Send us a text Once upon a time … Nothing better than a good story. My best memory as a child was listening to my dad tell me a story. Stories are powerful even inside our classes, and that’s what I’m sharing with you in this episode. In this episode, you will discover the power of stories in the world language classroom. I’ll share a little bit of the science behind the use of stories for education and how stories connect emotionally with students, help them retain better, and promotes their un...
Jan 19, 2023•34 min
Send us a text For many of us, listening to our students using the language in class and even outside the class is the ultimate dream. Isn’t it? Whether you are a brand new teacher or an experienced teacher, like me, what would it mean to have a class where students are engaged in class discussions using the language? What if your students are willingly participating in communicative activities in class? What if they are not only growing in their proficiency but also in their cultural competence...
Jan 12, 2023•33 min
Send us a text ¡Feliz Año! Happy New Year! This episode is perfect if you're looking for ideas on how to set or reset your World Language classes for success. In this episode, we will be discussing ways to kick off the new year with a focus on building connections with your students, boosting their confidence, and staying in the target language. Starting the year off on the right foot is crucial for setting the tone for the remainder of this term. If you're listening to this episode later in the...
Jan 05, 2023•35 min
Send us a text Check out these numbers. On average, people spend 2 hours per day looking for files they swear they just saw inside their drives. Teachers spend between 5 to 7 hours per week on lesson planning, and most people spend up to 13 hours per week managing their inboxes. When I saw these numbers, I knew I had to invite my friend Lisa McHargue to share with us actionable strategies to make our teacher lives more effective and less stressful by getting control of our Google Drive (or your ...
Dec 29, 2022•43 min
Send us a text Reflecting on what worked and didn’t work too well in our classes helps us gain self-awareness and steer the wheel in the right direction if needed. And I cannot think of a better way to do this activity than with my great friends and colleagues Bertha Delgadillo and Annabelle Williamson (a.k.a. La Maestra Loca). In this live conversation, Bertha, Annabelle, and I chatted about practices and strategies that worked very well in our classes like communication with parents, classroom...
Dec 22, 2022•59 min
Send us a text The last days of school are stressful and exciting at the same time. No matter how well or not so well the year was, we’re ready to get into our cars and leave for a well-deserved rest. At least that’s how I feel. However, before we close the door, there is one end-of-the-year activity we all should do. I’m talking about reflection, not only for our students but also for us. Did you know that metacognitive awareness is a major contributor to motivation and success? The best part i...
Dec 15, 2022•21 min
Send us a text Do you love or hate 90-minute block classes? In the past, I can’t say that I hated them, but I wasn’t a fan. I remember looking at the classroom clock so many times wondering when the class would be over. Thankfully, I was able to discover some tips and tricks to plan for my 90-minute class, and now I love it. If you’re looking for new ideas to make the most of your 90-minute block class without spending hours planning, you need to listen to this episode. I think you will find gre...
Dec 08, 2022•30 min
Send us a text Discover 4 Games to Get them Talking with Christina Margiore! How can we encourage our students to use the target language more in class? That’s a question we’re always asking. Even though “talking” is not essential for language acquisition, talking and using the target language is the reason why our students are in our classes. They want to use the language, and we want them to use it too. But it’s not as easy as it sounds. If you’re looking for new ideas on how to get your stude...
Dec 01, 2022•40 min
Send us a text Have you ever been to the Annual Conference of ACTFL? This was my first one and it exceeded all my expectations. I attended 11 sessions and ALL of them were incredible, but the best part was just meeting online friends in person and having great conversations with like-minded language educators. But these big conferences can also be very overwhelming and when we feel like that, we don’t even know where to start. That’s why in this episode I’m going to share with you the 5 activiti...
Nov 24, 2022•26 min
Send us a text Where I am today as a World Language educator is not what keeps me learning. What keeps me growing and learning, is where I can be and do next week to impact my learners. I started teaching in 2004 with not many tools. I entered the classroom knowing the language I was going to teach and a textbook. Soon, I realized I needed more than that. Today, I’m sharing with you what I had to unlearn to learn and grow as a World Language educator and how I stay curious and motivated despite ...
Nov 17, 2022•23 min
Send us a text Have you tried everything with a class and nothing seems to motivate your learners? If you’re looking for a different approach to boosting engagement in your class, especially at this time of the year, you need to listen to this episode. In this episode, I will share 5 quick-win ideas you can use with any of your classes to make your students feel successful. There is nothing like “feeling” and “seeing” that you’re making progress in the class to build confidence, motivation, and ...
Nov 10, 2022•26 min
Send us a text Can you guess who loves music the most? Our students. They are always listening to music, so why not use music in class? Today, Bertha Delgadillo shares with us why we should use more music in our language classes, her favorite 4 activities to do with songs, and where we can find great music for our classes. I love how Bertha talks about music. For he,r using music in class is more about the connection and the experience. And, those connections and experiences can be a door we can...
Nov 03, 2022•36 min
Send us a text There is nothing more frustrating than a chatty class, especially when students are NOT chatting in the target language. As World Language teachers, we put so much effort and intention to stay in the target language, but chatty classes make this goal more difficult. You and I know that our students need to listen in order to acquire the language, but can they acquire if they are talking all the time? I don’t think so. So, if you’re facing this challenge, this episode is for you. T...
Oct 27, 2022•31 min
Send us a text How can I maintain the use of the target language in class? We both know that using comprehensible target language in class is crucial. However, maintaining that day in and day out can be overwhelming, to say the least, unless you´re incorporating these three strategies in your class every day! In Episode 4, I´ll share with you the 3 most impactful strategies that I use every day in class to be able to use a ton of target language that is also comprehensible. Ready? Let´s begin. L...
Oct 20, 2022•27 min
Send us a text How to stay in the target language may be the most crucial question we, as World Language teachers, ask all the time, and because I know how important the answer to that question is, I decided to split it into two parts. Today, in Part 1, I will focus on how I was able to go from barely using the target language in class to using it more than 70% of the time and sometimes achieving the 90% goal and more. I understand that staying in the target language in class is not easy, but it...
Oct 13, 2022•25 min•Ep. 3
Send us a text I only wish someone would have told me these three things 17 years ago when I first entered a Spanish class. If you have been a World Language teacher for a while now, then there have been probably a million times you have said, "If only I knew then what I know now, I would have done things so differently“. Yes. It's always so much easier to analyze situations when you're looking back than when you're in the present. It's also easy to look back one year, one month, or even yesterd...
Oct 06, 2022•15 min•Ep. 2
Send us a text Why Should We REALLY Learn Languages? My students ask me this question all the time, and it took me years to articulate the right answer not only for them but also especially for me. You probably already have different valid answers to this question and even a Google slide presentation. I did too. But for me, those answers did not provide the most essential reasons why our students should learn languages. So, if you feel you don't have THE answer yet, this episode is for you. Toda...
Sep 29, 2022•15 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Send us a text 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? 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 ...
Sep 27, 2022•3 min
