The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast

It’s not always easy to recognize #trauma in our students, since everyone responds to trauma differently. In this episode, Shey and Anna speak with guest Sherry MacKay about how to define trauma, how it might appear in our classrooms, and how teachers can be sensitive to students experiencing trauma.

💜 Friends of the Podcast! 💜We’re working on a new, exciting episode format where we integrate the voices of our listeners from around the world! 🎙️Would you like to be featured? Check out our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages to learn how, and submit your responses at bit.ly/pod_friends.

References & resources

Dana, Deb (2020). Polyvagal exercises for safety and connection. W.W. Norton & Company.

Mate, D.G. (2018). In the realm of hungry ghosts. Vermilion.

Porges, S. W., Porges, S. W., & Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. First Edition; the pocket guide to the polyvagal theory: The transformative power of feeling safe. first edition. W.W. Norton & Company.

The Polyvagal Theory, Nerd Nite.

The Vicarious Trauma Toolkit, Office for Victims of Crime

Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.

Further listening:

For a discussion about supporting your students through challenging moments, listen to Episode 6 - “Teaching and PD through the pandemic” and Episode 21 - “Addressing current events in the classroom”

Questions for Reflection:

How do you feel about #rubrics? 🧐 In this episode, Shey and Anna dive into why teachers should be using rubrics for objective assessment, how different kinds of rubrics serve distinct purposes, and ideas for making rubric design and implementation feel less daunting.

💜 Friends of the Podcast! 💜We’re working on a new, exciting episode format where we integrate the voices of our listeners from around the world! 🎙️Would you like to be featured? Check out our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages to learn how, and submit your responses at bit.ly/pod_friends.

References & resources

Can Do Descriptors. WIDA

Types of Rubrics. University of Minnesota, Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition.

Further listening:

For a discussion about assessment, listen to Episode 31 - “The beauty of assessment”

Questions for Reflection:

#Rubrics #Assessment #ESL #EFL #ELT #ReflectiveTeaching #TeachEnglish #ReflectivePedagogy #ESL #EFL #Teaching #Education #LoveTeaching #GlobalELT #Teacher #English #LanguageLearning #ReflectivePractice

Teaching grammar: You either love it or you hate it... 😍😡 In this episode, Shey and Anna speak with friend of the podcast, Amir Houssein Khoobru, about his relationship to grammar and geek out about communicative approaches to grammar teaching.

💜 Friends of the Podcast! 💜We’re working on a new, exciting episode format where we integrate the voices of our listeners from around the world! 🎙️Would you like to be featured? Check out our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages to learn how, and submit your responses at bit.ly/pod_friends.

References & resources

Teacher’s Corner: Teaching Grammar for Communicative Competence. American English.

Schmidt, R. (2010). Attention, awareness, and individual differences in language learning. Singapore: National University of Singapore, Centre for Language Studies.

Controlled Practice and Free Practice. ITTT Glossary.

Further listening:

For a discussion about errors and error correction, listen to Episode 4 - To err is human.

For our discussion of the importance of function over form, listen to Episode 30 - Drama in the classroom.

Questions for Reflection:

#grammar #teachgrammar #grammarteaching #ESL #EFL #ELT #ReflectiveTeaching #TeachEnglish #ReflectivePedagogy #ESL #EFL #Teaching #Education #LoveTeaching #GlobalELT #Teacher #English #LanguageLearning #ReflectivePractice

Perhaps the title of this episode doesn’t fully correspond to your feelings about assessment; regardless, classroom assessment is something we need to face up to!  💯 In this episode, Shey and Anna unpack their relationship to assessment. Listen and learn what teachers are saying about summative and formative assessment and to review some of the key concepts of assessment.

💜 Friends of the Podcast! 💜 We’re working on a new, exciting episode format where we integrate the voices of our listeners from around the world! 🎙️Would you like to be featured? Check out our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages to learn how, and submit your responses at bit.ly/pod_friends.

References & resources

Further listening:

Questions for Reflection:

E30 - Drama in the classroom: beyond the role play (with Richard Silberg)

We’ve all used role plays in class, but have we truly explored what drama can unlock for language learners? 🔓 In this episode, Shey and Anna chat with Richard Silberg about how drama has become a central part of his practice as an English language teacher and how teachers can get started using simple drama techniques.

🍂 Fall Donation Drive 🍂If you like our episodes and can spare a little change this season, we hope you’ll support us through one of our options at teacherthinkaloud.com/support-us. A little love goes a long way. 🤎💛

References & resources

Silberg, R. English Language Teaching and Drama. (Richard’s website!)

Flynn, R. (2017). Tableau Classroom Drama Activities.

Kelan, D. (2009). In Their Own Words: Drama With Young ELLs.

Dr. Ian Andrew McDonald’s LinkedIn Page

Questions for Reflection:

Bonus! 🍸

Richard’s Spanish Negroni Cocktail

2 parts Mezcal (or Gin)

1 part Campari

½ part Amontillado Sherry

½ part White Vermouth

A few dashes of Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and pour into cocktail glass

Garnish with fresh orange peel 🍊

Yummm…

What are your favorite TED Talks for teaching? In in this episode, Shey and Anna go through their list of top 10 TED Talks for teaching. Listen for ideas on which talks to use and how to use them. 

Intercultural Competence and Identity

Kathryn Schulz’s book, Being Wrong

Recipes for Success

“Why Procrastinators Procrastinate” on Tim Urban’s blog, Wait but why?

Additional Resources

TED Ed

Questions for Reflection

Professional development can feel overwhelming! In this episode, Shey and Anna interview Ramin Yazdanpanah on his approach to PD, teacher well-being, and life. Find your center with us in this episode. 🌼 

Recommended Reading:

Dweck, C. S. (2022). Mindset: New Psychology Of Success. Ballantine Books.

James, C. (2021). Atomic Habits. PENGUIN UK.

Mercer, S., & Gregersen, T. (2020). Teacher Wellbeing. Oxford University Press.

Resources & Communities:

American English Teacher’s Corner: Website

American English Teacher’s Corner: Facebook page

Institute for the Professional Development of Adult Educators (IPDAE)

The Teacher Think-Aloud PLN

Questions for Reflection:

We're back from our summer break! Gear up for the new school year and consider weaving project-based learning into your curriculum. In this episode, Anna and Shey discuss why they love project-based learning and provide some examples of projects they and other listeners have implemented in the past. 💕 

Download Shey's E-Newspaper Curriculum ⭐ ready to be used in your classroom!

References & Resources:

Buck Institute for Education (n.d.). What is PBL? PBLWorks.

Riel, S. (2020). Cultivating Advanced Integrated Skills with PBI. TESOL Connections, TESOL International Association.

Valenzuela, J. (2022). A Simple, Effective Framework for PBL. Edutopia.

Questions for reflection:

Join us for our upcoming Teacher Think-Aloud PLN events! Every month we’ll  facilitate a conversation around best teaching practices and the topics that matter most to you. 🎓 Register here: https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/pln.

Teachers are amazing, carrying with them a plethora of transferable skills that others can learn from or that they can apply to different facets of life and work. In this episode, Shey and Anna share some of the takeaways their non-educator listeners have taken from the show and celebrate the incredible skills educators bring to the table.

Questions for reflection:

Join us for our Teacher Think-Aloud PLN launch event, July 25, 2022, 8 AM Pacific on Zoom! 🎉 Every month we’ll facilitate a conversation around best teaching practices and the topics that matter most to you. Register here: https://www.teacherthinkaloud.com/pln.

At some point, we've all handled conflict in our classroom---among students, between a student and the teacher... In this episode, Shey and Anna speak with guest Joe Voigts about his approach to conflict in the classroom, from handling disagreements among his Israeli and Palestinian students in Jerusalem to butting heads with his high-schoolers on the South Side of Chicago. 

Listener quote: 

"There  were times that students treated me disrespectfully. I knew that they  were teenagers and if I had reacted harshly, the situation would have  been so much worse. What I did was to pretend I hadn't heard what had  been said. I continued the lesson and when the class ended, I asked that  student to stay for a couple of minutes. I talked to him and he felt  sorry for what had happened. The consequence of this reaction of mine  was so positive. That student was so happy that I didn't say anything to  him in front of the eyes of his friends and he turned to the most  active student in the class." - Amir 

References & Resources:

High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out, Amanda Ripley

The Power of Storytelling to Build Cross-Cultural Connections Joe Voigts, TESOL

The Restorative Practices Handbook: For Teachers, Disciplinarians and Administrators, Bob Costello & Ted Wachtel

Questions for reflection: