Episode 128: Your Ultimate Plan for the First Day Back: Build Connections, Inspire Resolutions, and Foster Communication

Growing With Proficiency The Podcast

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Start the year grounded in what truly matters. In this episode, I’m sharing my first-day-back lesson plan that focuses on my three pillars: staying comprehensible, building connections, and fostering communication. These pillars keep us centered on our ultimate goal: facilitating meaningful language acquisition while creating a classroom where students feel seen and inspired.

It’s so easy to get distracted by flashy activities or trends, but this episode is all about grounding ourselves in strategies that work and staying intentional as we begin the semester.

Highlights you’ll love:

• 🌟 How to use check-ins to connect with your students’ emotions and goals for the new year.
• 📚 A simple, impactful reading activity centered around New Year’s resolutions.
• 🗓️ Calendar talk that integrates personal and cultural relevance.
• 🎤 STAR student interviews to spark authentic communication.
• 📝 Write-and-Discuss techniques to model and support student writing.

Resources mentioned:

• Episode 126: Insights from Juliana Urtubey on the framework of Joy and Justice in education.
• Episode 50: Exploring Hexagonal Thinking with Bertha Delgadillo to foster deeper student connections.
• Free Master Class: “5 Game-Changing Twists for Your Favorite CI Activities to Keep Students Engaged”
  👉 Sign up at growingwithproficiency.com/engage25.

Let’s start 2025 strong with clarity, purpose, and impactful strategies. Press play and join me in creating a semester grounded in connection and communication. 🎧

This teacher guide, available in English and Spanish, will give you clarity about how our students acquire the language and develop proficiency and the shifts I made to move from a traditional approach to a more comprehensible and communicative teaching approach.
Click here to download now https://growing-with-proficiency.mykajabi.com/teacherguide