The ESL Teaching Podcast

Today we're diving into a crucial topic for every ESL teacher as we approach a new school year—how to set the stage for success during the first five days in the ESL classroom. In this episode, we'll explore essential strategies for building trust, setting expectations, understanding student backgrounds, establishing routines, introducing content, and fostering a positive classroom community. Whether you're a new or veteran teacher, these insights will help you create a welcoming and effective learning environment for your students right from the start. Stay tuned as we break down each day with practical tips and activities to ensure a smooth and productive start to your school year. 

Show Notes:

• Episode 123 - Kicking Off the School Year: The First Five Days in the ESL Classroom

Simply Ieva offers:

• The ESL Teaching Roadmap – EL curriculum and coaching membership for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. Back-to-school sale - join for 20%off!

Free resources - sign up and keep in touch:

• Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist 
• Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
• ESL Newcomer Teaching Checklist

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

• Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
• EMBARK™ Newcomer Curriculum
• Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
• My TpT store
• Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related episodes and articles: 

• Episode 78 - Starting strong: easy and fun icebreaker activities for all EL levels

Let’s connect!

• Follow me on Instagram
• Follow me on LinkedIn
• Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

Support the show

Recently, I talked about the roles of the EL teacher, what our jobs entail, and how we can explain, in short, about what we do to our colleagues and administrators. Today, I wanted to go a step further and talk about a mission statement. This short, clear statement packs so much information and might be just the ticket for EL teachers and departments to feel seen and heard. In this episode, I will talk about why it is important to have a mission statement for your EL program and 3 steps to create a stellar one.


Show Notes:

• Episode 122 - Why Your EL Program Needs a Mission Statement and How to Create One

Simply Ieva offers:

Professional development opportunities:

• 🥳The Enlightened EL Educator - 5-week virtual program for classroom teachers with ELs🥳

Free resources - sign up and keep in touch:

• Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist 
• Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
• ESL Newcomer Teaching Checklist

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

• Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
• 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. 
• EMBARK™ Newcomer Curriculum
• Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
• My TpT store
• Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related episodes and articles:
Episode 120 - The Four Roles of the ESL Teacher: What Do They Actually Do?

Let’s connect!

• Follow me on Instagram
• Follow me on LinkedIn
• Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

With the new school year kicking off, energy is buzzing through the hallways as teachers set up their classrooms and dive into mandatory trainings. Today, we’re addressing a fundamental question: Why should schools consider hiring outside educational consultants for English Learner (EL) professional development, especially when they already have in-house EL specialists?

In this episode, we’ll explore three reasons why bringing in an external EL educational consultant can significantly benefit your school district’s teaching strategies. From tackling time constraints to navigating interpersonal dynamics within your teaching staff, and offering an objective bird’s-eye view of your EL program, hiring a consultant could be the key to successfully integrating effective EL teaching methods into your classrooms.

Show Notes:

• Episode 121 - 3 Reasons Hiring an EL Educational Consultant is a Must for Your EL Teaching Needs

Simply Ieva offers:

Today’s episode:

Professional development opportunities:

• 🥳The Enlightened EL Educator - 5-week virtual program for classroom teachers with ELs🥳

Free resources - sign up and keep in touch:

• Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist 
• Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
• ESL Newcomer Teaching Checklist

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

• Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
• 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. 
• EMBARK™ Newcomer Curriculum
• Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
• My TpT store
• Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related episodes and articles: 

Episode 120 - The Four Roles of the ESL Teacher: What Do They Actually Do?

Let’s connect!

• Follow me on Instagram
• Follow me on LinkedIn
• Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

Support the show

With the number of English learners constantly rising and permeating not only large urban areas but also spreading into suburbs and rural towns, there's a serious need for all involved in the education of those English learners to understand the role of an ESL, ELL teacher in their district. This podcast episode was inspired by observations of both the mainstream teacher and EL teacher perspectives. So today, we will dive into the 4 major roles that an EL teacher brings to the school and why those roles are so important, not only for student advancement, but also for the entire district's success.

Show Notes:

• Episode 120 - The Four Roles of an ESL Teacher: What Do They Actually Do?

Simply Ieva offers:

Free resources - sign up and keep in touch:

• Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist 
• Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
• ESL Newcomer Teaching Checklist

Professional development opportunities:

• 🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳
• Lesson Planning Masterclass 

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

• Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
• 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. 
• EMBARK™ Newcomer Curriculum
• Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
• My TpT store
• Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related episodes and articles:
Read transcript of the episode on the blog

Let’s connect!

• Follow me on Instagram
• Follow me on LinkedIn
• Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

Support the show

Today we're diving into five practical tips for newer EL teachers. Whether you're transitioning into EL teaching, getting your certification, or supporting multilingual students in your regular classroom, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you succeed.

Show Notes:

• Episode 119 - 5 Tips for Newer EL Teachers

Simply Ieva Offers:

• Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist 
• Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
• ESL Newcomer Teaching Checklist

Professional development opportunities:

• 🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳
• Lesson Planning Masterclass 

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

• 🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳
• Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
• 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. 
• EMBARK™ Newcomer Curriculum
• Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
• My TpT store
• Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related/Previous Episodes:

• Episode 97 - How Teachers Can Harness The Power Of Second Language Acquisition Stages When Working With ELs
• Episode 98 - EL Newcomer To Experienced Multilingual: A Journey Through Language Proficiency Levels
• Episode 71 - How to Write Language and Content Objectives for EL Lessons

Let’s Connect!

• Follow me on Instagram
• Follow me on LinkedIn
• Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

Every day, I receive several emails that share your current biggest struggles as a teacher who works with EL students, whether you're exclusively with multilingual students or you have ELs in your regular education classroom. I read every single email, and although I don't always have the time to respond to you personally, I take all things you tell me to heart and mind. And after going through the questions, I usually begin to see a pattern. Many questions fall under similar umbrellas. For example, how to help newcomers is by far the most popular question. So today, I wanted to answer 2 questions that I know many of you can relate to about this topic. How to manage the influx of newcomers at different times throughout the year, and how to address difficult group dynamics. I know that if 2 or 3 people are asking the same questions, many others are likely wondering the same thing.

Show Notes: Episode 118 - How to Handle New Arrivals and Group Challenges Year-Round

Simply Ieva Offers:
Today’s episode:

EMBARK™ Newcomer Curriculum

Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

• 🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳
• Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
• Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
• Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist 
• 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. 
• My TpT store
• Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related/Previous Episodes:

• Episode 115 - Personalized learning for EL students: the power of choice boards

Let’s Connect!

• Follow me on Instagram
• Follow me on LinkedIn
• Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

As EL teachers, we need to possess a variety of skills, and not all of them are clear cut. Besides the obvious ones, such as being knowledgeable in teaching methodologies, standards, and educational psychology, as a teacher of multilingual learners, one must also possess acute cultural awareness. And that goes not only for EL teachers, but for all teachers whether you have multilingual learners in your classroom or whether you don't, yet. But, how do you define culture? And, why is a student's culture relevant in the classroom? Finally, what's time got to do with it? These are big questions, and each of them probably deserve a separate podcast episode. But I wanted to dive into them regardless and answer them for you right here today.

What you will hear about in this episode:

• Different attitudes toward time and cultural impact
• Individualism valued in the U.S., clashes in education
• Psychologist studies how cultures view and use time
• Different cultural understandings of time and communication
• Consider cultural aspects when planning lessons

Show Notes:

• Episode 117 - Clocking In: Cultural Perspectives on Time and Social Interactions

Simply Ieva Offers:

Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

• Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
• Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
• Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist 
• 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. 
• My TpT store
• Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related/Previous Episodes:

• Episode 110 - The Two Most Important Soft Skills for Teacher of English Learners

Let’s Connect!

• Follow me on Instagram
• Follow me on LinkedIn
• Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

As the summer break is nearing, it seems that time flies faster and faster. Between all of the award ceremonies, field days, final exams, and graduations, there's no space to even breathe. In this season, the desire to put off paperwork and lesson planning for next year is sometimes irresistibly strong, and I'm saying this because I've been there. So in today's episode, I wanted to revisit some tips for teachers that will help not only to finish the school year more organized, but also come back in the fall with a fresh perspective and gratitude for yourself. For taking the time to actually do it. You will hear 5 tips on what you need to do so you can have space in your mind for a truly restful summer.

What you will hear about in this episode:

• Importance of returning to an organized space
• Importance and timing of student rosters and ILPs
• Challenges ESL teachers face with room changes over the summer
• Importance of planning for the first week

Show Notes:

• Episode 116 - Do These 5 Things BEFORE Summer Break to Feel More Organized and Refreshed

Simply Ieva Offers:
Today’s episode: Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

• 🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳
• Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
• Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
• Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist 
• 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. 
• My TpT store
• Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related/Previous Episodes:

• Episode 35 - What Are ILPs and What to Include in Them 

 Let’s Connect!

• Follow me on Instagram
• Follow me on LinkedIn
• Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

With the school year almost at the end for many of us, or even finished for some, I wanted to revisit one of the episodes I recorded a while back because I know that it will really come in handy. Either now or at the start of the new school year. Honestly, anytime. What I'm talking about is how to use choice boards in your El classroom. What they are, how you can use them with your English learners and the benefits they bring to both you and your students. In this episode, I will share how I use choice boards in middle and high school and why both my students and I enjoy them. But the ideas can certainly be applied to teachers of ELs in elementary grades as well, with a little bit of tweaking.

Show Notes:

• Episode 115 - Personalized Learning for EL Students: The Power of Choice Boards

Simply Ieva Offers:

EL Choice Board Bundle

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

• 🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳
• Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
• Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
• Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist 
• 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. 
• My TpT store
• Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related Episodes & Articles:

• Watch the video on how to use choice boards on YouTube
• Episode 4 - Choice Boards for ESL Students: Three Creative Ways to Use Them In the Classroom

Let’s Connect!

• Follow me on Instagram
• Follow me on LinkedIn
• Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

When I ask teachers: if you could have a magic wand, what would you wish for you in your teaching situation, I get so many requests for a scope and sequence for newcomers and for a newcomer curriculum. So in today’s episode, I wanted to go back to the basics and talk a little bit about the scope and sequence for English language learners.  I will be answering the questions about what the scope and sequence is, why it is an important document to have, what is included in it, and how ELL teachers can create their own, especially for newcomers. I will also be sharing an example of my scope and sequence and a link for you to grab it at the end of this episode. 

What you will hear about a scope and sequence for newcomers:

• What is included in a scope and sequence
• How to create a scope and sequence when you don’t have a curriculum or a team
• The best ways to incorporate Common Core State Standards, ELD standards, and WIDA standards into your scope and sequence
• My process for creating academic and social emotional goals for my students
• Using my grammar teaching sequence available for free on my website

Resources:

As mentioned in the episode, here is the:

• Year Long Scope and Sequence

Below you will find some useful resources!

• EMBARK™ Newcomer curriculum grades 6-12 
• The ESL Teaching Roadmap – monthly 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. 
• Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
• Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
• Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
• Follow me on Instagram 
• Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

Support the show