Category Archives: Podcast Episodes

209: Revisit Calendar Talk and Special Person Interviews

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This is episode 5 in my 2025 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 26th, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday.  For today we take a look back at a few CI strategies. In episode 170 I speak with John Sifert about calendar talk and in episode 170 I discuss special person interviews with Bryce Hedstrom.

Episodes:

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208: Revisit the Leveling Up Coaching Episodes

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This is episode 4 in my 2025 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 26th, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday.  For today we take a look back at 3 Leveling Up Coaching episodes.  Episode 165 about supporting target language, episode 169 about student choice and episode 174 about cohesive lessons and flow in the classroom.

Episodes:

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207: Revisit Working Smarter and AI Tools

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This is episode 3 in my 2025 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 26th, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday.  For today we take a look back at episode 163 where I talked about working smarter and not harder with Amy Marshall and episode 183 where I talked with Noemi Rodriguez about supporting students with AI tools.

Episodes:

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206: Revisit Authentic Texts and Products, Practices & Perspectives

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This is episode 2 in my 2025 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 26th, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday.  For today we take a look back at 2 more of the high leverage teaching practices. Episode 167 about guiding learners to interpret and discuss authentic texts and episode 171 about focusing on cultural products, practices and perspectives.

Episodes:

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205: Revisit Confidence in Speaking and Making Language Comprehensible

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This is episode 1 in my 2025 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 26th, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday. For today we take a look back at 2 of the high leverage teaching practices. Episode 160 about creating a classroom where students use the target language confidently and 162 about making language comprehensible.

Episodes:

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204: Get into Your 2025 Summer Headspace

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Now that the school year is over hopefully you have a little less on your mind and have a little extra time. This is the perfect time to get into your summer headspace.  What do I mean by that?  You’ll soon understand.  

  • What do I mean by “Summer Headspace?”
    • Time to reflect without other pressing priorities and issues.
    • Clear head.
    • Opportunity to revisit themes and episodes with a fresh lens.  
    • Maybe something has come up since you first listened?
    • You catch something new.
    • Finish an episode that you started.
    • Listen to an episode for the first time.
    • Group episodes by theme so that you can listen to them together.
  • How will the episodes work?
    • 5 minute recap and revisit, pull the themes together
    • links to episodes will be in the show notes
  • 6 Summer Headspace Episodes.  New episode on August 25, 2025. 
  • The first SHS episode will be out next Monday, July 14th.

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

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203: Black History & Hispanic Heritage in Language Curriculum with Jenniffer Whyte

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What do we mean when we talk about representation in the classroom? More specifically representation in our language classrooms?  How can we make sure that our students understand the variety of cultures and experiences that are part of the target language culture?  In this episode, Jenniffer Whyte joins me to talk about bringing the Afro-Latinx and Black heritage into our classroom curriculum. You will walk away with concrete ways to go about this and might even be ready to put together an all-school event or assembly at no cost.  Jenniffer tells us all about how she does it.

Topics in this Episode:

  •  resources or materials that teachers can use to ensure Black and Afro-Latinx voices are authentically included in their curriculum
  • how teachers can introduce these topics in ways that foster curiosity and meaningful discussions
  • effective strategies for introducing Black history and culture to younger students in an engaging and age-appropriate way
  • details about Jenniffer’s whole-school Black History and Hispanic Heritage programs with no budget, including creative ways teachers can do the same in their own schools
  • moving beyond only celebrating Black History and Hispanic Heritage during designated month with concrete ways teachers can weave these histories and contributions into their world language curriculum year-round

Connect with Jenniffer Whyte:

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202: Planning and Teaching for Proficiency

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

Planning & Teaching for Proficiency: A Guide for Language Teachers

Topics in this Episode:

  • By focusing on performance, proficiency, communication, and authentic language use, you can support students on this journey to using the target language authentically and communicatively. 
  • I created a guide to support your planning and teaching that focuses on performance in the classroom and eventually increased target language proficiency when they are using the language in authentic, real-world situations.
  • Each section highlights essential components that support confidence and proficiency growth. You’ll also see actionable steps that you can take right away:
    • Purposeful Planning
    • Comprehensible Input & Student Output
    •  Meaningful Tasks & Relevant Practice
    • Assessment & Feedback
    • Professional Reflection & Collaboration
    • Common Challenges in Proficiency-Focused Classrooms
    • Next Steps and Your Action Plan

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201: Ideas to Get Students Speaking More with Sherry Sebesta

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Do you have some go-to activities to motivate your students to speak and engage with the target language in your classroom?  Are you always on the lookout for activities and routines to add to your list of possibilities? In this episode, I speak with Sherry Sebesta, a French and Spanish teacher in New York. Sherry shares suggestions for getting your students speaking the target language more regularly and confidently. You’ll go away with several new things to try out right away.

Topics in this Episode:

  •  Sherry’s goals for language students and how speaking activities work into this
  • how teachers can create a classroom environment that reduces students’ fear of making mistakes and promotes more speaking
  • activities to encourage students to speak more in the target language
  • examples where Sherry’s strategies have increased student speaking confidence and participation in class
  • practical steps to implement Sherry’s speaking activities and ideas in the classroom

Connect with Sherry Sebesta

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200: Tips for Common Challenges in Proficiency-Based Classrooms

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How do you feel about the CI strategies, proficiency-based procedures or communicative language teaching that you do in your classroom?  You hear a lot about it, either on this podcast, from colleagues or on social media.  Lots of good stuff. But, do you sometimes feel like it seems like it’s always smooth sailing with no challenges in other classrooms while you definitely have them in your own classroom?  Well, me too.  We all have them.  In this episode I will address some of these common challenges with practical solutions to help navigate them.

Topics in this Episode:

  • Implementing comprehensible input (CI) strategies in a proficiency-based language classroom comes with its challenges at times.  
  • With proactive planning we can create an engaging and effective learning environment for all students.
  • Common obstacles and practical solutions to help you navigate them.
    • Different Proficiency Levels
    • Large Class Sizes
    • Student Resistance
    • Time Constraints
    • Assessment and Accountability
    • Classroom Management
  • Blog post on Common Challenges in Proficiency-Based Classrooms

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom.
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