Thrive in ELT

What do you need to take (and stay in) charge of your to-do list?

It’s Day 5 — congratulations!

You’ve accomplished a lot this week. To help you maintain the momentum, I’ve got two more factors for you to consider.

How you answer today’s questions will determine how well your to-do lists work for you and if they’re stress relieving instead of stress inducing.

Resources:

Get the free PDF companion that will guide you as you work through the challenge, giving you space to brainstorm ideas and make decisions. >> https://eltresourceroom.kit.com/3c5da19c88 

Instead of missing out on growth opportunities or spending time on things you don’t really need, create a personalized PD plan that’s right for you at this moment in your ELT life. Get the guide and lock in your two 1:1 sessions with me. >> https://eltresourceroom.kit.com/products/personal-pd-plan 

Connect with Heather:

Website

LinkedIn

Facebook

If your to-do list could be any way you could make it, what would it look like?

It’s Day 4, and you get to decide.

While there are probably options you’ll want to choose from, your to-do list is yours. How do you want it to be so that it serves you and your English language teaching life in the best way possible?

Free Resource:

Get the free PDF companion that will guide you as you work through the challenge, giving you space to brainstorm ideas and make decisions. >> https://eltresourceroom.kit.com/3c5da19c88 

Connect with Heather:

Website

LinkedIn

Facebook

How many to-do lists do you really need?

It’s Day 3, and that means it’s decision making time! Answer these two important questions to help you work more productively.

Free Resource:

Get the free PDF companion that will guide you as you work through the challenge, giving you space to brainstorm ideas and make decisions. >> https://eltresourceroom.kit.com/3c5da19c88 

Connect with Heather:

Website

LinkedIn

Facebook

Want to make your to-do list work for you instead of stressing you out all of the time?

It’s Day 2, and we’re going a step further. Let’s think about how your answers to Day 1’s questions impact your English language teaching life — now and in the future.

Free Resource:

Get the free PDF companion that will guide you as you work through the challenge, giving you space to brainstorm ideas and make decisions. >> https://eltresourceroom.kit.com/3c5da19c88 

Connect with Heather:

Website

LinkedIn

Facebook

It’s Day 1 — let’s get started!

Listen in for three guiding questions that will help you run a diagnostic on your current to-do list practices.

Free Resource:

Get the free PDF companion that will guide you as you work through the challenge, giving you space to brainstorm ideas and make decisions. >> https://eltresourceroom.kit.com/3c5da19c88 

Connect with Heather:

Website

LinkedIn

Facebook

Do you feel overwhelmed by all the stuff that needs to get done in your English language teaching life?

Join me, right here on the podcast, March 3-7, 2025, for the Take Charge of Your To-Do List challenge.

Get the details in this short invitation episode and get ready to make your to-do list work for you and not stress you out. (Sounds good, doesn't it?!)

Free Resource:

Sign up to get the free PDF that goes along with each day of the challenge here: https://eltresourceroom.kit.com/3c5da19c88 

Have you ever thought to yourself that there has to be a better way?

Whether it's every week or every day, it can feel like there's always something to be done.

What often follows? The feeling that there's always something that could be done better.

The reality of your English language teaching life is likely this: There will always be a lesson to plan, a course to revise, or an assignment to review. But that reality doesn't have to mean long hours or striving toward perfection.

What I finally decided to say years ago was this: Good enough is enough.

This doesn't mean that you stop doing your best for you students. Instead, it means that you focus on the right things, the better things, at the right time.

Join me in this episode to find out how you can make good enough enough in your ELT life.

For full show notes of this episode, visit https://www.eltresourceroom.com/podcast/70-when-good-enough-is-enough-in-english-language-teaching

Stay up to date with the podcast and more:

Sign up for my monthly newsletter to get tips like in today's episode that will help you live a calmer, more sustainable ELT life >> https://eltresourceroom.ck.page/a29bcd1017

Connect with Heather:

Website

LinkedIn

Facebook

Do you want to thrive in your English language teaching life?

Learn about the Thrive in ELT podcast and how the practical episodes can help you reduce stress and find more time to breathe by getting organized.

Connect with your host, Heather Johnston:

Website

LinkedIn

Facebook

Have you ever started a system and then gotten off track?

(My hand is up!)

We all need a restart every now and again, don't we?

Some are easy, like the ones that tend to come naturally at the beginning of a new term. But others? They can feel like a disruption, a hassle, or even a disappointment.

But here are three facts about organizational systems:

1. It's OK if you put a system in place and it doesn't work out like you'd hoped.

2. When you discover that a particular system or a part of a system doesn't work, that can be a really good thing.

3. When you get off track, it doesn't mean that you're an unorganized person or that you can't handle follow-through. It means that your system needs attention.

Not so sure about all of this?

Then you'll want to check out this episode where I share four steps for getting your organizational systems back on track.

Show Notes:

For full show notes of this episode, visit https://www.eltresourceroom.com/podcast/69-four-steps-to-get-your-organizational-systems-back-on-track

Stay up to date with the podcast and more:

Sign up for my newsletter to get more organizational tips like in today's episode that will help you live a calmer, more sustainable ELT life >> https://eltresourceroom.ck.page/a29bcd1017

Connect with Heather:

Website

LinkedIn

Facebook

Do you find it a struggle to help your students learn vocabulary?

It's been a challenge of mine for most of my English language teaching career.

But last semester I discovered a resource that's helping me change that – all thanks to James Thomas.

VersaText is a free online vocabulary tool that helps language teachers like you and me create text-specific materials and help our students discover new ways of thinking about words.

Through the use of a fun yet intentional word cloud, concordance, and word profiler, I'm learning how to systematically help my students learn better. And I have to say, it feels really good.

So if vocabulary is one of your topics of interest, or a need like me, listen in to hear James share his knowledge and wisdom about learning and teaching words.

My favorite quote from the episode? "I always think it's like looking at a text through a kaleidoscope." I'd never thought about a word cloud in this way, but I can see it! Maybe you can too?

For full show notes of this episode, visit https://www.eltresourceroom.com/podcast/68-teaching-vocabulary-and-more-through-text

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

• VersaText - The free, online vocabulary tool that James has developed
• Teaching English through Text - VersaText course for English language teachers (25% discount for the first 50 signups using the coupon code versatext25)
• Versatile Publisher - James' website
• Connect with James on LinkedIn or Facebook

Stay up to date with the podcast and more:

Sign up for my monthly newsletter for more helpful content, including recommended resources like in today's episode, to help you live a calmer, more sustainable ELT life >> https://eltresourceroom.ck.page/a29bcd1017

Connect with Heather:

Website

LinkedIn

Facebook