How to Host a Fireside Chat in Your Adult Language Classroom
A fireside chat with a real-world professional can do something a coursebook unit can't: it puts living, breathing language in context. Here's exactly how to run one, how to get every student involved, and how to adapt it for online settings.
How to Run a Gallery Walk That Gets Adult Learners Off Their Seats and Into Each Other's Work
You don't need a screen, an app, or a special setup. Just some paper on a wall to get your adult learners to read carefully, give feedback, and use the target language with real purpose. Here's how I run gallery walks in my higher ed and business English classes, and why I keep coming back to them.
How to Make Custom Interactive Games in Your Language Classroom (Without Code)
You don't need to know how to code to have custom interactive activities in your language classroom. Here's proof, and a free game to try.
How to Use Mini Whiteboards in Language Classes (And Why Your Students Will Love Them)
Discover how to use mini whiteboards in language classes to boost student engagement, enable informal assessment, and make grammar and vocabulary activities more interactive. Practical ideas for language teachers.
First Day of Language Class: How to Build Connection, Community & Confidence
Your first day sets the tone for everything that comes after. Here's exactly how I structure mine: the survey, the game, the syllabus scavenger hunt, the exit ticket, and the small habits that make students feel seen from day one.
How to Plan Next Semester (or course) With Intention
Before you build your next semester, there's something worth doing first, and it has nothing to do with your syllabus. Six honest questions for language teachers who want to plan with intention, not just efficiency.
How to Implement a Reflection Log in Your Language Classroom
My students spend five minutes completing a handwritten reflection about their participation and learning. It's low-tech, takes minimal time, and has become a very valuable components of my English courses. Learn how the Practice & Progress Log can help your students develop metacognitive awareness and track their language learning journey.
How to Use AI to Give Brutally Honest Writing Feedback (That Students Actually Love)
My C1 students were laughing while getting feedback on their writing. Yes, laughing. Discover how I used AI to provide brutally honest, criteria-aligned feedback. Complete with the exact prompts you can use in your own classroom.
How to Use AI to Build Authentic Speaking Assessments (for Business English)
Learn how to create personalized speaking assessments using AI tools. This practical guide shows you how to design crisis scenarios tailored to each student team, ensure fairness across different contexts, and prepare students for real-world professional communication. Includes implementation options for teachers with varying time constraints, from semester-long projects to quick adaptations of existing assessments.
How to Become a Better Teacher: What I Learned From Being a Language Student
Every language teacher should take a class. I spent two weeks in French immersion experiencing placement test shame, anxiety attacks, and AI bans. Here’s what the teacher-student perspective taught me about EdTech, empathy, and what we miss being in front of the room.
What It Feels Like to Be a Language Learner (pt.2)
Week 2 brought a progress test I didn't want, an anxiety attack I didn't expect, and hard truths about group work that changed how I teach. Here's what being the struggling student taught me about EdTech, public shaming, and why some "communicative" activities feel like interrogation.
What It Feels Like to Be a Language Learner (pt.1)
What happens when a language teacher sits in the student seat after 10 years? I took a French course and it changed many of the things I thought I knew about teaching. Here's what one week as a student taught me about time pressure, AI in learning, and the shame we don't see from behind our desks.
How to Use NotebookLM to Create Level-Appropriate Audio Content for Language Learners
Tired of audio content that's too advanced for your language students? I discovered how to make NotebookLM's natural-sounding podcasts work for A2-C1 learners. Here's my step-by-step guide to creating level-appropriate listening materials.
“Are We Getting Dumber?” What my students really think about AI, cheating, and the future of higher ed
From widespread usage concerns to existential questions about the value of college degrees. Here's what students really think about artificial intelligence in their academic lives and what it means for the future of learning.
How to Make Vocabulary Stick: The "Words I Own" Method
Tired of vocabulary lessons that don't stick? My "Words I Own" method adapts the research-backed Frayer model for a 10-minute activity, to help students build vocabulary incrementally while forming deeper connections with new words. Read on to discover how this simple yet effective approach can support your students too.
How to Get Your Students Writing Every Day: A Simple yet Effective Strategy
"I don't know what to write." Sound familiar?
Discover a simple 10-minute classroom routine that transforms reluctant writers into confident communicators—starting tomorrow.
How to Help Future Students Succeed Using Past Students' Advice
Want to help your future students succeed from day one? One simple course evaluation question can create a powerful connection between past and future students. See how I use these authentic peer recommendations to help new students succeed, build classroom community, and gain insights into what really helps students learn. Includes real student quotes and practical ways to put their wisdom to work in your classroom.
How to Implement Name Tents in College Courses: A Practical Guide for Instructors
This practical guide shares my strategy for using name tents to create a more personalized learning environment, complete with implementation tips, and a free downloadable template. Whether you're looking to improve student interactions, manage seating more effectively, or simply get to know your students better, these name tents offer a solution.
How to get better student emails
I share the strategy I use to help students communicate more effectively via email. Includes Come a ready to use document or an editable template, so your students can craft clearer messages and improve overall communication in the classroom.