When supporting English language learners, it’s easy to focus on what they can produce—speaking, writing, visible progress. But what if we’re starting in the wrong place?

This episode explores why listening and reading—the input side of language—may be more critical than we think. If your ELLs seem to be participating but still struggling to keep up, this conversation is for you.

👉 Read the blog article: Input vs Output Language - English Language Learning (ELL)

For more insights and free teaching resources, visit shalabooks.com.

How do you assess learning in a classroom designed for exploration, creativity, and student-led inquiry? In this episode of Empowering the Educator Within, we walk through practical tips for documenting and reporting student learning in a Reggio Emilia-inspired environment. From intentional classroom setup to flexible observation tools, you’ll learn how to make assessment feel purposeful—and doable.

Explore the full article: Reggio Emilia - Tips for Assessing Student Learning

If you're working with the Empowering the Educator Within book or workbook—or using our ESBPlanners software—you’ll find customizable templates that align with everything discussed in today’s episode.

Curriculum gaps don’t just appear out of nowhere. In this episode, we look beyond surface-level causes and uncover how inconsistent teaching methods may be quietly contributing to missed outcomes. If your school is seeing recurring gaps year after year, it might be time to rethink more than just the curriculum map.

We’ll also explore how schoolwide frameworks and intentional planning tools can help build the consistency students need to succeed.

📘 Mentioned in this episode: The Empowering the Educator Within book and workbook 🔍 More resources at shalabooks.com