The ESL Teaching Podcast

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Whether you teach young English learners or teenagers and even adults, teaching in language involves teaching the grammar of that language. At the same time, it raises many questions for us. What is grammar exactly? Do we need to teach grammar explicitly when working with English learners in English speaking settings? Or do we let the students absorb it through content? If we do teach explicitly, do we have them practice with worksheets or are there any other ways that would make it stick better? How can I teach if I myself am not comfortable with grammar rules and haven't learned them that well? What if I don't know anything about it? Do I still have to teach it? These are just a few questions I have heard regarding teaching grammar. So I decided to record a couple of episodes that will help put you at ease whether you work with younger English learners and teenagers or adults. And today's episode is all about how to teach grammar to younger learners, kids in elementary grades. So let's talk about strategies that will help you teach grammar to them.

Show Notes:

Episode 124 - How to Teach Grammar to Younger English Learners

Simply Ieva Offers:

Today’s episode:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – EL curriculum and coaching membership for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. Back-to-school sale - join for 20%off!

Free resources - sign up and keep in touch:

Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
ESL Newcomer Teaching Checklist

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
EMBARK™ Newcomer Curriculum
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
My TpT store
Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related episodes and articles:

Episode 15 - How to teach grammar to English learners (the grammar teaching sequence)

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The ESL Teaching Roadmap is your one-stop shop not only for ESL curriculum materials, but most importantly, for personalized teacher support that you will not get anywhere else. If you are ready to say “yes” to more aligned EL teaching, go to www.simplyieva.com/roadmap and join us!

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Today we're diving into a crucial topic for every ESL teacher as we approach a new school year—how to set the stage for success during the first five days in the ESL classroom. In this episode, we'll explore essential strategies for building trust, setting expectations, understanding student backgrounds, establishing routines, introducing content, and fostering a positive classroom community. Whether you're a new or veteran teacher, these insights will help you create a welcoming and effective learning environment for your students right from the start. Stay tuned as we break down each day with practical tips and activities to ensure a smooth and productive start to your school year.

Show Notes:

Episode 123 - Kicking Off the School Year: The First Five Days in the ESL Classroom

Simply Ieva offers:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – EL curriculum and coaching membership for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. Back-to-school sale - join for 20%off!

Free resources - sign up and keep in touch:

Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
ESL Newcomer Teaching Checklist

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
EMBARK™ Newcomer Curriculum
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
My TpT store
Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related episodes and articles:

Episode 78 - Starting strong: easy and fun icebreaker activities for all EL levels

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Recently, I talked about the roles of the EL teacher, what our jobs entail, and how we can explain, in short, about what we do to our colleagues and administrators. Today, I wanted to go a step further and talk about a mission statement. This short, clear statement packs so much information and might be just the ticket for EL teachers and departments to feel seen and heard. In this episode, I will talk about why it is important to have a mission statement for your EL program and 3 steps to create a stellar one.

Show Notes:

Episode 122 - Why Your EL Program Needs a Mission Statement and How to Create One

Simply Ieva offers:

Professional development opportunities:

🥳The Enlightened EL Educator - 5-week virtual program for classroom teachers with ELs🥳

Free resources - sign up and keep in touch:

Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
ESL Newcomer Teaching Checklist

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
EMBARK™ Newcomer Curriculum
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
My TpT store
Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related episodes and articles:Episode 120 - The Four Roles of the ESL Teacher: What Do They Actually Do?

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The Enlightened EL Educator 5-week program for classroom teachers with multilingual learners. Here is a program that is practical, easy to implement and flexible – to save you time, bring you clarity and help you feel better equipped and confident to serve the multilingual learners that enter your classroom.

5 self-paced modules
5 Live coaching (Q and A)
Private online community
Certificate of completion

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With the new school year kicking off, energy is buzzing through the hallways as teachers set up their classrooms and dive into mandatory trainings. Today, we’re addressing a fundamental question: Why should schools consider hiring outside educational consultants for English Learner (EL) professional development, especially when they already have in-house EL specialists?

In this episode, we’ll explore three reasons why bringing in an external EL educational consultant can significantly benefit your school district’s teaching strategies. From tackling time constraints to navigating interpersonal dynamics within your teaching staff, and offering an objective bird’s-eye view of your EL program, hiring a consultant could be the key to successfully integrating effective EL teaching methods into your classrooms.
Show Notes:

Episode 121 - 3 Reasons Hiring an EL Educational Consultant is a Must for Your EL Teaching Needs

Simply Ieva offers:

Today’s episode:

Professional development opportunities:

🥳The Enlightened EL Educator - 5-week virtual program for classroom teachers with ELs🥳

Free resources - sign up and keep in touch:

Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
ESL Newcomer Teaching Checklist

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
EMBARK™ Newcomer Curriculum
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
My TpT store
Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related episodes and articles:

Episode 120 - The Four Roles of the ESL Teacher: What Do They Actually Do?

Let’s connect!

Follow me on Instagram
Follow me on LinkedIn

5 self-paced modules
5 Live coaching (Q and A)
Private online community
Certificate of completion

Support the Show.

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With the number of English learners constantly rising and permeating not only large urban areas but also spreading into suburbs and rural towns, there's a serious need for all involved in the education of those English learners to understand the role of an ESL, ELL teacher in their district. This podcast episode was inspired by observations of both the mainstream teacher and EL teacher perspectives. So today, we will dive into the 4 major roles that an EL teacher brings to the school and why those roles are so important, not only for student advancement, but also for the entire district's success.
Show Notes:

Episode 120 - The Four Roles of an ESL Teacher: What Do They Actually Do?

**Simply Ieva offers:

Free resources - sign up and keep in touch:**

Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
ESL Newcomer Teaching Checklist

Professional development opportunities:

🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳
Lesson Planning Masterclass

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
EMBARK™ Newcomer Curriculum
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
My TpT store
Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related episodes and articles:Read transcript of the episode on the blog

Let’s connect!

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Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

I am inviting you to check out an easy to use, practical and effective EL newcomer curriculum Embark. From connecting with your students to helping them to embark on their English journey with engaging activities that promote language learning, Embark is a resource that will save you time on lesson planning and will boost your and your students’ confidence and achievement.

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Today we're diving into five practical tips for newer EL teachers. Whether you're transitioning into EL teaching, getting your certification, or supporting multilingual students in your regular classroom, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you succeed.

Show Notes:

Episode 119 - 5 Tips for Newer EL Teachers

Simply Ieva Offers:

Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
ESL Newcomer Teaching Checklist

Professional development opportunities:

🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳
Lesson Planning Masterclass

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
EMBARK™ Newcomer Curriculum
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
My TpT store
Record a comment for us - clickHERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 97 - How Teachers Can Harness The Power Of Second Language Acquisition Stages When Working With ELs
Episode 98 - EL Newcomer To Experienced Multilingual: A Journey Through Language Proficiency Levels
Episode 71 - How to Write Language and Content Objectives for EL Lessons

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Every day, I receive several emails that share your current biggest struggles as a teacher who works with EL students, whether you're exclusively with multilingual students or you have ELs in your regular education classroom. I read every single email, and although I don't always have the time to respond to you personally, I take all things you tell me to heart and mind. And after going through the questions, I usually begin to see a pattern. Many questions fall under similar umbrellas. For example, how to help newcomers is by far the most popular question. So today, I wanted to answer 2 questions that I know many of you can relate to about this topic. How to manage the influx of newcomers at different times throughout the year, and how to address difficult group dynamics. I know that if 2 or 3 people are asking the same questions, many others are likely wondering the same thing.

Show Notes: Episode 118 - How to Handle New Arrivals and Group Challenges Year-Round

Simply Ieva Offers:
Today’s episode:

EMBARK™ Newcomer Curriculum

Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳
Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store
Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 115 - Personalized learning for EL students: the power of choice boards

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As EL teachers, we need to possess a variety of skills, and not all of them are clear cut. Besides the obvious ones, such as being knowledgeable in teaching methodologies, standards, and educational psychology, as a teacher of multilingual learners, one must also possess acute cultural awareness. And that goes not only for EL teachers, but for all teachers whether you have multilingual learners in your classroom or whether you don't, yet. But, how do you define culture? And, why is a student's culture relevant in the classroom? Finally, what's time got to do with it? These are big questions, and each of them probably deserve a separate podcast episode. But I wanted to dive into them regardless and answer them for you right here today.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Different attitudes toward time and cultural impact
Individualism valued in the U.S., clashes in education
Psychologist studies how cultures view and use time
Different cultural understandings of time and communication
Consider cultural aspects when planning lessons

Show Notes:

Episode 117 - Clocking In: Cultural Perspectives on Time and Social Interactions

Simply Ieva Offers:

Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store
Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 110 - The Two Most Important Soft Skills for Teacher of English Learners

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Support the Show.

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As the summer break is nearing, it seems that time flies faster and faster. Between all of the award ceremonies, field days, final exams, and graduations, there's no space to even breathe. In this season, the desire to put off paperwork and lesson planning for next year is sometimes irresistibly strong, and I'm saying this because I've been there. So in today's episode, I wanted to revisit some tips for teachers that will help not only to finish the school year more organized, but also come back in the fall with a fresh perspective and gratitude for yourself. For taking the time to actually do it. You will hear 5 tips on what you need to do so you can have space in your mind for a truly restful summer.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Importance of returning to an organized space
Importance and timing of student rosters and ILPs
Challenges ESL teachers face with room changes over the summer
Importance of planning for the first week

Show Notes:

Episode 116 - Do These 5 Things BEFORE Summer Break to Feel More Organized and Refreshed

Simply Ieva Offers:Today’s episode: Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳
Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store
Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 35 - What Are ILPs and What to Include in Them

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Are you a busy ESL teacher who feels like you have zero time to plan well thought out lessons? Do you end up scouring the internet for engaging materials for your English learners just to come up with pieced together worksheets that you can’t find when you need them later? If you’re ready to reclaim your time, sanity and confidence, grab this bundle of ready-made lessons for grades 6-12 by visiting www.simplyieva.com/bundle

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With the school year almost at the end for many of us, or even finished for some, I wanted to revisit one of the episodes I recorded a while back because I know that it will really come in handy. Either now or at the start of the new school year. Honestly, anytime. What I'm talking about is how to use choice boards in your El classroom. What they are, how you can use them with your English learners and the benefits they bring to both you and your students. In this episode, I will share how I use choice boards in middle and high school and why both my students and I enjoy them. But the ideas can certainly be applied to teachers of ELs in elementary grades as well, with a little bit of tweaking.

Show Notes:

Episode 115 - Personalized Learning for EL Students: The Power of Choice Boards

Simply Ieva Offers:EL Choice Board Bundle

Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:

🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳
Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store
Record a comment for us - clickHERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related Episodes & Articles:

Watch the video on how to use choice boards on YouTube
Episode 4 - Choice Boards for ESL Students: Three Creative Ways to Use Them In the Classroom

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I have compiled every masterclass I have ever recorded on how to teach and reach English learners in a regular education classroom - I’m talking strategies, how-tos and done for you resources!) and have created a digital masterclass library called Light the Way to EL Teaching Success where you can get instant access to 10 practical and actionable videos, 8 done-for you lessons and 1 professional development certificate for 3 hours of your time.

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When I ask teachers: if you could have a magic wand, what would you wish for you in your teaching situation, I get so many requests for a scope and sequence for newcomers and for a newcomer curriculum. So in today’s episode, I wanted to go back to the basics and talk a little bit about the scope and sequence for English language learners. I will be answering the questions about what the scope and sequence is, why it is an important document to have, what is included in it, and how ELL teachers can create their own, especially for newcomers. I will also be sharing an example of my scope and sequence and a link for you to grab it at the end of this episode.

What you will hear about a scope and sequence for newcomers:

What is included in a scope and sequence
How to create a scope and sequence when you don’t have a curriculum or a team
The best ways to incorporate Common Core State Standards, ELD standards, and WIDA standards into your scope and sequence
My process for creating academic and social emotional goals for my students
Using my grammar teaching sequence available for free on my website

Resources:

As mentioned in the episode, here is the:

Year Long Scope and Sequence

Below you will find some useful resources!

EMBARK™ Newcomer curriculum grades 6-12
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – monthly membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the Show.

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Technology has increasingly become an integral part of teaching, and honestly, I cannot imagine teaching a lesson without it. Of course, I would if I needed to and I would have to adapt, but it just makes things so much faster and easier. From pulling up an image to complement the topic, to checking the correct MLA format, to grabbing precise definitions for the vocabulary words you want your students to learn. And with the advent of AI last year, the technology game has become an even more intricate dance. We ask ourselves which tools are reliable, how to use them ethically, what can our students use, and how we can make AI work for us, not the other way around. So in today's episode, I want to share with you 3 AI tools that have made my teaching life easier this year and how I use them to move my students forward in their English learning journey.

What you will hear about in this episode:

The AI tools I use
Creating vocabulary lists and example sentences
Adapting complex texts to student-friendly versions
Comprehensive tool used for creating and managing assignments
Features and benefits of AI tools

Show Notes:

Episode 113 - How to Use AI to Help Your Students Access Content Plus My Favorite Tools

Simply Ieva Offers:
🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳

Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Previous Episode:

Episode 112 - 5 Non-Negotiables for Integrating ELs in Regular Education Classroom

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When it comes to teaching English learners, some things come naturally for EL teachers, while regular education teachers might be wondering how they can reach their multilingual students. I have several episodes about teaching all ELs, but I wanted to distill this information into even more practical and really actionable advice that all teachers can take whenever they have an English learner in their classroom. In today's episode, I will be talking about 5 non-negotiables for integrating ELs in your regular education classroom. No matter what subject or what grade level you teach. They may be new to you or you may have already heard them many times. But as we say, the more times you hear it, the more you internalize the information and the more it can become natural to you to implement.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Importance of reaching out to EL specialists for proficiency assessments
The four main language functions: inform, narrate, argue, and explain
Importance of speech adjustment to assist EL comprehension
Strategies for teaching newcomers with overwhelmed capacities

Show Notes:

Episode 112 - 5 Non-Negotiables for Integrating ELs in Regular Education Classroom

Simply Ieva Offers:
🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳

Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 98 - EL Newcomer to Experienced Multilingual: A Journey Through Proficiency Levels

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Support the Show.

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I don't know about you, but every year around April, I feel like my energy is drained. I can no longer focus, and the feeling of inadequacy begins to creep in. The students have absorbed as much as they could. We all are just counting the days until that summer break when we all can recharge and look at things from a different perspective. But we have to somehow get through those last weeks of school. I want to share some of the end of year hacks that I use to feel like I'm still making a difference in my teaching and student learning and, what I do to not lose my own sanity in the process.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Shifting focus from new material to reviewing past lessons
Strategies to handle waning student focus and increased energy
The impact of changing environment on teacher motivation and creativity
The importance of self-care and maintaining personal well-being

Show Notes:

Episode 111 - 5 End of the Year Hacks to Finish the School Year With Sanity

Simply Ieva Offers:
🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳

Record a comment for us - clickHERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Related episodes and articles:

Shinrin Yoku: The Japanese Practice that Could Transform Your Day
Episode 74 - Why Teachers Should Embrace Meditation as Part of Their Daily Routine
Episode 64 - 3 Ways to Finish Your School Year Meaningfully

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In education, hard skills such as the academic knowledge of the subject and the know-how of teaching in general, the strategies, the methodology, the assessment are the focal point. But today, I wanted to talk about the soft skills that are much more difficult to define and quantify because they are less concrete, but have been proven time and time again just as important as the know-how. These skills involve interpersonal and interpersonal communication, being flexible, cultural awareness, and others. And they help us forge meaningful relationships, as well as allow us to live a more fulfilling life. And, in particular, I wanted to touch upon two aspects of those soft skills, communication and cultural awareness, and why they are extremely important when you're working with English learners.

What you will hear about in this episode:

The crucial role of soft skills in effective communication and relationship building
List of Essential Soft Skills for Educators
The impact of teacher communication on student connection and content accessibility
Definition and significance of cultural awareness

Show Notes:

Episode 110 - The Two Most Important Soft Skills for Teachers of English Learners

Simply Ieva Offers:
🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳

Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 106 - Common SEL Challenges ELs Face in the Classroom

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Welcome back to another episode of The ESL Teaching Podcast. Today we're tackling an issue that's close to the heart for so many of us educators: the challenge of negative self-talk. As teachers, we navigate not only academic pressures but also the emotional and mental weight of our personal lives. Recognizing our humanity is crucial to maintaining not just our performance in the classroom but our overall well-being. In this episode, we explore practical strategies and self-reflection tools designed to transform our inner dialogue. From identifying types of negative thoughts to embracing moments of quiet and mindfulness, join us as we unpack five powerful practices that can uplift our spirits and reshape how we perceive and respond to stress.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Overcoming the feelings of mental exhaustion
The parallel between the struggles of students and teachers
Five practices to combat negative self-talk and mental health challenges
The necessity of self-care for effective teaching and personal well-being
Four types of negative self-talk
Reframing thoughts for mental well-being

Show Notes:

Episode 109 - Rewriting the Script of Negative Self-Talk for Teachers

Simply Ieva Offers:
🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳

Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 74 - Why teachers should embrace meditation as part of their daily routine

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Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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Welcome to Episode 108 of The ESL Teaching Podcast! In this episode, I share my go-to activities for those "I can't even" days, when exhaustion and lack of inspiration make lesson planning a struggle. I candidly discuss my own experiences with feeling tired and bored while teaching, and offer practical, low-prep activities to reignite the classroom's energy. From engaging listening and speaking activities like back-to-back drawing and interviewing, to creative writing prompts using social media and vocabulary categorization, these tips are designed to invigorate both teachers and students. So, if you're looking for innovative teaching strategies to combat those off-days, stay tuned for some valuable insights!

What you will hear about in this episode:

Dealing with exhaustion and lack of creativity as a teacher
The need to teach regardless of challenges
Activities to boost classroom energy and learning
Teaching persuasive speech and helping ELLs think on their feet
Writing activities for ELLs

Show Notes:

Episode 108 - No Plan? No Problem! 5 Activities for those "I can't even" days

**Simply Ieva Offers:

🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳**

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Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
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Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 64 - How to pre-teach vocabulary to ELs in the regular education classroom
Episode 88 - How to use novel study to enrich vocabulary and speaking

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My guest Zach Camenker, and I explore the challenges and joys of teaching English learners in a regular classroom. Zach, an English Language Arts teacher, shares his struggle with the repetition of the curriculum and his passion for reading instruction. The importance of adaptability, feedback, and collaboration in setting up a successful classroom environment for diverse learners is stressed. We discuss the need for better preparation for teachers facing ELL students and Zach's personal reasons for pursuing a master's in TESOL. Both of us reflect on the value of making connections with students and the pressures of meeting curriculum standards. Zach expresses his career aspirations towards leadership, illustrating his extensive involvement in educational extracurricular activities. The episode highlights the complex balance between following the curriculum and addressing the individual needs of English learners.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Challenges faced by mainstream teachers with ELL students
Benefits of feedback and suggestions from colleagues and students
Challenges due to students' lack of cultural and historical background knowledge
The balance between connecting with students and delivering curriculum

Show Notes:

Episode 107 - The Heart and Art of Teaching ELs in Regular Education Classrooms with Zach Camenker

**Simply Ieva Offers:

🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳**

Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 81 - Unlocking ESL Success: the top 5 questions every general ed teacher asks
Episode 99 - Why Less is More when Teaching EL Newcomers and Beginners

Connect with Zach:

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We talk a lot about instruction of English learners, how we can accommodate our lessons, how we can scaffold, and what to teach them in general. But today, I wanted to bring to light another aspect of working with English learners that is just as important for all teachers to know as the instructional strategies. It is the social emotional aspect that is involved in moving to another country, learning a new language, making a new life, or for those students who have lived here all their life, it's the feeling like you are a part of two worlds that you're trying to navigate and to bridge. These non instructional challenges that our ELs come with into the classroom do affect their engagement and performance. So in this episode, I will share 6 challenges and how they can be addressed. Of course, there are many more, and each student's situation might have even more nuances, but let's begin with six.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Importance of addressing social emotional aspects of learning for English learners
Impact of non-instructional challenges on ELs' engagement and performance
Link between social emotional challenges and language learning progress
Challenges faced by ELs in the social emotional domain

Show Notes:

Episode 106 - 6 Most Common SEL Challenges ELs Face in the Classroom

Simply Ieva Offers:

🥳 On-Demand Digital Library “Light The Way to EL Teaching Success” 🥳

Record a comment for us - clickHERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 81 - Unlocking ESL Success: the top 5 questions every general ed teacher asks
Episode 99 - Why Less is More when Teaching EL Newcomers and Beginners

Let’s Connect!

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Welcome to episode 105 of The ESL Teaching Podcast. In this episode, I address three common misconceptions about teaching English learners in regular classrooms and provide practical strategies to reframe them. I discuss the importance of understanding the language acquisition process, the role of subject area teachers in language instruction, and the need for differentiated strategies for students at different proficiency levels. I also share insights on how to include English learners in lessons without spending hours of extra planning and emphasizes the power of consistent use of effective tools. Tune in to learn how to support multilingual learners in your classroom and discover your own power in reaching them.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Teachers feeling overwhelmed by teaching English learners due to pressure from programs and unfamiliar guidelines
Importance of clear guidelines for co-teaching and managing EL teacher workload
Highlighting that newcomers may already have concepts in their first language
Emphasizing that every teacher is a teacher of language, regardless of subject area expertise
Understanding the diversity in proficiency levels and educational backgrounds among English learners

Show Notes:

Episode 105 - 3 Misconceptions About Teaching Newcomers in a Regular Classroom (and how to reframe them)

Simply Ieva Offers:

Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
Accommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 61 - Three tips for classroom teachers with newcomers
Episode 97 - How to Harness the Power of Second Language Acquisition When Working with ELs
Episode 98 - EL Newcomer to Experienced Multilingual: A Journey Through Proficiency Levels

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Welcome to Episode 104 of The ESL Teaching Podcast! In this episode, I share valuable insights into how you can prepare for your ESL teacher interview. I delve into three essential tips to help you nail your interview: being prepared, being yourself, and asking questions. Through personal anecdotes and practical advice, I hope to provide guidance on how to approach the interview process with confidence and professionalism. Whether you're just starting your teaching career or seeking a new opportunity, these tips will be invaluable in securing that coveted ESL teaching position. So, tune in and get ready to ace your next teacher interview!

What you will hear about in this episode:

Preparing for an ESL Teacher Interview
Needing a change and looking for new opportunities
Tips for Nailing the Interview
Importance of mindset and self-awareness
Gathering insight into the school and program

Show Notes:

Episode 104 - Landing the Gig: 3 Secrets to a Successful Teacher Interview

Simply Ieva Offers:

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a Free Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 57 - How to Nail Your ESL Teacher Interview Part 1 - Resume and Cover Letter

Let’s Connect!

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Guess what? It's Q & A time. I receive many emails from teachers sharing their current biggest struggles, both EL teachers and classroom educators. I read every single email, and although I don't always have the time to respond to you personally, I want you to know that I see you and I hear you. And with that, I also know that if one person is asking the question, there have to be other people wondering about the same thing as well. So today, I took six of the most burning questions, and we'll answer them in this episode. As always, we will talk about teaching newcomers, both in an EL setting and in regular education classrooms. We will touch upon why it is essential for schools to address the way ELs are serviced and revisit the language acquisition process.

What you will hear about in this episode:

The importance of addressing questions that resonate with multiple teachers
Struggles with teaching high school newcomers who do not speak English
A new English teacher's struggle with teaching students of all levels in a private academy
Emphasizes honoring the stages of language acquisition and working with students at their pace
The challenges of limited resources and insufficient staffing in covering multiple schools
The importance of mindset shifts and collaboration between EL and regular education teachers for tangible change

Show Notes:

Episode 103 - Questions Answered - Developing Supportive Mindset for EL Success

Simply Ieva Offers:

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a $0 Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 97 - How to Harness the Power of Second Language Acquisition When Working with ELs
Episode 98 - EL Newcomer to Experienced Multilingual: A Journey Through Proficiency Levels

Let’s Connect!

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Testing season is upon us, and with it, changed schedules, test practice, and new questions about how we can help our students, especially ELs, navigate this time of quite a bit of stress. Any test, whether it's a check-in quiz, a unit test, or a serious state assessment, can be a challenge to an English learner, especially one that is at a newcomer, beginner, or low intermediate proficiency level. So how do we help those students who bring with them so much knowledge yet frequently do not have an equitable way to demonstrate it? In today's episode, you'll hear why assessments can be difficult for ELs and what teachers can do to help them prepare for any test.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Timed formal assessments are challenging for ELs who need more time to process information.
Challenges posed by multiple choice tests, including nuances of language and vocabulary.
Importance of understanding the needs of EL students in relation to assessments
Strategies to help EL students prepare for assessments

Show Notes:

Episode 102 - 3 Essential Keys to Assessing English Learners

Simply Ieva Offers:

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a Free Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 97 - How to Harness the Power of Second Language Acquisition When Working with ELs
Episode 98 - EL Newcomer to Experienced Multilingual: A Journey Through Proficiency Levels

Let’s Connect!

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How many times have you heard this phrase, math is math, it is a universal language. Well, let me tell you, it is not. And that is exactly what today's guest, Odalis Amparo from Illustrative Mathematics, and I talk about. Odalis is a skilled educator who is highly committed to elevating the voice and supporting the achievement of students and teachers in historically marginalized communities. She's fiercely passionate about the intersection between language learning, mathematics instruction and the culturally sustaining pedagogy. Odalis is currently a professional learning specialist at Illustrative Mathematics, but has experience as an elementary classroom teacher and mathematics coach in a variety of settings. Odalis and I have a powerful conversation about why teaching math language is a must.

I personally could talk to her for hours, but we had a little bit of time and we managed to get so many meaningful and important ideas in just the short time that we had. I know you will find this conversation both very helpful and moving at the same time.

What you will hear about in this episode:

The importance of teaching math language
We dissect the notion that every student can in fact be a math person
The cultural frameworks that students and teachers bring into a math classroom
How to make math joyful and so much more

Show Notes:

Episode 101 - Math is NOT a Universal Language and Here is Why with Odalis Amparo

Simply Ieva Offers:

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a Free Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 62 - 4 Strategies for Teaching Math to ESL Students

Connect with Odalis:

LinkedIn

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You're listening to the 100th episode of the ESL Teaching Podcast. Can you believe the ESL teaching podcast has been around for 100 episodes? Me neither. This occasion certainly calls for celebration, and I wanted to make it a little different than usual. Instead of interviewing another wonderful educator or giving you teaching tips, today, you will hear an interview with me! That's right. I am in the hot seat, and I am answering your questions about Ieva, the person, and Ieva, the teacher!

What you will hear about in this episode:

You will learn about my family and my story as an immigrant and English learner
The silly things I can't live without and my life outside of school
My philosophy as a teacher and educational consultant
I will also share wonderful reviews from my listeners, and I invite you to share yours whenever you get a chance

Show Notes:

Episode 100 - It's our 100th episode! Comments from listeners and hot seat with Simply Ieva

Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Simply Ieva Offers:

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a Free Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 95 - Empowering Adult English Learners with Leah Mitchell
Episode 69 - How to Engage English Learners with TPR with guest Meeghan Carter

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Connect with Allison, Podcast Manager:

Instagram - @allisonnitsch
Website - allisonnitsch.com

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This is episode 3 of the 3-part series called, “You Can't Buy Language at Walmart: 3 Essential but Overlooked Details of Teaching Language to EL Newcomers and Beyond.” In the previous episodes, I talked about the time it takes to acquire a language and about proficiency levels and why they are essential for teachers to know when working with English learners. Today, I wanted to talk about the classwork and homework our ELLs have to do, and about how we can make it more manageable and effective with a less is more when teaching EL newcomers and beginners.

The amount of academic work is highly dependent on the student grade level and school, but I wanted to offer a few insights about what can be done to battle teacher and student overwhelm when it comes to assigning work to English learners. I will share a seemingly simple phrase, which is so elusive when we try to implement it in real life, insights into why it is important to pause and review what we're doing and ways to make classwork more targeted for ELs.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Challenges faced by English language learners in school
Less is more approach in teaching English language learners
Strategic instruction and quality of work for ELs
Crafting a plan to enhance teaching strategies and create a system for effective instruction

Show Notes:

Episode 99 - Why Less is More When Teaching EL Newcomers and Beginners

Simply Ieva Offers:

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a Free Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 98 - From newcomer to experienced multilingual : a journey through proficiency levels
Episode 87 - What does it take to acquire a language and why all teacher should know this
Episode 97

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Today's episode is episode 2 of the 3 part series, which I called, “You Can't Buy Language at Walmart: 3 Essential but Overlooked Details of Teaching Language to Young Newcomers and Beyond”. In the previous episode, I talked about the stages of language acquisition and the most important aspect of learning any language, which is time. If you haven't listened to it, I highly recommend going back and tuning in. Today, I wanted to take you a step further and talk about the language proficiency levels. Different states use different assessment tools to determine where on the English language learning spectrum the students are. But, nonetheless, it is crucial for all educators to know this information if we want to help our multilingual learners progress and succeed in the academic environment at school.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Different types of English learners, including newcomers and experienced multilingual learners
Importance of understanding language proficiency levels
Why teachers should use proficiency based scaffolds in their classroom
Correlation between language proficiency levels and language acquisition stages

Show Notes:

Episode 98 - EL Newcomer to Experienced Multilingual: A Journey Through Proficiency Levels

Simply Ieva Offers:

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a Free Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 87 - What Does it Take to Acquire a Language and Why All Teacher Should Know This
Episode 97 - How Teachers Can Harness the Power of Language Acquisition Stages When Working With ELs

Let’s Connect!

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Welcome to another episode of The ESL Teaching Podcast! In today's episode, I dive into the fascinating world of second language acquisition stages and how they impact teaching English learners. With a focus on the five stages of second language acquisition, I want to shed light on the importance of understanding this process for educators. From the cooing stage to advanced fluency, I outline the timeline and key milestones in language development, offering valuable insights for teachers working with EL students.

What you will hear about in this episode:

First language acquisition stages
Second language acquisition stages
Importance of understanding where students are on the language acquisition timeline
Strategies for teaching newcomers in the silent phase
Adjusting lessons for students at different language proficiency levels

Show Notes:

Episode 97 - How Teachers Can Harness the Power of Second Language Acquisition Stages when working with ELs

Simply Ieva Offers:

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a Free Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Related/Previous Episodes:

What does it take to acquire a language and why all teacher should know this - episode 87

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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In today's episode, I reflected on the wisdom gained and impact made in the past year, sharing valuable lessons for teachers of English learners. From the power of "less is more" in lesson planning to the importance of connecting with student families in a genuine way, I provide insights that can transform your teaching approach. Additionally, I emphasize the significance of prioritizing your well-being as a teacher and share my personal strategies for self-care. Join us as we delve into my reflections and impactful initiatives, and discover how these lessons can empower educators in the new year.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Importance of slowing down and reflecting on wins and struggles
Less is more: acknowledging the tendency towards perfectionism in lesson planning
The importance of direct and real communication with families
Teaching as a job and not an all-consuming identity
The 3 biggest ways Simply Ieva has made an impact for teachers

Show Notes:

Episode 96 - Lessons Learned, Impact Made and the Wisdom to Bring Into the New Year

Simply Ieva Offers:

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a Free Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Related Episodes:

Episode 48 - 8 Reasons Why ESL Instructional Coaching is an Integral Part of Teacher Success
Episode 74 - Why Teachers Should Embrace Meditation as Part of Their Daily Routine

Let’s Connect!

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Being an educational consultant is one of the most rewarding experiences one can have. Through my website and podcast, I hear from so many teachers from all around the world who teach a variety of ages in a variety of places with a variety of experiences and resources. And what's even more exciting is that I get to work with some of those wonderful teachers as their coach. In today's episode, I am chatting with my teacher client, Leah Mitchell, who is an adult ESL teacher in Manitoba, Canada. Leah is a workplace language instructor and consultant. She has 15 plus years in the field of education and over a decade in adult instruction. Two years ago, she decided to get her TESOLT certificate as she saw a strong need for alternative options in the adult English language realm.

She's a big believer in helping adults gain English language skills in a balanced way without having to sacrifice work, family and life. She's a teacher, business owner, mother, and just an overall wonderful human being.

This is the 1st episode about adult ESL on the ESL Teaching Podcasts, and I'm super excited to share it with you all.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Teaching and learning English in the workplace
The what, the why, and the how of working with adult English learners
The biggest challenges and rewards of working as an adult language instructor
Benefits of workplace language programs for adult learners

Show Notes:

Episode 95 - Empowering Adult English Learners with Leah Mitchell

Simply Ieva offers:

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a Free Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
My TpT store

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 87 - What does it take to acquire a language and why all teachers should know this
Episode 92 - Embracing Diverse December Celebrations in EL classrooms

Connect with Leah Mitchell:

Leah Mitchell’s Website
Leah Mitchell’s LinkedIn

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

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With the new year right around the corner, we tend to reflect on the things we accomplished and what we can do to improve on the quality of our lives, both personal and professional, in the next year. So setting goals is especially popular this time of year. The hopes are high that in the coming year, we for sure will exercise more, or read more books, or do more of this or less of that. Unfortunately, life continues flowing without much regard to the grand plans of our mind, and that's why we tend to fall off the wagon fairly quickly. Why is that?

Well, it's been proven that it's the small habits that when tweaked and implemented consistently day in and day out that make the biggest difference in your life. So in this episode, I wanted to share my thoughts on goal setting with our EL students. What better time to do that than at the start of the year.

What you will hear about in this episode:

The importance of goal setting for english learners
The anatomy of a goal
Identifying the four times during the school year that are great to set goals
A four-part activity that you can revisit and reuse anytime you need

Show Notes:

Episode 94 - From Vision to Reality: Intentional Goal Setting for the New Year and Beyond (re-air)

Resources Mentioned:

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a Free Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Goal setting worksheets

Related links:

1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
Writing Vocabulary Posters

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 87 - What Does It Take To Acquire A Language And Why All Teachers Should Know This
Episode 92 - Embracing Diverse December Celebrations in EL classrooms

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

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In today's episode, I want to delve into the art of cultivating comprehension through strategic questioning for English learners.

Every day, I am amazed at how language intense our students' classes are. Instructions are given in lengthy paragraphs and posted in Google Classroom or any other form your school uses. Students are required to show their reasoning in writing in complete sentences when responding to long and complex questions in all subjects. And while I am all for keeping the standards high, I do sometimes wonder what would happen if we gave students clearer, more targeted instructions on how to engage with a project or assignment. Students already know a lot of information that is taught in their classes. They understand a lot more than they can tell you.

Since I live this every single day, I have found a way that works really well in helping my English learners access content and to those instructions and texts that seem to confuse everyone. In this episode, I will share with you 2 ways on how I use strategic questions to help students access the text, respond to open ended questions, and write paragraphs. I know this will be very helpful for not only EL teachers, but also content area teachers.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Challenges faced by english learners
The importance of asking specific questions to elicit student comprehension
The importance of providing scaffolded support for students to comprehend and respond to text-based prompts
Approaches to guiding students through reading comprehension and essay writing
Strategies for facilitating comprehension for english learners
Collaboration between EL and general education teachers
Educator resources and ongoing support

Show Notes:

Episode 93 - Cultivating Comprehension: The Art of Strategic Questioning for English Learners

Resources Mentioned:

Free Audio Training - 3 Mindset Shifts for Instilling and Living Out a Belief that All Teachers are Teachers of Language.
Book a Free Consult Call - Lead ELs to Progress without Overwhelm
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Writing Vocabulary Posters
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 87 - What does it take to acquire a language and why all teachers should know this

Related links:

1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website -

Support the show

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December is right around the corner, and we all know that everything seems to gain speed once Thanksgiving is over. With a few weeks left before the holiday break in December, we also want to make sure our lessons are meaningful and not just busy work. Have you ever wondered what December holidays are celebrated around the world? This question has come up for me personally and has been popping up in the schools I work in as well. So I took it upon myself to do a little research and to create an EL lesson for both my students and colleagues.

In this episode, which was first aired last year, I'm sharing how it all started and how it led me to answer the age old question..Are there any other holidays celebrated in December? And if so, what are they? Not all of our students celebrate Christmas. Although in my practice, they're very curious to learn about it and have had at least some exposure to it. I will share a brief overview of the December holidays, and we'll leave you with a fun lesson you can teach during those last days before the holiday break.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Overview of December Holidays
Ideas for Teaching December Holidays
Sharing information with colleagues and follow-up
Incorporating food as a topic for language practice
Ready-made lesson plans

Show Notes:

Episode 92 - Embracing Diverse December Celebrations in ESL Classrooms

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
EL Curriculum Guide Grades K-5
EL Curriculum Guide Grades 6-12

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 45 - Q and A with Susan Patterson
Episode 8 - 3 Step Roadmap

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

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As I was planning this episode out, I looked at all the things we talk about on this podcast. That is a lot! From EL newcomer teaching and all that is related to that, how to teach grammar and vocabulary, where to find materials, different teaching strategies and tips, teacher collaboration, ELs in regular education classrooms, and so many more topics. And since this podcast is for all of you involved in teaching multilingual learners, I wanted to make sure your voices are heard. On a daily basis, I received several emails that share your current biggest struggles as a teacher who works with EL students. After going through the questions, I began to see a pattern. Many of them fall under similar umbrellas. So let's do a little Q and A, shall we? I picked the most frequently repeated questions during the last few months, and I'm answering them in this episode.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Common struggles faced by teachers regarding curriculum planning
Details on the content covered in my curriculum guide (essential questions, objectives, vocabulary, grammar structures, etc.)
Challenges faced by teachers in supporting middle school EL students and structuring class time
Importance of structuring lessons in a predictable way for all students

Show Notes:

Episode 91 - EL Curriculum Magic and Mastering Classroom Dynamics (Q and A)

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
EL Curriculum Guide Grades K-5
EL Curriculum Guide Grades 6-12

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 29 - How can having a newcomer curriculum guide save you time
Episode 8 - 3 step roadmap
Episode 17 - A peek into my middle school ELL classroom
Episode 85 - A peek into my high school ELL classroom

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

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A couple of years ago, I had a conversation with a student who had just arrived from Turkey that inspired a monthly newsletter to our staff about celebrations around the world for that month. In November, as we were going over the days that we will be in school and why we have a break at the end of the month, we talked about the celebration of Thanksgiving and what typically happens during that time.

Many of our ELs, unless they are in elementary schools, don't have a clear concept of the origins of certain purely American holidays. And the topic of Thanksgiving lends itself wonderfully to teaching history and language at the same time. So in this episode, I will share with you the answer to my student's question, and a lesson on Thanksgiving, the background, the aspects I chose to cover, and the very sequence.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Teaching Thanksgiving to newcomers
The Story of Thanksgiving
Vocabulary practice and adaptations for different proficiency levels
The importance of teaching history objectively and respectfully

Show Notes:

Episode 90 - Teaching Thanksgiving with Accuracy and Empathy

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
The Story of Thanksgiving Lesson

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 9 - Text Engineering For EL Students with Susan Patterson
Episode 41 - Language, Inclusion and Moving Beyond for ELs with Carly Spina

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

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Welcome to episode 89 of The ESL Teaching Podcast! In this episode, we dive into the three Cs of EL family engagement: connection, community, and continued support. I want to share my personal experience of creating a space for parents of EL students to come together and have coffee and conversation. Through this informal setting, my partner and I discovered valuable lessons about building an inclusive community in schools and districts.

What you will hear about in this episode:

The importance of family engagement in schools
Challenges in engaging multilingual families
My personal experience and empathy
The Coffee and Conversation Initiative
The 3 Cs of EL family engagement
The impact of the coffee and conversation initiative

Show Notes:

Episode 89 - The Three Cs of EL Family Engagement

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 7 - How to Make an Impact as an ESL Teacher
Episode 56 - Inclusion and Advocacy for ELs and Teachers with Valetina Gonzalez
Episode 8 - EL Curriculum in Three Easy Steps

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

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Reading is always a hot topic, and teaching reading to English learners presents its own set of challenges. It has to do with grade level, with English proficiency, and other factors. So today, I wanted to share with you how I have been implementing novel study this school year with my middle schoolers in particular, and that has allowed my students to be engaged in and motivated to read.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Implementing a novel study in the classroom
Challenges of teaching reading to English learners
Selecting appropriate books based on student proficiency levels
Balancing educational and enjoyable aspects of reading
Enriching students' vocabulary through contextual usage in the book

Show Notes:

Episode 88 - How to Use Novel Study to Enrich Vocabulary and Speaking

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 22 Teaching reading with Kristen Vibas
Episode 17 - a peek into my middle school classroom
Episode 85 - a peek into my high school classroom

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

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What does it take to acquire another language? In my previous episode, I used a phrase that I have heard many times, “Oh, but there's another language spoken in the home.” The statement can mean so many things and nothing at all. I want to break down what it takes to acquire another language in today's episode.

If we are to embrace the notion that teaching multilingual learners is not just a job and care of the English Language Development (ELD) specialist, but that all of us play a part in the EL students' learning, then I want to offer some education around what it means to acquire another language.

What you will hear about in this episode:

My background with language, when I learned English, and other languages I understand and speak
Learning two or more languages at the same time will not cause confusion
There are two ways to acquire a second language simultaneously when a person is exposed to two or more languages since birth, and sequentially when a person starts learning a new language after they have established some competence in their native tongue
Language competence is different for each bilingual person

Show Notes:

Episode 87 - What Does it Take to Acquire a Language and Why All Teachers Should Know This

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 80 - Empowering English learners - an Asset Based Approach
Episode 86 - 3 Essential Truths to Reaching ELs in Your Classroom

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

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Last week, I was talking to my colleague who was so overwhelmed by all the questions and comments coming from the regular education teachers and frankly, the unwillingness of some to pause and take the situation in for what it was. We chatted a bit and calmed down, but a part of me was still dissatisfied. Sometimes, EL teachers are spread so thin or work in isolation that all of our knowledge is impossible to share in an effective way with those who could really benefit from it. So I wanted to record a short episode that addresses the frustrations of teachers who have ELs in their general education classroom, answer some of the questions, and share the essential truths. Whether this is your first time having an English learner in your content classroom or you're more experienced, in this episode, I will share 3 essential truths that are valid anytime an English learner joins your classroom community. These truths are simple yet very powerful and will serve as your signpost whenever you feel unsure. I hope you find this episode useful.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Frustrations and Questions About EL Students in Regular Education Classrooms
Connection over curriculum comes first
Knowing the proficiency level of EL students
Ensuring assessments are appropriate for EL students

Show Notes:

Episode 86 - Here Are Your 3 Essential Truths to Reaching ELs in General Education Classroom

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Related Episodes:

Episode 80 - Empowering English learners - an Asset Based Approach
Episode 64 - How to pre-teach vocabulary in the regular education classroom

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

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A while back, I recorded an episode about how I structured my middle school class, and since I work at 2 schools, middle and high school, I wanted to offer you a little glimpse into how I structure my high school classes. I have more students at the high school this year and more classes, so there's plenty of room for creativity.

Lesson planning and vocabulary instruction is something that is always on top of every EL teacher's mind, and my goal for this episode is to share with you my teaching setup and how I work with students in grades 9 through 12.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Structure of EL Classes at the High School
Background Building as an EL Teacher
Proficiency Levels and Student Needs
Vocabulary Instruction Strategies
The break down of some lessons on how I incorporate teaching English through content area and subjects

Show Notes:

Episode 85 - EL Class Structure and Vocabulary Instruction: A Peek Into My Classroom

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 17 - A Peek Into My Middle School EL Classroom
Episode 80 - Empowering English learners - an Asset Based Approach
Episode 64 - How to pre-teach vocabulary in the regular education classroom

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

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Teaching multilingual learners requires great knowledge of language acquisition theory, teaching strategies, and methodologies. At the same time, it requires empathy, cultural awareness and openness. And that said, multilingual learners are not only students of EL teachers. They are all of our students. Every teacher is a language teacher.

Sometimes when we talk to our colleagues, we might hear a phrase, but I'm not a language teacher. I teach math, science, social studies, you name it, not English. Well, this episode is for all of you who have ever heard this phrase and all of you who have ever uttered it.

Today, I will break down why every teacher is, in fact, a language teacher, and what knowledge you already have that you can harness to reach students who are learning both English and your subject.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Importance of knowledge of language acquisition theory, teaching strategies, and methodologies
Recognition that language is embedded in every subject area
Overcoming discomfort as a language teacher
Academic language and its acquisition
Supporting students in subject area language acquisition
Tips for teachers to get started in supporting subject area language acquisition

Show Notes:

Episode 84 - Every Teacher is a Language Teacher: Here is Why!

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 80 - Empowering English learners - an Asset Based Approach
Episode 72 - Four easy ways to differentiate the same lesson

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

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Artificial intelligence, or AI as we call it, has taken over so many areas of our life, and teaching is no exception. I have been waiting to share my insights into what using artificial intelligence might mean for all teachers and especially those of us who work with multilingual learners, but now I think it is time.

In this episode, I will share 5 specific and effective ways you can leverage the power of AI in your teaching. Some tips will be more geared towards EL teachers and others are super handy for classroom teachers who want to help multilingual learners in their classroom.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Types of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Generative AI and its Application in Teaching
Using Chat GPT to Generate Lesson Plan Ideas
Using Chat GPT to Generate Vocabulary
Using Chat GPT to Paraphrase or Simplify Text Passages
Examples and Benefits of Utilizing Chat GPT in Teaching

Show Notes:

Episode 83 - 5 Ways AI Can Help Save Teachers Time and Help Multilingual Learners

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 80 - Empowering English learners - an Asset Based Approach
Episode 72 - Four easy ways to differentiate the same lesson

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

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Many teachers work with small groups of students and especially if you're in an elementary setting, making a schedule for those small groups can be one of the most challenging tasks of your entire school year.

For today's episode, I have invited back my dear friend, Kristen Vibas, to chat about just that, the peculiarities of scheduling and grouping English learner students in elementary grades.

Kristen Vibas is a K-6 elementary ESOL teacher living in Northern Virginia. She's been teaching multilingual learners since 2005 in one of the country's largest school districts.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Scheduling and grouping English learner students in elementary grades
The process of scheduling small groups and providing targeted English language development to students
The importance of using data, such as ELP scores and assessment scores, to group students with similar language needs for effective instruction
Grouping students with similar language needs in order to effectively target their individual language development

Show Notes:

Episode 82 - How to Master Small Group Scheduling and Instruction with guest Kristen Vibas

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 22 - Teaching Reading with Kristen Vibas
Episode 80 - Empowering English learners - an Asset Based Approach
Episode 72 - Four easy ways to differentiate the same lesson

Connect with Kristen:

On Instagram - @awalkinthechalk

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Support the show

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I frequently receive questions from my content area teachers about how to help English learners in the classroom. And those questions frankly are the same every year from how to help a newcomer to more specific activity and engagement ideas. And I was wondering if there are any different questions that EL teachers get asked.

So I posted this on Instagram and inside my Facebook group, and it appears that general education teachers ask the same questions across the board. What can we do, they ask? How can we help our EL students?

So today, I compiled a few of the most recent frequently asked questions and wanted to share my answers to them. I hope that you find these helpful, especially those about first language usage in the classroom translations and how to help newcomers with reading.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Recognizing English proficiency levels of newcomers
Teaching without knowing the student’s first language
Using visual aids to help the student understand words
Speaking in concise sentences to ensure understanding
Collaborating with EL teachers in your school

Show Notes:

Episode 81 - Unlocking ESL Success: The Top 5 Questions Every General Ed Teacher Asks

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 5 - 4 ways to use students’ first language in teaching English
Episode 38 - Responsive classroom and planning with ELs in mind
Four easy ways to differentiate the same lesson

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

The ESL Teaching Roadmap curriculum membership is my signature 3 step process for teaching all levels - from connecting with students to helping newcomers embark on their English learning journey to supporting those intermediate learners. Inside the Roadmap you’ll find all of the materials from my TpT store as well as exclusive members-only lessons, videos and personalized support such as thirty minute consultations available at no extra cost to all members.

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The start of the new school year is typically extremely busy. There are new families registering students, students coming to their new schools, meeting their teachers and classmates. There's lots of screening, placement, scheduling, action, action, action.

Multilingual learners join our communities all the time. But somehow, the deficit mindset, which assumes they don't understand anything and therefore are capable of only doing very little, is still very pervasive.

That's why in today's episode, I wanted to address this topic. We'll uncover the essence of the asset-based approach and discuss practical tips for embracing this mindset in our schools and classrooms.

What you will hear about in this episode:

What is an asset based approach?
How can we empower our English learners no matter what proficiency level they are?
How can the districts, schools, and us teachers embrace the asset based approach and infuse it into our everyday teaching?
And so much more!

Show Notes:

Episode 80 - Empowering English Learners: An Asset-Based Approach

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Related Episodes:

Episode 5 - 4 ways to use students’ first language in teaching English
Episode 38 - Responsive classroom and planning with ELs in mind
Four easy ways to differentiate the same lesson

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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The new school year is here. And as I'm looking ahead, I reflect about what worked and hasn't worked before and how I can encourage and empower my students even more this year.

I work with teenagers, and there are a lot of nuances in their English learning, including one very important aspect: negative self-talk. It is sad to hear when a bright student says they're not good enough or that their English is bad and they won't participate in a conversation.

I recorded this episode around this time last year, but it is just as relevant now as it was 12 months ago. In this episode, I will share with you a simple formula for activating a more productive way of thinking as well as 10 positive affirmations that you can use in your classroom. I hope you'll find this useful, and I would love to hear what your thoughts are on them.

What you will hear about in this episode:

The importance of addressing negative self-talk among English learners and students.
The use of affirmations as a tool for promoting a positive mindset.
Tips and strategies for implementing affirmations in the classroom.
The connection between affirmations and the growth mindset concept.

Show Notes:

Episode 79 - The Power of Affirmations for English Learners and All Students

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – back to school sale 20% off monthly plan
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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Many teachers either are starting their school year soon, or have already been at it for a couple of weeks. And this time of year, when everything is full of fresh new energy, is a good time to go back to icebreakers.

Whether you have new students joining you or want to reconnect and have fun with the ones you already know, icebreaker activities will always make your classroom come alive.

Today's episode was recorded a while ago, but I know it is going to be very useful to you. I wanted to share it with you as it is full of ideas for both new and veteran teachers and talks about activities that are great for both beginner English Learners and those more experienced.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Discover the crucial role of icebreaker activities in stimulating an engaging learning environment.
Understand the key principles for choosing appropriate icebreaker activities specifically designed for English learners.
Learn to execute simple yet effective icebreaker activities, especially crafted for beginner students.
Uncover unique icebreaker activities designed for intermediate and advanced students to accelerate their English language skills.

Show Notes:

Episode 78 - Starting Strong: Easy and Fun Icebreaker Activities for all EL Levels

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Connect with Ieva:

Instagram -@simplyievaesl
Website -www.simplyieva.com/
Join the -Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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How do you build students' literacy and confidence from the ground up? My guest, Kyle Larson, and I talk about just that on this episode.

How to help EL students with literacy, especially as they enter the US educational system in upper elementary grades or later, is an eternal question for all of us. There are so many nuances in this.

I am excited to share our conversation with you, and I know it will be super valuable. And if you'd like to see us, you can watch the recording of this interview on my YouTube channel at Simply Ieva ESL.

What you will hear about in this episode:

The importance of having honest conversations with students about their language learning challenges and helping them realize their own power to improve.
Strategies for building EL literacy from the ground up, including setting reading goals for students and providing ways for teachers to check in on their progress.
Kyle's personal journey as an ELL teacher, including his studies in Spanish and English linguistics, teaching experiences in different countries, and his current role as an ELL teacher at Frisco High School in Texas.
The concept of breaking down assumptions about language learning, accommodating diverse students in the classroom, and viewing every teacher as a language teacher who teaches their content through the medium of language.

Show Notes:

Episode 77 - How to Build EL Literacy From the Ground Up with Kyle Larson

Resources Mentioned:

Sign up for the FREE Confident ESL Teacher Summit!
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
AIR Language learning
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle

Connect with Kyle:

LinkedIn - @Kyle Larson
AIR Language learning

Connect with Ieva:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Are you looking for quality, practical and to-the-point professional development as we are heading back to school? Look no further! The annual Confident ESL Teacher Summit, will take place on August 14-16, 2023. The Confident ESL Teacher Summit is completely free to register - click here for more information.

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Part of an EL teacher's job is to advocate for their students and educate and support their peers in language acquisition theories, teaching strategies and content delivery. This is where professional development comes into play. Frequently it is up to us to plan and deliver it in such a manner that it touches the most important aspects in a short amount of time.

We've all sat in workshops that are irrelevant, or too long, or too complicated at one point or another in our teaching careers.

In today's episode, I wanted to share with you what makes professional development effective.

Although there are more elements to it, I have chosen 3 that, in my opinion, are the most important to focus on.

So if you are an EL teacher who is tasked with creating a presentation to your regular education peers, someone who wants to present at a conference, or someone who has no idea where to even start, this episode is for you.

What you will hear about in this episode:

How professional development is necessary in order for teachers to continue learning
Keeping professional development relevant and content focused
Presentations need to be practical and ready to implement
Professional development needs to include coaching, support and collaboration to be successful

Show Notes:

Episode 65 - 3 Tech Tools that Work Wonderfully in the EL Classroom

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Sign up for the FREE Confident ESL Teacher Summit!
1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session - 10% discount and a free month in The ESL Teaching Roadmap membership.
Lesson Planning Masterclass
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
Newcomer teaching checklist

Connect with Ieva:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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Navigating to a new grade level and collaborating with new colleagues can be quite a challenge when it comes to being an ESL teacher. In today's episode, I chat with Sarah, who is a member of the ESL Teaching Roadmap membership.

It's been a while since I talked about ESL teacher coaching, and with summertime in full swing, I know a lot of teachers have more headspace and creative flow as they are preparing for the upcoming school year, regardless of whether it starts tomorrow or in a month.

For you inside my membership, the ESL Teaching Roadmap, one of the perks for members is a coaching session that they can book whenever they feel stuck in their day to day. Teachers have so many questions, but not always a person to bounce those questions and ideas off of, and that is where the ESL Teacher coaching and mentoring comes in.

I know a lot of teachers have similar questions to Sarah, no matter where in the world you are, and this episode will be super helpful to you.

And if you like what you heard, you can reap the same benefits as Sarah. Book a one on one call with me and get clarity on your next steps in teaching English Learners right away. In addition, to help you feel prepared for the new school year, I'm offering a 10% discount, as well as one free month inside the ESL Teaching Roadmap Membership, where you will have access to teaching materials for both newcomers and mixed proficiency classes and so much more.

What you will hear about in this episode:

How do you navigate grade change, for example, from elementary to secondary?
How do you support students across different curriculum areas?
What are the best strategies to use for teenagers with little English who are very shy to speak and quite heavily reliant on their translations, apps, and so much more?

Show Notes:

Episode 75 - How to Navigate Grade Transition and Collaboration with Colleagues

Resources Mentioned:

1:1 ESL Teacher Coaching Session- 10% discount and a free month in The ESL Teaching Roadmap membership.
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Lesson Planning Masterclass
Essential Lesson Plan Bundle
Newcomer teaching checklist

Connect with Ieva:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website -

Are you one of the many ESL teachers who struggle with strategically planning their lessons for ESL beginners? If your answer is YES, I have the perfect solution for you. A Lesson Planning Masterclass, Map out for First month with ESL beginners will help you get out of the rut of haphazard teaching of skills and to become a master at mapping out your lessons months in advance.

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For some time now, I have been wanting to share a tool with you that has helped me navigate to the difficult times as an educator as well as to be even more empathetic in situations that seemed like they had no solution. I am talking about meditation.

If you haven't tried it, I know there are a lot of assumptions about what meditation is and why it may not be for you. I also have learned that the benefits of sustained focus, inner calm, and sharper ability to problem solve are not just empty promises.

And since I have not been able to find the right time to share this during the school year, I thought that summertime might be the perfect time to learn something new. In this episode, I will share with you what meditation is, how it became a part of my daily routine, as well as a few tips on how you can start your own practice.

What you will hear about in this episode:

The different forms of meditation and their benefits
My personal experience with meditation, including how it helped me become less reactive to my environment and more proactive in important matters
Tips on how to start a meditation practice, such as starting small with just 5 minutes a day and using beginner-friendly apps like Headspace, Insight Timer, and Calm
The potential benefits of regular meditation practice, such as increased self-awareness, empathy, and improved focus, and the possibility of discovering other ways to be with oneself

Show Notes:

Episode 74 - Why Teachers Should Embrace Meditation As Part of Their Daily Routine

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Headspace app
Insight Timer app
Calm app
Lesson Planning Masterclass
Newcomer teaching checklist

Connect with Ieva:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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As I was planning my summer episodes for The ESL Teaching Podcast, I hit a wall. In the spring I was on a roll…sharing tips and resources for EL and regular education teachers. In June you heard episodes all about lesson planning.

But then I thought to myself…I am on summer break and I would love to chat about other things that are a huge part of the teacher’s life. And that is the long and glorious summer break.

It can be so open-ended that it can be dizzying, but there are some things that are a MUST for a teacher during the summer. So I’d like to share my take on what it’s like to be a teacher and what are the three most important things we can do during this long summer break.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Things that are a MUST for a teacher during summer break
The reasons teachers get a long break in the summer and why it’s needed
The need to let go of a school year in order to get rest for the new year
Taking time to reset and take a break from the go, go, go mentality
Take the time to do what you want and love

Show Notes:

Episode 73 - The 3 ESSENTIAL Components of the Long Summer Break for Teachers

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 70 - 3 Lesson Planning Mistakes That Can Keep You in the Rut
Episode 71 - How to Write Content and Language Objectives for EL Lessons
Episode 72 - 4 Easy Ways to Differentiate the Same Lesson

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Lesson Planning Masterclass
Newcomer teaching checklist

Connect with Ieva:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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In this episode, I will be sharing all about differentiating for varied proficiency levels in your classroom. You will hear about the four ways you can differentiate, as well as concrete examples of how it might look for you and your students.

This episode is part of this month’s series where we are talking about lesson planning as part of our short and actionable summer professional development podcast episodes. In episode 70, I shared three mistakes many teachers make when it comes to lesson planning. In last week's episode, episode 71, I walked you through how to write content and language objectives for your ELs.

I hope that, just like others, this episode will leave you excited and inspired to begin planning for the upcoming year.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Four easy ways to differentiate a lesson to cater to the individual needs of students with varied proficiency levels in their classroom.
How to differentiate content, process, product, and learning environment to make lessons more accessible for all students.
Examples of how to implement these strategies in their own teaching practice and adapt them to different classroom settings.
Helpful resources such as Newsela and News in Levels for finding articles with different reading levels and vocabulary words to cater to individual student abilities.
The importance of setting clear goals and expectations, establishing classroom routines, and creating a conducive learning environment for effective classroom management and student success.

Show Notes:

Episode 72 - 4 Easy Ways to Differentiate the Same Lesson

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 71 - How to Write Content and Language Objectives for EL Lessons
Episode 24 - 6 Elements of an Effective Lesson Plan

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Lesson Planning Masterclass
Newcomer teaching checklist
Newsela
News in Levels

Connect with Ieva:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the -

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Why is it important to have an objective in the lesson? Well, number one, it helps the students and you, the teacher, focus attention on what's most important in the lesson.

In this week’s episode, I talk all about content and language objectives for your EL students.

Last week, we kicked off our short and actionable summer professional development podcast episodes with an overview of mistakes many teachers make when it comes to lesson planning. We talked about time management or rather mismanagement. We talked about the fact that we don't need to know it all to plan quality lessons for our English learners. And we talked about one of the most important things about how we sometimes don't create clear goals and objectives for our lessons.

So in episode 71, I wanted to elaborate a little bit more on how you can come up with goals and objectives.

I hope this episode will leave you excited and inspired to begin or even continue planning for the upcoming year.

What you will hear about in this episode:

The difference between the content and language objectives
Why it is important to have them in your lesson plan
What the difference between the two is,
The verbs that will help you differentiate between content and language

Show Notes:

Episode 71 - How to Write Content and Language Objectives for EL Lessons

Related/Previous Episodes:

Episode 24 - 6 Elements of an Effective Lesson Plan
Episode 70 - 3 Lesson Planning Mistakes That Can Keep You in the Rut

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Lesson Planning Masterclass
Newcomer teaching checklist

Connect with Ieva:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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There are two types of teachers. Those who close their computer for the summer and only open it to begin checking their work email a week or so before school starts. And there are teachers who combine their fun activities and relaxation with learning and catching up on professional development during the summer.

If you are in the second category, this episode is for you.

I know how important it is to take some time to disconnect and I sincerely hope you do that. I also know how fantastic your brain activity becomes after you’ve had an opportunity to reclaim some headspace.

Our first series of this summer’s short, actionable, mini professional development episodes on The ESL Teaching Podcast is all about lesson planning.

What you will hear about in this episode:

The mistakes that are made with lesson planning that drain all of our energy
Time management when it comes to lesson planning
Not having a clear goal in mind
Thinking you have to know it all to plan lessons

Show Notes:

Episode 70 - 3 Lesson Planning Mistakes That Can Keep You in the Rut

Related Episodes:

Episode 24 - 6 Elements of an Effective Lesson Plan

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Lesson Planning Masterclass
Newcomer teaching checklist

Connect with Ieva:

Follow me on Instagram -@simplyievaesl
Visit my website -www.simplyieva.com/
Join the -Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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Let's talk about movement and engaging your whole body in language learning using TPR, or Total Physical Response.

Meeghan Carter is an ESL teacher in Delaware and brings a vast experience from being a classroom teacher to even owning her own business. She has worked with students primarily in grades pre-K to 8th.

Meeghan and I talk about topics that are so relevant to so many ESL teachers.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Planning lessons for multiple age groups and grade levels
Creating lessons that work every time
What is TPR, Total Physical Response?
How can TPR be used effectively and why it is important in language learning
Using TPR with not only littles, but with older students as well

Show Notes:

Episode 69 - How to Engage English Learners with TPR with guest Meeghan Carter

Resources:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Lesson Planning Masterclass

Connect with Meeghan Carter:

Facebook - Meeghan Carter
Email - meeghancarter@icloud.com

Connect with Ieva:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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As the summer is nearing, I want to talk about planning and time management. Not for the students, but about what we, as teachers, should do before we leave on summer break.

You may be tired, and the desire to put things off until next year might be very strong. But over my years of teaching, I have learned that there are some small, but very important things that are so much better completed before you leave for the summer.

The school year is such a whirlwind that we don’t have time to do what we’d like to do. Think lesson plans, bulletin boards, binders…all over the place. However, nothing gives you more pressure than the last days before the end of the school year. Although it is tempting to leave it until the next school year, it is so much better if you don’t.

In this episode, I share with you five tips on what you need to do so you can have space in your mind for a truly restful summer, and a peaceful beginning of school next year.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Writing ILPs before you leave for summer while the information is fresh
Cleaning up your classroom to show appreciation for custodial staff
Taking pictures of everything you pack
Organizing your digital files and suggestions on how
Prep for the first week of school

Show Notes:

Episode 68 - 5 Things to Do BEFORE Leaving for Summer Break

Related Episodes:

Episode 35 - What are ILPs and what to include in them
Episode 33 - 4 Icebreaker activities for a great start of the school year

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Lesson Planning Masterclass
6 Icebreaker activities blog post

Connect with Ieva:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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May is one of those months that is long and fast at the same time. Somehow everything falls into this month as a teacher and in our personal life.

As the school year is nearing its end, there are a lot of moving parts for us teachers to consider. From grading, to paperwork, to somehow engaging the students who are seeming to get a bit antsy.

It is easy to get lost in all of it, so in this episode I want to share a few ways that can make those last few weeks of school meaningful. All of them involve creativity, which is the perfect antidote to boredom and frustration, and can be tweaked to any age group and proficiency level.

I want to share three activities that will continue those creative juices flowing and will allow you and the students to see how far you have come throughout the school year.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Keeping our relationships with our students strong
Structure in the classroom will make for a much smoother transition to summer
Using quotes to connect to the school year
Writing letters to incoming students
Using Flip (formally Flipgrid) as a speaking assignment to help the student become more confident in what they are saying

Show Notes:

Episode 67 -3 Ways to Finish the School Year Meaningfully

Related Episodes:

Episode 20 - 5 End of the Year activities for your EL students

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Essential lesson plan bundle
Classroom teacher’s ESL survival checklist

Connect with Ieva:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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A lot of teachers work with mixed-proficiency classes where they have newcomers and higher level students all at the same time. This makes for challenging planning, classroom management, and everything in between. With the school year winding down, it gets even trickier.

In today’s episode, I wanted to revisit an episode I shared quite a while ago where I talk about three types of activities that work really well in a mixed-proficiency classroom. I will also share how to implement these activities to save yourself time and finish the year strong.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Activities to use in mixed-proficiency classrooms
How to achieve success with newcomers and higher level students
Using choice boards to give your students to choose their own way of studying a concept
How to use habits of mind and a “do now” activity to help students get into a learning mode
Using projects to help tailor and adapt to different student levels

Show Notes:

Episode 66 - 3 Activities For a Mixed-Proficiency EL Class (re-air)

Related Episodes:

Episode 4 - Choice boards for ESL students: How to use them in the classroom

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Episode 16 - A new EL teacher’s perspective with Kennedy Merriam
Essential lesson plan bundle
Classroom teacher’s ESL survival checklist
Habitsofmindinstitute.org

Connect with Ieva:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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This episode is for you to learn, find out, and get excited about the possibilities of technology in your classroom. I will not be talking about ChatGPT or AI tools, simply because I am still exploring how they can be used ethically by both teachers and students in the classroom. However, I will be giving you tips and tricks on how to use my top three technology tools.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Website and platforms that I use frequently and used to teach all language domains to English learners
How to implement Google Docs, Slides and Sheets as a teaching tool
Using Canva to create presentations, worksheets, assign projects, and even use as a language lesson
Ways you can use Pear Deck to create interactive lessons to get a better understanding of where your students are in their learning

Show Notes:

Episode 65 - 3 Tech Tools that Work Wonderfully in the EL Classroom

Previous Episodes:

Episode 61 - Three tips for classroom teachers with ESL newcomers
Episode 62 - 4 Strategies for teaching math to ESL students
Episode 63 - How to grade ELs in the mainstream classroom
Episode 64 (re-air) How to Pre-teach Vocabulary to ELs in the Mainstream Classroom

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Essential lesson plan bundle
Canva
Pear Deck
Classroom teacher’s ESL survival checklist

Connect with Ieva :

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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As we continue talking about English Learners in the mainstream classroom this month, I wanted to bring back a previous episode from last year that is very relevant to our topic.

With vocabulary being the main component of learning a language, this episode is all about how to pre-teach vocabulary when you are a regular education teacher.

Pre-teaching vocabulary is very important to an English learner student. If the student does not understand the word, they will not be able to understand the content. There are 3 tiers of words we talk about in EL instruction.

What you will hear about in this episode:

What vocabulary pre-teaching is
The reasons why it is so important to pre-teach vocabulary in the mainstream classroom
The steps that can be taken to pre-teach vocabulary
How pre-teaching vocabulary will benefit all students not just the language learners

Related Episodes:

Episode 61 - Three tips for classroom teachers with ESL newcomers
Episode 62 - 4 Strategies for teaching math to ESL students
Episode 63 - How to grade ELs in the mainstream classroom

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Numbers and number words worksheet for ESL students
Classroom teacher’s ESL survival checklist
Episode 35 - What are ILPs and what to include in them

Connect with Me:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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Today’s episode is sharing thoughts and tips on how to grade English learners. You will hear the difference between grading and assessing, what makes teaching English learners equitable, and the differences between equality and fairness.

Grading an English learner can be an adjustment. It should be flexible and not a rigid formula. It is also essential your assessments match the learning to help provide more accurate measurement of the student’s learning.

Some key points are: content must be made accessible to English learners before assessments , and students can’t be penalized due to the fact they are learning English and not making the same progress as their peers.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Accommodations to use with English learners
Ways to assess your EL students
Ways to grade your EL students

Related Episodes:

Episode 61 - Three tips for classroom teachers with ESL newcomers
Episode 62 - 4 Strategies for teaching math to ESL students
Episode 35 - What are ILPs and what to include in them

Resources:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Numbers and number words worksheet for ESL students
Classroom teacher’s ESL survival checklist

Connect with Me:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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Math teachers often express that they teach math…not language or how to read. Or even that math is universal. If this sounds familiar, then this episode is going to be for you. Students learn each subject through language.

This episode will cover teaching math to ESL students. I will be sharing 4 math specific tips that can be easily implemented and will allow you to understand how to help your English learners. Your newcomer could be a math wiz, but without the basic language skills, you might never know.

No matter what subject area you teach, having an EL newcomer in your class can be one of the most rewarding experiences.

What you will hear about in this episode:

The first step to take to help English learners feel empowered in math
What vocabulary to focus on
How to present the information for best results
Tips for eliciting responses

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Numbers and number words worksheet for ESL students
Classroom teacher’s ESL survival checklist

Related Episodes:

Episode 61 - Three tips for classroom teachers with ESL newcomers
Episode 35 - What are ILPs and what to include in them

Connect with Me:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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We all know that new students start school not only in August or September, but anytime of year.

Often I get asked by general education teachers how to help a new English learner, so I have decided to record a series of episodes specifically for general education teachers. They will help you make meaningful connections with your multilingual students, as well as give you some simple steps to help them be successful, even when it seems like they don’t understand.

I’ll help you feel prepared to welcome your new student, confident you’ll help them succeed, and excited to help them take on this new adventure.

Having an English learner newcomer in your class can be one of the most rewarding experiences in education.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Who exactly is an English language newcomer?
How general education teachers can help welcome a new English language learner
Overcoming the language barrier
Steps to welcome a newcomer
Developing relationships with your district’s ESL teacher to gather the information needed to help your new student and past history
Getting a newcomer will mean that you are now a content and language teacher
The information that an ILP will give you for your new student.
The ways a newcomer will take state tests the first year in the U.S.

Related Episodes:Episode 35 - What are ILPs and what to include in them

Resources Mentioned:

Classroom teacher’s ESL survival checklist
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Episode 16 - A new EL teacher’s perspective with Kennedy Merriam

Connect with Me:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com/
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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This month we have been talking about how Spring can be a difficult season for teachers energy wise, and changes that teachers either need or want to implement. Today’s guest, Jamie Sears, will help inspire and reinvigorate your love for teaching.

Jamie and I have a heart-to-heart conversation about building relationships, having fun, setting boundaries, lesson planning and really simple, practical and actionable tips of how to work less, be happier, and make an impact you were born to make.

What you will hear about in this episode:

How Not So Wimpy Teacher helps teachers in the classroom provide hands-on resources to students to help them love learning
Helping teachers be the teachers they want to be without leaving their personal life behind
Going from a government lobbyist position into education and now creating the resources teachers need
Why Jamie decided to write her book, and an inside look into the strategies her book, How to Love Teaching Again, will do for teachers to enjoy going to work each day
The ways she is fighting to improve education for teachers
Tips for lesson planning, having a brain dump, and balancing your time
How to work LESS and still be a great teacher

Previous Episodes:Episode 57 - How to nail your ESL Teacher interview (resume and cover letter tips) part 1

Episode 58 - 3 teacher interview tips to help you get the job Part 2

Episode 59 - How tutoring can be the secret sauce you need with Molly Wheatley

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Episode 16 - A new EL teacher’s perspective with Kennedy Merriam

Connect with Jamie Sears:

Jamie’s website - https://notsowimpyteacher.com/
Jamie’s instagram - @notsowimpyteacher
Pre-order your book here - https://notsowimpyteacher.com/pre-order

Connect with Ieva:

Follow me on Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Visit my website - www.simplyieva.com
Join the - Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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In this episode I was able to talk to Molly Wheatly about starting a tutoring business, and how she went from being a teacher to now coaching teachers on how to grow their own tutoring business.

Sometimes when we need a drastic change, we can benefit from taking a step back and look at the parts of our current situation that are missing. Just asking ourselves a few questions such as: what we love about our job, what we wish we could change, what would make me feel like I’m making a difference, or even how we could make more money, are all pretty good indicators of where we need to go next.

A lot of teachers have different side interests that help us make a more positive impact (and of course more money). Some of these are: photography, Etsy shops, copywriting, blogging, selling teacher resources, but one of the most natural side jobs could be tutoring.

Starting a tutoring business allowed Molly to love teaching again where she currently teaches 5th grade. Having her full-time tutoring business led her to then help teach other teachers how to do the same.

What you will hear about in this episode:

How Molly began her tutoring business and branched off to help more teachers do the same.
The ways in which Molly was able to systematize her tutoring business and teach other teachers her method.
The steps in getting your own tutoring business started and finding a rate worth your time.
Finding ways to balance teaching full-time and have a full-time tutoring business
Finding what you are passionate about leads you to finding more clients and in return more money.
How hiring out was able to provide her the most growth.

Related Episodes:Episode 57 - How to nail your ESL Teacher interview (resume and cover letter tips) part 1

Episode 58 - 3 teacher interview tips to help you get the job Part 2

Resources Mentioned:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Episode 16 - A new EL teacher’s perspective with Kennedy Merriam

Connect with Molly Wheatley:

Follow on Instagram @mollyawheatley
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@mollyawheatley
Free masterclass on how to make $1000 a month with your tutoring side hustle

Connect with Ieva:

Follow me on Instagram
Visit my website
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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Sometimes we find ourselves desperate for a teacher contract in a new district, but facing unknown territory as an ESL teacher, you must navigate the stressful interview process and bet on yourself to achieve your goal of finding the perfect job.

After many attempts at trying to find a new position for myself, years ago, I picked up some tips along the way. I learned about preparing for an ESL teacher interview.

This is part two of an interview series. If you missed part one on the resume and cover letter, visit the link for episode 57 of The ESL Teaching Podcast.

There are three main tips for nailing the interview, which are: being prepared, being yourself, and asking questions.

In this episode, you will learn the following:1. What tips can help you nail your ESL Teacher interview?

How can you use connections and 'bet on yourself' to get an interview?
What questions can you ask in an ESL Teacher interview to gain insight into the program?

Related Episodes:Episode 57 - How to nail your ESL Teacher Interview part 1

Resources Mentioned:The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers StoreEpisode 16 - A new EL teacher’s perspective with Kennedy Merriam

Connect with Ieva:Follow me on InstagramVisit my websiteJoin the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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It seems like every year there are only two speeds within a school year: rushing to get everything covered up to the ACCESS testing, and trying to catch up and make it to the end of the school year. Sometimes it feels like we have no control over what is going on.

To change the pace, I want to do a series of episodes that will allow you to take a look at how you can invigorate your life and career. That might mean taking up a hobby, starting a side passion, and other times you might be ready for a more radical change such as moving to another district or getting another job to preserve your sanity.

This is the time of year to make those decisions for next year. Looking for another position brings you to updating your resume and cover letter, looking through job postings, and wondering what questions you may get asked during an interview if you get one.

I want to share the practical tips to get you noticed during the interview process and where to look for job postings (and it’s not just the district website).

For this episode, I will cover the first part of your new job search: the resume and cover letter.

What you will hear about in this episode:

Tips about the first steps to apply for a new ESL teaching position.
The proper way to format your resume and what to include.
How to make your cover letter effective and get noticed.
Places to look for job posting other than the district website.

Resources:

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Episode 16 - A new EL teacher’s perspective with Kennedy Merriam

Connect with Me:

Follow me on Instagram
Visit my website
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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Valentina Gonzalez is a former teacher who has served 20 plus years in her own classroom, a district facilitator for English Learners, a professional development leader, and an educational consultant. Her work has been focused on literacy, culture, and language. She still delivers professional development for EL education and is an accomplished author.

She explains how many schools send the wrong message to EL students when they put their classrooms in outdoor portables, storage closets, and other less than desirable spaces. Students feel when they are consistently getting the short end of the stick. It is important that teachers speak up to their administration to make sure ESL classes and students are not overlooked.

It is crucial to make sure we are getting to know students and how they read. One great way to do this is to listen to them read in their native language. This helps students feel seen and heard. I can gather a lot of information about how comfortably they are reading even if I don’t understand the language. As you listen, you want to identify what they can do and use that as a starting off point for what to work on next.

In every lesson in every classroom, students should be practicing all four domains - reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Valentina explains that she does not have a favorite domain, but says that speaking is really great for many of our ELs because speaking will lead to good listening, reading, and writing. She describes how we all learn our first language by listening and speaking and then learn to read and write later. You cannot read and write if we cannot listen or speak.

In today's episode:

The most important first steps when teaching literacy to english learners
The language domain that is the focus for all others
How we can collaborate with teachers even in difficult situations
A glimpse into Valentina’s day as an educational consultant

Resources

The ESL Teaching Roadmap monthly membership
ESL Teacher Support - 1:1 coaching session with Ieva Grauslys (©Simply Ieva)
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
Simply Ieva Youtube Channel

Valentina’s resources:

Reading & Writing with English Learners: A Framework for K-5
Krofne with Baba
Valentina’s website
Twitter @ValentinaESL

Reading & Writing with English Learners: A Framework for K-5: A Framework for K-

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We spend so long preparing for testing and getting testing completed, but what do we do once the testing season is over? Getting back into the swing of things after weeks and weeks of testing can be really tough. In today’s episode, I share some tips with you for how to get back on track after ACCESS testing.

Do a classroom reset. You can do a classroom reset anytime, not just at the beginning of the new year or after testing. Try class routine rehearsals, classroom expectations Kahoot, or goal setting for the rest of the school year.
Meet the students where they are. For example, if they are in the thick of reading a novel while you were testing the other students, are there activities related to that novel that will help the story come to life? Vocabulary building activities, relating the content to real life, and mixing up the environment (think about taking students outside or changing up your classroom scenery somewho) are all ways to do this.
Start a new project. Projects allow students to engage in a topic of interest, to work on all 4 language domains (reading, writing, speaking, and listening), and guarantee lesson planning is done for you because you can build activities off the same project for weeks. Listen to hear about the project I do with my students every year.
Grab lesson resources that are done for you so that you can make the most of your limited, valuable time as a teacher. My ESL Teaching Roadmap is a great place to start, and it is on sale until February 24!

What you will hear about in today’s coaching session:

Ideas for classroom resets
Strategies for meeting your students where they are
Projects to do to get students engaged
Ways to save yourself time with Lesson planning in order to come to class in the right frame of mind

Resources

The ESL Teaching Roadmap monthly membership discount 20% - valid February 20-24, 2022
ESL Teacher Support - 1:1 coaching session with Ieva Grauslys (©Simply Ieva)
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
Simply Ieva Youtube Channel
Episode 47 - 5 Ways to Reset Your ESL Classroom Management

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In today’s episode, we continue our coaching session from last week and discuss reading, writing, and phonics with ELs. For teaching literature, like Romeo and Juliet, it can be helpful to let students read in their native language first to let them access the content. You can also pre-teach vocabulary, or summarize chunks of the story and focus on key parts of the story, the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet, for example.

We also discuss using novel studies to keep kids interested and engaged. I share a few of my favorite novels to teach this way. Remember that even when students are from the same country and speak the same language, their personal interests can be very different. You will never find a book that perfectly suits every students’ interest, but if even 50 percent of your class is engaged, you’ve won half the battle.

One of my favorite ways to keep kids engaged is through short stories and short films. I share some lesson resources I have for teaching literary elements with short stories and short films.

Next in the coaching session, we talk about writing. It can be tough to find good resources to teach writing to older EL students, so many teachers often end up finding resources from teacher pay teachers. I also recommend mini lessons in grammar and phonics lessons like consonant vowel consonant or silent e. There is also a phonics program from Saddleback that I use. It was too hard for beginners, but is great for level 2 and 3 students. Ultimately, the only way to improve writing is to write, so Incorporate writing into every unit in some form, even if it is journaling.

What you will hear about in today’s coaching session:

Resources you can use to teach literary elements
How to teach grammar and phonics to our ELs in a practical way
Ways to incorporate writing in daily instruction
How to give feedback in a meaningful and efficient way

Resources

ESL Teacher Support - 1:1 coaching session with Ieva Grauslys (©Simply Ieva)
ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
Simply Ieva Youtube Channel
Episode 51 – Teaching English Content: Here Are 3 Ideas How To Make It Accessible To ELs
Episode 53: Coaching Session Part 1- How To Teach Research To ELs
Romeo and Juliet Meets West Side Story

Affiliate Links

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
Love in English by Maria Andreu

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In today’s episode, I share a coaching session I had with a ESL Teaching Roadmap member. She teaches 9th grade ELA and ELD in a district that is just getting their ESL program off the ground. She explains that there is no curriculum for her to work from, so she feels like she is making everything up as she goes.

We begin by discussing one student, in particular, who is a newcomer in one of her mixed proficiency support classes. She also asks how to assess this new student to see what he is actually capable of understanding and producing. The WIDA just doesn’t give the information she needs to see where he is. I recommend an informal assessment tool so that she can decide on a starting point for working with this student.

Next we discuss how to teach research to English Learners. I recommend starting with a lesson on note taking, followed by a lesson on paraphrasing, a lesson on plagiarism, and a lesson on citations and why they are important.

Listen next week for part 2 of this coaching session.

What you will hear about in today’s coaching session:

Resources and strategies for teaching newcomers in a mixed proficiency classroom
Informal assessment tools that can be used to see what newcomers actually know
Lessons to teach EL students before and during research projects

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

ESL Teacher Support - 1:1 coaching session with Ieva Grauslys (©Simply Ieva)
ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
Simply Ieva Youtube Channel

You may also be interested in:

Episode 36: How to set up your mixed-proficiency classroom for success
Episode 37: 3 Activities That Work Fantastically Well in Mixed-Proficiency Classroom
Writing Vocabulary Posters
Romeo and Juliet meets West Side story lesson
Inside th USA textbook (Affiliate link)
I Want to Learn English (Affiliate link)

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In today’s episode, I speak with my friend, Amber Harper about teacher burnout. Amber is a full time kindergarten teacher and teacher burnout coach. After struggling with burnout for most of her teaching career, in 2016 she created Burned In Teacher. Now she uses her podcast, book, and online course and community to coach teachers through her 8 step burned in process to help them use burnout for an opportunity for growth so they can live a more fulfilled career and life.

She shares about her own journey in education and burnout and that of people she has worked with. When someone is burned out, she explains, the first step is to admit it - “I'm burned out.” To say it is to own it and take responsibility for it. Next is to identify your teacher burnout type, which she has a quiz for this on her website. Not everyone’s burnout is alike and knowing what is causing you to feel burned out will help you understand what steps to take next.

The second step is to understand your teacher brand. In other words, learn to be self aware and check your own ego and bias before you enter situations. Amber suggests that seeking to understand before seeking to be understood is key if you need to confront negative situations with colleagues. She describes a situation where she had to do this in a planning meeting that had turned toxic over time.

Overall, Amber explains that when dealing with burnout, you either have to change yourself or your environment, or sometimes both. We discuss how no one is doing things to you, you are allowing them to happen in most cases. She gives the example of setting time boundaries so that you can leave by your contract hours. Learn from the times that you feel frustrated about leaving late and adjust your boundaries for the next time.

Life is messy. There will never be a perfect system for balancing a teacher career and all of the other things in your life. Things will always need to be flexible. As a rule of thumb, Amber recommends asking yourself - what is one gift you can give yourself in the future? How can you set future-you up for success?

What you will hear about Teacher Burnout:

Different forms of Teacher Burnout
Tips for collaborating and building rapport with colleagues when you are frustrated
How to reflect on yourself and your environment when experiencing burnout
Ways to set “future you” up for success

Resources

ESL Teacher Support - 1:1 coaching session with Ieva Grauslys (©Simply Ieva)
ESL Teaching Roadmap - podcast birthday sale 20% ALL plans.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
Simply Ieva Youtube Channel

You may also be interested in:

Amber’s website - Burned In Teacher
Connect with Amber on Instagram - @burnedinteacher

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In today’s episode, I discuss academic connections in response to a question from one of my listeners about teaching English Content.

Why is traditional English Language Arts content inferencing, finding metaphors and similes, and identifying literary elements, so difficult for English Learners? It is a higher order thinking skill that requires a deep understanding of the language and having background in it.

The first thing to consider is that English Learners need to understand. In order to do any of the higher order thinking activities in ELA class, they must understand the content. To support with this, you could try finding books from the class in the students’ first language. There are many classic, western books that are commonly translated. You could also bring the content to them by creating summaries or storyboards. Reading the entire book might be frustrating for English Learners. One strategy I’ve used is to select a few stories from a book and create a google slide summary of those stories. Take important quotes and insert them into the summary. These can be used to highlight an event, a theme, or a character in the story. You can also look for graphic novels or story boards of the book you are reading.

Next, consider how to present the content. Remember to scaffold, scaffold, scaffold. Pre Teach vocabulary, use visuals like representations of characters, and use repetition.

Finally, teach literary elements using something other than text. Ideas like characters, setting, conflict, climax, and resolution can be found in movies, short videos, and real life.

What you will hear about Teaching English Content to ELs:

Why traditional ELA content is so challenging for English Learners
How to make english content accessible to English Learners
Tips and Strategies for how to teach complex academic terms like literary elements

Resources

ESL Teacher Support - 1:1 coaching session with Ieva Grauslys (©Simply Ieva)
ESL Teaching Roadmap - podcast birthday sale 20% ALL plans.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
Simply Ieva Youtube Channel
Short story The Last Leaf
Short story Lamb to the Slaughter
Short film One Man Band
The ESL Teaching Roadmap - short film After The Rain
Episode 3 - 5 Steps to Teaching Mixed Proficiency Class

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In today’s episode, I discuss test prep with a dear friend and business bestie of mine, Laura Kebart. Laura serves busy middle school English Language Arts teachers who actively choose family time over prepping for class. Through her website, lesson plan resources, and annual virtual conferences, she helps teachers go home earlier each day so they can teach with confidence and enjoy life outside the classroom. She wanted to be a teacher since she was a second grader and spent 17 years in the classroom. English Language Learners have always been a part of her classes at various grade levels and she shares about doing everything she could to make them feel welcome and safe, while learning from any and all mistakes along the way.

Our conversation is focused on Test Prep Strategies because standardized test season is right around the corner for most districts. All of the standards that students need to know to be successful on tests can be overwhelming, so Laura explains that she prefers to step back and focus on the big strategies of academic vocabulary, making logical inferences, and understanding what rigorous questions are actually asking. These skills apply to all students at all grade levels and can start as early as day one of the school year.

Laura shares a number of test prep activities she uses that don’t feel like test prep. Her first suggestion, play around with sentence frames using reading, writing, speaking, and listening - Roll paper cubes with a sentence stem on each side, write sentence stems on beach balls, number 6 sentence frames on the board and have students roll dice in groups to practice reading and completing the sentence out loud. Another idea is to give students a practice test with answer choices randomly circled. Tell them, “I already took the test and you need to grade it.” Have students read the passage and decide if the teacher's answers are correct or incorrect.

Finally, spend time paraphrasing the question. Don’t read the passage, don’t answer the questions, just paraphrase. This skill, alone, will help students be successful.

What you will hear about building background knowledge for your ESL students:

How to review without burning out or feeling like its a review
Ideas for resources, where to find them and what to do with them
Ways to engage your students and what skills to focus on

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

ESL Teacher Support - 1:1 coaching session with Ieva Grauslys (©Simply Ieva)
ESL Teaching Roadmap - podcast birthday sale 20% ALL plans.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
Simply Ieva Youtube Channel

Laura’s website and training

Language Arts Teachers
MSELA Summit

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In order for students to reach an optimal level of learning, they need to know what we’re talking about and that involves not only language, but background knowledge of the subject area concepts. In today’s episode, I will share 5 ways to build background knowledge for your ESL students.

Being immersed in the language is so important, but this can’t be completely effective without background knowledge. A warm up or background building activity is pretty standard in most lessons, but are essential for our English Language Learners. Because they are from all different cultures, they are not all familiar with well known things we may take for granted.

There are 5 strategies I like to use when building background knowledge with my ESL students. First, I like to use pictures and images, keeping in mind that these not all created equal. Images must support students at their level of understanding. Next, I like to preview Vocabulary. Choose target words for your lesson and teach them in a way that your students can access them. Several images, Space to translate, sentences using the word in context, space for students to create their own sentence

Third is relating to personal experiences.The FIFA world cup helped me explain the word, “appeal” (Hear the full story in Episode 49). If you have beginners, utilize first language strategically, which is strategy #4. Usually as students progress, they no longer need the translation. Finally, take field trips and allow students to do some experiential learning in order to build background or solidify understanding.

What you will hear about building background knowledge for your ESL students:

5 ways to build background knowledge
Examples of lessons I’ve taught with students
Reasons why building background knowledge is so important

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

ESL Teacher Support - 1:1 coaching session with Ieva Grauslys (©Simply Ieva)
ESL Teaching Roadmap - podcast birthday sale 20% ALL plans.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
Simply Ieva Youtube Channel

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Happy New Year, 2023! I quite enjoy having a routine but I am also a huge fan of the energy of new beginnings.
And speaking about new beginnings and embracing what works, in today’s episode, I want to share with you something that I have not talked about yet! And that is ESL instructional coaching, educational coaching especially for teachers who work with English learners. I have come to realize that frequently as teachers we need someone to talk to, someone to bounce ideas off and realize that we, in fact, are doing great - but that requires another person to hear you out! In this episode, I will share with you what instructional coaching is, types of instructional coaching, the benefits of it as well as how you can get started right here with Simply Ieva.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

ESL Teacher Support - 1:1 coaching session with Ieva Grauslys (©Simply Ieva) - only 5 spots available
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
Simply Ieva Youtube Channel

Other resources you might be interested in:
Bright Morning

Diane Sweeney Consulting

How Coaching Can Impact Teachers, Principals, and Students

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In today’s episode, I will share with you 5 ways you can reset your classroom anytime of year.

The first one is to revisit classroom expectations. It is okay, when the classroom starts to feel out of control, you can stop and ask yourself and your students questions like these to make sure expectations are present and clear.

How do we begin a class. Show me what the students do and what the teacher does.
When do we talk in class?
When do we go to the bathroom?
How to we ask for help?
What is your responsibility if you are absent?
What does group/individual work look like?

Next is goal setting - I talked about this in Episode 46. Ask students to think of one word to encapsulate their focus for the rest of the school year or the entire year. Another way is to make them more tangible by creating a weekly goal tracker where students can reflect regularly on their progress and process.

Number 3 is to be honest with your students. I want to know that I’m human and can often relate to things they are going through.

Number 4 is make activities easy to manage. One of my favorite classroom strategies is a choice board that includes one “must do activity” and a few other optional activities. Another strategy is to break down lessons into manageable pieces. With any strategy, it is essential to explain and model as often as you need.

The final tip for a classroom reset is to “clean up and change up” your space. Classrooms can get cluttered and messy during the business of the day to day. Taking the time to pick up, organize, and give your space a little makeover can really refresh the room and change the energy.

Do you do a classroom reset? If so, what do you do?

What you will hear about resetting your ESL classroom in this episode:

Revisiting expectations and the questions you can ask yourself and the students
Activities you can do to check for understanding
The importance of setting goal and being honest with your students
Tips for how to make assignments simpler and easier to understand
How resetting your physical space can reset the energy of your classroom

Resources

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
Simply Ieva Youtube Channel

You may also be interested in:

Link to episode 46 - How to Set Intentional Goals with your EL Students
Link to episode 4 - Choice Boards for ESL Students: How to Use Them in the Classroom

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With the new year right around the corner, we tend to reflect on the things we accomplished and what we can do to improve on the quality of our lives, both personally and professionally in the next year. So setting goals is especially popular this time of year, and often, as life keeps going, those goals fall by the wayside. It has been proven that the small, consistent habits are what will actually make the biggest difference in your life. So in this episode I wanted to share my thoughts on goal setting with our EL students and what better time to do that than at the start of a year.

I have been guilty in the past of making new years resolutions with no strong why attatched, no quantitative measure of success, and were ultimately unsuccessful. After doing some research I have found that it is actually the small, consistent habits you build day after day that make the biggest changes in your life.

So, when is the best time to set goal with your students? There are 4 good times I recommend: At the beginning of the school year, at the beginning of the new year in January, at the start of a new trimester or semester, and after receiving your ACCESS or other standardized test scores.

How does it work? As teachers, we are good at breaking things down into manageable chunks. The goal needs to be somewhat tangible. Ask questions to help students get more specific with the goal they have set. Asking questions like “what steps can you take?” or “how will you know if you’re successful?” can help students develop their ideas into SMART goals. SMART Goals are specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and timely.

I created an ESL goal setting packet that you can use with EL students in goal setting and reflecting on their progress toward their goal. This activity has 4 parts that you will hear described in the episode.

Part 1: My word of the year.
Part 2: My vision board.
Part 3: My weekly goal and reflection.
Part 4: My celebrations.

What you will hear about in this episode

The anatomy of a goal
The 4 times during the school year when its good to set goals
A 4 part activity you can use to set goals with your students.

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
Simply Ieva Youtube Channel

You may also be interested in:

The Goal Setting Packet
Blog Post - How to Help your ESL Students with Goal Setting Worksheets

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In this episode, I do another ESL question and answer session with my dear friend Susan Patterson, aka My MLL Mentor.

Our first ESL question was from a teacher who was advised to work with elementary students more than older students in middle and high school. She doesn't feel right about this recommendation and asked us to weigh in.

ESL Question 2 was, “How do you create an inclusive holiday environment for your students?”

The choices seem to be to not celebrate any holidays or to celebrate all of them. We like to be able to let all students celebrate. We share ways that we learn about each other's’ holidays and ways to look for connections between the different holidays across the world.

The next ESL question Susan and I discuss is around students struggling with motivation and ability to focus, post pandemic followed by questions about newcomers: How do you ensure newcomer students understand you and you understand them? What are some practical tips for supporting newcomers in the mainstream classroom?

What you will hear about in this episode

Creating an inclusive holiday environment
Which age group teachers should work with more
Some of the ways and resources to motivate students
How to ensure newcomer students understand you and you them
Practical tips on how to help newcomers in the mainstream classroom

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
Simply Ieva Youtube Channel

You may also be interested in:

December holidays around the world lesson
Books for student motivation (some are affiliate links)
- Tackling the Motivation Crisis by Mike Anderson
- Responsive Classroom books

Ask your questions - connect with us!

Ieva - Facebook group, Instagram, www.simplyieva.com
Susan - Facebook group, Instagram , website

Tackling the Motivation Crisis: How to Activate Student Learning Without Behavior Charts, Pizza Parties, or Other Hard-to-Quit Incentive Systems

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In this episode, I discuss different December holidays that are celebrated around the world and by many English Learners. Last year I started sharing cultural tidbits with my colleagues about different holidays our students celebrate and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

All of this started with a staff email about how to know what foods are kosher and Halal approved. This came up originally because we had a considerable population of Muslim students and my school who were going to have issues with certain foods that might be shared.

Since not all of my students celebrate Christmas, I decided to do some research about some other holidays that are celebrated around the world in December and share what I learned with my students and colleagues.

When thinking about what to incorporate in the holiday unit for your ESL students can be overwhelming. But there are many ways to practice all of the language domains in the context of December holidays. Since it's a busy time of year. I have created a few ready made lesson plans that you can use.

What you will hear about teaching December Holidays

Why I started researching and sharing about December holidays around the world.
A little about the different December holidays that your English Learners may celebrate.
Some of the overlapping traditions that different December holidays share.
Ideas for activities that you can use to teach the different language domains in the context of December holidays

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
Simply Ieva Youtube Channel

You may also be interested in:

Article - Kosher, Halal, Pareve: Get to Know the Labels
Article - Why Americans call turkey “turkey”
Blog post - December Holidays Around the World
Done-for-you lesson plans on Teachers Pay Teachers
- December Holidays Around the World
- Short story Gift of the Magi lesson

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In this episode, I attempt to explain my perspective on the immigrant experience. I have struggled with how to explain this all my life. I share the complex feelings that come up when I visit my home in Lithuania. It feels impossible to explain my life as an immigrant in the United States to people in Lithuania and it feels impossible to explain life in Lithuania to people in the US. There are so many cultural differences that it is difficult for people to understand.

My experience helps me understand my students’ immigrant perspective to an extent, but each story is so different. People immigrate to the United States for a variety of reasons and we cannot assume we know what they have been through. Immigrant students often have difficulty connecting with American youth because of these drastically different life experiences.

Thinking about the perspective of an immigrant reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Atticus Finch, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”

There are a few books I recommend for anyone trying to shift their perspective about the immigrant experiences:

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This is a story about a Nigerian Woman who leaves Nigeria to work and study in America. It addresses questions of race, belonging, diaspora, and longing for home.
All the Rivers by Dorit Rabinyan. This is a controversial love story about an Israeli woman and a Palistinian man, only possible far away from both of their homes.
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak. This is another love story under impossible conditions, told from the perspective of a Fig Tree.

What you will hear about an Immigrant's perspective:

My experience as a Lithuanian immigrant living in the US
My perspective on what it is like trying to explain another culture to someone
Challenges that some of my students experiences as they adjust to American culture
3 Books that I have read and recommend for a perspective shift.

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group
Simply Ieva Youtube Channel

You may also be interested in:

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
All the Rivers by Dorit Rabinyan
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
*These are affiliate links

Americanah: A novel (ALA Notable Books for Adults)

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In this episode, I talk with Susan Patterson to answer five of the most popular questions I get from my awesome community about multilingual learners. Susan is a district multilingual ELD teacher on special assignment. She develops professional learning for best practices in multilingual classrooms and supports ELD coaches. She also has her own blog and creates materials for High School Multilingual teachers.

We start by discussing a question about learning materials for multilingual learners that focus on the language domain of listening. Then, we share some of our favorite ELL books and websites for levels 1, 2, and 3 with a special focus on high interest materials to share with students at their levels.

One of our questions was about how to make a schedule for small group instruction of our multilingual learners. We each discuss the important factors to consider when creating a schedule whether you are in elementary, middle, or high school.

We give our advice for preparing for an ELL teacher interview, including what questions to ask and what questions you may want to be prepared to answer. Finally, we share some of our favorite resources and tips for classroom decor.

What you will hear about in today’s episode:

Listening Materials - What are some listening materials for all levels?
Books and Websites - What are some ELL books and websites for levels 1, 2, and 3?
Scheduling - How do you make a schedule for small group instruction?
Interview Prep - How should I prepare for before an ELL teacher interview?
Classroom Decor - What are your recommended places to find cute decor?

Resources

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Simply Ieva Youtube Channel

You may also be interested in:

Voice of America for English learners
Listenwise
Online voice recorder
Flip
Padlet
Newsela
Saddleback Educational Publishing
News in levels
Readworks
Amplifier
Carson Dellosa Publishing
Ieva - Facebook group, Instagram, www.simplyieva.com
Susan - Facebook group, Instagram , website

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In this episode, I talk with Carly Spina about her experience as a teacher and her book Moving Beyond for Multilingual Learners. I have followed Carly for years and have used her resources in my classes, so I know you’ll love them too.

Carly shares about her experiences growing up in a linguistically diverse neighborhood in Chicago. She went on to learn Spanish, but is quick to acknowledge that she learned a new language out of privilege, not out of necessity to learn. While she has a passion for working with elementary school students, she now works with multilingual learners and teachers from early childhood to high school. No matter the grade level, she believes she works with the best students and best families in the school.

We compare our experiences teaching in closet-like classrooms and our favorite lessons and student stories. The, we discuss the cultural change that needs to happen to change the acronyms used to refer to multi language learners, who are often reduced to letters like LEP, ELL, and ELs. These acronyms start with something the students don’t have as compared to labels like “gifted and talented” which are almost never reduced to letters.

She goes on to share her frustration around lessons that seem to treat multilingual learners as afterthoughts, only referred to in a gray box at the bottom of the lesson page. Language has to be at the forefront of every lesson plan, not a “tweak” at the end. Carly describes how she leans into student interests and get them learning and creating. So many students, she says, want to be content creators, which is the highest level of rigor and uses all 4 language domains, so why not?

What you will hear about Language and Inclusion for Multilingual Learners

Why multilingual learners are the best in the school
All about Carly’s Book, Moving Beyond for Multilingual Learners
The importance of the language we use to label our students
The need to continually reflect on our own language choices
Ways text Engineering can support multi language learners
Some of her favorite lessons & activities

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
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Simply Ieva Youtube Channel
Carly Spina Twitter
Episode 9 - Text engineering with Susan Patterson
Moving Beyond for Multilingual Learners (affiliate link)

Moving Beyond for Multilingual Learners: Innovative Supports for Linguistically Diverse Students

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In this episode, I build upon the tips I shared in episode 39 on how to set up your speaking lesson by sharing several speaking activities my students love. I share all about picture prompts for speaking, projects that will help your students take ownership of their learning, and of course, games! These are also great for mixed proficiency classes.

Speaking is so connected with listening and writing. While listening is a receptive skill, which is absolutely necessary in order to navigate school and life, speaking and writing are the productive aspects of language. They are also much more difficult to master because one needs to retrieve the information they already have and present it to the listener or reader in a way they can understand. Lots of students know English grammar, but feel like they can’t speak it because the rules of grammar are easy to memorize using worksheets. This is not the same as speaking.

In order to succeed with speaking activities, students need vocabulary, knowledge of how to put those words into sentences, basic grammar, and knowledge to apply. Picture prompts incorporate all of this. You can show pictures of familiar things like hobbies and ask questions like what do you see in the picture? Or what is the person doing? Students will begin with one word answers and eventually work toward full conversations.

The next speaking activity is Projects, which are great because they incorporate all other language domains (reading, writing, and listening). They allow students to go in depth on a topic and can give them an opportunity to practice for projects in other classes. Make sure to set parameters for what you expect from students in terms of format, structure, etc.

There are also several games you can play with students to practice vocabulary and speaking. Listen to the episode to hear about the specific games I like to use with my students.

What you will hear about speaking activities for your English Learners

What makes speaking is so much harder than reading or listening
How to use picture prompts to teach speaking and idioms
The projects and topics I like to use to get my students speaking
Games that allow students to practice speaking and get a little competitive

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

You may also be interested in:

Episode 39: How To Teach Speaking to English Learners
How to teach ESL with Pictures
3 Fantastic Speaking Activities That Will Make Your ESL Class More Exciting
4 Speaking Activities fo

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In this episode, I share what I have learned about how to teach speaking to English Learners. Speaking is part of our students’ everyday lives because they are learning in an English Speaking Environment. Because of this, it is easy to overlook the importance of more structured speaking opportunities. Speaking is also a very personal thing and is intimidating even for native speakers.

There are six components of teaching speaking that I like to incorporate into my lessons.

Set the rules. Students cannot engage the way you want them to if you haven’t made your expectations clear. This helps even the playing field for students and let them feel secure that they know what to do.
Pre-teach vocab and phrases. This can be teaching students the words they need to express their thoughts or teaching students words you chose for a practice activity.
Arrange for small group and pair work. The dynamics of a group are much more relaxed that speaking to another teacher or speaking in front of a whole class. Students are able to practice in a lower stress environment. It also mimics real life situations students will encounter the most.
Teach speaking strategies, in particular, what to do when you don’t understand what someone is saying.
Give choices. Have students choose the topics they want to talk about so that the conversation is more authentic and students have the motivation to talk about the topic.
Assessment. Assessment of conversation speaking should be informal. Find a way to grade students without focusing on grammar.

Listen to the episode for more specific ideas on each of these components of teaching speaking.

Would you add anything to these tips? What do you find works well when teaching speaking?

What you will hear about teaching speaking to English Learners

The different purposes of speaking
Common challenges to teaching speaking
The 6 components of a speaking lesson
Mistakes I’ve made teaching speaking and how to avoid them

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

You may also be interested in:

Blog Post - How to Teach Speaking to English Learners

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In this episode, I interview my friend and colleague, Hillary Woods. She shares her perspective on the responsive classroom method and teaching with English Learners in mind after 16 years of experience teaching 4th - 8th grade students.

Hilary discusses the value of connecting with students and getting to know them whether they are English Learners or not. This process starts at the beginning of the school year in her classroom, and continues in various ways throughout the year.

Through her use of the responsive classroom method, she describes the routines and procedures she introduces from the start to create a student centered learning environment. Her goal is to create a safe, joyful, engaging, and predictable classroom where students feel comfortable and engaged while learning the required academics.

We also discuss Hilary’s planning style. She likes to stay ahead, but not too far ahead in order to be prepared, but allow flexibility to respond to student needs. She highlights two questions she always asks herself while planning.

How do I want students to interact during this lesson?
What do I need to explicitly model?

One of the specific lessons she shares about is an Emoji paragraph, including guiding questions that support students to practice writing in a low-risk, fun way.

Hilary believes success in a responsive classroom looks like students engaged and participating, students conversing with each other and having all of the materials ready. One key to this is teachers having partnerships set up at the beginning - students need to know exactly who they are supposed to converse with at any point so they feel included in the classroom.

What you will hear about Responsive Classroom and planning for ELs.

How Hilary navigates mixed ability level classrooms
Ways to connect with students and get to know them
What a Responsive Classroom and how to begin creating one
Considerations for lesson planning
Hilary’s definition of a successful classroom.

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

You may also be interested in:

Emoji paragraph lesson video
Eduprotocols emoji generator
Responsive classroom
Paragraph writing lesson for ELLs

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In episode 37, we continue with the topic of mixed proficiency classrooms. Last week I talked about setting up your mixed proficiency class for success. Today i will discuss some of the activities that have worked well in these types of classes for me.All students need to work on vocabulary development and all four language domains. So, what activities work well for Mixed Proficiency classes? I will share 3 of my favorites.

First is choice boards. Choice boards ask students to answer questions or complete activities, but students get to choose a determined number of the options to work on in the order they choose. My choice boards usually have fewer activities, usually 5, and students get to choose any 4. Choice Boards in my mixed proficiency class are focused on Vocabulary, Writing,

The next activity I love for a mixed proficiency class is a simple “Do Now” question or task for students to do as soon as they walk in. These questions are a low risk way to get all students engaged and set the tone for my ESL class as a place where work gets done right away. Often, my Do Now questions will involve the Habits of Mind, which are on a poster in my classroom for students to reference.

Finally, I share about projects. When asked what they want to improve on over the year, my mixed proficiency students said they wanted to work on their speaking and presentations. Incorporating projects into my class allows students to work toward that goal while practicing with their groups in all 4 language domains.

What you will hear about activities for your mixed proficiency class:

How I use choice boards in my classroom and why they work so well in mixed proficiency classrooms
The way I use Do Nows problems and my Habits of Mind Poster in mixed proficiency rooms to set the tone for the class and get students working right away.
Projects that address all of the language domains.

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

You may also be interested in:

Episode 4 Choice Boards for ESL Students: How to Use Them In The Classroom
How to Use Choice Boards in your ESL Classroom
Choice Board Bundle
Episode 36 - How to Set Up Your Mixed Proficiency Classroom For Success

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In this episode, we talk about a very popular topic - setting up a mixed proficiency class. Mixed proficiency or mixed level classes are challenging to take on, so today I will share some of the strategies I use and some that I am planning to implement for the first time.

First, I take a look at what my students need by looking at their WIDA access scores and some some informal data that I gather using a basic checklist I describe in further detail in the episode. I think about how those test scores translate to your students’ ability to access information in their content classes.

Next, I think of the routines that I need to set up in my mixed proficiency classroom. Routines are what help students know exactly what is expected of them at various points in my class. The more students in a class, the more essential it is to have clear, consistent routines for things like going to the bathroom, turning in assignments, and how to engage in independent and station work.

I also share a few tried and true tips for planning activities for students at mixed proficiencies. I discuss how to choose a focus, like vocabulary, for portions of a lesson, even if students are working at different levels. You will hear about different ideas for grouping students intentionally and resources I utilize for students to work independently while I work directly with a student.

Which of these 3 things that will help you to set up your classroom for success are you going to utilize first?

If you work with mixed levels, how do you set up your classroom for success?

What you will hear about setting up your mixed proficiency class

How to figure out what your students need
Essential routines to establish with your students
Ideas for planning activities for a mixed proficiency class

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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What are ILPs? The letters ILP stand for Individualized Learner Plan, I like to think of them as Personalized Learner Profiles and in today’s episode I share what I include in ILPs for my English Learners and how I have adapted them to fit the needs of the teachers and students in my school. The point of these documents is to support communication between a general educator and an ELL specialist and to create a plan that outlines a success path for our English Learners

In special education, IEPs or Individualized Education Programs are lengthy documents that include info about students' educational and personal history and outline goals for the upcoming year and how they will be achieved for students with disabilities. ILPs are similar plans designed for students who are English Learners. ILPs usually include things like student information, a student’s educational and cultural background, “can do” statements, and recommended accommodations for class and testing.

There are sophisticated platforms your school or district can invest in to manage and gather data for ILPs. If your school does not have a budget or need for a platform like this you can manage all of the data you need using a google spreadsheet like I do.

Listen to the episode to learn more about each of these topics and how I simplify what I include in my ILPs to be useful for general education teachers.

What you will hear ILPs and what to include in them.

What an ILP is and its purpose in EL education
Information to include in an ILP
Ideas for managing student data
Strategies for simplifying ILPs to make them clear and concise

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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Affirmations are a great way for anyone to combat negative self talk and our English learners are no exception. The teenagers I work with often struggle with thoughts that their English is not good enough and are hesitant to participate in conversations because of their low confidence. This is why the topic of today’s episode is affirmations to use with our English learners.

Young people feel pressure to do well in school and fall into the trap of comparing themselves to others. I like to remind my students that it takes time to learn a language and it is okay not to have it all figured out yet, that it takes time to adjust to a new culture, and that what others are doing is none of your business. There is a formula of thinking that I teach them to use - be, do, have. This can be used to formulate questions: What do I need to be and what do I need to do to have what I want?

I also share 10 of my favorite affirmations to use with my students and how to get the most out of them. I have found that not all affirmations work in all situations and the way they are used can really make a big difference.

What you will hear about using affirmations with your English Learners

Ways to support your students with combating negative self talk
A formula of thinking you can use to change your thinking
10 of my favorite affirmations to share with my English Learners
Tips for using affirmations effectively

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

You may also be interested in:

Episode 11 - Radical Self-Care for Teachers in Times of Crisis
Affirmations for students
Affirmations for children

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Icebreaker activities can help you build rapport and a sense of community in your classroom. However, it is important to know that not all ice breakers are suitable for English Learners. In this episode, I share a few of my tried and true ice breaker activities and things you want to keep in mind before planning your own icebreaker activities.

When planning icebreaker activities for English Learners, you want to make sure the activity does not require too much personal information that students may not be ready to share for personal or cultural reasons.The activity must also be the right proficiency for the students in your classroom and be age appropriate.

Ball toss is a go-to icebreaker activity that is great for beginners. It can be used as a get to know you activity and modified to be used throughout the school year. “Three things about me” is also great for beginners.

For intermediate and up, I recommend an activity called “concentric circles,” which allows one on one conversations and meeting new people and is good for teens and adults. Light Debate is another icebreaker activity that intermediate students really enjoy and it is great for practicing language.

What you will hear about Icebreaker Activities

Why you should plan icebreaker activities for the beginning of the school year
Things to consider when choosing icebreaker activities for English Learners
Examples of 2 icebreaker activities that are suitable for beginners
Activities you can use with your more advanced EL students

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

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As summer comes to an end, I thought it would be nice to hear an English learners' perspective on what it is like to be a new student in high school. In today's episode, I interview a former student of mine, Maja Pastuszka, about her experience coming to the United States from Poland and what it was like for her to be a new student and English learner simultaneously.

She explains some of the challenges she had to overcome while learning English, the things her teachers did to support her, and some things teachers did that were not so supportive. Maja also gives us insight on some of the cultural differences between attending high school in Poland and in the United States from her English learner's perspective. She explains several aspects of the new culture that she had to adjust to and how even minor cultural differences can be difficult to navigate.

What you will hear from an English Learner’s Perspective

What it feels like to be an English Learner and a new high school student in the United States
Cultural differences that English Learners have to navigate
Some challenges of feeling confident speaking from the perspective of an English Learner
Things teachers did that were supportive and not so supportive

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

You may also be interested in:

The Confident ESL Teacher Summit
Map Out Your First Month with ESL Beginners Masterclass
The Multilingual Learner Summit
Saddleback Educational Publishing:
- Webinar series
- Youtube
- Resources
The SIOP Virtual Conference

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In this episode, I share 6 elements of an effective EL lesson plan that I have learned in my years as a teacher. Planning for English Learners is not the same as planning for other contents because many EL teachers do not have a set curriculum and will need to plan for different proficiency levels and different sized groups of students. I go into the essential components of an EL lesson plans - an objective, background building, presentation, practice, assessment, and extension.

I discuss the preparation to do ahead of tim, how to choose strategies that will work best for the objective you’re working toward and give examples of how to follow the research based, SIOP protocol to write both language and content objectives. You will walk away inspired to make the most of the planning time you have over the Summer or any time of year.

What you will learn about EL Lesson Planning

How to lesson plan for your EL students
What information to include in your EL lesson plans
How to figure out the right goals to plan for
Why Summer is the best time to get started on your lesson plans for next year
What makes planning for EL students unique
Components of an effective EL lesson plan

Join The Waitlist for the ESL Lesson Planning Masterclass Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

You may also be interested in:

Blog Post: 6 Elements of an Effective ESL Lesson Plan
Lesson Planning Masterclass for ESL Teachers

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In today’s episode, I am chatting with Molly Badrawy all about lesson planning for ELs and the realities of working in a low incidence district. Molly Badrawy is a full-time ESOL teacher in New Hampshire, and a freelance consultant at FaCES, Fair Culture and English Services, providing customized cultural guidance and language instruction for and individual adult language learners and organizations, alike. A national and international career that spans public, private, higher education as well as the business sector, Molly has presented her work at many conferences, serves on the NH English Language Advisory Committee, and facilitates the NH Low-incidence Community of Practice cohort, which is where we met! She lives in Peterborough, NH with her husband, two daughters, two cats, and a dog and believes she has the best job in the world. It was wonderful to speak with Molly and to get to know her.

What you will learn about lesson planning for ELs:

Different ways to collaborate with content teachers while planning lessons
What co-teaching can look like in different classrooms
Tips for making the most of your limited time with small groups
Ideas for creating lessons that are responsive to student needs based on observations
How journaling about students can support lesson planning for ELs
Strategies for reviewing content for your ELs in fun and engaging ways

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

You may also be interested in:

WIDA Resource Library
Episode 17 - A Peek Into My Middle School EL Classroom
Episode 18 - Collaboration with Teachers, Families, and Students with Beth Mailley

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In today’s episode, I speak with Kristen Vibas, an ELL teacher from Virginia who I met on Instagram. Kristen has been teaching since 2005.
She shares how she went from aspiring actress to ELL teacher, and shares peeks into her classroom. You will love the tips and strategies she has developed on how to support multilingual students and how to teach reading to ELLs as much as I did.

Both content teachers and ELL teachers will find this episode valuable as reading is such a critical part of learning in all subjects.

What you will learn about how to teach reading:

The 5 components of reading
Reasons why reading is such a difficult domain for many students to master
Tips and strategies for teaching reading to ELLs
How reading instruction differs between younger and older students
Suggestions for avoiding the dreaded “summer slide” with reading skills

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

You may also be interested in:

Follow Kristen Vibas on Instagram
A Walk in the Chalk - Kristen Vibas' Blog
Episode 21 - How to Pre-Teach Vocabulary in the Mainstream Classroom

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To us EL teachers, vocabulary pre-teaching is our daily bread, but I received a question from one of the content area teachers that made me think…what comes naturally to us, does not necessarily make immediate sense to our colleagues.

I recently saw a post from a science teacher tasked with teaching English Newcomers and suggested a list of ideas, one being pre-teaching vocabulary. But, how do you pre-teach vocabulary in a mainstream classroom? Today’s episode addresses this question and more.

Why is pre-teaching vocabulary good for all learners?

There are 3 tiers of words we talk about in EL instruction: Tier 1, or everyday, words, Tier 2, or frequently used words that show up across content areas, and Tier 3, or subject specific words. Pre-teaching, particularly tier 2 words, is important for access to the academics and equity. All students are building their vocabulary and ability to communicate their ideas and building confidence in demonstrating their content knowledge.

What you will hear in this episode:

What vocabulary pre-teaching is
The reasons why it is so important to pre-teach vocabulary in the mainstream classroom
The steps that can be taken to pre-teach vocabulary
How pre-teaching vocabulary will benefit all students not just the language learners

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

You may also be interested in:

Sample vocabulary slide - Google Slides
Episode 14 - Vocabulary for ESL Students

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Today’s episode is the answer to the question from one of my readers/listeners. What do I do with my newcomers the last three weeks of school? They are so frustrated and will speak no English this summer. How can I help them without frustration?
I wanted to share some activities that will take the frustration away because they all involve creativity, flow and connection. The rules for the end of the year are really no different than those for the beginning of the year - there just might be less motivation and more exhaustion on both the teachers and the students’ parts.

Here is what you will hear in this episode:

I will share a few quick ideas that you can implement in community building, classroom environment and academics.
I will go more in depth into five activities that have worked well for my students over the years

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

End of the Year Activity Packet for grades 6-12

End of the Year Memory Book (grades K-5)

Blog posts

5 End of the Year Activities for Your English Learners

End of the school year digital activities for ESL students

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I have been a big believer in the importance of social emotional learning for a long time. But, teaching amidst the pandemic for the last few years has really emphasized how vital it is for all students, particularly for English learners. There are five competencies to social emotional learning - self awareness, self management, social awareness, relationship skills, decision making skills. Each of these is worthy of a dedicated episode.
So, in today’s episode, I focus specifically on self management. I will share the challenges I see my middle and high school students face with regards to self management and the techniques I have developed to help them help themselves.

Here’s what you will learn about Self Management:

How choice boards illuminated my students’ challenges with self management
Details of the 5 part self management structure I use in my classroom
How and when to support students with goal setting
How teaching my students the difference between urgent and important got my students to put their phones down during class
How opportunities for flexible seating, time blocking, and reflection/self-evaluation help students practice self management

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

You may also be interested in:

CASEL - Fundamentals of Social Emotional Learning
The Eisenhower matrix in the classroom
Book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (affiliate link)
Episode 4 - Choice Boards

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: 30th Anniversary Edition

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In this episode, I am chatting with Beth Mailley. Beth is an ESL teacher in the Washington, DC area. She has been teaching for 23 years with 11 years as a classroom teacher before becoming an ESL teacher. She has been in that role for the past 12 years and loves it. When she is not teaching, she is most likely reading, hanging out with family, or trying to convince herself to exercise. It was such a pleasure to speak with Beth.

She shares how she ended up in the ELL field after being a language learner herself during a service trip to Mexico. She experienced first-hand how frustrating it can be to learn a new language and the importance of non-verbal communication and human connection in the process. She opens up about how she utilizes that human connection now to collaborate with teachers, families and students. And of course, she gives her best tips for making the most important connections and setting up your classroom for success.

What you’ll hear about collaboration:

Tips for collaborating with fellow teachers, even when common planning time is tight
Models for co teaching that you may not have considered
Ideas for preparing your students for a new English Learner to join your class
How to partner with parents and families by asking the right questions at parent-teacher conferences
Ways to collaborate with students on their own language learning path

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

Connect with Beth:

Find Beth on Instagram
The ESL Teacher Life

You may also be interested in:

Episode 6 – The simple steps to teacher collaboration with Courtney Morgan
Episode 4 – Choice Boards for ESL Students: How to Use them in the Classroom

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Planning for middle school EL students is different from planning for just about any other class. You may have 20 students or just a few, and you will likely have a wide variety of different proficiency levels and students all at the same time. In my situation this school year, at least in middle school, I am teaching seventh and eighth grade students who span levels 1 through 4 on the WIDA language proficiency assessment. In this episode I will be sharing with you how I account for all of their unique needs and what my setup and planning looks like on a daily basis.

Here is what you will hear about middle school EL lessons:

Considerations I make while lesson planning for my ESL class.
How I leverage independent work to check in with students individually
Why I believe that addressing social emotional needs is as important as academics
How I teach language through core content
Curriculum resources I recommend and resources I have created myself (which you can find in my ESL teaching roadmap membership!)
Elements of Universal Lesson Design and how to incorporate them into your assignments
The simple question I end every class with

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

You may also be interested in:

ESL Curriculum by National Geographic - Inside USA
Why UDL Matters for English Language Learners
Demystifying Complex Texts: What are "Complex" Texts and How Can We Ensure ELLs and MLs Can Access Them?

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**So often we hear advice from educators who have been in the classroom, honing their craft for years. While their experience is valuable, I thought it would be refreshing to hear from an ESL teacher who is in the beginning stages of her career. Today, I chat with Kennedy Merriam, my student teacher this semester, who has been so open and creative during her time with me. She shares her own journey to finding ESL teaching and the reasons she is so passionate about this career.

Kennedy is from Massachusetts and is currently a senior at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH. She will be graduating with a major in Spanish and a minor in ESOL education, with certification to teach ELL students in grades 9-12 in Massachusetts. She is passionate about the Spanish language, traveling, and writing music (she’s also a singer!). Extroverted, compassionate and a keen listener, Kennedy will always try to understand and support another person, and I have seen that in action so many times! She is eager to get even more experience working with newcomers so she can better serve them and can’t wait to continue her career working with English Learners and newcomers.**

Here is what you will hear about ESL Teaching:

What teachers of English Learners teach, besides the language
Why ESL teaching is such a rewarding career
A few things that may surprise you about teaching English Learners and new comers
Advice for new ESL teachers and student teachers
Tips and strategies for all teachers with English Learners in their class
Essential ideas for vocabulary instruction to support your ESL students and newcomers

Resources

Mentioned in the Episode:

Follow Kennedy on Instagram
Follow Kennedy on Facebook
The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.
Follow me on Instagram
Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

You may also be interested in:

Episode 2: What to Teach ESL Newcomers First
Episode 13: Teaching Newcomers - A Peek into Karen Emerson’s Classroom
Episode 14: Vocabulary for ESL Students

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Teachers are often puzzled when they approach teaching grammar for a couple of reasons. Particularly if they are native english speakers, they often don’t feel like they know formal grammar rules very well. They just know when a phrase or sentence “sounds right.”

The other big struggle for teachers is not knowing what order makes sense to teach grammar rules to their students.

But the bottom line is ESL students do need to learn grammar so that they have a framework, a safety net, to rely on as they learn and practice the language. In fact, students often ask me for help with grammar and give a sigh of relief when they are handed a grammar worksheet. Remember, those rules provide them with a sense of safety.

In this podcast episode, I will break down the most important grammar points to touch upon when you get a new beginner English learner and the suggested order in which to teach them.
Here is what you will hear about Grammar for English Learners:

Reasons you may feel overwhelmed by teaching grammar
Reasons it is important to teach grammar to your English Learners
What grammar rules are most important to teach
What order I suggest teaching grammar
Activity suggestions specific to the age of your students

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
Grammar Teaching Sequence
The Grammar Answer Key: Short Explanations to 100 ESL Questions

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.

Follow me on Instagram

Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group

How to Teach ESL Grammar for Beginners: Tips, Activities and Games

Video: Grammar Teaching Tips for ESL Teachers

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We all know that learning a new language requires vocabulary instruction, but what is the best approach? Which words should we teach? Which words are the most important? And how can we help students retain the academic vocabulary we teach them? I address these questions in today’s episode.

Language learning is not an overnight process, and vocabulary teaching is ongoing whether you work with exclusively newcomers or have long-term English learners.It is said that it takes learning a word seven times in different contexts for that word to become part of your vocabulary.

There are simple ways teachers can intentionally incorporate content vocabulary before, during, and after an activity that will greatly improve their ESL students’ ability to understand the lesson and retain the vocabulary. I share a few of my favorite tools and activities as well as two well researched frameworks for introducing new words to your students that will take your vocabulary instruction to the next level.

Here is what you will hear in this episode:

3 effective tools you can use to use to teach new vocabulary
2 research-based frameworks for vocabulary instruction that have been proven to increase the retention of academic vocabulary
Ways to intentionally incorporate repetition and visual representations of new academic vocabulary into your classroom to support student learning
Ideas for differentiating vocabulary instruction for students at different proficiency levels

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

Reminder - 10% of the proceeds from my sales in March 2022 will be donated to Unicef to benefit the people of Ukraine.

Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops

You may also be interested in:

Teaching Absolute Beginners: An ESL Teacher’s Handbook
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
3 Tips That Will Rock Your ESL Vocabulary Instruction
Dr. Maria Calderon’s 7 Steps to Vocabulary Pre-teaching
Marzano’s Six-Step Process for Teaching Vocabulary
Pixabay
A Speaking Game That Will Captivate Your ESL Students

The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 20% off when you join.

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In today’s episode, I am chatting with Karen Emerson, who is a friend and a fellow ELL teacher in the town that I live in. She works with the youngest English learners - grades K-1. I met Karen through one of our monthly state EL meetings, and we hit it off right away. I could sense her passion for working with English learners and her creativity in approaching teaching, especially newcomers! What and how to teach newcomers has been by far the most frequently asked question in my career. So when I was thinking of recording episodes about newcomer teaching, she was the first person that came to mind. I think as teachers, we always want to take a little peek into our colleague’s classroom. Sometimes we want to know where to start when we are feeling overwhelmed, sometimes we want to get inspired and sometimes we just want to know that we are on the right path. This episode is exactly about that - Karen shares her insights and ideas for teaching newcomer English learners and you can hear the wisdom and lighthearted humor in everything she does. I had so much fun talking with her, and I hope you can feel it too.

Here is what you will hear:

How Karen became an ELL teacher - a story that is not exactly a typical one.
Karen's approach to teaching newcomers any time of year:
- how she helps them feel welcome
- how she collaborates with classroom teachers
- the WHAT and the HOW of teaching newcomers
How she keeps in contact with newcomer families
and so much more!

Below you will find useful resources.

Charities you can donate to help Ukrainian people:
- Blue-Yellow
- Unicef
- St.Javelin clothing, stickers, etc. - all proceeds from purchases go to support vulnerable people in Ukraine.
The ESL Newcomer Teaching Checklist
Teaching Absolute Beginners: An ESL Teacher's Handbook
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva Teachers Pay Teachers store
The ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.

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In today’s episode, I am chatting with my friend Carissa Ford about teaching speaking to our English learners. Speaking is such a personal aspect of language learning, and that is just one of the challenges our multilingual students face. Carissa and I dive into the best practices in teaching speaking from tasks to activities and lessons to projects. You’ll hear about the differences of teaching speaking to newcomer English learners and to long term English learners as well as tips for mainstream classroom teachers. Carissa Ford is a former high school ESL teacher where she taught newcomers and long term English learners. She also spent four years in Mongolia training preservice teachers, hosting professional development workshops, and leading a language program. Carissa currently works as a curriculum writer creating digital content for multilingual learner programs.

This was such a fun interview, and I hope you can feel that as well while listening.

Here is what you will hear in this episode:

Carissa's story - how she decided to become an ELL teacher and what keeps her going
reasons why speaking is such a challenging aspect of language learning for most students
creative and easy-to-implement speaking activities
ideas on how mainstream teachers can seamlessly implement speaking into their daily lessons

Below you will find useful resources.

Charities you can donate to help Ukrainian people:
- Blue-Yellow
- Unicef
- St.Javelin clothing, stickers, etc. - all proceeds from purchases go to support vulnerable people in Ukraine.
Blog post - 3 Fantastic Speaking Activities That Will Make Your ESL Class More Exciting
Teaching Absolute Beginners: An ESL Teacher's Handbook
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
Simply Ieva Teachers Pay Teachers store
The ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.

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In today’s episode, I wanted to talk about the mental and emotional health of teachers and processing emotions in difficult times. We always seek information and want to better our knowledge of how to support our English learners - and all students. But I wanted to honor teachers as humans and not just as vessels of knowledge that are expected to show up and perform no matter what. The war in Ukraine has brought up some raw emotions for many people around the world. In this episode, I will share a little bit of the history of my country and how it relates to the war in the Ukraine, then I will explain why this is important to me, and lastly, I will share some tips that have helped me cope and I hope will help you too. I find that when I am centered, I can show up better for my family and my students. It is my hope that you will find this episode helpful and can come back to it whenever you need encouragement and simple ways to return to yourself.

Here is what you will hear in this episode:

A little bit of history of Lithuania and how it relates to the current war in Ukraine
why this is important to me and how stress in general affects our teaching
definition of radical-self care
five ways you can help yourself come back to center

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

Charities you can donate to help Ukrainian people:
- Blue-Yellow
- Unicef
- St.Javelin clothing, stickers, etc. - all proceeds from purchases go to support vulnerable people in Ukraine.
Article Radical Self-Care to Protect Your Overall Well-Being
Blog post - 5 Ways You can Beat Teacher Burnout
Teaching Absolute Beginners: An ESL Teacher's Handbook
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
The ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.

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In today’s episode, I want to chat with you about a special group of students - those who have limited or interrupted formal education, otherwise known as SLIFE.
Chances are many of us have encountered a student from this group at least once. And with everything that is going on in the world right now, we are likely to see more and more need to help these children that have found themselves in difficult situations due to no fault of their own.
So today, I will share with you everything I know about SLIFE students - who they are, what they need, how they learn, how we can teach them as well as give you five does and don’ts to utilize - or NOT - in the classroom.

Here is what you will hear in this episode:

Who SLIFE students are
What they need
Three steps to help them
5 dos and don'ts of teachers with SLIFE in the classroom.

As always, below you will find related resources that will help support your ELs and save you planning time!

MALP Education website
Blog post - Teaching Slife Students: What You Need to Know
Teaching Absolute Beginners: An ESL Teacher's Handbook
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
The ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.

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In today’s episode, I am chatting with my dear friend Susan Patterson about text engineering and how we all can help make content accessible to our English learners.

Susan is a district Multilingual/ELD Teacher on Special Assignment in California, which is a fancy title for doing a little bit of everything! But mostly, she develops professional learning around best practices for multilingual students in her district and supports ELD coaches as they go through their own coaching cycles at their sites. She also has her own blog, ell-lady.com, and creates materials for high school ESL teachers in her membership, My MLL Mentor.

Here is what you will hear in this episode:

We will talk about the necessary mindset shift that needs to take place for teachers when we see the need to adapt materials;
Susan will talk about simple ways both EL and content area teachers can tweak a text without watering it down in just a few minutes
We will share resources that both of us have found extremely helpful in bringing literary works to our EL students.

Follow Susan at:

website:https://www.ell-lady.com/blog
G/FB: @my.mll.mentor

As always, below you will find related resources that will help support your ELs and save you planning time!

Article: Demystifying Complex Texts: What are "Complex" Texts and How Can We Ensure ELLs and MLs Can Access Them?
Simply Ieva ESL website
Teaching Absolute Beginners: An ESL Teacher's Handbook
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
The ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.

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Can you relate to any or all of the next statements?

I am tasked with teaching ESL/ELL newcomers, but my district doesn’t have a curriculum for that.
I teach middle and high schoolers - and that is an added layer to the lack of curriculum .
I teach mixed level classes - where do I find ready made lessons?

Being an ESL teacher usually involves a lot of moving parts.

In order to ensure our students’ success, we must be well-versed in language acquisition theory and practice, collaborate with our colleagues, scaffold our teaching to make the content accessible and to work with mixed-proficiency levels.

In addition, we create our own lessons, juggle lack of curriculum or grapple with one that we can clearly see doesn’t work for our English learners.

With all of this in mind, It can be hard to find a curriculum that meets all of the above mentioned demands. But I wanted to offer a different perspective.

And in today's episode I will share with you a three-step roadmap that you can take to help your ELL students.

Here is what you will hear:

How I myself needed a structure, a framework, a roadmap of sorts and how I began to pay attention to my own questions and those that other teachers asked.
The three questions that I hear over and over again regarding teaching English learners
The simple realization that the answer to these questions is really THE Roadmap.

As always, below you will find related resources that will help support your ELs and save you planning time!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. Click HERE for more information and o join.
Simply Ieva ESL website - post about what to teach newcomers first.
Teaching Absolute Beginners: An ESL Teacher's Handbook
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom

Connect with me:

Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Join my free Facebook group
Like my Facebook page

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In today’s episode, I wanted to talk about the impact we make as ESL teachers. We know we are an important part of our English learners’ day, but what about reaching out to your colleagues and the community?

I will share two ways you can start establishing your name both in your school and in the community. You’ll learn how one simple email has turned into a ripple effect across the district, and what you can do to help put your EL program on the map.

Here is what you will hear:

First, I 'll talk about how a simple email about halal dietary restrictions has led us to begin writing our monthly Cultural Tidbits, as we call it.
Then, I will share about what we do to engage our EL community - parents and students alike.
And finally, I talk about some takeaways for one simple ingredient of making an impact in your school and community.

As always, below you will find related resources that will help support your ELs and save you planning time!

Simply Ieva ESL website
Teaching Absolute Beginners: An ESL Teacher's Handbook
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
The ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.

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In today’s episode, I am chatting with my dear friend Courtney Morgan about collaboration between EL and general education teachers. This topic is so important, yet there are so many questions about what collaboration looks like, especially in districts that have a smaller EL program, the steps both sides can take to help English learners, as well as the mindset shift that needs to take place.

Courtney Morgan is an English Learner Specialist and teacher, living near Asheville, North Carolina, where she loves having the mountains at her doorstep. After 16 years as an elementary classroom teacher in districts large and small, Courtney shifted into her current role to focus her efforts on supporting multilingual students. Through her business, The All-Access Classroom, Courtney equips gen. ed. teachers to confidently make their lessons accessible to English learners.

Here is what you will hear in this episode:

Top collaboration tips for teachers - both those who are ELL teachers and those who are classroom teachers
The answer to the question: What would be the first step for effective collaboration?
Ideas for some of the best scaffolds general education teachers can utilize when helping their English learners - examples for both elementary and middle and high school

An important step for teachers in lesson planning with English learners in mind is to include language objectives. Courtney has a simple template that can guide the process of choosing objectives and scaffolds, and she is offering it to all of my listeners for free! You can find it at www.theallaccessclassroom.com/objectivesFollow Courtney at:

website: www.theallaccessclassroom.com
G/FB: @theallaccessclassroom

As always, below you will find related resources that will help support your ELs and save you planning time!

Simply Ieva ESL website
Teaching Absolute Beginners: An ESL Teacher's Handbook
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
The ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.

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Are we allowed to use the students’ first language in the classroom? If so, how much and for how long? I can translate all the materials, but where does English learning come in?

In this episode, I will be sharing tips not only for ESL teachers, but also for content area teachers who have English learners in the classroom. So if you think your colleagues will benefit, please share this episode with them.

Here is what you will hear:

First, we will go over the challenges of using L1 and a few reasons why students would want and even need to use their first language in the classroom;
Then, we will look into ways that monolingual teachers in English only context can incorporate students’ first language in their instruction as well as will learn about the term translanguaging;
Finally, I will share some ideas for assessment and tips for how to empower your students to become more confident in their new language, English.

As always, below you will find related resources that will help support your ELs and save you planning time!

Simply Ieva ESL website
Teaching Absolute Beginners: An ESL Teacher's Handbook
25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
The ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join.

Follow me on:
Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Facebook page - @simplyieva
Facebook group - Helping ESL/ELL Teachers K-12
Twitter - @SimplyIeva

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Choice boards in the ESL classroom?

The idea is great, but how can I implement it? I have a mixed-level classroom, or I work with ESL newcomers, or - insert your own situation.

In this episode, I share some ideas on how you can actually implement choice boards in your ESL classroom, and feel like both you and your students are actually getting somewhere.

Here is what we talk about:

What choice boards are, why it is a good idea to use them with English learners and what challenges they might pose in the beginning
I shared how using choice boards looks like in my classroom:
- How to assign them
- How to use them as weekly assignments, bell ringers or community building tools
We also went over a few examples of specific choice boards: for example, those where your students practice all four language domains, or just writing, or just vocabulary.
And finally, you'll hear about how you can use choice boards with your EL newcomers.

Make sure to subscribe to this podcast so you can find it easily and be informed when new episodes are released!

The celebrations of the launch of the ESL Teaching Podcast, are still going on till January 25th!

We are giving away three $25 TpT gift cards and a grand prize of one one year membership to The ESL Teaching Roadmap membership community.

To enter, follow these steps:

Follow, rate and write a review of your favorite episode on Apple Podcasts.
Screenshot it before you submit (as it takes some time for it to appear in the feed) and email the screenshot to simplyieva@gmail.com or Direct Message me on Instagram @simplyievaesl.
As a bonus entry, share the screenshot of my podcast or your favorite episode on instagram stories and tag me!
The giveaway ends on January 25th, 2022.

Related resources that were mentioned in the podcast and that will help support your ELs and save you planning time!

How to Use Choice Boards in Your ESL Classroom - the video
Resources from Teachers Pay Teachers:
- Activity choice board with worksheets
- Writing choice board with worksheets
The ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers

Follow me on:
Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Facebook page - @simplyieva
Facebook group - Helping ESL/ELL Teachers K-12
Twitter - @SimplyIeva

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A lot of ESL/ELL teachers work with students in mixed proficiency level classes. It is a challenging task, and we always wonder if we are doing the right thing, if we are using the right strategy or the right scaffold.

In this episode, I share a bit about how I structure my mixed-level class, and the activities and resources you can use in yours as well.

Here is what you will hear:

We will talk about the challenges of teaching mixed proficiency level classes
We will touch upon one of the main advantages of teaching this type of class
How to assess your students needs
How to plan for teaching mixed-proficiency level classes
How to group your students
I will share some resource ideas with you

Make sure to subscribe to this podcast so you can find it easily and be informed when new episodes are released!

To celebrate the launch of the ESL Teaching Podcast, we are hosting a giveaway!

We are giving away three $25 TpT gift cards and a grand prize of one one year membership to The ESL Teaching Roadmap membership community.

To enter, follow these steps:

Follow, rate and write a review of your favorite episode on Apple Podcasts.
Screenshot it before you submit (as it takes some time for it to appear in the feed) and email the screenshot to simplyieva@gmail.com or Direct Message me on Instagram @simplyievaesl.
As a bonus entry, share the screenshot of my podcast or your favorite episode on instagram stories and tag me!
The giveaway ends on January 25th, 2022.

Follow me on:
Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Facebook page - @simplyieva
Facebook group - Helping ESL/ELL Teachers K-12
Twitter - @SimplyIeva

Related resources that will help support your ELs and save you planning time!

The ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers
Resources from TpT:
- The Last Leaf by O'Henry
- Gift of the Magi by O'Henry
- Grammar with Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl
Websites for reading and speaking:
- NewsELA (for background building)
- News in Levels (for reading with beginner ESL/ELL students)
- Pixabay (for photos)
- National Geographic Photo of the Day

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In this episode I answer the question I receive by far the most frequently - what to teach ESL/ELL newcomers first.

Here is what you will hear:

A story about one of my students
A fun method of how to teach introductions
The most important topics to cover in those first days and weeks

Make sure to subscribe to this podcast so you can find it easily and be informed when new episodes are released!

To celebrate the launch of the ESL Teaching Podcast, we are hosting a giveaway!

We are giving away three $25 TpT gift cards and a grand prize of one one year membership to The ESL Teaching Roadmap membership community.

To enter, follow these steps:

Follow, rate and write a review of your favorite episode on Apple Podcasts.
Screenshot it before you submit (as it takes some time for it to appear in the feed) and email the screenshot to simplyieva@gmail.com or Direct Message me on Instagram @simplyievaesl.
As a bonus entry, share the screenshot of my podcast or your favorite episode on instagram stories and tag me!
The giveaway ends on January 25th, 2022.

Follow me on:
Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Facebook page - @simplyieva
Facebook group - Helping ESL/ELL Teachers K-12
Twitter - @SimplyIeva

Here are the resources mentioned in the episode:

The ESL Newcomer Teaching Checklist
The ESL Teaching Roadmap - a membership community for ESL/ELL teachers in middle and high school
Simply Ieva Teachers Pay Teachers Store

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Welcome to episode 1 of The ESL Teaching Podcast!

In this episode, I am sharing a little bit about myself - who I am, where I am coming from and why I decided to create Simply Ieva, a place where ESL teachers can find resources and support.

You'll hear:

My linguistic background and education
two huge events that brought me to where I'm now
why I started Simply Ieva
who I am serving
what to expect on the podcast
two action steps!

Make sure to subscribe to this podcast so you can find it easily and be informed when new episodes are released!

To celebrate the launch of the ESL Teaching Podcast, we are hosting a giveaway!

We are giving away three $25 TpT gift cards and a grand prize of one one year membership to The ESL Teaching Roadmap membership community.

To enter, follow these steps:

Follow, rate and write a review of your favorite episode on Apple Podcasts.
Screenshot it before you submit (as it takes some time for it to appear in the feed) and email the screenshot to simplyieva@gmail.com or Direct Message me on Instagram @simplyievaesl.
As a bonus entry, share the screenshot of my podcast or your favorite episode on instagram stories and tag me!
The giveaway ends on January 25th, 2022.

Follow me on:
Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Facebook page - @simplyieva
Facebook group - Helping ESL/ELL Teachers K-12
Twitter - @SimplyIeva

Here are the resources mentioned in the episode:

The ESL Newcomer Teaching Checklist
ESL Newcomer Curriculum Guide (grades 6-12)
ESL Curriculum Guide (grades K-5)
The ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for ESL/ELL teachers in middle and high school

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Welcome to The ESL Teaching Podcast, a place for K-12 teachers of English learners who are looking for simple and easy-to-implement ways to engage their students and for inspiration and empowerment in their day-to-day teaching.

In this episode I am sharing about what you can expect from The ESL Teaching Podcast as well as information about the places where you can get even more support! (see the links below)

I will see you inside the show!

For more teaching tips, strategies and teaching resources, visit my website www.simplyieva.com.

Connect with Ieva on social media:
Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Facebook group - Helping ESL/ELL Teachers K-12
Facebook page - @simplyieva

The ESL Teaching Podcast: Recent Episodes

Ieva Grauslys