Explore every episode of the podcast The ESL Teaching Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 124 - How to Teach Grammar to Younger English Learners | 03 sept. 2024 | 00:15:21 | |
Whether you teach young English learners or teenagers and even adults, teaching in language involves teaching the grammar of that language. At the same time, it raises many questions for us. What is grammar exactly? Do we need to teach grammar explicitly when working with English learners in English speaking settings? Or do we let the students absorb it through content? If we do teach explicitly, do we have them practice with worksheets or are there any other ways that would make it stick better? How can I teach if I myself am not comfortable with grammar rules and haven't learned them that well? What if I don't know anything about it? Do I still have to teach it? These are just a few questions I have heard regarding teaching grammar. So I decided to record a couple of episodes that will help put you at ease whether you work with younger English learners and teenagers or adults. And today's episode is all about how to teach grammar to younger learners, kids in elementary grades. So let's talk about strategies that will help you teach grammar to them. Simply Ieva Offers: Today’s episode:
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Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:
Let’s connect! The ESL Teaching Roadmap is your one-stop shop not only for ESL curriculum materials, but most importantly, for personalized teacher support that you will not get anywhere else. If you are ready to say “yes” to more aligned EL teaching, go to www.simplyieva.com/roadmap and join us! | |||
| Episode 123 - Kicking Off the School Year: The First Five Days in the ESL Classroom | 27 août 2024 | 00:22:11 | |
Today we're diving into a crucial topic for every ESL teacher as we approach a new school year—how to set the stage for success during the first five days in the ESL classroom. In this episode, we'll explore essential strategies for building trust, setting expectations, understanding student backgrounds, establishing routines, introducing content, and fostering a positive classroom community. Whether you're a new or veteran teacher, these insights will help you create a welcoming and effective learning environment for your students right from the start. Stay tuned as we break down each day with practical tips and activities to ensure a smooth and productive start to your school year.
Simply Ieva offers:
Free resources - sign up and keep in touch:
Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:
Related episodes and articles: Let’s connect! The ESL Teaching Roadmap is your one-stop shop not only for ESL curriculum materials, but most importantly, for personalized teacher support that you will not get anywhere else. If you are ready to say “yes” to more aligned EL teaching, go to www.simplyieva.com/roadmap and join us! | |||
| Episode 122 - Why Your EL Program Needs a Mission Statement and How to Create One | 20 août 2024 | 00:14:45 | |
Recently, I talked about the roles of the EL teacher, what our jobs entail, and how we can explain, in short, about what we do to our colleagues and administrators. Today, I wanted to go a step further and talk about a mission statement. This short, clear statement packs so much information and might be just the ticket for EL teachers and departments to feel seen and heard. In this episode, I will talk about why it is important to have a mission statement for your EL program and 3 steps to create a stellar one.
Professional development opportunities: Free resources - sign up and keep in touch:
Let’s connect! The ESL Teaching Roadmap is your one-stop shop not only for ESL curriculum materials, but most importantly, for personalized teacher support that you will not get anywhere else. If you are ready to say “yes” to more aligned EL teaching, go to www.simplyieva.com/roadmap and join us! | |||
| Episode 121 - 3 Reasons Hiring an EL Educational Consultant is a Must for Your EL Teaching Needs | 13 août 2024 | 00:13:51 | |
With the new school year kicking off, energy is buzzing through the hallways as teachers set up their classrooms and dive into mandatory trainings. Today, we’re addressing a fundamental question: Why should schools consider hiring outside educational consultants for English Learner (EL) professional development, especially when they already have in-house EL specialists? In this episode, we’ll explore three reasons why bringing in an external EL educational consultant can significantly benefit your school district’s teaching strategies. From tackling time constraints to navigating interpersonal dynamics within your teaching staff, and offering an objective bird’s-eye view of your EL program, hiring a consultant could be the key to successfully integrating effective EL teaching methods into your classrooms. Simply Ieva offers: Today’s episode: Professional development opportunities: Free resources - sign up and keep in touch:
Episode 120 - The Four Roles of the ESL Teacher: What Do They Actually Do?
The ESL Teaching Roadmap is your one-stop shop not only for ESL curriculum materials, but most importantly, for personalized teacher support that you will not get anywhere else. If you are ready to say “yes” to more aligned EL teaching, go to www.simplyieva.com/roadmap and join us! | |||
| Episode 120 - The Four Roles of an ESL Teacher: What Do They Actually Do? | 06 août 2024 | 00:18:09 | |
With the number of English learners constantly rising and permeating not only large urban areas but also spreading into suburbs and rural towns, there's a serious need for all involved in the education of those English learners to understand the role of an ESL, ELL teacher in their district. This podcast episode was inspired by observations of both the mainstream teacher and EL teacher perspectives. So today, we will dive into the 4 major roles that an EL teacher brings to the school and why those roles are so important, not only for student advancement, but also for the entire district's success. Simply Ieva offers:
Professional development opportunities: Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:
Related episodes and articles: Let’s connect! The ESL Teaching Roadmap is your one-stop shop not only for ESL curriculum materials, but most importantly, for personalized teacher support that you will not get anywhere else. If you are ready to say “yes” to more aligned EL teaching, go to www.simplyieva.com/roadmap and join us! | |||
| Episode 119 - 5 Tips for Newer EL Teachers | 25 juin 2024 | 00:22:22 | |
Today we're diving into five practical tips for newer EL teachers. Whether you're transitioning into EL teaching, getting your certification, or supporting multilingual students in your regular classroom, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you succeed.
Simply Ieva Offers:
Professional development opportunities: Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:
Related/Previous Episodes:
Let’s Connect! The ESL Teaching Roadmap is your one-stop shop not only for ESL curriculum materials, but most importantly, for personalized teacher support that you will not get anywhere else. If you are ready to say “yes” to more aligned EL teaching, go to www.simplyieva.com/roadmap and join us! | |||
| Episode 118 - How to Handle New Arrivals and Group Challenges Year-Round | 18 juin 2024 | 00:27:32 | |
Every day, I receive several emails that share your current biggest struggles as a teacher who works with EL students, whether you're exclusively with multilingual students or you have ELs in your regular education classroom. I read every single email, and although I don't always have the time to respond to you personally, I take all things you tell me to heart and mind. And after going through the questions, I usually begin to see a pattern. Many questions fall under similar umbrellas. For example, how to help newcomers is by far the most popular question. So today, I wanted to answer 2 questions that I know many of you can relate to about this topic. How to manage the influx of newcomers at different times throughout the year, and how to address difficult group dynamics. I know that if 2 or 3 people are asking the same questions, many others are likely wondering the same thing. Show Notes: Episode 118 - How to Handle New Arrivals and Group Challenges Year-Round Simply Ieva Offers: Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:
Related/Previous Episodes: Let’s Connect! The ESL Teaching Roadmap is your one-stop shop not only for ESL curriculum materials, but most importantly, for personalized teacher support that you will not get anywhere else. If you are ready to say “yes” to more aligned EL teaching, go to www.simplyieva.com/roadmap and join us! | |||
| Episode 117 - Clocking In: Cultural Perspectives on Time and Social Interactions | 11 juin 2024 | 00:17:57 | |
As EL teachers, we need to possess a variety of skills, and not all of them are clear cut. Besides the obvious ones, such as being knowledgeable in teaching methodologies, standards, and educational psychology, as a teacher of multilingual learners, one must also possess acute cultural awareness. And that goes not only for EL teachers, but for all teachers whether you have multilingual learners in your classroom or whether you don't, yet. But, how do you define culture? And, why is a student's culture relevant in the classroom? Finally, what's time got to do with it? These are big questions, and each of them probably deserve a separate podcast episode. But I wanted to dive into them regardless and answer them for you right here today.
🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳 Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:
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| Episode 116 - Do These 5 Things BEFORE Summer Break to Feel More Organized and Refreshed | 04 juin 2024 | 00:16:55 | |
As the summer break is nearing, it seems that time flies faster and faster. Between all of the award ceremonies, field days, final exams, and graduations, there's no space to even breathe. In this season, the desire to put off paperwork and lesson planning for next year is sometimes irresistibly strong, and I'm saying this because I've been there. So in today's episode, I wanted to revisit some tips for teachers that will help not only to finish the school year more organized, but also come back in the fall with a fresh perspective and gratitude for yourself. For taking the time to actually do it. You will hear 5 tips on what you need to do so you can have space in your mind for a truly restful summer.
Show Notes: Simply Ieva Offers: Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:
Related/Previous Episodes: Let’s Connect! The ESL Teaching Roadmap is your one-stop shop not only for ESL curriculum materials, but most importantly, for personalized teacher support that you will not get anywhere else. If you are ready to say “yes” to more aligned EL teaching, go to www.simplyieva.com/roadmap and join us! | |||
| Episode 115 - Personalized Learning for EL Students: The Power of Choice Boards | 28 mai 2024 | 00:21:27 | |
With the school year almost at the end for many of us, or even finished for some, I wanted to revisit one of the episodes I recorded a while back because I know that it will really come in handy. Either now or at the start of the new school year. Honestly, anytime. What I'm talking about is how to use choice boards in your El classroom. What they are, how you can use them with your English learners and the benefits they bring to both you and your students. In this episode, I will share how I use choice boards in middle and high school and why both my students and I enjoy them. But the ideas can certainly be applied to teachers of ELs in elementary grades as well, with a little bit of tweaking.
Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:
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| Episode 114 - The What and Why of a Scope and Sequence for EL Newcomers | 21 mai 2024 | 00:12:26 | |
When I ask teachers: if you could have a magic wand, what would you wish for you in your teaching situation, I get so many requests for a scope and sequence for newcomers and for a newcomer curriculum. So in today’s episode, I wanted to go back to the basics and talk a little bit about the scope and sequence for English language learners. I will be answering the questions about what the scope and sequence is, why it is an important document to have, what is included in it, and how ELL teachers can create their own, especially for newcomers. I will also be sharing an example of my scope and sequence and a link for you to grab it at the end of this episode.
Resources: As mentioned in the episode, here is the: Below you will find some useful resources!
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| Episode 113 - How to Use AI to Help Your Students Access Content Plus My Favorite Tools | 14 mai 2024 | 00:17:49 | |
Technology has increasingly become an integral part of teaching, and honestly, I cannot imagine teaching a lesson without it. Of course, I would if I needed to and I would have to adapt, but it just makes things so much faster and easier. From pulling up an image to complement the topic, to checking the correct MLA format, to grabbing precise definitions for the vocabulary words you want your students to learn. And with the advent of AI last year, the technology game has become an even more intricate dance. We ask ourselves which tools are reliable, how to use them ethically, what can our students use, and how we can make AI work for us, not the other way around. So in today's episode, I want to share with you 3 AI tools that have made my teaching life easier this year and how I use them to move my students forward in their English learning journey.
Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Let’s Connect! | |||
| Episode 112 - 5 Non-Negotiables for Integrating ELs in Regular Education Classroom | 30 avr. 2024 | 00:18:00 | |
When it comes to teaching English learners, some things come naturally for EL teachers, while regular education teachers might be wondering how they can reach their multilingual students. I have several episodes about teaching all ELs, but I wanted to distill this information into even more practical and really actionable advice that all teachers can take whenever they have an English learner in their classroom. In today's episode, I will be talking about 5 non-negotiables for integrating ELs in your regular education classroom. No matter what subject or what grade level you teach. They may be new to you or you may have already heard them many times. But as we say, the more times you hear it, the more you internalize the information and the more it can become natural to you to implement.
Show Notes: Simply Ieva Offers: Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Related/Previous Episodes: Let’s Connect! | |||
| Episode 111 - 5 End of the Year Hacks to Finish the School Year With Sanity | 23 avr. 2024 | 00:12:55 | |
I don't know about you, but every year around April, I feel like my energy is drained. I can no longer focus, and the feeling of inadequacy begins to creep in. The students have absorbed as much as they could. We all are just counting the days until that summer break when we all can recharge and look at things from a different perspective. But we have to somehow get through those last weeks of school. I want to share some of the end of year hacks that I use to feel like I'm still making a difference in my teaching and student learning and, what I do to not lose my own sanity in the process. What you will hear about in this episode:
Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Related episodes and articles:
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| Episode 110 - The Two Most Important Soft Skills for Teachers of English Learners | 16 avr. 2024 | 00:12:38 | |
In education, hard skills such as the academic knowledge of the subject and the know-how of teaching in general, the strategies, the methodology, the assessment are the focal point. But today, I wanted to talk about the soft skills that are much more difficult to define and quantify because they are less concrete, but have been proven time and time again just as important as the know-how. These skills involve interpersonal and interpersonal communication, being flexible, cultural awareness, and others. And they help us forge meaningful relationships, as well as allow us to live a more fulfilling life. And, in particular, I wanted to touch upon two aspects of those soft skills, communication and cultural awareness, and why they are extremely important when you're working with English learners. What you will hear about in this episode:
Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Related/Previous Episodes: Let’s Connect! | |||
| Episode 109 - Rewriting the Script of Negative Self-Talk for Teachers | 09 avr. 2024 | 00:21:44 | |
Welcome back to another episode of The ESL Teaching Podcast. Today we're tackling an issue that's close to the heart for so many of us educators: the challenge of negative self-talk. As teachers, we navigate not only academic pressures but also the emotional and mental weight of our personal lives. Recognizing our humanity is crucial to maintaining not just our performance in the classroom but our overall well-being. In this episode, we explore practical strategies and self-reflection tools designed to transform our inner dialogue. From identifying types of negative thoughts to embracing moments of quiet and mindfulness, join us as we unpack five powerful practices that can uplift our spirits and reshape how we perceive and respond to stress.
Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!
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| Episode 108 - No Plan? No Problem! 5 Activities for those "I can't even" days | 02 avr. 2024 | 00:18:48 | |
Welcome to Episode 108 of The ESL Teaching Podcast! In this episode, I share my go-to activities for those "I can't even" days, when exhaustion and lack of inspiration make lesson planning a struggle. I candidly discuss my own experiences with feeling tired and bored while teaching, and offer practical, low-prep activities to reignite the classroom's energy. From engaging listening and speaking activities like back-to-back drawing and interviewing, to creative writing prompts using social media and vocabulary categorization, these tips are designed to invigorate both teachers and students. So, if you're looking for innovative teaching strategies to combat those off-days, stay tuned for some valuable insights! What you will hear about in this episode:
Show Notes: Simply Ieva Offers: Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!
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Let’s Connect! | |||
| Episode 107 - The Heart and Art of Teaching ELs in Regular Education Classrooms with Zach Camenker | 26 mars 2024 | 00:45:05 | |
My guest Zach Camenker, and I explore the challenges and joys of teaching English learners in a regular classroom. Zach, an English Language Arts teacher, shares his struggle with the repetition of the curriculum and his passion for reading instruction. The importance of adaptability, feedback, and collaboration in setting up a successful classroom environment for diverse learners is stressed. We discuss the need for better preparation for teachers facing ELL students and Zach's personal reasons for pursuing a master's in TESOL. Both of us reflect on the value of making connections with students and the pressures of meeting curriculum standards. Zach expresses his career aspirations towards leadership, illustrating his extensive involvement in educational extracurricular activities. The episode highlights the complex balance between following the curriculum and addressing the individual needs of English learners. What you will hear about in this episode:
Show Notes: Simply Ieva Offers: Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!
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Connect with Zach: Let’s Connect! | |||
| Episode 106 - 6 Most Common SEL Challenges ELs Face in the Classroom | 19 mars 2024 | 00:21:19 | |
We talk a lot about instruction of English learners, how we can accommodate our lessons, how we can scaffold, and what to teach them in general. But today, I wanted to bring to light another aspect of working with English learners that is just as important for all teachers to know as the instructional strategies. It is the social emotional aspect that is involved in moving to another country, learning a new language, making a new life, or for those students who have lived here all their life, it's the feeling like you are a part of two worlds that you're trying to navigate and to bridge. These non instructional challenges that our ELs come with into the classroom do affect their engagement and performance. So in this episode, I will share 6 challenges and how they can be addressed. Of course, there are many more, and each student's situation might have even more nuances, but let's begin with six.
🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳 Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!
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| Episode 105 - 3 Misconceptions About Teaching Newcomers in Regular Classrooms (and how to reframe them) | 12 mars 2024 | 00:13:00 | |
Welcome to episode 105 of The ESL Teaching Podcast. In this episode, I address three common misconceptions about teaching English learners in regular classrooms and provide practical strategies to reframe them. I discuss the importance of understanding the language acquisition process, the role of subject area teachers in language instruction, and the need for differentiated strategies for students at different proficiency levels. I also share insights on how to include English learners in lessons without spending hours of extra planning and emphasizes the power of consistent use of effective tools. Tune in to learn how to support multilingual learners in your classroom and discover your own power in reaching them. What you will hear about in this episode:
Show Notes: Simply Ieva Offers:
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| Episode 104 - Landing the Gig: 3 Secrets to a Successful Teacher Interview | 05 mars 2024 | 00:12:50 | |
Welcome to Episode 104 of The ESL Teaching Podcast! In this episode, I share valuable insights into how you can prepare for your ESL teacher interview. I delve into three essential tips to help you nail your interview: being prepared, being yourself, and asking questions. Through personal anecdotes and practical advice, I hope to provide guidance on how to approach the interview process with confidence and professionalism. Whether you're just starting your teaching career or seeking a new opportunity, these tips will be invaluable in securing that coveted ESL teaching position. So, tune in and get ready to ace your next teacher interview!
Show Notes: Simply Ieva Offers:
Related/Previous Episodes: Let’s Connect! | |||
| Episode 103 - Questions Answered - Developing Supportive Mindset for EL Success | 20 févr. 2024 | 00:12:52 | |
Guess what? It's Q & A time. I receive many emails from teachers sharing their current biggest struggles, both EL teachers and classroom educators. I read every single email, and although I don't always have the time to respond to you personally, I want you to know that I see you and I hear you. And with that, I also know that if one person is asking the question, there have to be other people wondering about the same thing as well. So today, I took six of the most burning questions, and we'll answer them in this episode. As always, we will talk about teaching newcomers, both in an EL setting and in regular education classrooms. We will touch upon why it is essential for schools to address the way ELs are serviced and revisit the language acquisition process. What you will hear about in this episode:
Show Notes: Simply Ieva Offers:
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Let’s Connect! | |||
| Episode 102 - 3 Essential Keys to Assessing English Learners | 13 févr. 2024 | 00:16:52 | |
Testing season is upon us, and with it, changed schedules, test practice, and new questions about how we can help our students, especially ELs, navigate this time of quite a bit of stress. Any test, whether it's a check-in quiz, a unit test, or a serious state assessment, can be a challenge to an English learner, especially one that is at a newcomer, beginner, or low intermediate proficiency level. So how do we help those students who bring with them so much knowledge yet frequently do not have an equitable way to demonstrate it? In today's episode, you'll hear why assessments can be difficult for ELs and what teachers can do to help them prepare for any test.
Show Notes: Simply Ieva Offers:
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Let’s Connect! | |||
| Episode 101 - Math is NOT a Universal Language and Here is Why with Odalis Amparo | 06 févr. 2024 | 00:33:32 | |
How many times have you heard this phrase, math is math, it is a universal language. Well, let me tell you, it is not. And that is exactly what today's guest, Odalis Amparo from Illustrative Mathematics, and I talk about. Odalis is a skilled educator who is highly committed to elevating the voice and supporting the achievement of students and teachers in historically marginalized communities. She's fiercely passionate about the intersection between language learning, mathematics instruction and the culturally sustaining pedagogy. Odalis is currently a professional learning specialist at Illustrative Mathematics, but has experience as an elementary classroom teacher and mathematics coach in a variety of settings. Odalis and I have a powerful conversation about why teaching math language is a must. I personally could talk to her for hours, but we had a little bit of time and we managed to get so many meaningful and important ideas in just the short time that we had. I know you will find this conversation both very helpful and moving at the same time. What you will hear about in this episode:
Show Notes:
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| Episode 100 - It's Our 100th Episode! Comments From Listeners and Hot Seat with Simply Ieva | 30 janv. 2024 | 00:32:23 | |
You're listening to the 100th episode of the ESL Teaching Podcast. Can you believe the ESL teaching podcast has been around for 100 episodes? Me neither. This occasion certainly calls for celebration, and I wanted to make it a little different than usual. Instead of interviewing another wonderful educator or giving you teaching tips, today, you will hear an interview with me! That's right. I am in the hot seat, and I am answering your questions about Ieva, the person, and Ieva, the teacher! What you will hear about in this episode:
Show Notes: Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you! Simply Ieva Offers:
Let’s Connect! Connect with Allison, Podcast Manager:
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| Episode 99 - Why Less is More When Teaching EL Newcomers and Beginners | 23 janv. 2024 | 00:13:47 | |
This is episode 3 of the 3-part series called, “You Can't Buy Language at Walmart: 3 Essential but Overlooked Details of Teaching Language to EL Newcomers and Beyond.” In the previous episodes, I talked about the time it takes to acquire a language and about proficiency levels and why they are essential for teachers to know when working with English learners. Today, I wanted to talk about the classwork and homework our ELLs have to do, and about how we can make it more manageable and effective with a less is more when teaching EL newcomers and beginners. The amount of academic work is highly dependent on the student grade level and school, but I wanted to offer a few insights about what can be done to battle teacher and student overwhelm when it comes to assigning work to English learners. I will share a seemingly simple phrase, which is so elusive when we try to implement it in real life, insights into why it is important to pause and review what we're doing and ways to make classwork more targeted for ELs.
Show Notes: Simply Ieva Offers:
Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Let’s Connect! | |||
| Episode 98 - EL Newcomer to Experienced Multilingual: A Journey Through Proficiency Levels | 16 janv. 2024 | 00:15:06 | |
Today's episode is episode 2 of the 3 part series, which I called, “You Can't Buy Language at Walmart: 3 Essential but Overlooked Details of Teaching Language to Young Newcomers and Beyond”. In the previous episode, I talked about the stages of language acquisition and the most important aspect of learning any language, which is time. If you haven't listened to it, I highly recommend going back and tuning in. Today, I wanted to take you a step further and talk about the language proficiency levels. Different states use different assessment tools to determine where on the English language learning spectrum the students are. But, nonetheless, it is crucial for all educators to know this information if we want to help our multilingual learners progress and succeed in the academic environment at school. What you will hear about in this episode:
Show Notes: Simply Ieva Offers:
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Let’s Connect! | |||
| Episode 97 - How Teachers Can Harness the Power of Second Language Acquisition Stages when working with ELs | 09 janv. 2024 | 00:17:43 | |
Welcome to another episode of The ESL Teaching Podcast! In today's episode, I dive into the fascinating world of second language acquisition stages and how they impact teaching English learners. With a focus on the five stages of second language acquisition, I want to shed light on the importance of understanding this process for educators. From the cooing stage to advanced fluency, I outline the timeline and key milestones in language development, offering valuable insights for teachers working with EL students.
Show Notes: Simply Ieva Offers:
Related/Previous Episodes: Connect with Ieva:
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| Episode 96 - Lessons Learned, Impact Made and the Wisdom to Bring Into the New Year | 02 janv. 2024 | 00:18:35 | |
In today's episode, I reflected on the wisdom gained and impact made in the past year, sharing valuable lessons for teachers of English learners. From the power of "less is more" in lesson planning to the importance of connecting with student families in a genuine way, I provide insights that can transform your teaching approach. Additionally, I emphasize the significance of prioritizing your well-being as a teacher and share my personal strategies for self-care. Join us as we delve into my reflections and impactful initiatives, and discover how these lessons can empower educators in the new year.
Show Notes: Simply Ieva Offers:
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| Episode 95 - Empowering Adult English Learners with Leah Mitchell | 19 déc. 2023 | 00:31:32 | |
Being an educational consultant is one of the most rewarding experiences one can have. Through my website and podcast, I hear from so many teachers from all around the world who teach a variety of ages in a variety of places with a variety of experiences and resources. And what's even more exciting is that I get to work with some of those wonderful teachers as their coach. In today's episode, I am chatting with my teacher client, Leah Mitchell, who is an adult ESL teacher in Manitoba, Canada. Leah is a workplace language instructor and consultant. She has 15 plus years in the field of education and over a decade in adult instruction. Two years ago, she decided to get her TESOLT certificate as she saw a strong need for alternative options in the adult English language realm. She's a big believer in helping adults gain English language skills in a balanced way without having to sacrifice work, family and life. She's a teacher, business owner, mother, and just an overall wonderful human being. This is the 1st episode about adult ESL on the ESL Teaching Podcasts, and I'm super excited to share it with you all.
Show Notes:
Connect with Ieva:
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| Episode 94 - From Vision to Reality: Intentional Goal Setting for the New Year and Beyond (re-air) | 12 déc. 2023 | 00:21:23 | |
With the new year right around the corner, we tend to reflect on the things we accomplished and what we can do to improve on the quality of our lives, both personal and professional, in the next year. So setting goals is especially popular this time of year. The hopes are high that in the coming year, we for sure will exercise more, or read more books, or do more of this or less of that. Unfortunately, life continues flowing without much regard to the grand plans of our mind, and that's why we tend to fall off the wagon fairly quickly. Why is that? Well, it's been proven that it's the small habits that when tweaked and implemented consistently day in and day out that make the biggest difference in your life. So in this episode, I wanted to share my thoughts on goal setting with our EL students. What better time to do that than at the start of the year.
Show Notes: Resources Mentioned:
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| Episode 93 - Cultivating Comprehension: The Art of Strategic Questioning for English Learners | 05 déc. 2023 | 00:17:54 | |
In today's episode, I want to delve into the art of cultivating comprehension through strategic questioning for English learners. Every day, I am amazed at how language intense our students' classes are. Instructions are given in lengthy paragraphs and posted in Google Classroom or any other form your school uses. Students are required to show their reasoning in writing in complete sentences when responding to long and complex questions in all subjects. And while I am all for keeping the standards high, I do sometimes wonder what would happen if we gave students clearer, more targeted instructions on how to engage with a project or assignment. Students already know a lot of information that is taught in their classes. They understand a lot more than they can tell you. Since I live this every single day, I have found a way that works really well in helping my English learners access content and to those instructions and texts that seem to confuse everyone. In this episode, I will share with you 2 ways on how I use strategic questions to help students access the text, respond to open ended questions, and write paragraphs. I know this will be very helpful for not only EL teachers, but also content area teachers.
Resources Mentioned:
Related/Previous Episodes: Related links: Connect with Ieva:
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| Episode 92 - Embracing Diverse December Celebrations in ESL Classrooms | 28 nov. 2023 | 00:15:32 | |
December is right around the corner, and we all know that everything seems to gain speed once Thanksgiving is over. With a few weeks left before the holiday break in December, we also want to make sure our lessons are meaningful and not just busy work. Have you ever wondered what December holidays are celebrated around the world? This question has come up for me personally and has been popping up in the schools I work in as well. So I took it upon myself to do a little research and to create an EL lesson for both my students and colleagues. In this episode, which was first aired last year, I'm sharing how it all started and how it led me to answer the age old question..Are there any other holidays celebrated in December? And if so, what are they? Not all of our students celebrate Christmas. Although in my practice, they're very curious to learn about it and have had at least some exposure to it. I will share a brief overview of the December holidays, and we'll leave you with a fun lesson you can teach during those last days before the holiday break.
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| Episode 91 - EL Curriculum Magic and Mastering Classroom Dynamics (Q and A) | 21 nov. 2023 | 00:18:47 | |
As I was planning this episode out, I looked at all the things we talk about on this podcast. That is a lot! From EL newcomer teaching and all that is related to that, how to teach grammar and vocabulary, where to find materials, different teaching strategies and tips, teacher collaboration, ELs in regular education classrooms, and so many more topics. And since this podcast is for all of you involved in teaching multilingual learners, I wanted to make sure your voices are heard. On a daily basis, I received several emails that share your current biggest struggles as a teacher who works with EL students. After going through the questions, I began to see a pattern. Many of them fall under similar umbrellas. So let's do a little Q and A, shall we? I picked the most frequently repeated questions during the last few months, and I'm answering them in this episode.
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| Episode 90 - Teaching Thanksgiving with Accuracy and Empathy | 14 nov. 2023 | 00:12:35 | |
A couple of years ago, I had a conversation with a student who had just arrived from Turkey that inspired a monthly newsletter to our staff about celebrations around the world for that month. In November, as we were going over the days that we will be in school and why we have a break at the end of the month, we talked about the celebration of Thanksgiving and what typically happens during that time. Many of our ELs, unless they are in elementary schools, don't have a clear concept of the origins of certain purely American holidays. And the topic of Thanksgiving lends itself wonderfully to teaching history and language at the same time. So in this episode, I will share with you the answer to my student's question, and a lesson on Thanksgiving, the background, the aspects I chose to cover, and the very sequence.
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| Episode 89 - The Three Cs of EL Family Engagement | 07 nov. 2023 | 00:13:33 | |
Welcome to episode 89 of The ESL Teaching Podcast! In this episode, we dive into the three Cs of EL family engagement: connection, community, and continued support. I want to share my personal experience of creating a space for parents of EL students to come together and have coffee and conversation. Through this informal setting, my partner and I discovered valuable lessons about building an inclusive community in schools and districts.
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| Episode 88 - How to Use Novel Study to Enrich Vocabulary and Speaking | 31 oct. 2023 | 00:19:17 | |
Reading is always a hot topic, and teaching reading to English learners presents its own set of challenges. It has to do with grade level, with English proficiency, and other factors. So today, I wanted to share with you how I have been implementing novel study this school year with my middle schoolers in particular, and that has allowed my students to be engaged in and motivated to read.
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| Episode 87 - What Does it Take to Acquire a Language and Why All Teachers Should Know This | 24 oct. 2023 | 00:15:24 | |
What does it take to acquire another language? In my previous episode, I used a phrase that I have heard many times, “Oh, but there's another language spoken in the home.” The statement can mean so many things and nothing at all. I want to break down what it takes to acquire another language in today's episode. If we are to embrace the notion that teaching multilingual learners is not just a job and care of the English Language Development (ELD) specialist, but that all of us play a part in the EL students' learning, then I want to offer some education around what it means to acquire another language.
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| Episode 86 - Here Are Your 3 Essential Truths to Reaching ELs in General Education Classroom | 17 oct. 2023 | 00:12:25 | |
Last week, I was talking to my colleague who was so overwhelmed by all the questions and comments coming from the regular education teachers and frankly, the unwillingness of some to pause and take the situation in for what it was. We chatted a bit and calmed down, but a part of me was still dissatisfied. Sometimes, EL teachers are spread so thin or work in isolation that all of our knowledge is impossible to share in an effective way with those who could really benefit from it. So I wanted to record a short episode that addresses the frustrations of teachers who have ELs in their general education classroom, answer some of the questions, and share the essential truths. Whether this is your first time having an English learner in your content classroom or you're more experienced, in this episode, I will share 3 essential truths that are valid anytime an English learner joins your classroom community. These truths are simple yet very powerful and will serve as your signpost whenever you feel unsure. I hope you find this episode useful.
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| Episode 85 - EL Class Structure and Vocabulary Instruction: A Peek Into My Classroom | 10 oct. 2023 | 00:16:55 | |
A while back, I recorded an episode about how I structured my middle school class, and since I work at 2 schools, middle and high school, I wanted to offer you a little glimpse into how I structure my high school classes. I have more students at the high school this year and more classes, so there's plenty of room for creativity. Lesson planning and vocabulary instruction is something that is always on top of every EL teacher's mind, and my goal for this episode is to share with you my teaching setup and how I work with students in grades 9 through 12. What you will hear about in this episode:
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| Episode 84 - Every Teacher is a Language Teacher. Here is Why! | 03 oct. 2023 | 00:13:07 | |
Teaching multilingual learners requires great knowledge of language acquisition theory, teaching strategies, and methodologies. At the same time, it requires empathy, cultural awareness and openness. And that said, multilingual learners are not only students of EL teachers. They are all of our students. Every teacher is a language teacher. Sometimes when we talk to our colleagues, we might hear a phrase, but I'm not a language teacher. I teach math, science, social studies, you name it, not English. Well, this episode is for all of you who have ever heard this phrase and all of you who have ever uttered it. Today, I will break down why every teacher is, in fact, a language teacher, and what knowledge you already have that you can harness to reach students who are learning both English and your subject. What you will hear about in this episode:
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| Episode 83 - 5 Ways AI Can Help Save Teachers Time and Help Multilingual Learners | 26 sept. 2023 | 00:16:27 | |
Artificial intelligence, or AI as we call it, has taken over so many areas of our life, and teaching is no exception. I have been waiting to share my insights into what using artificial intelligence might mean for all teachers and especially those of us who work with multilingual learners, but now I think it is time. In this episode, I will share 5 specific and effective ways you can leverage the power of AI in your teaching. Some tips will be more geared towards EL teachers and others are super handy for classroom teachers who want to help multilingual learners in their classroom.
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| Episode 82 - How to Master Small Group Scheduling and Instruction with guest Kristen Vibas | 19 sept. 2023 | 00:25:54 | |
Many teachers work with small groups of students and especially if you're in an elementary setting, making a schedule for those small groups can be one of the most challenging tasks of your entire school year. For today's episode, I have invited back my dear friend, Kristen Vibas, to chat about just that, the peculiarities of scheduling and grouping English learner students in elementary grades. Kristen Vibas is a K-6 elementary ESOL teacher living in Northern Virginia. She's been teaching multilingual learners since 2005 in one of the country's largest school districts. What you will hear about in this episode:
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| Episode 81 - Unlocking ESL Success: The Top 5 Questions Every General Ed Teacher Asks | 12 sept. 2023 | 00:25:31 | |
I frequently receive questions from my content area teachers about how to help English learners in the classroom. And those questions frankly are the same every year from how to help a newcomer to more specific activity and engagement ideas. And I was wondering if there are any different questions that EL teachers get asked. So I posted this on Instagram and inside my Facebook group, and it appears that general education teachers ask the same questions across the board. What can we do, they ask? How can we help our EL students? So today, I compiled a few of the most recent frequently asked questions and wanted to share my answers to them. I hope that you find these helpful, especially those about first language usage in the classroom translations and how to help newcomers with reading.
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| Episode 80 - Empowering English Learners: An Asset-Based Approach | 05 sept. 2023 | 00:15:32 | |
The start of the new school year is typically extremely busy. There are new families registering students, students coming to their new schools, meeting their teachers and classmates. There's lots of screening, placement, scheduling, action, action, action. Multilingual learners join our communities all the time. But somehow, the deficit mindset, which assumes they don't understand anything and therefore are capable of only doing very little, is still very pervasive. That's why in today's episode, I wanted to address this topic. We'll uncover the essence of the asset-based approach and discuss practical tips for embracing this mindset in our schools and classrooms.
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| Episode 79 - The Power of Affirmations for English Learners and All Students | 29 août 2023 | 00:12:48 | |
The new school year is here. And as I'm looking ahead, I reflect about what worked and hasn't worked before and how I can encourage and empower my students even more this year. I work with teenagers, and there are a lot of nuances in their English learning, including one very important aspect: negative self-talk. It is sad to hear when a bright student says they're not good enough or that their English is bad and they won't participate in a conversation. I recorded this episode around this time last year, but it is just as relevant now as it was 12 months ago. In this episode, I will share with you a simple formula for activating a more productive way of thinking as well as 10 positive affirmations that you can use in your classroom. I hope you'll find this useful, and I would love to hear what your thoughts are on them.
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| Episode 78 - Starting Strong: Easy and Fun Icebreaker Activities for all EL Levels | 22 août 2023 | 00:11:32 | |
Many teachers either are starting their school year soon, or have already been at it for a couple of weeks. And this time of year, when everything is full of fresh new energy, is a good time to go back to icebreakers. Whether you have new students joining you or want to reconnect and have fun with the ones you already know, icebreaker activities will always make your classroom come alive. Today's episode was recorded a while ago, but I know it is going to be very useful to you. I wanted to share it with you as it is full of ideas for both new and veteran teachers and talks about activities that are great for both beginner English Learners and those more experienced.
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| Episode 77 - How to Build EL Literacy From the Ground Up with Kyle Larson | 08 août 2023 | 00:24:38 | |
How do you build students' literacy and confidence from the ground up? My guest, Kyle Larson, and I talk about just that on this episode. How to help EL students with literacy, especially as they enter the US educational system in upper elementary grades or later, is an eternal question for all of us. There are so many nuances in this. I am excited to share our conversation with you, and I know it will be super valuable. And if you'd like to see us, you can watch the recording of this interview on my YouTube channel at Simply Ieva ESL.
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| Episode 76 - Three Major Components of Effective Professional Development for EL (and all) Teachers | 01 août 2023 | 00:10:43 | |
Part of an EL teacher's job is to advocate for their students and educate and support their peers in language acquisition theories, teaching strategies and content delivery. This is where professional development comes into play. Frequently it is up to us to plan and deliver it in such a manner that it touches the most important aspects in a short amount of time. We've all sat in workshops that are irrelevant, or too long, or too complicated at one point or another in our teaching careers. In today's episode, I wanted to share with you what makes professional development effective. Although there are more elements to it, I have chosen 3 that, in my opinion, are the most important to focus on. So if you are an EL teacher who is tasked with creating a presentation to your regular education peers, someone who wants to present at a conference, or someone who has no idea where to even start, this episode is for you.
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| Episode 75 - How to Navigate Grade Transition and Collaboration with Colleagues | 25 juil. 2023 | 00:49:06 | |
Navigating to a new grade level and collaborating with new colleagues can be quite a challenge when it comes to being an ESL teacher. In today's episode, I chat with Sarah, who is a member of the ESL Teaching Roadmap membership. It's been a while since I talked about ESL teacher coaching, and with summertime in full swing, I know a lot of teachers have more headspace and creative flow as they are preparing for the upcoming school year, regardless of whether it starts tomorrow or in a month. For you inside my membership, the ESL Teaching Roadmap, one of the perks for members is a coaching session that they can book whenever they feel stuck in their day to day. Teachers have so many questions, but not always a person to bounce those questions and ideas off of, and that is where the ESL Teacher coaching and mentoring comes in. I know a lot of teachers have similar questions to Sarah, no matter where in the world you are, and this episode will be super helpful to you. And if you like what you heard, you can reap the same benefits as Sarah. Book a one on one call with me and get clarity on your next steps in teaching English Learners right away. In addition, to help you feel prepared for the new school year, I'm offering a 10% discount, as well as one free month inside the ESL Teaching Roadmap Membership, where you will have access to teaching materials for both newcomers and mixed proficiency classes and so much more.
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