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Planning for acquisition isn’t about perfection—it’s about intention. In this powerful episode, I sit down with Dr. Diane Neubauer and Dr. Reed Riggs for one of the most meaningful conversations I’ve ever had about lesson planning in the world language classroom.

We explore what it means to plan with purpose—centering curiosity, communication, and student connection instead of rigid structures or vocabulary lists.

✨ Key takeaways:

• Why essential questions can guide your unit better than word banks
• How to stay flexible with language goals (because students don’t always know what we think they know)
• The power of interpretive communication—why listening and reading matter just as much (or more!) than speaking
• How routines and student responses can lead the way
• Why language is the vehicle, not the destination

Whether you’re new to acquisition-driven instruction or looking to refine your approach, this episode will inspire and ground your planning process.

🛠️ Mentioned in the episode:

Neubauer, D. (2022). Chinese Language Instruction with Novice Learners: Target Language Topic Development, Engagement, and Comprehension in Online and Hybrid Classrooms: The University of Iowa.

Jacknick, C. M. (2021). Multimodal participation and engagement: Social interaction in the classroom. Edinburgh University Press.

Hiver, P., Al-Hoorie, A. H., & Mercer, S. (2020). Student engagement in the language classroom. Multilingual Matters.

Diane’s YouTube channel

Diane’s Language teaching blog

New eBook: Comprehension-based Chinese, published by Cheng & Tsui

Reed’s Blog: http://www.reedriggs.com/#/

Conversations About Language: https://conversationsaboutlanguage.buzzsprout.com/

More Resources:

🌐 Connect with Claudia:

Instagram: @growingwithproficiency

Website: www.growingwithproficiency.com

TpT Back to School Sale! 🗓️ August 5–6 — Use code BTS25
👉 Explore all the resources here

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What happens when students expect grammar charts, parents want vocabulary lists, and administrators walk in asking, “Why are YOU doing all the talking?” If you’ve felt that tension, this episode is for you.

In this final episode of the Back to School Series, I share the exact lesson I use in the first week of school that changed a lot for me—how I shifted from feeling questioned and defensive to confidently leading my students, parents, and administrators through the “why” of how we teach languages today.

You'll hear how teaching students about language acquisition and ACTFL proficiency empowers them to engage with purpose, builds trust in your classroom, and lays the foundation for meaningful grading conversations all year long.

In This Episode:

• Why world language class is not like math or biology—and why that matters
• How I introduce language acquisition
• Why educating parents and administrators is key
• Why teaching our students about proficiency will help our students to ask better questions for assessments.
• Why this one lesson created more buy-in, better behavior, and stronger relationships in my class

🧰 Resources + Links from the Episode:

📝 Mini Lesson: How Do We Acquire Language?
👉 Available on TpT

🎯 GWP The Spanish Teacher Academy 👉 Join the Spanish Teacher Academy

🎧 Ep. 78 – w/ Pablo Martinez
👉 Listen now

🎧 Ep. 131 – ACTFL Proficiency Descriptors w/ Maris Hawkins
👉 Listen now

📚 Ohio State Study: The Power of Reading Daily
👉 Read the article

🎁 Want to Start the Year Strong with Everything You Need?

If you're a Spanish teacher ready for:

• Tailored PD for proficiency-based instruction
• Monthly planning support and fresh resources
• A full-year curriculum (Creciendo) that’s comprehensible and compelling
• Panoramas culturales with audio recorded by native speakers
• A thriving teacher community that gets it...

Then the Spanish Teacher Academy is for you! 🎉

👉 Join today at growingwithproficiency.com/academy

🎒 School paying? We accept POs!
📩 Questions? Email: support@growingwithproficiency.com

❤️ Let’s Stay Connected:

Instagram → @claudiamelliott
Podcast archive + blog → growingwithproficiency.com

🎧 Thank you for listening! If this episode inspired you, share it with a colleague and leave a review. Here’s to a joyful, sustainable, and meaningful year!

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The first week of school can feel like a whirlwind—there’s excitement, anticipation, and let’s be honest… pressure. What should you do first? What’s most important? And how can you make sure you’re setting up your students (and yourself!) for a successful, sustainable year?

In this episode, I’m opening up about what I actually prioritize during that first week of school in my Spanish classroom. I’m sharing what I focus on (and what I no longer stress about), how I build trust and connection from day one, and the routines that help students feel safe, welcomed, and ready to use Spanish with confidence.

You’ll hear about:

• What students really bring into your classroom on the first day
• How to make that very first impression count
• Why I lead with connection, not curriculum
• The small changes I’ve made that have had a big impact on student engagement
• How I create an experience where Spanish is accessible and meaningful—even on day one

If you’re feeling the back-to-school pressure or just want a plan that feels human and realistic, this episode is for you.

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Join the Spanish Teacher Academy for free: growingwithproficiency.com/trial
• Don’t miss our Live Planning Session on July 22—available to all Academy members!
• Want more back-to-school inspiration? Catch:
  • Ep. 151: The 3 Pillars of a Sustainable Language Class
  • Ep. 153: Planning a Sustainable Year
  • Episodio en Español: 5 claves para comenzar el año escolar

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Planning for a new school year can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to create a class centered on communication and proficiency, not grammar features. In this episode, I walk you through five intentional steps to help you map out your year with clarity and sustainability. You’ll learn how to prioritize compelling input, build a flexible curriculum map, and keep your students’ needs and your well-being at the center of your planning.

This episode will help you feel more grounded and confident heading into the school year.

Key Takeaways:

Start with the big picture. Use a year-at-a-glance calendar to identify your teaching windows, breaks, and celebrations you want to highlight.

• Let your communicative anchors lead. Plan around meaningful questions and content, not grammar structures.
• Reuse what worked. Bring back favorite units that felt joyful and effective.
• Fill in the gaps with purpose. Choose content that supports the required curriculum while staying rooted in compelling, comprehensible input.
• Plan for creativity. Schedule storyasking and one-word image sessions to provide rich, personalized input.
• Simplify. Step back and adjust your calendar to keep your plan flexible and realistic. Aim for sustainability, not perfection.

Resources Mentioned:

Episode 151: The 3 Pillars of a Sustainable Language Classroom

Episode 152 (Spanish): Cinco Claves para Prepararte Antes del Primer Día

Episode 131: Understanding ACTFL's New Proficiency Descriptors with Mary Hawkins

Episode 33 and 99: Featuring Dr. Karen Lichtman on Language Acquisition Research

Spanish Teacher Academy Trial Access: growingwithproficiency.com/trial

More about the Crescendo Curriculum and planning framework: growingwithproficiency.com/academy

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¿Tienes todo listo para un nuevo año escolar que no solo funcione, sino que se sienta bien? En este episodio te comparto las 5 claves esenciales para un regreso a clases intencional, humano y sostenible en tu clase de español.

En vez de empezar en modo “supervivencia”, este año te invito a comenzar con claridad, conexión y propósito. Estas estrategias están pensadas para adaptarse a tu contexto real y ayudarte a enseñar con más calma y más impacto.

Aquí están las 5 claves que exploramos:

1. Diseñar un espacio lingüísticamente rico que invite al uso natural del español desde el entorno.
2. Crear una estructura de clase efectiva que fomente el input comprensible y te libere del cansancio diario.
3. Conectar de forma auténtica con tus estudiantes, construyendo relaciones que potencien la motivación y compromiso.
4. Planificar con un marco claro y funcional que reduzca decisiones improvisadas y te sostenga todo el año.
5. Establecer sistemas simples pero poderosos que te den paz mental y autonomía en el aula.

Este episodio es para ti si buscas enseñar con pasión, sin sacrificar tu bienestar ni tu energía creativa.

🎁 Y no se te olvide: las puertas están abiertas para que vivas una prueba gratuita de 7 días dentro de Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy. Es el espacio que diseñé para apoyarte en cada etapa de tu camino como profe de español basada en comprensión.

✨ Regístrate hoy en: growingwithproficiency.com/trial

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As we step into a new school year, one word guides everything: sustainability.

In this first episode of a 4-part summer series, I’m breaking down the key to a successful and sustainable language class—one that doesn't run on exhaustion. You’ll learn about the 3 essential pillars that create a joyful, communicative, and manageable classroom experience—plus the one critical consideration teachers often overlook. Whether you're teaching Spanish or any world language, this episode will help you set up your routines, relationships, and planning framework so you can teach with energy and intention all year long.

This is not just about strategies—it’s about making them last.

Grab your cafecito and let’s get started. ☕💬

What you'll learn in this episode:

✅ Why sustainability isn’t optional—it’s essential
✅ The role of context and how it shapes your classroom decisions
✅ Pillar 1: How consistent routines support input, structure, and classroom management
✅ Pillar 2: Why relationships must come before content (especially in the first weeks)
✅ Pillar 3: A clear planning framework grounded in Second Language Acquisition
✅ What’s coming next in the Summer Series
✅ Sneak peek into the 7-day free trial of the Spanish Teacher Academy

Mentioned in this episode:

🔗 Join the waitlist for the 7-day free trial (starting July 7):
growingwithproficiency.com/academy

🎧 Related podcast episodes:

• Episode 11 – How to Plan a 90-Minute Class
• Episode 131 with Maris Hawkins – Understanding the New ACTFL Descriptors
• Episode 90 with AnneMarie Chase – Low-Stress Assessment for Proficiency
• Episode 52 on how to adapt your textbook with CI-based strategies

Let’s keep growing — with joy, clarity, and connection.
If this episode inspired you, please leave a review or share it with a fellow teacher. ✨

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This episode is a different kind of conversation—one that goes beneath the surface and straight to the heart. 💛

In this episode of Growing With Proficiency, the Podcast, I’m joined by two great friends and incredible educators, Annabelle Williamson (La Maestra Loca) and Bertha Delgadillo. Together, we open up about a topic that many teachers live with, often silently: teaching with ADHD.

Annabelle and Bertha share their personal journeys to getting diagnosed, what ADHD looks like behind the scenes, the emotional toll it can take, and the powerful tools and strategies they’ve found to support themselves and their students. We talk about the guilt, the overwhelm, and the pressure to “keep up”—and how curiosity, community, and compassion can help us rewrite the narrative.

Whether you’ve been diagnosed, suspect you might have ADHD, or simply feel like you’re always behind and overwhelmed, this episode is for you.

Because what if the problem isn’t you—but the systems we’re trying to fit into?

🎧 Tune in to hear:

• What ADHD can really look and feel like as a teacher
• The challenges no one talks about
• Strengths and superpowers hidden under the struggle
• Real-life tools like the Kaizen method, morning routines, Asana, and Finch
• How advocating for yourself and your students can change everything

We’re not experts or doctors—just teachers sharing our lived experiences in the hope that it makes someone else feel seen and supported. 💬

Because you are not alone. You are not broken. And you are exactly the teacher your students need.

📌 Full show notes and resources at growingwithproficiency.com

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This isn’t your typical episode about strategies or games. Today, we’re talking about something real, something we don’t say out loud enough in our teacher circles: What do you do when your school no longer feels like home?

I’m joined by the amazing Kia D. London, a world language educator and returning guest, who opens up about the pain of leaving a school she once thought she’d retire from. In this raw and vulnerable conversation, we talk about what happens when your admin doesn’t support you, the grief that comes with leaving, and how to begin again—without losing yourself in the process.

Whether you’re in a toxic school environment or supporting a teacher who is, this episode will make you feel seen and remind you: You are not alone.

🎧 Tune in now, and let’s have the conversation we all need. 💛

Show Notes:

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• What to do when your principal doesn’t support you
  
  
• Signs of a toxic school culture
  
  
• Why grief is real when you leave a school (even if it was your choice)
  
  
• The importance of honoring your emotions while starting over
  
  
• How Kia rebuilt her confidence and professional identity in a new space
  
  
• Why we need to normalize conversations about burnout, grief, and integrity
  
  

This episode is for any teacher who has ever felt stuck, unsupported, or unsure whether it’s time to go. It’s also for those who are rebuilding after a hard transition.

🔗 Links & Resources

🎙️ Kia's podcast:
Wisdom From An (Almost) Failed Teacher — Powerful, reflective episodes from Kia’s journey as an educator and human being.

📘 Related Blog Post:
What to Do When Your School Is No Longer a Safe Place – A deeper dive into Kia’s story and practical steps for teachers navigating unsupportive environments.

🌐 Connect with Kia:
Instagram: @clases_de_london

Website: bit.ly/klondon

Podcast: Wisdom From An Almost Veteran Teacher

Facebook Group: Culturally Diverse and Equitable Curriculum Design Group

🌐 Connect with Claudia:
Instagram: @growingwithproficiency
Website: www.growingwithproficiency.com

📩 Want more support and resources for your teaching journey?
Join The Spanish Teacher Academy → growingwithproficiency.com/academy

🎧 Subscribe & Review
If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to rate and review the podcast. It helps us reach more teachers who need to hear these conversations.

🧡 Gracias for listening, profe. You're not alone—and your story matters.