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Growing With Proficiency The Podcast
Welcome to Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast! Are you a World Language teacher who is looking for ideas, strategies, activities, and inspiration to create a World Language class where you and your students enjoy using the language to learn about the world and each other? Do you want to transform your class into an acquisition-driven instruction space where you intentionally provide a ton of comprehensible input?
If you are, you're in the right place.
Let's start this journey together. Head over to IG, and send me a DM @claudiamelliott to let me know what topics you would like me to cover in an upcoming episode.Join my free Facebook community, Growing With C. Also, check out my blog to start discovering some of these ideas and strategies at growingwithproficiency.com
Growing With Proficiency The Podcast
Episode 142: Building Joy, Connection, and Sustainability in Language Classes: Insights from a CI Teacher Panel
In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I’m joined by three brilliant educators—Donna Tatum-Johns, Justin Slocum Bailey, and Erika Peplinski-Burge—for a real, honest, and insightful conversation straight from the heart of CI Mitten.
Together, we answer 6 of the most common questions world language teachers ask, like:
🎯 How can I get my upper-level students to actually speak in class?
🧠 How do I juggle multiple preps without burning out?
🎭 What if I’m tired of feeling like a performer?
🧩 How do I support neurodiverse learners in a CI classroom?
🤝 What if my department isn’t on board with CI?
🌍 How can we advocate for our programs when cuts are everywhere?
You'll leave with tangible strategies, mindset shifts, and a deep reminder that you’re not alone in this work. 💛
Whether you’re new to CI or a seasoned teacher, this episode is packed with inspiration, practical ideas, and lots of love for our community.
Resources:
GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
🎙️ Do your students love animals?
Yeah… I already know the answer.
Because if there’s one thing that gets every single one of my students to say “aww” or light up with a smile… it’s animals. 🐶🐱🐘
Now imagine combining that universal love with a real-world topic like natural disasters—and boom 💥—you’ve got a compelling, ready-to-use lesson that sparks curiosity and builds empathy.
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