#242Do you have required vocabulary lists by units that you’re expected to teach? Let’s say that you have a list of 30 or 40 words per unit. Your colleagues teaching other sections have the same list for consistency. You introduce them, ...

#241What would happen if the artwork on your classroom walls became the catalyst for real communication in the target language? In this episode I’m joined by Spanish teacher Courtney Bonino to explore how adding art to your curriculum ca...

#240Do your students sometimes struggle to get their ideas down in writing because they aren’t sure how to start or how to say exactly what they mean? Writing can feel overwhelming without the right support—but it doesn’t have to be that...

#239Do your students sometimes feel overwhelmed or a little hesitant when you ask them to write in the target language? Building writing confidence doesn’t happen overnight. It grows with small, purposeful moments every day. In this epis...

#238Do you want to deepen your practice as a world language teacher and sharpen your skills around proficiency?  In today’s episode, we’re exploring a way to do just that through the lens of National Board Certification. I’m joined ...

#237What keeps students coming back to your language program each year?  Especially when graduation requirements, scheduling and competing electives are pulling them in other directions? This is the second episode in our advocacy se...

#236Curious how language programs thrive even with tight budgets and shifting graduation rules? In this episode, I share insights from conversations at the Klett World Languages booth at

#235What actually motivates our students? Today we explore that question through the lens of Self-Determination Theory with teacher Martha Cox-Stavros, a middle school Spanish teacher in Massachusetts. Whether this theory is brand new to...

#234When did you last speak with a colleague about what really worked in your lesson? Or reflected on what helped students communicate, not just what they covered? In this episode we look at how small, intentional habit...

#233Do you want your students to feel more confident and eager to share their ideas in the target language? In this episode, we’ll explore strategies that help learners move beyond words and phrases and into real discourse and communicat...

#232Last week in episode 231 I began a two-part series on using a simple story to show what CI looks like in real classroom practice. In this episode, I continue by building on the same story and walking through how CI activities help st...

#231Over a series of 3 episodes we looked at a range of CI activities, and I promised I’d be back and to show exactly how they work together in practice. This is the first of 2 episodes where I’ll take a simple story and use it to model ...

#230It’s the start of new year and a chance to recharge our educator battery. Sometimes a little easier said than done, I know. In this episode, recorded at the NYSAFT Annual Conference in Albany, NY, w...

#229What do you do when there is a change in your schedule, like shortened class time because of a delayed opening?  What if several students need to miss class because of a school event or responsibility? This is sometimes the real...

#228Do you use stories in your classroom? Do you have some engaging ways for students to, well, engage with those stories? In this third episode of the CI Toolbox series, we look at storytelling and narrative-based activities th...

#227Have you noticed how a well-chosen reading can spark curiosity in your students? Reading can be one of the most engaging, communicative parts of your language class. With the right support, reading is incredibly empowering for studen...

#226Have you ever played an audio or clip for your class, only to see blank stares and puzzled expressions? It’s not that your students aren’t listening—it’s that they need tools to know how to listen. In this episode, we’ll exp...

#225There’s something special about ACTFL. The energy, the connection, the spark that comes from being in a space filled with teachers who care deeply about students, language, culture, and each other. Whether you are listening to reflec...

#224How long are your classes? Do you see your students 2,3, 4 maybe 5 times a week? We all have different schedules in our schools and learn to adapt to the time that we have. Block schedules, extended class periods that meet fewer time...

#223Have you ever taught a grammar concept and then watched your students completely forget it during a speaking or writing task? It can be frustrating. In this episode, we’re looking at why that disconnect happens and how to bridge it b...

#222Do your reading and writing tasks feel like an afterthought or are they building blocks for language proficiency? In this second episode of the CI Toolbox series we focus on reading and writing activities that engage student...

#221Have you ever noticed how students light up when language learning feels real, active, and connected to their world? In this episode, I’m joined by Heidi Lechner, an inspiring German teacher and instructional coach in Illinois. Heidi...

#220Have you ever felt the pressure to “teach to the test” in your AP language class, only to wonder if it’s actually helping students communicate more confidently? In today’s episode, I speak with Diego Ojeda, a Spanish Teacher in Louis...

#219You just wrapped up a fun, high-energy activity. The room was buzzing, students were laughing and moving, but now you’re wondering: Did they actually use the language? In this episode, we’re unpacking what makes an activity ...

#218This is the first of 3 episodes in a series on CI Strategies.  There will be an episode on Story Telling and Narrative techniques, one on Reading and Writing procedures and today’s episode on Interaction and Discussion.  In...