Welcome educators! Before we dive in, don't forget to check out the engaging ESL resources available at myadventuresinesl.com/store.

Episode Overview

As we move closer to Winter Break, it's completely normal to feel the weight of the season — the planning, the paperwork, the constant juggling. In this episode, we explore a powerful mindset shift that can bring clarity, purpose, and even joy back into your weekly planning: seeing lesson planning not as a chore, but as an act of design.

This episode offers encouragement, practical strategies, and a refreshing way to approach planning so that it feels more intentional, creative, and energizing.

In This Episode, We Explore: ✨ Why Planning Feels Heavy This Time of Year

• The pressure of ongoing lessons, deadlines, and constant demands

• How exhaustion and guilt creep in for many ESL teachers

• A reminder that you are doing meaningful, impactful work

✨ The Mindset Shift: Planning → Designing

• Learn how seeing yourself as an instructional designer changes everything:

• It reignites creativity

• Lessons feel more purposeful

• Students experience deeper engagement

• Planning becomes less overwhelming and more rewarding

✨ How This Shift Transforms Your Classroom

When planning becomes design, you:

• Make more intentional choices

• Build lessons that flow instead of disconnect

• Focus on experiences, not checklists

• Support language growth with more clarity and ease

Key Strategies Covered 1. Start With the Student Experience

Instead of opening your template first, ask: "What do I want my students to experience and feel during this lesson?" This approach helps you design lessons that are meaningful and memorable.

2. Sketch the Student Journey

Map out what students are doing, saying, and thinking from warm-up to wrap-up. Then layer in language objectives and scaffolds.

3. Create a Lesson Design Framework

Designers use frameworks — teachers can too. Build a structure that includes:

• Your non-negotiables (language objectives, interaction, scaffolds)

• A consistent lesson flow

• Flexibility for different proficiency levels

This cuts planning time dramatically and brings consistency to your instruction.

4. Reflect Like a Designer

After each lesson, ask:

• What worked well?

• Where did students engage the most?

• What would I redesign next time?

Reflection keeps you intentional and growing.

Encouragement for the Week

You don't have to reinvent your lessons every time. You don't have to settle for planning that drains you. You get to design experiences that help multilingual learners grow in extraordinary ways.

Call to Action

This week, choose one upcoming lesson and redesign it through a designer's lens. Start with the experience, build your support, and simplify the rest.

Share your reflection with me! 📩 Connect on Instagram: @myadventuresinesl

Resources Mentioned

✨ Download ESL lessons and supports: myadventuresinesl.com/store ✨ Follow for planning ideas, strategies & inspiration: @myadventuresinesl

Welcome educators! 🌟 Before we dive in, take a deep breath — you're doing an incredible job. This time of year can be challenging, but every lesson, every smile, and every word of encouragement you give your students truly matters. 💛

In today's episode, we're talking about something every ESL teacher struggles with — finding high-quality resources that actually save time instead of wasting it. If you've ever spent hours searching for the "perfect" lesson only to end up disappointed, this episode is for you.

You'll learn:

🎯 3 Smart Strategies for finding high-quality ESL resources fast

• How to identify materials that are truly aligned to standards

• Why creating your own simple resources can sometimes be the best solution

• How to find trusted teacher sellers and websites you can rely on

By the end of this episode, you'll have a clear plan to save time, reduce stress, and fill your classroom with resources that help your multilingual learners grow.

✨ Mentioned in this episode: Explore engaging, ready-to-use ESL materials at myadventuresinesl.com/store

🎧 Tune in now to learn how to work smarter, not harder — and take back your evenings, one resource at a time!

✨ If you are looking for a community of dedicated and motivated educators, who support Language Learners, join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/adventuresinesl

Teaching ESL across multiple language levels can feel overwhelming—but it doesn't have to be! In this episode, we're breaking down practical strategies to help you confidently teach newcomers, intermediate, and advanced students all in one classroom.

You'll learn how to:

• Simplify lesson planning with one core learning goal

• Use flexible grouping to boost collaboration and engagement

• Offer scaffolded choices that meet every student where they are

These tips will help you save time, reduce stress, and create a more inclusive, empowered classroom for all learners.

💛 Resources Mentioned: Download engaging ESL resources at myadventuresinesl.com/store Find ready-to-use lessons at My Adventures in ESL on Teachers Pay Teachers.

🎧 Subscribe for more practical tips, real talk, and inspiration for your ESL classroom—you've got this, and your students are lucky to have you!

Welcome to the My Adventures in ESL podcast—the show dedicated to helping ESL teachers like you feel confident, supported, and inspired in your classroom. I'm so excited you're here!

As ESL teachers, we know how much time and energy goes into planning lessons, organizing materials, and meeting our students' diverse needs. But even the best lesson plan can fall flat if students aren't engaged. In this episode, I'm sharing three practical and easy-to-implement strategies that will help you create an engaging classroom where students are excited to participate and eager to learn.

Here's what you'll discover in today's episode:

• Strategy #1: Quick, structured student talk activities – how to get every student speaking and practicing language without overwhelming them.

• Strategy #2: Student choice – simple ways to give students ownership over their learning, increase motivation, and build confidence.

• Strategy #3: Movement and interactive games – low-prep, high-energy activities that bring lessons to life and keep students actively involved.

These strategies are designed to work for all grade levels and language abilities, and you can start using them immediately in your classroom. By the end of this episode, you'll walk away with practical tools to boost engagement, increase participation, and bring more joy into your teaching.

💡 Resources Mentioned in This Episode: If you're ready to take your classroom organization and engagement to the next level, be sure to check out my Teacher Pay Teachers store, My Adventures in ESL. You'll find lesson plans, organizational tools, and ready-to-use resources designed specifically for ESL teachers. Visit My Adventures in ESL on TPT here

✨ Encouragement for You: Remember—your hard work matters. Every smile, every "aha!" moment, every student who feels seen and included is because of the effort and heart you bring to your classroom. You don't have to have it all figured out—you're doing an amazing job.

October can feel like a turning point in the school year. Your routines are set, your students are finding their rhythm—but sometimes, the excitement from August and September starts to fade. If you've ever stared at your lesson plans this month thinking, "I need something fresh!"—this episode is for you.

In this episode of My Adventures in ESL, I'm sharing three simple, seasonal, and interactive lesson ideas that you can start using in your classroom right away. These activities are designed to save you time, engage your students, and make learning fun again—without adding hours of planning to your already full plate.

Here's what you'll discover in today's episode: ✨ Lesson Idea #1: Take your students on a virtual field trip to a pumpkin patch—integrating culture, science, and math while practicing essential language skills. ✨ Lesson Idea #2: Celebrate International School Library Month by turning your classroom into a mini-library exploration and helping students fall in love with reading. ✨ Lesson Idea #3: Dive into spooky folktales and legends from around the world to inspire storytelling, collaboration, and creativity in your ESL classroom.

October is the perfect time to bring energy, curiosity, and collaboration back into your lessons. These ideas will help you keep students engaged while giving you back a little peace of mind.

🎧 Listen now and try one (or all three!) of these lesson ideas this month. Your students—and your future self—will thank you.

📌 Resources Mentioned:

• My Adventures in ESL Teacher Pay Teachers Store – for ready-to-use lesson plans and templates to save you time.

Welcome back, amazing teachers! 🎉 The beginning of the school year is here, and if you're anything like me, you know it can feel like a whirlwind. Between screening new students, managing schedules, creating lessons, writing language plans, and juggling everything else on your plate—it's a lot!

In this episode, I'm sharing three practical, high-impact strategies that will help you start the school year feeling calm, confident, and organized. My goal is to take some of the overwhelm off your shoulders so you can focus on what truly matters—supporting your students and building a strong classroom community.

You'll learn how to:

• Design a compliance system that keeps paperwork organized and stress-free.
• Create a classroom management plan that sets clear routines and expectations for your students.
• Build a simple pacing guide so your instruction stays focused and consistent all year long.

These strategies are designed to save you time, reduce stress, and give you a strong foundation for the rest of the school year.

Resources and Links Mentioned: 📂 Teacher Tools: Grab my ready-to-use student supply organizers, compliance trackers, and lesson planning templates to make these systems easy to implement → My Adventures in ESL

💡 Follow Me: 📸 Instagram: @myadventuresinesl 🌐 Website: www.myadventuresinesl.com 🎧 Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode!

Key Takeaway: Starting the school year strong doesn't mean being perfect—it means being prepared. When you set up your systems, routines, and pacing in advance, you create calm for yourself and your students, allowing everyone to thrive.

Hey there, amazing ESL teachers! 🎉 A brand-new school year is here, and I know you're already working hard to create a classroom where your students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn. But let's be real—these first few weeks can feel like a whirlwind. That's why today's episode is all about practical, effective organization strategies that will save you time, reduce stress, and create the calm, focused classroom your students need to thrive.

In this episode, I'm sharing simple systems that actually work—without adding more to your plate. From student bins that keep supplies in check, to compliance folders that make documentation a breeze, you'll learn how to set up routines and spaces that support both you and your students.

By the end of this episode, you'll walk away with: ✨ Easy-to-implement strategies that cut down on clutter ✨ Tips for creating student-friendly systems that build independence ✨ Ways to streamline compliance paperwork without stress ✨ Organization hacks that stand the test of time

Whether you're a first-year ESL teacher or a seasoned pro, these ideas will help you feel more in control, more focused, and more energized to do what you do best—support your students.

Resources & Links:

• Check out my Teacher Pay Teachers store for ready-to-use organizers, lesson planning templates, and compliance trackers that make organization simple.

• Follow me on Adventures in ESL for more practical ESL teaching tips

Key Takeaways:

1. Start with a purge – Clear out old papers, broken supplies, and clutter.

2. Create zones – Assign specific spaces for student supplies, work turn-in, and your teacher workspace.

3. Keep it simple – Use labels, bins, and color-coding to make organization intuitive.

4. Student bins – Give each student a personalized space for their supplies and materials.

5. Compliance folders – Organize required documents with color-coded, easy-to-access systems.

Final Thoughts:

Remember, organization isn't just about neat shelves—it's about saving time, reducing stress, and building a classroom environment where both you and your students thrive. Take it one step at a time, celebrate small wins, and watch how a calmer classroom transforms your teaching.

Welcome, ESL educators! In today's episode, we're diving into the real, unfiltered experience of your first two weeks back in the classroom. Whether you're brand new to teaching English learners or a seasoned pro, this episode will help you walk into the school year with clarity, confidence, and calm.

💡 Before we get started—don't forget to sign up for my FREE professional development training: 3 Simple & Powerful Secrets to a Successful School Year You'll walk away with practical tools to reduce overwhelm, simplify planning, and build meaningful connections with your students—plus a PD certificate just for attending!

🗓️ Episode Summary

The first two weeks of school can feel like a whirlwind, especially for ESL teachers juggling new students, changing schedules, and multiple responsibilities. In this episode, I'm sharing a realistic, heart-centered look at what to expect during this time—so you can set the tone for a successful year ahead.

🔑 Key Takeaways: 🌟 Why the First Two Weeks Matter

• Sets the tone for classroom culture and relationships

• Helps students feel seen, safe, and supported

• Allows you to build structure before diving into academics

🗓️ Week 1 Focus

• Get to know students, families, and your teaching team

• Begin establishing routines to create consistency and safety

• Start (or prepare for) initial assessments

• Expect to feel overwhelmed—it's normal!

• Focus on small wins to build momentum

🧘🏽 Tip: When things feel messy, pause and reset. Flexibility is your superpower.

📚 Week 2 Focus

• Introduce light academic content

• Continue building and reinforcing routines

• Strengthen student relationships and classroom community

• Adjust what's not working—pivoting is part of the process

• Finalize scheduling and student files

🧩 Goal: By the end of Week 2, your class will begin to feel like a true learning community.

💬 Reflect & Take Action

If this episode helped you feel more grounded and prepared, take a small step today:

• Outline your classroom routines

• Set one goal for relationship-building

• Share this episode with a fellow ESL teacher who could use support

And remember—you are doing incredible work.

📌 Mentioned in This Episode:

✨ FREE PD Training: 3 Simple & Powerful Secrets to a Successful School Year ✔️ Includes PD Certificate ✔️ Actionable strategies for planning & mindset ✔️ Designed for ESL teachers like you!

🙌 Stay Connected

• Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode

• Follow @myadventuresinesl on Instagram

• Visit myadventuresinesl.com for more resources

🎉 You've got this—and I'm cheering you on every step of the way.

If you are looking for a community of dedicated and motivated educators, who support Language Learners, join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/adventuresinesl

Welcome educators!

In today's episode, we're diving into one of the biggest challenges ESL teachers face: planning for mixed-level groupings. Whether you have newcomers just arriving in the U.S. or students on the verge of exiting your ESL program, finding ways to support every learner can feel overwhelming—but it is possible, and today's episode will show you how.

🔑 In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why planning for mixed-level groups is essential for ESL success

• How to build tiered activities for different language levels

• Simple ways to scaffold support for all students

• Tips for creating flexible assignments that work across levels

• Practical summer planning steps to set yourself up for a successful school year

You'll also hear about the strategies I wish I had known during my first years teaching—and how you can use them to ease your stress and boost student engagement from day one.

🛠️ Summer Action Steps You Can Start Now:

✅ Create Tiered Materials: Choose a topic like "community helpers" or "weather" and create beginner, intermediate, and advanced versions of a reading activity.

✅ Design Flexible Assignment Templates: Think writing or speaking prompts that can be adapted with sentence starters, word banks, or paragraph expectations depending on level.

✅ Prepare a Scaffold Bank: Build a go-to folder with graphic organizers, visuals, sentence frames, and vocabulary cards for quick access all year long.

💡 Ready for more support in your planning? Check out The ESL Teacher Master Plan – a step-by-step, self-paced course that walks you through how to confidently plan, prepare, and organize for a smoother school year. 👉 Join the waitlist or visit myadventuresinesl.com/store to learn more.

🎧 Take a breath—you're doing amazing work. Differentiating for a mixed group is not easy, but your effort matters. Every step you take this summer is planting seeds for a stronger, more intentional school year.

Let's keep growing—together. 💛

Resources Mentioned:

• The ESL Teacher Master Plan Waitlist: myadventuresinesl.com/store

📌 Stay connected: Follow along for more tips, strategies, and encouragement to support you in your ESL teaching journey.

Announcements:

If you are looking for a community of dedicated and motivated educators, who support Language Learners, join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/adventuresinesl

Welcome educators! In this week's episode of My Adventures in ESL, we're diving into how to use your summer intentionally by building simple, effective systems that will support you—and your students—all year long.

Whether you're a first-year teacher or a veteran, setting up classroom systems during the summer isn't about perfection. It's about preparation. With the right tools and routines in place, you can avoid the chaos of survival mode and step into the new school year with clarity, calm, and confidence.

You'll walk away with ideas for routines across the four language domains, how to create a newcomer welcome system, and strategies to establish goal-setting and feedback structures—all while giving yourself permission to start small and go at your own pace.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

• Why creating systems now can reduce overwhelm later
• Sample routines for listening, speaking, reading, and writing
• What to include in a new student welcome kit
• How to build simple, sustainable goal-setting and feedback systems
• Steps to take today to make your classroom feel organized, intentional, and student-ready

💡 Episode Highlights:

• "You are already planting seeds for a more intentional school year."
• "Systems aren't about control—they're about creating space for connection."
• "One small step this summer can make a huge difference in how your year begins."

📘 Resources Mentioned:

• My Adventures in ESL Store: myadventuresinesl.com/store
• The ESL Teacher Master Plan (Wait List): Your self-paced guide to planning a smooth and organized school year.
• Language Learners Data Binder

✅ Summer To-Do's Shared in This Episode:

• Map out a weekly structure covering all 4 language domains
• Create a welcome kit with visuals, key phrases, and supplies for new students
• Design a monthly goal-setting/check-in form
• Set up a color-coded storage system for printables and handouts
• Block off 30 minutes to start building one system you care about

📲 Stay Connected:

Let's keep growing together! 💬 Instagram: @MyAdventuresinESL 💛 Share this episode with another teacher who's planning ahead and could use a little encouragement.

Remember: Summer planning doesn't have to be overwhelming. Choose one thing to work on, and take that first step with intention. You've got this—and I'm cheering you on every step of the way.

If you are looking for a community of dedicated and motivated educators, who support Language Learners, join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/adventuresinesl