Episode 153: Back To School Series: Planning a Sustainable Year in the World Language Classroom: Five Steps for Success

Growing With Proficiency The Podcast

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Planning for a new school year can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to create a class centered on communication and proficiency, not grammar features. In this episode, I walk you through five intentional steps to help you map out your year with clarity and sustainability. You’ll learn how to prioritize compelling input, build a flexible curriculum map, and keep your students’ needs and your well-being at the center of your planning.

This episode will help you feel more grounded and confident heading into the school year.

Key Takeaways:

Start with the big picture. Use a year-at-a-glance calendar to identify your teaching windows, breaks, and celebrations you want to highlight.

• Let your communicative anchors lead. Plan around meaningful questions and content, not grammar structures.
• Reuse what worked. Bring back favorite units that felt joyful and effective.
• Fill in the gaps with purpose. Choose content that supports the required curriculum while staying rooted in compelling, comprehensible input.
• Plan for creativity. Schedule storyasking and one-word image sessions to provide rich, personalized input.
• Simplify. Step back and adjust your calendar to keep your plan flexible and realistic. Aim for sustainability, not perfection.

Resources Mentioned:

Episode 151: The 3 Pillars of a Sustainable Language Classroom

Episode 152 (Spanish): Cinco Claves para Prepararte Antes del Primer Día

Episode 131: Understanding ACTFL's New Proficiency Descriptors with Mary Hawkins

Episode 33 and 99: Featuring Dr. Karen Lichtman on Language Acquisition Research

Spanish Teacher Academy Trial Access: growingwithproficiency.com/trial

More about the Crescendo Curriculum and planning framework: growingwithproficiency.com/academy