The ESL Teaching Podcast

As I was planning my summer episodes for The ESL Teaching Podcast, I hit a wall. In the spring I was on a roll…sharing tips and resources for EL and regular education teachers. In June you heard episodes all about lesson planning.

But then I thought to myself…I am on summer break and I would love to chat about other things that are a huge part of the teacher’s life. And that is the long and glorious summer break.

It can be so open-ended that it can be dizzying, but there are some things that are a MUST for a teacher during the summer. So I’d like to share my take on what it’s like to be a teacher and what are the three most important things we can do during this long summer break.

What you will hear about in this episode:

• Things that are a MUST for a teacher during summer break
• The reasons teachers get a long break in the summer and why it’s needed
• The need to let go of a school year in order to get rest for the new year
• Taking time to reset and take a break from the go, go, go mentality
• Take the time to do what you want and love 

Show Notes:

• Episode 73 - The 3 ESSENTIAL Components of the Long Summer Break for Teachers

Related/Previous Episodes:

• Episode 70 - 3 Lesson Planning Mistakes That Can Keep You in the Rut
• Episode 71 - How to Write Content and Language Objectives for EL Lessons
• Episode 72 - 4 Easy Ways to Differentiate the Same Lesson

Resources Mentioned:

• The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join. 
• Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
• Lesson Planning Masterclass
• Newcomer teaching checklist 

Connect with Ieva:

• Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
• Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
• Join the  - Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

Support the show

In this episode, I will be sharing all about differentiating for varied proficiency levels in your classroom. You will hear about the four ways you can differentiate, as well as concrete examples of how it might look for you and your students. 

This episode is part of this month’s series where we are talking about lesson planning as part of our short and actionable summer professional development podcast episodes. In episode 70, I shared three mistakes many teachers make when it comes to lesson planning. In last week's episode, episode 71, I walked you through how to write content and language objectives for your ELs.

I hope that, just like others, this episode will leave you excited and inspired to begin planning for the upcoming year.

What you will hear about in this episode:

• Four easy ways to differentiate a lesson to cater to the individual needs of students with varied proficiency levels in their classroom.
• How to differentiate content, process, product, and learning environment to make lessons more accessible for all students.
• Examples of how to implement these strategies in their own teaching practice and adapt them to different classroom settings.
• Helpful resources such as Newsela and News in Levels for finding articles with different reading levels and vocabulary words to cater to individual student abilities.
• The importance of setting clear goals and expectations, establishing classroom routines, and creating a conducive learning environment for effective classroom management and student success.

Show Notes:

• Episode 72 - 4 Easy Ways to Differentiate the Same Lesson

Related/Previous Episodes:

• Episode 71 - How to Write Content and Language Objectives for EL Lessons
• Episode 24 - 6 Elements of an Effective Lesson Plan

Resources Mentioned:

• The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join. 
• Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
• Lesson Planning Masterclass
• Newcomer teaching checklist 
• Newsela
• News in Levels

Connect with Ieva:

• Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
• Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
• Join the  - Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

Support the show

Why is it important to have an objective in the lesson? Well, number one, it helps the students and you, the teacher, focus attention on what's most important in the lesson.

In this week’s episode, I talk all about content and language objectives for your EL students.

Last week, we kicked off our short and actionable summer professional development podcast episodes with an overview of mistakes many teachers make when it comes to lesson planning. We talked about time management or rather mismanagement. We talked about the fact that we don't need to know it all to plan quality lessons for our English learners. And we talked about one of the most important things about how we sometimes don't create clear goals and objectives for our lessons.

So in episode 71, I wanted to elaborate a little bit more on how you can come up with goals and objectives. 

I hope this episode will leave you excited and inspired to begin or even continue planning for the upcoming year.

What you will hear about in this episode:

• The difference between the content and language objectives
• Why it is important to have them in your lesson plan
• What the difference between the two is,
• The verbs that will help you differentiate between content and language

Show Notes:

• Episode 71 - How to Write Content and Language Objectives for EL Lessons

Related/Previous Episodes:

• Episode 24 - 6 Elements of an Effective Lesson Plan
• Episode 70 - 3 Lesson Planning Mistakes That Can Keep You in the Rut

Resources Mentioned:

• The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join. 
• Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
• Lesson Planning Masterclass
• Newcomer teaching checklist 

Connect with Ieva:

• Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
• Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
• Join the  - Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

Support the show

There are two types of teachers. Those who close their computer for the summer and only open it to begin checking their work email a week or so before school starts.  And there are teachers who combine their fun activities and relaxation with learning and catching up on professional development during the summer.  

If you are in the second category, this episode is for you.

I know how important it is to take some time to disconnect and I sincerely hope you do that. I also know how fantastic your brain activity becomes after you’ve had an opportunity to reclaim some headspace. 

Our first series of this summer’s short, actionable, mini professional development episodes on The ESL Teaching Podcast is all about lesson planning.

What you will hear about in this episode:

• The mistakes that are made with lesson planning that drain all of our energy 
• Time management when it comes to lesson planning
• Not having a clear goal in mind
• Thinking you have to know it all to plan lessons

Show Notes:

• Episode 70 - 3 Lesson Planning Mistakes That Can Keep You in the Rut

Related Episodes:

• Episode 24 - 6 Elements of an Effective Lesson Plan

Resources Mentioned:

• The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join. 
• Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
• Lesson Planning Masterclass
• Newcomer teaching checklist 

Connect with Ieva:

• Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
• Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
• Join the  - Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

Support the show

Let's talk about movement and engaging your whole body in language learning using TPR, or Total Physical Response. 

Meeghan Carter is an ESL teacher in Delaware and brings a vast experience from being a classroom teacher to even owning her own business. She has worked with students primarily in grades pre-K to 8th. 

Meeghan and I talk about topics that are so relevant to so many ESL teachers.

What you will hear about in this episode:

• Planning lessons for multiple age groups and grade levels
• Creating lessons that work every time
• What is TPR, Total Physical Response?
• How can TPR be used effectively and why it is important in language learning
• Using TPR with not only littles, but with older students as well

Show Notes:

• Episode 69 - How to Engage English Learners with TPR with guest Meeghan Carter

Resources:

• The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join. 
• Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
• Lesson Planning Masterclass

Connect with Meeghan Carter: 

• Facebook - Meeghan Carter
• Email - [email protected] 

Connect with Ieva:

• Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
• Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
• Join the  - Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

Support the show

As the summer is nearing, I want to talk about planning and time management. Not for the students, but about what we, as teachers, should do before we leave on summer break. 

You may be tired, and the desire to put things off until next year might be very strong. But over my years of teaching, I have learned that there are some small, but very important things that are so much better completed before you leave for the summer. 

The school year is such a whirlwind that we don’t have time to do what we’d like to do. Think lesson plans, bulletin boards, binders…all over the place. However, nothing gives you more pressure than the last days before the end of the school year. Although it is tempting to leave it until the next school year, it is so much better if you don’t.

In this episode, I share with you five tips on what you need to do so you can have space in your mind for a truly restful summer, and a peaceful beginning of school next year.

What you will hear about in this episode:

• Writing ILPs before you leave for summer while the information is fresh 
• Cleaning up your classroom to show appreciation for custodial staff
• Taking pictures of everything you pack
• Organizing your digital files and suggestions on how
• Prep for the first week of school 

Show Notes:

• Episode 68 - 5 Things to Do BEFORE Leaving for Summer Break

Related Episodes:

• Episode 35 - What are ILPs and what to include in them
• Episode 33 - 4 Icebreaker activities for a great start of the school year

Resources Mentioned:

• The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join. 
• Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
• Lesson Planning Masterclass
• 6 Icebreaker activities blog post

Connect with Ieva:

• Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
• Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
• Join the  - Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

Support the show

May is one of those months that is long and fast at the same time. Somehow everything falls into this month as a teacher and in our personal life.

As the school year is nearing its end, there are a lot of moving parts for us teachers to consider. From grading, to paperwork, to somehow engaging the students who are seeming to get a bit antsy.

It is easy to get lost in all of it, so in this episode I want to share a few ways that can make those last few weeks of school meaningful. All of them involve creativity, which is the perfect antidote to boredom and frustration, and can be tweaked to any age group and  proficiency level.

I want to share three activities that will continue those creative juices flowing and will allow you and the students to see how far you have come throughout the school year. 

What you will hear about in this episode:

• Keeping our relationships with our students strong
• Structure in the classroom will make for a much smoother transition to summer
• Using quotes to connect to the school year
• Writing letters to incoming students
• Using Flip (formally Flipgrid) as a speaking assignment to help the student become more confident in what they are saying

Show Notes:

• Episode 67 -3 Ways to Finish the School Year Meaningfully

Related Episodes:

• Episode 20 - 5 End of the Year activities for your EL students

Resources Mentioned:

• The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join. 
• Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
• Essential lesson plan bundle 
• Classroom teacher’s ESL survival checklist 

Connect with Ieva:

• Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
• Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
• Join the  - Simply Ieva Facebook Group
  
  

Support the show

A lot of teachers work with mixed-proficiency classes where they have newcomers and higher level students all at the same time. This makes for challenging planning, classroom management, and everything in between. With the school year winding down, it gets even trickier.

In today’s episode, I wanted to revisit an episode I shared quite a while ago where I talk about three types of activities that work really well in a mixed-proficiency classroom. I will also share how to implement these activities to save yourself time and finish the year strong.

What you will hear about in this episode:

• Activities to use in mixed-proficiency classrooms
• How to achieve success with newcomers and higher level students
• Using choice boards to give your students to choose their own way of studying a concept
• How to use habits of mind and a “do now” activity to help students get into a learning mode
• Using projects to help tailor and adapt to different student levels

Show Notes:

• Episode 66 - 3 Activities For a Mixed-Proficiency EL Class (re-air) 

Related Episodes:

• Episode 4 - Choice boards for ESL students: How to use them in the classroom

Resources Mentioned:

• The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join. 
• Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
• Episode 16 - A new EL teacher’s perspective with Kennedy Merriam
• Essential lesson plan bundle 
• Classroom teacher’s ESL survival checklist 
• Habitsofmindinstitute.org

Connect with Ieva:

• Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
• Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
• Join the  - Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

Support the show

This episode is for you to learn, find out, and get excited about the possibilities of technology in your classroom. I will not be talking about ChatGPT or AI tools, simply because I am still exploring how they can be used ethically by both teachers and students in the classroom. However, I will be giving you tips and tricks on how to use my top three technology tools.

What you will hear about in this episode:

• Website and platforms that I use frequently and used to teach all language domains to English learners
• How to implement Google Docs, Slides and Sheets as a teaching tool
• Using Canva to create presentations, worksheets, assign projects, and even use as a language lesson
• Ways you can use Pear Deck to create interactive lessons to get a better understanding of where your students are in their learning

Show Notes:

• Episode 65 - 3 Tech Tools that Work Wonderfully in the EL Classroom

Previous Episodes:

• Episode 61 - Three tips for classroom teachers with ESL newcomers
• Episode 62 - 4 Strategies for teaching math to ESL students
• Episode 63 - How to grade ELs in the mainstream classroom
• Episode 64 (re-air) How to Pre-teach Vocabulary to ELs in the Mainstream Classroom

Resources Mentioned:

• The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join. 
• Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
• Essential lesson plan bundle 
• Canva
• Pear Deck
• Classroom teacher’s ESL survival checklist 

Connect with Ieva :

• Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
• Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
• Join the  - Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

Support the show

As we continue talking about English Learners in the mainstream classroom this month, I wanted to bring back a previous episode from last year that is very relevant to our topic.

With vocabulary being the main component of learning a language, this episode is all about how to pre-teach vocabulary when you are a regular education teacher. 

Pre-teaching vocabulary is very important to an English learner student. If the student does not understand the word, they will not be able to understand the content. There are 3 tiers of words we talk about in EL instruction. 

What you will hear about in this episode:

• What vocabulary pre-teaching is
• The reasons why it is so important to pre-teach vocabulary in the mainstream classroom
• The steps that can be taken to pre-teach vocabulary
• How pre-teaching vocabulary will benefit all students not just the language learners

Related Episodes:

• Episode 61 - Three tips for classroom teachers with ESL newcomers
• Episode 62 - 4 Strategies for teaching math to ESL students
• Episode 63 - How to grade ELs in the mainstream classroom

Resources Mentioned:

• The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join. 
• Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
• Numbers and number words worksheet for ESL students
• Classroom teacher’s ESL survival checklist 
• Episode 35 - What are ILPs and what to include in them 

Connect with Me:

• Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
• Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
• Join the  - Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

Support the show