The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast

How do you keep your passion for teaching alive despite everyday challenges and points of frustration? How can you tell if your disenchantment with the craft is temporary and burnout inspired, or an indicator of a lack of fulfillment or misalignment with your future goals? Beat the end-of-term slump with us as we discuss how to reclaim our zest for teaching. Click here for episode-related resources.

How do you go about incorporating diverse voices and realities in your curriculum? What strategies do you use to ensure that diversity is represented in your classroom? Just in time for Thanksgiving, in this episode we discuss approaches to representing more than just our own perspectives and experiences in the classroom. Click here for episode-related resources.

How do you acknowledge the connection between language and power in your classroom? How do you avoid imposing cultural norms associated with learning English? How do you highlight the validity of English as it is taught and spoken across the globe? In this episode, we touch upon the intersection of race and English’s world dominance, names and identity, white saviorism, the unicorn of “standard English”, and more. Click here for episode-related resources.

Do you find that you rely on implicit or explicit strategies more for teaching vocabulary, and what factors do you consider in deciding? What are your most trusted and creative strategies for teaching vocabulary? In this episode, we review the foundations of vocabulary learning and teaching. We'll be following up with more practical strategies and considerations! Click here for episode-related resources.

What does intercultural communicative competence (ICC) mean to you? How do you teach ICC in the classroom? In this episode, we reflect on the importance of teaching culture and ICC, and we create a foundation for beginning to do so in the classroom. There is, of course, much more to say on this topic, and we promise to create more and bring some great practical tips. But for now, let's all get on the same page. Click here for episode-related resources.

What routines or activities do you draw on frequently? In this episode, we discuss some of our favorite routines to keep our classes effective and efficient, to maximize learning, and to maintain our own sanity. Click here for episode-related resources.

If this is your first year teaching, this episode is for you! We’ve compiled a list of top tips for new teachers. Listen, learn and reflect. For a summary of our tips, check out our episode-related resources.

What do your lesson plans usually look like? How do you lesson plan efficiently while staying creative? In this episode, we explore different philosophies of lesson planning, establish the absolute essentials, and discuss ways to both stay fresh but not let lesson-planning take over your life. Click here for episode-related resources.

What are some of your go-to strategies for building rapport on the first day or in the first week of class? How do you maintain the rapport that you've built? In this episode, we explore ways to create a collaborative and supportive classroom culture from Day 1 through the rest of the term. Click here for episode-related resources.

How have your PD preferences shifted during the pandemic? How has participating in PD through the pandemic informed your teaching? In this episode, we explore the perspectives of listeners around the world on the transition to online teaching and changes to professional development opportunities during the pandemic. Click here for episode-related resources.