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After nine weeks of school, we all know our students are starting to feel tired, and listening just isn’t going as smoothly as it used to. But we also know how crucial listening is for language acquisition. That’s why I’m re-releasing one of our most popular episodes from Growing With Proficiency, The Podcast—Episode 5!

In this episode, I share five simple, yet powerful strategies to help get your students engaged and listening. This is one you’ll want to listen to more than once because these strategies are not only easy to implement, but they work wonders in the classroom. Tune in and get ready to refresh your approach!

📍 Links:

• Freebie - Legends!
• Freebie - Mascotas
• GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
• Growing With CI FB Community
• Blog
• Teacher Pay Teachers Store

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In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I sit down with the amazing AnneMarie Chase to talk about a topic that we can't avoid as educators—assessments! Together, we dive deep into the concept of low-stress assessments and how to shift the focus away from simply measuring language accuracy to building language proficiency in meaningful, stress-free ways.

We discuss:

• Four key elements of a good assessment: ease for the teacher, sneaky ways to provide more input, low stress for students, and allowing every student to succeed in some way.
• The importance of mindset shifts when it comes to assessments, including using them as learning opportunities for students, rather than "gotcha" moments.
• Anmar’s brilliant “magic cards” method for assessing speaking and other skills throughout the school day without the traditional pressure of formal tests.
• How assessments can serve as a great class practice activity where students engage with listening and reading tasks in a highly focused way, allowing us to truly see what they can do.
• How we can assess speaking in a way that is fun for students and teachers.

Plus, we talk about making the assessment process manageable for teachers, sharing tips for getting grading done in class so you're not drowning in paperwork after hours.

Tune in and get ready to make assessing your students a more productive, low-stress, and even enjoyable part of your teaching practice. Nos vemos pronto, chao!

📍 Links Mentioned:

• AnnaMarie Chase's Blog
• Assessment training
• Edutopia article: What does research say about testing?
• Back to School Bundle for Spanish Classes
• GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
• Growing With CI FB Community
• Blog
• Teacher Pay Teachers Store

Send us a text

In this episode, I’m sharing five valuable insights from the recent Florida Foreign Language Association (FFLA) conference that can transform your language classroom. Discover practical strategies and fresh ideas to engage your students and elevate your teaching. Here’s what you can expect:

1. Reading Strategies: Learn how to keep reading accessible while challenging students with higher-level discussions using the question ladder and the “Last Word” game.
2. Content-Based Learning Approaches: Explore how Heather Sweetser's session inspires teaching content through language, focusing on meaningful topics like cultural traditions and environmental issues.
3. Blending Textbooks with Comprehensible Input: Get insights from Dr. Ethiene on using CI techniques within a textbook-based curriculum, leading to happier students and higher achievement.
4. Pre-Reading Activities for Prediction: Discover Lisa Bartels’ approach to helping students predict texts using grids and language chunks, making complex texts more manageable.
5. Input-Based Games for Active Learning: Find out how games like “¿En qué estoy pensando?” can boost listening skills and student engagement with low prep.

Tune in to learn how these takeaways can help you create a more dynamic and student-centered language classroom. Don't forget to check out resources mentioned in this episode at growingwithproficiency.com/mascotas and growingwithproficiency.com/leyendas.

Resources:
Back to School Bundle for Spanish Classes
GWP Spanish Teacher Academy Waiting List
Growing With CI FB Community
Blog
Teacher Pay Teachers Store