The ESL Teaching Podcast

In this episode, I’m diving into lesson planning and introducing a process called backward design, which is a truly great way to plan for our English Learner (EL) students. You will hear how backward design differs from the traditional, “build-as-you-go” approach that often leaves lessons feeling scattered and disconnected. I also share how I applied this powerful framework to update my EL newcomer curriculum guide, transforming it from an activity generator into a clear, coherent language ac...

Today, I’m sharing a simple but powerful structure—the 30–60–90 Minute Planning Framework—to help EL teachers stop the spiral of overplanning and find clarity, even during busy seasons like testing. In this episode, I am unpacking why planning often feels so heavy for teachers of multilingual learners (hint: it’s rarely about time), and how you can adjust your planning depth based on the time you actually have. This framework gives you a clear answer to the question: "Given the time I actuall...

In this episode we tackle the pervasive issue of decision fatigue among educators, specifically focusing on teachers of multilingual learners (ELs). We redefine decision fatigue not as a result of being disorganized, but as a rational response to working within a system that demands constant decisions without providing sufficient structural clarity—what is called "Ambiguity disguised as autonomy." To combat this overload, the episode introduces and explores the five steps of the our Inner Cla...

ACCESS season can quietly shift the energy in our classrooms—bringing urgency, pressure, and the feeling that we should be doing more. More prep. More drills. More fixing. But let's talk about preparing ELs for ACCESS without panic. In this episode, we slow the entire conversation down. Instead of panic-driven test preparation, we focus on what actually supports English learners during ACCESS—and how your own regulation as a teacher directly impacts student language performance. This episode ...

Today, I want to do an official introduction. An introduction to the new layer of Simply Ieva ESL, the addition that I believe is so so important in teaching yet is so frequently overlooked. That addition is the Inner Classroom™ framework. The Inner Classroom is what is happening inside of your mind and your emotional landscape and how it affects your environment and your perceptions. In today’s episode, I will talk about how taking care of this inner classroom helps teachers prevent burnout ...

Today’s episode "When the Strategies Aren’t Enough: Teaching ELs without Losing Yourself," is a reintroduction to The ESL Teaching Podcast, marking a new season of growth and transformation. Here are a few key ideas you'll here: A Personal Break and Burnout: I am sharing why I stepped away from the podcast for several months (July through December 2025) - to recover from complete burnout from teaching, over-giving, and grieving the loss of a loved one. This break prompted a necessary pa...

Starting your first year as an EL teacher can feel both exciting and overwhelming. Especially if you're stepping into a new building, new subject, or working with newcomers for the first time. In this episode, I’m answering a listener question from a music teacher-turned-EL teacher who’s just beginning this journey. I’m walking you through five things that matter most in your first year as an EL teacher with concrete examples, approachable strategies, and encouragement. If you're a newer EL t...

I’m joined today by Farhana N. Shah - an experienced educator, instructional specialist, and advocate for Muslim students. Farhana brings over two decades of expertise in teaching, professional development, and equity work. Together, we explore what real inclusion looks like for Muslim students in today’s classrooms. Farhana shares powerful stories and actionable tips for educators: how to build trust with students from diverse backgrounds, how to honor religious and cultural practices like R...

In today's episode, we're talking and taking a closer look at what I call five learner energy profiles. These aren't learning styles per se in the traditional sense. They are patterns that I've seen over and over again. Patterns that help explain why some students engage instantly, why some stay quiet for months, and how we can meet all of them where they are. We're going to explore how each learner shows up, what they need to thrive, and how small shifts in your teaching approach can make a ...

In this episode, we’re exploring a topic that’s generating a lot of buzz in the world of education - AI. Whether you’re excited, skeptical, or simply overwhelmed by all things AI, I want to break down exactly how tools like ChatGPT can be a game-changer for EL teachers and classroom educators working with multilingual students. Planning, differentiating, and scaffolding for English learners takes a ton of work, but what if AI could save you time and help you create more meaningful, engaging c...

Let’s get real about those exhausting days when lesson planning feels impossible and burnout lurks around every corner…especially as the end of the school year approaches. In this episode, I open up about my own struggles with low energy and share my solution: an “emergency lesson folder” packed with simple, engaging activities that spark student energy and make teaching easier when you’re running on empty. From creative listening and speaking tasks to easy yet effective writing prompts (incl...

Today's episode is all about building vocabulary in a powerful and lasting way. We're diving into something that often gets overlooked, Greek and Latin root words. I am so excited because we have a special guest joining us who's incredibly passionate about this topic. My dear friend, Laura Kebart from Language Arts Teachers is on the podcast today again and sharing with us five compelling reasons why it's absolutely worth your time and energy to teach root words and how this one strategy can ...