Today's episode is a recap of the biggest takeaways from the Annual Convention and World Languages Expo held in New Orleans this past November. Four different teachers share their perspectives and experiences at ACTFL18 in hopes of inspiring you to consider attending ACTFL or similar conferences to continue your own personal and professional development.

Remember that as you learn and grow, you're going to come across so many different inspirational ideas, but it's important to not get overwhelmed and feel like you have to accomplish everything immediately. This podcast is about connecting with others and sharing ideas that you can come back to when it's convenient for you!

In this episode, we talk about…

• C.I. Posse's mission at ACTFL and different ways to provide C.I.
• How to build compelling input and context
• Why teachers should record themselves teaching
• The importance of presenting a real-world representation of a language's culture
• Suggestions for how to represent students in your classroom
• Ways to gather information about your students to help build inclusivity
• Importance of validation for what you're already doing in the classroom
• The benefits of attending conferences and professional development sessions
• Understanding how culture impacts curriculum
• Ways to help students see themselves in your curriculum
• Value of marginalized speakers and community resources for LGBTQ students
• Setting a learning goal for conferences
• Suggestions for instilling confidence in students for language acquisition
• Importance of creating meaningful tasks for students
• Reminder that learning is a process and to be patient with yourself

Resources and Links mentioned on the show:

Ben Fisher's Website

@SenorFisherDice

C.I.Posse

Jenny Delfini @JL_Delf

Inspired Proficiency: Summer of Takeaways

Inspired Proficiency: Bestie Battles

Estelle Stokes Bowden

GLSEN K-12 Network

Gary DiBianca

Jessica Gillespie's Blog

@MmeJGillespie