- Curriculum, Language Objectives, Lesson Ideas, Reading, Reading Strategies, Speaking Activities, Teaching Strategies, Writing Strategies
EP 151 Celebrate Lunar New Year in Your ESL Classroom with Engaging Lessons and Activities
Welcome, educators! To all the amazing ESL teachers out there—thank you for the incredible work you do every day. You’re not just teaching a language; you’re opening doors, building confidence, and giving students the tools they need to succeed in a new world. Your patience, creativity, and compassion create a safe space where students can thrive, and the impact you have will stay with them for a lifetime. Know that your efforts are deeply appreciated, and you are truly changing lives! This week, let’s explore some engaging ways to bring the Lunar New Year into your classroom. From close reading exercises to hands-on crafts, these activities will spark curiosity, foster…
- Language Objectives, Lesson Ideas, Newcomers, Planning Strategies, Reading Strategies, Teaching Strategies
EP. 150 Strategies for Teaching Close Reading to Newcomers: A Guide for ESL Educators
Teaching a new language goes beyond vocabulary and grammar—it’s about fostering connections, building confidence, and empowering students to express themselves. One of the most effective strategies for supporting newcomers is close reading. This involves analyzing a text through repeated readings, each with a specific purpose, helping students deepen their comprehension and develop critical thinking skills. One of the biggest challenges in teaching newcomers is ensuring they can access and understand the text. Building background knowledge is essential. You can use strategies like think-alouds to model your thought process, conduct picture walks with labeled vocabulary in both English and the students’ native language, and incorporate videos or real-world items to bring…
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EP. 149 Unlocking Strategies for Engaging Language Learners
As educators, we constantly strive to create engaging and effective learning environments for our students. Recently, I had the privilege of attending the TNTESOL Conference in Nashville, where I discovered innovative strategies and tools to support language learners. In this post, I’ll share key takeaways from the conference that you can implement in your classroom. Math Strategies for Language Learners One of the sessions I attended focused on helping language learners succeed in math by integrating language-rich strategies. Here are a few highlights: The presenter also shared tools like revoicing, pressing for details, sensory support, and think-alouds to enrich discussions and scaffold learning. Language Learning in the Library Libraries are…
- Language Objectives, Lesson Ideas, Planning Strategies, Reading Strategies, Speaking Activities, Teaching Strategies, Writing Strategies
EP 148 Simple and Effective November Lesson Ideas for Your Language Learners
Hello educators! As November approaches, I know that planning fresh, engaging lessons for your Language Learners can feel challenging. That’s why I’ve put together some simple, effective activities that will bring the month to life in your classroom, save you planning time, and make your lessons even more impactful! Veterans Day Veterans Day is celebrated around the world in various ways, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to explore themes of loyalty and service. Lesson Ideas: Daylight Savings Time Daylight Savings is a timely topic in November and offers a great opportunity for students to explore opinion writing. Lesson Ideas: Fall Festivals and Activities Pumpkin patches, apple picking, and corn mazes…
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EP 147 Transform Your Planning Period: Time-Saving Tips for Teachers
Welcome educators! Before we get started I want to share with you the amazing resources I have available.. To learn more and download some engaging resources go to myadventuresinesl.com/store. You are an efficient, engaging, and hard-working educator. The work that you are doing for your students is appreciated. Thank you for your dedication and the time you put in to ensure your students succeed. This week’s podcast goal is to provide you with strategies on how to find the time to support your students. Analyze your time spending Balance your caseload Plan Ahead Fight Back Against Procrastination If you found value in today’s episode, go to myadventuresinesl.com/store to get the…
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EP 146 Procrastination & Planning
As educators, we often juggle countless responsibilities—from lesson planning to grading, meetings, and managing the classroom. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, and when that happens, procrastination can creep in, delaying important tasks and adding to our stress. However, with the right strategies, you can overcome procrastination and make the most of your planning time. In this post, I’ll share some simple yet effective techniques to help you break the cycle of procrastination and boost your productivity. 1. Understand Your “Why” The first step to overcoming procrastination is identifying the underlying cause. Often, we avoid tasks because they seem too big or daunting, or we fear we won’t do them perfectly.…
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EP 145 Speaking and Listening Activities
Welcome educators! Before we start, I want to share the amazing resources I have available. To learn more and download some engaging resources go to myadventuresinesl.com/store. You are an efficient, engaging, and hard-working educator. The work that you are doing for your students is appreciated. Thank you for your dedication and the time you put in to ensure your students succeed. Today’s podcast aims to provide you with listening and speaking activities that you can incorporate into your lessons. The goal is that they are simple activities that will improve your students’ listening and speaking skills. One of the things that I have noticed this semester is the need for…
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EP 144 Start Using Stations Today
Welcome, educators! Before we get started, I want to share with you the amazing resources I have available. To learn more and download some engaging resources go to myadventuresinesl.com/store. This week’s episode aims to provide you with tips and strategies on how you can implement literacy stations in your classroom. There are so many advantages to literacy stations in your classroom. Here are some examples of some of the advantages: There are many types of literacy stations that you can incorporate in your classroom. The five stations that I use throughout the year are listening, reading, vocabulary, writing, speaking, and stations that designate the students working with me during a…
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EP. 143 Improving Engagement Among Language Learners
Welcome educators! Before we get started I want to share with you the amazing resources I have available. To learn more and download some engaging resources go to myadventuresinesl.com/store. You are an efficient, engaging, and hard-working educator. The work that you are doing for your students is appreciated. Thank you for your dedication and the time you put in to ensure your students succeed. Today’s podcast aims to provide you with simple and effective strategies you can use in your classroom to increase student engagement among your students. These may surprise you because we often think that adding some games increases student engagement. Let’s dive into strategies you can use…
- Curriculum, Distance Learning, Lesson Ideas, Listening Skills, Speaking Activities, Teaching Strategies, Writing Strategies
EP 142 September Lesson Ideas
Welcome educators! Before we start, I want to share the engaging and effective resources I have available. To learn more and download some engaging resources go to myadventuresinesl.com/store. You are an efficient, engaging, and hard-working educator. The work that you are doing for your students is appreciated. Thank you for your dedication and the time you put in to ensure your students succeed. Today’s podcast aims to provide you with lesson ideas for September. This will help your planning and make things easier when you start brainstorming what to do for the upcoming month. The first lesson idea for September is Labor Day. Labor Day is not only celebrated in…
