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What actually helped students learn this year?
As language teachers, it's easy to spend our end-of-year reflection focused on what didn't work. In Episode 191, I shared some of the challenges I faced this year. In Episode 192, I reflected on behavior, classroom culture, relationships, expectations, and the lessons I learned from a particularly challenging freshman class.
But reflection isn't only about identifying problems.
It's also about paying attention to what worked.
After surveying 158 students and reading every response, I noticed three themes that kept appearing. Interestingly, none of them were new strategies or trendy activities. Instead, they were reminders of the foundations that have guided my teaching for years.
In this episode, I share:
✔ Why strong student-teacher relationships continue to be one of the most powerful tools for language acquisition
✔ What my students' feedback revealed about classroom community and belonging
✔ How stories, reading, and meaningful communication continue to support student growth
✔ Why students consistently named routines like Free Voluntary Reading and daily conversations among their favorite activities
✔ What student survey data taught me about engagement, structure, and success in the world language classroom
✔ The feedback students gave me about vocabulary support, group activities, classroom noise, and participation
If you're reflecting on your own school year, planning for next year, or looking for ways to create a more engaging and effective language classroom, this episode will help you identify the practices worth keeping.
Resources Mentioned
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The Spanish Teacher Academy supports Spanish teachers in building effective and sustainable classrooms. Inside the Academy, teachers gain clarity about language acquisition, access ready-to-use units and monthly resources, and receive ongoing support—so they can use more Spanish in class without burning out.
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