Terminology
   Understand the move from "memorized" to "rehearsed" language and why high-frequency vocabulary is critical for student success.
5. Practical Tips for Teachers
   Find out how to use these updates to design assessments, scaffold activities, and provide meaningful feedback that empowers students.

Resources Mentioned:

• Access the 2024 ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines here.
• Explore Maris Hawkins' blog for more teaching insights: marishawkins.com.
• Growing With CI FB Community
•  GWP Blog
• GWP Teacher Pay Teachers Store

Join the Conversation!
Let me know your thoughts and questions about the new guidelines! Find me on Instagram and Facebook @ClaudiamElliott or join my Facebook community, Growing with CI. Nos vemos pronto—ciao ciao! 😊

Have you ever felt disengaged or disconnected from your passion for teaching? In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, Claudia Elliott invites outstanding Spanish teacher Mirna Deakle to share her journey of finding her authentic voice in the classroom. 

Mirna opens up about how she overcame burnout by centering her curriculum on culturally rich content and indigenous voices. From a unit inspired by Mayan traditions to fostering real-world connections through virtual meetings, Mirna's story is packed with insights and practical strategies for educators. 

Whether you're looking to revitalize your teaching or bring more authenticity to your lessons, this episode offers a roadmap to reconnect with your purpose and joy as a teacher.

Join us as we explore:

• The emotional and physical challenges of teaching
• How to define clear goals and stay focused despite obstacles
• Practical methods for integrating authentic cultural content
• The importance of community in fostering professional growth

Key Takeaways:

1. Find Your Authentic Voice: Reflect on your personal experiences and values to shape your teaching style.
2. Set Clear Goals: Establish a guiding purpose for your classroom to stay centered and motivated.
3. Integrate Culturally Rich Content: Use real-world stories that blend cultural traditions with modern issues.
4. Create Real-World Connections: Facilitate opportunities for students to interact with individuals connected to the content.
5. Join a Supportive Community: Engage with like-minded educators to share resources, gain inspiration, and grow.

Resources Mentioned:

• Balún Canán by Rosario Castellanos
• Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy (Join Here)
• Previous podcast episodes:
  • Episode 84: The Power of Reading for Language Acquisition with Dr. Krashen
  • Episode 51: Before, During, and After Reading Strategies

If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to share it with fellow educators and leave a review. We’d love to hear how you’re finding your authentic voice in the classroom!

For more resources, visit growingwithproficiency.com.

How can we ensure that students not only talk but also listen to each other in group and pair activities, fostering a vibrant classroom discourse community? In this episode, we talk about a crucial aspect of building a classroom discourse community — not just encouraging students to speak but also to listen attentively to one another during group and pair work.

While our last episode focused on engaging students in talking, here, we spotlight the other side of oral communication: listening. We discuss practical strategies to enhance listening skills among students, ensuring that everyone is heard and that discussions are meaningful and inclusive.

Highlights:

• The Importance of Listening: Understanding why listening is as critical as speaking for a productive classroom discourse community.
• 4 Key Strategies: Unpacking strategies to improve student listening in interactive settings, extending beyond the teacher-student dynamic to include peer-to-peer listening.
• Modeling listening behaviors through body language and expressions.
• Encouraging students to build on each other's answers to foster deeper conversations.
• Practicing asking follow-up questions to keep the discussion flowing.
• Teaching the skill of negotiating meaning to enhance understanding.
• Giving students compelling reasons to listen, such as finding similarities/differences or agreeing/disagreeing to spark interest and engagement.
• Practical Tools and Activities like the dice activity for small groups.
• Reflective Practice: Incorporating reflection through exit tickets that prompt students to consider their peers' contributions, reinforcing the value of listening.
• Assessment Insights: Discussing assessment strategies inspired by Donato's "TALK" model from "The Keys To Planning for Learning" by ACTFL

Listening is the silent half of oral communication, vital for a strong classroom discourse community.  You will discover many strategies to promote listening.  Click play and happy listening.

Resources Mentioned:

• Ep. 5: How to Make them Listen: 5 Strategies to Get Students Listening
• Ep. 73: Engaging Students and Encouraging Talking in the Target Langauge with Erica Peplinski-Burge and Justin Slocum Bailey
• Ep. 22: Empowering Conversations: 5 Interpersonal Activities to Build Communicatie Skills with Bethanie Drew
• Ep. 10: How to Encourage Students To Speak in the Target Language with Christina Margiore
• "The Keys To Planning for Learning" by ACTFL, specifically Donato's "TALK" model for assessing communication skills.

¿Sientes que el compromiso de tus estudiantes no es el que esperabas? ¿Notas fatiga tanto en ellos como en ti cuando utilizas las mismas estrategias una y otra vez? En este episodio, te comparto cómo usar tres diferentes estructuras de instrucción para mantener a los estudiantes más comprometidos y participativos.

Descubre cómo alternar entre instrucción colectiva, en grupos pequeños e individual para crear un equilibrio que fomente la adquisición del lenguaje, la curiosidad y la conexión en el aula. Además, te cuento los desafíos que cada una presenta y las estrategias prácticas que puedes implementar de inmediato para superarlos. 🌟

👉 No te pierdas mi clase virtual gratuita: 5 Game-Changing Twists for Your Favorite CI Activities to Keep Students Engaged
📅 15 de enero, 7:30 PM ET
Haz clic acá para registrarte!

Recursos mencionados:

1. Clase virtual gratuita: 5 Game-Changing Twists for Your Favorite CI Activities to Keep Students Engaged
   👉 Regístrate aquí
2. Episodio 128: The Ultimate Plan for the First Day Back
3. Episodio 71 del podcast: Estrategias para construir conexiones en clase.
4. Episodio sobre estaciones: Ideas para implementar actividades en estaciones en el aula.
   👉 Baja 10 actividades para estaciones acá

Start the year grounded in what truly matters. In this episode, I’m sharing my first-day-back lesson plan that focuses on my three pillars: staying comprehensible, building connections, and fostering communication. These pillars keep us centered on our ultimate goal: facilitating meaningful language acquisition while creating a classroom where students feel seen and inspired.

It’s so easy to get distracted by flashy activities or trends, but this episode is all about grounding ourselves in strategies that work and staying intentional as we begin the semester.

Highlights you’ll love:

• 🌟 How to use check-ins to connect with your students’ emotions and goals for the new year.
• 📚 A simple, impactful reading activity centered around New Year’s resolutions.
• 🗓️ Calendar talk that integrates personal and cultural relevance.
• 🎤 STAR student interviews to spark authentic communication.
• 📝 Write-and-Discuss techniques to model and support student writing.

Resources mentioned:

• Episode 126: Insights from Juliana Urtubey on the framework of Joy and Justice in education.
• Episode 50: Exploring Hexagonal Thinking with Bertha Delgadillo to foster deeper student connections.
• Free Master Class: “5 Game-Changing Twists for Your Favorite CI Activities to Keep Students Engaged”
  👉 Sign up at growingwithproficiency.com/engage25.

Let’s start 2025 strong with clarity, purpose, and impactful strategies. Press play and join me in creating a semester grounded in connection and communication. 🎧

What if we recognized language learners as linguistically gifted individuals, rich in stories, knowledge, and potential?

In this powerful conversation, Juliana Urtubey, 2021 U.S. Teacher of the Year, shares her inspiring framework of Joy and Justice in Education. Rooted in her experience as a bilingual special education teacher, Juliana offers practical ways to recognize students' strengths, build classroom community, and redefine what success looks like in education.

🎯 Why This Matters for Language Teachers:

Juliana’s 5 Pillars of Joy and Justice offer a roadmap for transforming how we support language learners:

1. Recognize Brilliance: See beyond language proficiency levels by valuing students’ stories, strengths, and cultural wealth.
2. Reflect on Context: Identify who might not be experiencing joy or belonging in your classroom and adapt to ensure inclusion.
3. Grow Collective Wellness: Create a supportive space where everyone—students, teachers, and families—thrives through mutual care.
4. Engage in Generational Learning: See families as holders of valuable knowledge, not just as participants in school events.
5. Design for Collaboration, Not Compliance: Build a learning environment where student voices shape classroom practices, fostering a sense of ownership and purpose.

This episode will encourage you to see your students through a strengths-based lens, redefine what “success” means in language learning, and create a classroom culture that honors every student’s journey. Ready? Click to play!

Resources & Links:

🔗 Find more about Juliana Uturbey here 👉🏽 https://juliana-urtubey.com/

🎯 Freebie: 10 Stations Template – Keep students engaged while you reflect! 👉🏽 growingwithproficiency.com

💻 Growing With Proficiency Blog

📚 Growing With Proficiency TPT Store

As the school year wraps up, there’s no better time to reflect—not just on what we think worked, but on how students experienced our class. In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I’m sharing how I use end-of-year surveys to gather meaningful feedback that helps me adjust my teaching and better meet my students’ needs.

I’ll walk you through key survey questions that cover classroom culture, comprehension, learning strategies, and personal progress. I’ll also reflect on the responses of my own students and how those responses are helping me to adjust some of my lessons, routines, and strategies—all while keeping things simple and actionable.

If you want to close the year with purpose and set yourself up for a stronger start next year, grab a notebook and let’s start.

Resources & Links:

1. 🎯 Freebie: 10 Stations Template – Keep students engaged while you reflect! 👉 growingwithproficiency.com
2. 🎙️ Related Episodes:
   • Episode 125: 3 Creative Ways to Keep Students Engaged and Learning as the Year Ends
   • Episode 76: Talk, Read, Talk, Write with Tan Huynh
   • Episode 124: Silent Sustained Reading: Why It Works & How to Start

Are your students tuning out as the school year winds down?

Keeping students focused during the last weeks of school can feel like an impossible task. But what if you could turn this tricky time into a fun, engaging learning experience—without burning yourself out?

In this episode, I’m sharing 3 powerful strategies that will keep your students active, learning, and excited to participate—all while giving you space to breathe and teach with intention.

Plus, I’m giving away a FREE Ready-to-Use Resource Pack with templates for 10 station activities that will transform your classroom. Download it now!

🎯 Key Takeaways:

✅ Why Year-End Engagement Feels So Hard: Learn why students lose focus at the end of the year—and how to reset the learning vibe.

✅ Strategy 1: Stations for Focused Learning: Discover how to set up simple stations that boost reading, and interaction while you work with small groups.

✅ Strategy 2: Rotations for Recap & Review: Use rotations to reinforce what students have learned with creative brain dumps, illustrated one-pagers, and group summaries.

✅ Strategy 3: Pre-Recorded Listening & Reading Tasks: Create audio and video tasks students can complete independently using tools like EdPuzzle or Formative.

💻 Tool of the Week:

Chrome Extension: Mote
Looking for an easy way to record audio for your class? Mote is a Chrome extension that lets you record short audio clips directly from your browser. It’s a game changer for teachers looking to integrate more listening without extra prep!

📢 Resources & Links Mentioned:

The Spanish Teacher Academy Waitlist

🎁 Download Your Free Resource Pack:
“10 Ready-to-Use Station Activity Templates” 

🎙️ Related Podcast Episode:
Episode 32: “How to Use Stations for a Low-Stress, High-Engagement CI Classroom” 

Episode 118: Low-Stress Assessments with AnneMarie Chase

Episode 64: Teaching Without Tears: Effective Technology in Language Classes with Meredith White

💡 Let’s Connect!
✨ Follow me on Instagram
📧 Join my free Facebook group: Growing With CI FB Community

👉 Ready to keep your students engaged through the end of the year? Don’t miss this episode and grab your freebie today!

What if you could easily add more reading to your classroom to support language acquisition and cultural competence without overwhelming yourself with extra work? Research shows that reading is one of the most effective ways for students to grow in proficiency. So, how can we make time for it in our busy classes?

In today’s episode, we dive deep into Silent Sustained Reading (SSR)—a simple, yet powerful strategy to boost your students' reading skills. You’ll learn how SSR works, why it’s so effective, and how to make it work for you and your students. I also share tips for building a library on a budget, keeping students accountable, and creating a routine that gets results.

And don’t miss our new segment, “The Tool or Activity of the Week,” sponsored by Growing With Proficiency – The Spanish Teacher Academy!

Episode Highlights:

• What is Silent Sustained Reading (SSR)? Learn what SSR is, why it’s so effective for language acquisition, and how it fosters a love of reading.
• Building a Library on a Budget: Tips on creating a diverse and accessible library for your students, including asking for PTA funds, using DonorsChoose, and creating your own books.
• How to Make SSR Work for You: Practical strategies for when to implement SSR in your classroom, setting up reading logs, and using choice boards to engage students.
• Keeping Students Accountable: How to ensure your students are really reading and engaging with the material, without the need for grading or additional assignments.
• Translation Race: This week's “Tool or Activity of the Week”—a fun and competitive game that encourages translation practice and gets students involved while adding a little luck to the mix.

Tool or Activity of the Week: Sponsored by Growing With Proficiency – The Spanish Teacher Academy

This week’s highlighted activity is Translation Race learned from Nelly Andrade—a fun and interactive way for students to listen to sentences, comprehend, and translate in groups, with a lucky dice twist to keep things exciting and level the playing field.

Resources and Links Mentioned:

• Growing With Proficiency – The Spanish Teacher Academy: Join the waitlist to be the first to know when doors open at growingwithproficiency.com/academy.
• DonorsChoose: https://www.donorschoose.org/
• Revista Literal by Spanish Martina Bex
• Le petit journal by Toward Proficiency
• Bryce Hedstrom resources

If you’re ready to get reading in your classroom and boost your students’ language acquisition, this episode is packed with tips to make it happen. Be sure to try Translation Race this week and share how it goes with your class!

Este episodio fue lanzado el año pasado y se convirtió en uno de los favoritos de nuestra audiencia. Hoy lo traemos de vuelta porque cada vez es más claro: la sostenibilidad de nuestras estrategias es clave para mantenernos motivados y eficaces en el aula. 🎯

En este episodio, descubrirás tres claves esenciales para transformar tus clases en espacios más dinámicos y sostenibles, sin sacrificar tu tiempo ni tu energía. 💡

¿Qué encontrarás en este episodio?

1️⃣ Actividades Repetibles en Todos los Niveles
Aprende a implementar actividades versátiles que funcionan en cualquier nivel, semana tras semana. Estas estrategias te ayudarán a reducir el tiempo de planificación y evitar la fatiga de la toma constante de decisiones.

👉 Mis favoritas: "Calendario," "Estudiante Estrella" y las "Charlas de Fin de Semana," con trucos para hacerlas más interactivas.

2️⃣ Co-Creación de Contenidos con Estudiantes
Descubre cómo trabajar con tus estudiantes para co-crear textos y actividades que sean comprensibles, atractivos y relevantes. ¡Una fórmula ganadora para el compromiso estudiantil!

3️⃣ Fomentar la Autonomía Estudiantil
Empodera a tus estudiantes con pequeñas decisiones que aumenten su motivación, sin añadir más carga de trabajo para ti. Verás cómo esta práctica mejora la dinámica en tu clase.

Además, comparto herramientas prácticas como Blooket, Kahoot y QuestionWell, que hacen que tus clases sean más efectivas y entretenidas. 🎉

🎧 Presiona play y revive este episodio que dejó huella. ¡Tu enseñanza lo agradecerá!

Recursos mencionados:

Growing With Proficiency Blog

Growing With Proficiency Teachers Pay Teachers

Growing With Proficiency Academia para Profes de Español

Weekend chat

Question Well

Are we reading enough in our classes to truly support language acquisition? Research says reading is the most effective way for students to grow in proficiency and cultural competence. But, how can we add more reading without feeling overwhelmed by extra work? 

In this episode, we share five practical and easy-to-implement strategies to make reading a central part of your class. From daily short readings to Silent Sustained Reading (SSR), you’ll discover actionable ways to help your students engage with comprehensible input and boost their language skills.

And don’t miss our new segment “The Tool or Activity of the Week” sponsored by Growing With Proficiency – The Spanish Teacher Academy! 

Episode Highlights:

• Daily Short Readings: Use “Do Now” activities to expose students to quick, engaging, and comprehensible texts daily. Ideas include recaps, cultural facts, and student interviews.
• Co-Created Texts: Turn classroom discussions into reading opportunities by summarizing them as texts, then engaging students in activities like choral reading or partner summaries.
• Read-Aloud Fridays: Create a cozy, engaging atmosphere for students to listen to you read aloud. It’s a low-pressure way to model fluent reading and connect with your class.
• Silent Sustained Reading (SSR): Build lifelong readers by dedicating time to independent reading. Learn how to start small and build a classroom library your students will love.
• Re-Reading Familiar Texts: Use those last few minutes of class effectively by having students revisit texts they’ve already read. This reinforces vocabulary and comprehension without requiring extra prep.

Tool or Activity of the Week:
Sponsored by Growing With Proficiency – The Spanish Teacher Academy
This week’s highlighted tool is Bingo Baker—a fun and interactive way to get your students listening to you without any disruptions!!!

Resources and Links Mentioned:

• Growing With Proficiency – The Spanish Teacher Academy: Join the waitlist to be the first to know when doors open at growingwithproficiency.com/academy.
• Episode 86 with AC Quintero: Learn how to introduce and sustain Silent Sustained Reading (SSR) in your classes. 
• Episode 84 with Dr. Stephen Krasen. 
• Bingo Baker: Create engaging, customizable bingo cards for your class at bingobaker.com.

Stay Connected:

• Follow Claudia on Instagram: @GrowingWithProficiency
• Leave a comment or DM with your favorite reading strategies for language classes!

Don’t Forget:
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Growing With Proficiency – The Podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps other teachers discover tools and ideas to grow their proficiency and cultural competence.

One Resource, One Activity, Endless Possibilities for Pre-Reading, Reading, and Post-Reading

This episode is exactly what we need at this time of year! With our plates full and creativity hitting a plateau, it’s easy to feel stuck. But what if you could give your go-to activities a fresh twist without starting from scratch? That’s the focus of today’s episode!

If you’re spending way too much time brainstorming new ways to work with texts, check comprehension, or ask open-ended questions—or if you have fantastic resources but want to make them more dynamic and engaging—this episode is for you. 🎧 Click play now!

I’m joined by my friend and the incredible manager of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, Lisa McHargue, as she shares actionable tips and ideas to repurpose your favorite strategies and resources.

Here’s what we’re diving into:
✨ Adapting Personalized Questions (PQAs): Simple tweaks to make them more engaging.
✨ Open-Ended Questions: How to spark deeper thinking and interaction.
✨ Dynamic Reading Activities: Keeping students interested from start to finish.
✨ Matching Activities: Creative spins to maximize comprehension.
✨ True/False and Comprehension Questions: Innovative approaches to make them more interactive.
✨ Opinion Questions: Encouraging thoughtful responses with a twist.
✨ Resource Repurposing: Practical tips to adapt materials for different classes and contexts.

We’ll show you how small adjustments to your existing activities can unlock creativity, increase engagement, and boost learning outcomes. Sometimes all it takes is a little thinking outside the box to transform your classroom into a vibrant, innovative space!

🎉 Plus, don’t miss the tool or activity of the week! This episode features an incredible brain break—the Number Challenge Brain Break—that transitions seamlessly into a powerful comprehension check.

Get ready to simplify, repurpose, and energize your teaching!

Important Links:

Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy Waitlist

Dia de Gracias Reading: http://growingwithproficiency.com/thankyou

Growing With Proficiency Blog

Teachers Pay Teachers Store

Lisa’s Unit Hubs Training: https://lisamch.com/hub  

Lisa’s IG: https://instagram.com/lisajmch 

Our guest’s Bio:

Lisa McHargue is a former high school Spanish teacher turned online digital organizer. She taught Spanish for ten years, the last seven in a 1:1 school. She's a minimalist living her best life binge-reading fiction and helping teachers and online business owners take control of their digital chaos and create systems to keep it organized. When she's not geeking out about organization or minimalism, she's probably hanging out with her family or pretending to be a contestant on The Great British Baking Show.

In this final installment of our three-part series, Elevating Intermediate Learners with Comprehensible Input, we’re tackling the questions YOU asked! From authentic resources to grammar instruction, writing support, and feedback, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you simplify and strengthen your classroom practices.

Let’s remember that whatever strategy you’re incorporating in your class, it has to be sustainable—because you deserve strategies that work without burning out.

Episode Highlights

🌎 Authentic Resources: Are authentic resources helping or frustrating your students? Learn how to bridge the gap between cultural authenticity and comprehensible input.

📚 Grammar Instruction: Why teaching grammar for grammar’s sake is pointless.  Strategies like P.A.C.E., Pop-up Grammar, and Structured Input Activities that make grammar meaningful.

✍️ Writing Support:  The Breathe In/Breathe Out approach: Reading as input, writing as output.  Break writing into manageable steps with scaffolds and examples.

💡 Feedback: Shift your mindset: Feedback isn’t about fixing everything—it’s about guiding growth.  Strategies to help students listen to feedback while they are working on their product.

🎉 NEW SEGMENT: The Tool or Activity of the Week: Quizzizz!

This segment is sponsored by Mitten CI Language Conference! Register by December 1st to grab your early bird discount and infuse happiness into your teaching!

Resources & Links Mentioned

Free resources:

Scaffold for AP Free Responses

AP Question Guide

📖 Previous Episodes:

Episodes 60–66: Sustainable practices in the language classroom.

Episode 41: Using Structured Input Activities for grammar instruction.

🔎 Edutopia article 

🌟 Mitten CI Language Conference: Register now and save: Mitten CI Conference Registration

Join the Conversation

Did this series spark ideas or questions? Share your thoughts!

📧 Email me: claudia@growingwithproficiency.com 

💬 DM me on Instagram

Thank you for being part of this series. Don’t forget to revisit parts 1 and 2 to explore how comprehensible input can transform your intermediate learners’ experience. ¡Sí se puede! 🎉

In Episode 121 of Growing With Proficiency The Podcast, Claudia dives into the second part of her series on intermediate learners, focusing on two major challenges: output and curriculum. Claudia shares actionable strategies on how to support student output meaningfully, reduce the overwhelm of curriculum, and keep learners motivated as they navigate this critical stage.

This episode is packed with insights to help you create a more manageable and motivating classroom experience.

Episode Highlights:

• Supporting Student Output with Purpose:  
  • What is the role of output and the importance of meaning when it comes to output.
  • How low-stakes output activities can help reduce stress and increase input opportunities.
  • The role of model texts in guiding students to produce the language and the importance of scaffolding output. 
• Dealing with Curriculum Pressures:
  • Strategies for managing a heavy curriculum while keeping the focus on input and maintaining flexibility.
  • How can overlapping themes across units help cover more content without rushing through topics?
• Keeping Intermediate Learners Motivated:
  • Tips on fostering intrinsic motivation through self-evaluation, scaffolded tasks, and regular progress checks.
  • Celebrating comprehension wins and supporting students through the challenge of producing output is important.

Resources and Links Mentioned:

Free Resource: 

"Apoyos" for Intermediate Learners and AP Students

Episode 56: Output with Dr. Florencia Henshaw

Episode 119: Elevate Intermediate Learners Part 1

Join the Growing With CI Facebook Community

Get Involved:

Have a question for Claudia about intermediate learners or another topic? Send your questions via:

Instagram DM: @claudiaelliott

Email: claudia@growingwithproficiency.com

Facebook: Growing With CI Facebook Community

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with your fellow language teachers!

¿Te preguntas cómo ayudar a tus estudiantes de nivel intermedio a dar ese salto de comprensión y expresión en el idioma? En este episodio, exploramos estrategias efectivas para brindar el apoyo que necesitan en esta etapa crítica de su aprendizaje. Conversamos con Esther Galo, profesora de español con 15 años de experiencia enseñando AP Español Lengua y Cultura y 5 años en el Bachillerato Internacional. Esther comparte estrategias que puedes implementar en tu clase para ayudar a tus estudiantes a avanzar en su dominio del idioma.

📝 Lo más destacado del episodio:

Andamiajes y textos modelo: Descubre cómo los textos modelo y los marcos de escritura pueden servir de guía para que los estudiantes se sientan más seguros al expresar ideas en español. Esther nos comparte cómo podemos incorporar estas estrategias cada día. 

Trabajos colaborativos: Aprende a implementar actividades en grupo que facilitan el aprendizaje a través de la interacción y la cooperación. Exploramos cómo podemos hacer estos trabajos colaborativos oralmente pero también de manera escrita para fomentar una colaboración auténtica y significativa.

Desarrollar habilidades de metacognición: ¿Cómo pueden los estudiantes volverse más conscientes de su propio proceso de aprendizaje? Esther explica cómo enseñar habilidades de metacognición puede ayudar a los estudiantes a reflexionar sobre sus avances y ajustar sus estrategias, mejorando así su autonomía en el aprendizaje.

🌐 Recursos mencionados en el episodio:

Estructuras para apoyar a estudiantes de AP

Esther´s website: https://www.sragalo.com/

Advanced Spanish purchase link: https://stan.store/sragalo

¿Listo para implementar estas estrategias y ver cómo tus estudiantes de nivel intermedio alcanzan nuevos niveles de comprensión y expresión? ¡Escucha este episodio y lleva tu enseñanza al siguiente nivel!

In this episode of Growing With Proficiency, The Podcast, we’re diving into the essentials of comprehensible input (CI) for intermediate and upper-level Spanish learners. Teaching these levels can feel overwhelming when expectations are high, proficiency levels vary, and the curriculum demands keep piling up! But, as always, no estamos solos – we’re in this together!

In this first part of our three-part series on CI in the upper levels, I’m tackling two major challenges:

• Realistic Expectations: Language acquisition takes time, and today we’re talking about what it means to set achievable goals based on ACTFL guidelines, focusing on how much exposure our students realistically get.
• Scaffolding for Mixed Levels: In any upper-level class, student proficiency can vary widely. We’ll look at strategies to scaffold input and make CI accessible to everyone, from novice-high to intermediate-mid students.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll discuss the impact of curriculum overload and the challenges of messy student output. Plus, in our upcoming Spanish episode, we’ll be joined by a special guest to talk about CI strategies for AP classes! 

I’d love to hear your questions for Part 3 of this series. Email me at claudia@growingwithproficiency.com or message me on Instagram at @claudiamelliott or in our free Facebook group, Growing with CI.

Mentioned Links:

• Leyendas Reading Resource: growingwithproficiency.com/leyendas
• Mascotas Reading Resource: growingwithproficiency.com/mascotas
• Panorama Cultural (TPT Store): Search Claudia Elliott Growing With Proficiency or visit my TPT store for cultural resources perfect for your Spanish class.
• ACTFL Performance Descriptors: Check the ACTFL guidelines for deeper insights on language acquisition timing and expectations.
• GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
• Growing With CI FB Community
• Blog