#208

This is episode 4 in my 2025 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 26th, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday. For today we take a look back at 3 Leveling Up Coaching episodes. Episode 165 about supporting target language, episode 169 about student choice and episode 174 about cohesive lessons and flow in the classroom.

Episodes:

• 165: Support Target Language Use in the Classroom
• 169: Student Choice in the Language Classroom
• 174: Cohesive Lessons and Flow in Class Routines

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

• wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter): @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast.

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#207

This is episode 3 in my 2025 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 26th, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday. For today we take a look back at episode 163 where I talked about working smarter and not harder with Amy Marshall and episode 183 where I talked with Noemi Rodriguez about supporting students with AI tools.

Episodes:

• 163: Work Smarter, Not Harder with Amy Marshall
• 183: Supporting Students with AI tools with Noemi Rodriguez

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

• wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter): @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast.

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#206

This is episode 2 in my 2025 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 26th, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday. For today we take a look back at 2 more of the high leverage teaching practices. Episode 167 about guiding learners to interpret and discuss authentic texts and episode 171 about focusing on cultural products, practices and perspectives.

Episodes:

• 167: Guiding Learners to Interpret and Discuss Authentic Texts
• 171: Focusing on Cultural Products, Practices, and Perspectives

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

• wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter): @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast.

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#205

This is episode 1 in my 2025 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 26th, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday. For today we take a look back at 2 of the high leverage teaching practices. Episode 160 about creating a classroom where students use the target language confidently and 162 about making language comprehensible.

Episodes:

• 160: Create a Classroom Where Students Use the Target Language Confidently
• 162: How to Make Language Comprehensible

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

• wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter): @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast.

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#204

Now that the school year is over hopefully you have a little less on your mind and have a little extra time. This is the perfect time to get into your summer headspace. What do I mean by that? You’ll soon understand. Let’s jump in.

• What do I mean by “Summer Headspace?”
  • Time to reflect without other pressing priorities and issues.
  • Clear head.
  • Opportunity to revisit themes and episodes with a fresh lens.
  • Maybe something has come up since you first listened?
  • You catch something new.
  • Finish an episode that you started.
  • Listen to an episode for the first time.
  • Group episodes by theme so that you can listen to them together.
• How will the episodes work?
  • 5 minute recap and revisit, pull the themes together
  • links to episodes will be in the show notes
• 6 Summer Headspace Episodes. New episode on August 25, 2025.
• The first SHS episode will be out next Monday, July 14th.

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

• wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter): @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast.

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#203

What do we mean when we talk about representation in the classroom? More specifically representation in our language classrooms? How can we make sure that our students understand the variety of cultures and experiences that are part of the target language culture? In this episode, Jenniffer Whyte joins me to talk about bringing the Afro-Latinx and Black heritage into our classroom curriculum. You will walk away with concrete ways to go about this and might even be ready to put together an all-school event or assembly at no cost. Jenniffer tells us all about how she does it.

Topics in this Episode:

• resources or materials that teachers can use to ensure Black and Afro-Latinx voices are authentically included in their curriculum
• how teachers can introduce these topics in ways that foster curiosity and meaningful discussions
• effective strategies for introducing Black history and culture to younger students in an engaging and age-appropriate way
• details about Jenniffer's whole-school Black History and Hispanic Heritage programs with no budget, including creative ways teachers can do the same in their own schools
• moving beyond only celebrating Black History and Hispanic Heritage during designated month with concrete ways teachers can weave these histories and contributions into their world language curriculum year-round

Connect with Jenniffer Whyte:

• Facebook: Afrolatina Teacher
• Instagram: Afrolatina Teacher
• X: @JennifferWhyte1
• Youtube: Afrolatina Teacher

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

• wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter): @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast.

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#202

I want to make sure that you start your new school in the fall with a clear framework for planning and teaching for proficiency. I created a free reflection and planning tool that will guide you as you create a classroom that prioritizes what students can do with language. In this episode I will tell you all about it and point you to where you can get yours today.

Planning & Teaching for Proficiency: A Guide for Language Teachers

Topics in this Episode:

• By focusing on performance, proficiency, communication, and authentic language use, you can support students on this journey to using the target language authentically and communicatively.
• I created a guide to support your planning and teaching that focuses on performance in the classroom and eventually increased target language proficiency when they are using the language in authentic, real-world situations.
• Each section highlights essential components that support confidence and proficiency growth. You'll also see actionable steps that you can take right away:
  • Purposeful Planning
  • Comprehensible Input & Student Output
  • Meaningful Tasks & Relevant Practice
  • Assessment & Feedback
  • Professional Reflection & Collaboration
  • Common Challenges in Proficiency-Focused Classrooms
  • Next Steps and Your Action Plan
• Planning & Teaching for Proficiency: A Guide for Language Teachers

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

• wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter): @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast.

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.

#204

Do you have some go-to activities to motivate your students to speak and engage with the target language in your classroom? Are you always on the lookout for activities and routines to add to your list of possibilities? In this episode, I speak with Sherry Sebesta, a French and Spanish teacher in New York. Sherry shares suggestions for getting your students speaking the target language more regularly and confidently. You’ll go away with several new things to try out right away.

Topics in this Episode:

• Sherry's goals for language students and how speaking activities work into this
• how teachers can create a classroom environment that reduces students' fear of making mistakes and promotes more speaking
• activities to encourage students to speak more in the target language
• examples where Sherry's strategies have increased student speaking confidence and participation in class
• practical steps to implement Sherry's speaking activities and ideas in the classroom
• Sherry's blog post with 20 Ways to Get Your Students Speaking in the Target Language

Connect with Sherry Sebesta

• Instagram: @worldlangcafe
• Facebook: /worldlanguagecafe
• X: @worldlangcafe
• Blog: worldlanguagecafe.com
• Pinterest: /worldlangcafe

Connect with Joshua and the World Language Classroom Community:

• wlclassrom.com
• X (aka Twitter): @wlclassroom
• Threads: @wlclassroom
• Instagram: @wlclassroom
• Facebook: /wlclassroom
• WLClassroom Facebook Group

__________________________
Interested in having Joshua work directly with your department, school or district? Look at options for collaborating in person or remotely.
______________________________
Sign up for Talking Points to get tips, tools and resources for your language teaching.
______________________________
Join Joshua as a guest on the podcast.
______________________________
Join Joshua for a Leveling Up Coaching Episode on the podcast.

Send me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.