- Lesson Planning ·
How to create clear, meaningful, and impactful lessons during a 30 minute session.
It was always the worst feeling: My group of eager students was gathered at my bean table, calling my name over and over, and I’m…
Listen to My Latest Podcast Episode:
The Blog
- Classroom Community ·
10 Books to Read at the End of the Year
Are you trying to figure out how to send your students off for the summer in an encouraging and motivating way? The best way is…
- Classroom Community ·
How to Talk to Parents of ELL Students: Building Trust Across Language and Culture
Imagine you are a parent. You moved to a new country less than a year ago. You walk into a school building where you cannot…
- Classroom Community ·
How to Co-Teach With General Education Teachers to Actually Support Your ELLs
Most professional development on co-teaching describes a world most ELL teachers have never worked in. Equal partners. Shared planning time. Coordinated instructional design. Today’s episode…
- Classroom Community ·
Comprehensible Input in Your Classroom: 10 Strategies That Work for Every Level
If you listened to Episode 206 you already understand why comprehensible input matters. This episode is about what it actually looks like on a Tuesday…
- Classroom Community ·
How to Set Up Your ELL Classroom for Back to School: A Week-by-Week Guide
If you are an ELL teacher standing at the start of a new school year looking at a roster of students at different language levels,…
- Classroom Community ·
A Simple Approach to Planning ELL Lessons That Actually Works
Most ELL teachers know what it feels like to sit down on Sunday evening with a blank document and a roster of students at different…
- Classroom Community ·
The Secret to Scaffolding for Multiple Levels in Your ELL Classroom
Most ELL teachers know they need to scaffold. The challenge is doing it for three, four, or five language levels simultaneously without it taking over…
- Classroom Community ·
How to Differentiate for ELL Students Without Planning Five Different Lessons
If there is one question ELL teachers ask more than any other, it is this one: how do I differentiate for students at completely different…
- Classroom Community ·
Sentence Frames for ELL Students: The Scaffold That Changes Everything
Most ELL teachers use sentence frames in some form. But there is a significant difference between having frames on the board and using them in…
- Classroom Community ·
ESL Speaking Activities That Actually Work for Every Language Level
Most ELL teachers want more speaking in their classrooms. Most ELL teachers also build in speaking time and watch it fall flat — higher-level students…