Category Archives: Podcast Episodes

188: Speaking Activities for Any Grammar or Vocabulary with Jessica Hall

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We are always taking on new vocabulary themes and language structures in our language classroom. How do you make sure that your students are engaging with these new topics, particularly when it comes to speaking? In this episode, I speak with Jessica Hall, AKA Miss Señorita, who is a Spanish teacher in Connecticut. Jessica shares 3 speaking activities that are easily modified for various levels and languages. You can use them right away with any vocabulary topic or language structure, and Jessica even provides the templates.

Topics in this Episode:

  • importance and benefits of incorporating speaking activities into world language classrooms
  • examples of speaking activities that can be adapted to different grammar and vocabulary themes
  • ensuring that these speaking activities are engaging and effective for students of varying proficiency levels
  • specific speaking activities that are particularly beneficial for students
  • practical steps and strategies to implement these speaking activities in your classrooms to maximize student participation and learning 
  • Jessica’s templates

Connect with Jessica Hall :

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187: Standards-Based Grading In Proficiency-Based Instruction with Jude Krushnowski

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What do your grades look like? Do the grades that your students earn reflect their mastery and what they can do with and in the target language? In this episode, I speak with Jude Krushnowski, the Director of the World Language Teacher Education Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He walks us through a framework for competency-based grading in our proficiency-based classrooms. Lots of tips, insights and suggestions for making this transition to assessments authentically reflecting our students’ competency.

Topics in this Episode:

  • what standards-based grading is and how it differs from traditional grading methods
  • how standards-based grading aligns with proficiency-based instruction and why is it more beneficial for assessments
  • examples where standards-based grading significantly enhanced learning and proficiency growth
  • what gets assessed and what does not; what goes into the grade
  • what it looks like in practice, particularly gradebook categories, retakes, rubrics vs. points and percentages
  • challenges teachers might face when transitioning to standards-based grading

Connect with Jude :

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Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom.
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Posted in Classroom Procedures, Podcast Episodes, Teaching Methodology and Research

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186: Write Effective Can Do Statements

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

Get the Bloom’s Taxonomy verb list to use in your Can Do Statements

Topics in this Episode:

  • understanding exactly what Can Do Statements are and how to use them effectively in the classroom
  • using Success Criteria to write Can Do Statements
  • using Bloom’s Taxonomy to write Can Do Statements
  • yearly Can Do Statements
  • unit-specific Can Do Statements
  • examples of effective Can Do Statements
  • tips for writing effective Can Do Statements

Get the Bloom’s Taxonomy verb list to use in your Can Do Statements

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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185: Universal Truths about Teaching with Carmen Scoggins

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

Topics in this Episode:

  • what Carmen means by “Universal Truths about Teaching” and how she discovered them
  • the key universal truths Carmen believes are essential for teachers to understand and embrace
  • how these universal truths apply specifically to the context of world language teaching
  • examples of how these truths have influenced Carmen’s own teaching practices and student outcomes
  • why and how teachers can incorporate these universal truths into their teaching philosophy and practice

Connect with Carmen Scoggins:

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183: Supporting Students with AI tools with Noemi Rodriguez

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

Topics in this Episode:

  •  how AI tools can be used to support students in world language classes
  • how AI tools enhance language learning and make it more engaging for students
  • specific AI tools and applications that are particularly effective for supporting students, differentiating and providing feedback
  • examples of AI tools being used to support students that enhance or improve students’ language proficiency
  • practical steps and strategies teachers can take to effectively implement AI tools to support students

Connect with Erin Coleman:

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182: Get the Most Out of Calendar Talk

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Calendar talk is a CI (Comprehensible Input) activity that is part of many teachers’ routines in the classroom.  It is essentially just that, talking about the calendar.  What began as simply saying the date has grown into much more than that. In this episode I will share with you my own process of doing a calendar talk activity that engages students on a wide variety of topics as we begin the class. Lots of language and culture is embedded in activity very organically. Sometimes the slides and materials can take quite a bit of time to create. I don’t want that to hold you back, so you can make a copy of my Google Slides with all of the embedded links right in the show notes.

Topics in this Episode:

  • The evolution of Calendar Talk in my classroom – from a simple “Today is [date]” to a dynamic, engaging discussion that students look forward to.
  • The benefits of Calendar Talk
  • The process and routine: Date, Time. Weather with visuals
  • Engaging students in specific details about the date, weather and time in their own lives.
  • Moving toward these details in a target language country and leading students in discussions where they compare to their own responses in the previous activity.
  • Practical Tips for doing a calendar talk along with the country comparisons
  • Episode #170  with John Sifert

Be sure to Copy the Google Slides that I use will all of the embedded links to your Google Drive.

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Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom.
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Posted in Activities and Games, Classroom Procedures, Cultural Exploration, Podcast Episodes

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181: Hexagonal Grouping with Erin Coleman

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Have you seen teachers posting on social media about their hexagonal grouping activities? I certainly have and I got curious about how it works and how teachers are using it in their world language classes.  I’ve seen Erin Coleman posting and presenting workshops on the topic, so I invited her onto the podcast to share with all of us how she uses hexagonal grouping with her students. Erin shares lots of ideas and pro tips so that you can start using hexagonal grouping with your students.

Topics in this Episode:

  • what Hexagonal Grouping is and how it works in classrooms
  • how can Hexagonal Grouping can be particularly beneficial in world language classes
  • what is preparation is involved, creating templates and follow-up activities
  • specific examples where Erin has successfully used Hexagonal Grouping in her language classroom
  • practical tips and strategies for implementing Hexagonal Grouping

Connect with Erin Coleman:

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Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom.
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180: CI Activities You Can Do Today

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Do you have particular activities and procedures that you use to engage students in your classroom? Many of us have these tried-and-true go-to CI (Comprehensible Input) activities. They get talked about a lot on social media, in language teacher circles and even on this podcast. In this episode I’m going to walk you through 15 CI activities. Be sure to download the free CI Toolbox that includes all 15 Comprehensible Input (CI) activities with descriptions, suggestions and tips. 

Topics in this Episode:

Be sure to download the free CI Toolbox that includes all 15 Comprehensible Input (CI) activities with descriptions, suggestions and tips. 

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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179: Special Person Interviews with Bryce Hedstrom

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What have you heard about special person interviews in world language classes? Maybe you have tried them yourself. In today’s episode I speak with Bryce Hedstrom, a Spanish and Latin teacher in Colorado. He also does quite a bit of professional development with language teachers. Bryce walks us through the benefits of special student interviews, along with actionable suggestions for implementing in our classrooms.  Whether special student interviews are new to you, or if you’re looking for some ways to enhance how you are already using them, you will walk away from this episode inspired.

Topics in this Episode:

  • what a Special Person Interview is and how does it fit into a Comprehensible Input (CI) approach
  • the key benefits of conducting Special Person Interviews for both students and teachers
  • what a Special Person Interview looks like in practice; what the teacher does and what students do
  • selecting students for the interviews and preparation involved 
  • examples of questions and topics to use during these interviews to keep students engaged
  • follow up activities

Connect with Bryce Hedstrom:

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Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom.
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178: Managing Lots of Preps with Sophie Forker

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How many preps do you have?  If you have 3, 4 or more, or know someone who does, stick around for this episode. Oftentimes we equate 3 or more preps with 3 or 4 times the work.  In this episode Sophie Forker, a French and Spanish teacher in New York City, joins me for a conversation about managing our teacher workload. We talk specifically about navigating a large number of preps, but it ultimately comes down to useful and actionable ways to streamline your lesson planning, whether you have 1 prep or 6.

Topics in this Episode:

  • Sophie’s personal experience of  having multiple preps
  • effective strategies for planning and organizing multiple language preps to ensure you stay on top of your workload
  • how to prioritize planning and ensure that each class receives the attention it needs without becoming overwhelmed
  • tools, resources and systems  to streamline your preparation process and make it more efficient
  • practical strategies for effectively managing multiple world language preps in your own classrooms and maintaining a balanced workload
  • Episode #79: How to do a Write and Discuss with Ben Fisher-Rodriguez

Connect with Sophie Forker:

Work with Joshua either in person or remotely.

Teachers want to hear from you and what you are proud of in your classroom.
Join me as a guest on the podcast.

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