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What if we recognized language learners as linguistically gifted individuals, rich in stories, knowledge, and potential?

In this powerful conversation, Juliana Urtubey, 2021 U.S. Teacher of the Year, shares her inspiring framework of Joy and Justice in Education. Rooted in her experience as a bilingual special education teacher, Juliana offers practical ways to recognize students' strengths, build classroom community, and redefine what success looks like in education.

🎯 Why This Matters for Language Teachers:

Juliana’s 5 Pillars of Joy and Justice offer a roadmap for transforming how we support language learners:

1. Recognize Brilliance: See beyond language proficiency levels by valuing students’ stories, strengths, and cultural wealth.
2. Reflect on Context: Identify who might not be experiencing joy or belonging in your classroom and adapt to ensure inclusion.
3. Grow Collective Wellness: Create a supportive space where everyone—students, teachers, and families—thrives through mutual care.
4. Engage in Generational Learning: See families as holders of valuable knowledge, not just as participants in school events.
5. Design for Collaboration, Not Compliance: Build a learning environment where student voices shape classroom practices, fostering a sense of ownership and purpose.

This episode will encourage you to see your students through a strengths-based lens, redefine what “success” means in language learning, and create a classroom culture that honors every student’s journey. Ready? Click to play!

Resources & Links:

🔗 Find more about Juliana Uturbey here 👉🏽 https://juliana-urtubey.com/

🎯 Freebie: 10 Stations Template – Keep students engaged while you reflect! 👉🏽 growingwithproficiency.com

💻 Growing With Proficiency Blog

📚 Growing With Proficiency TPT Store

🎉 FREE RESOURCE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS!

“10 Ready-to-Use Station Activities to Keep Students Engaged!”

✅ Reading & Easy Tasks – Print & go!
✅ Engaging & Interactive – Keep students focused!
✅ Low-Prep & Time-Saving – Less work!

Perfect for those moments when students seem more distracted than ever.

👉 Grab Your Free Resource Now!

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As the school year wraps up, there’s no better time to reflect—not just on what we think worked, but on how students experienced our class. In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I’m sharing how I use end-of-year surveys to gather meaningful feedback that helps me adjust my teaching and better meet my students’ needs.

I’ll walk you through key survey questions that cover classroom culture, comprehension, learning strategies, and personal progress. I’ll also reflect on the responses of my own students and how those responses are helping me to adjust some of my lessons, routines, and strategies—all while keeping things simple and actionable.

If you want to close the year with purpose and set yourself up for a stronger start next year, grab a notebook and let’s start.

Resources & Links:

1. 🎯 Freebie: 10 Stations Template – Keep students engaged while you reflect! 👉 growingwithproficiency.com
2. 🎙️ Related Episodes:
   • Episode 125: 3 Creative Ways to Keep Students Engaged and Learning as the Year Ends
   • Episode 76: Talk, Read, Talk, Write with Tan Huynh
   • Episode 124: Silent Sustained Reading: Why It Works & How to Start

🎉 FREE RESOURCE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS!

“10 Ready-to-Use Station Activities to Keep Students Engaged!”

✅ Reading & Easy Tasks – Print & go!
✅ Engaging & Interactive – Keep students focused!
✅ Low-Prep & Time-Saving – Less work!

Perfect for those moments when students seem more distracted than ever.

👉 Grab Your Free Resource Now!

Send us a text

Are your students tuning out as the school year winds down?

Keeping students focused during the last weeks of school can feel like an impossible task. But what if you could turn this tricky time into a fun, engaging learning experience—without burning yourself out?

In this episode, I’m sharing 3 powerful strategies that will keep your students active, learning, and excited to participate—all while giving you space to breathe and teach with intention.

Plus, I’m giving away a FREE Ready-to-Use Resource Pack with templates for 10 station activities that will transform your classroom. Download it now!

🎯 Key Takeaways:

✅ Why Year-End Engagement Feels So Hard: Learn why students lose focus at the end of the year—and how to reset the learning vibe.

✅ Strategy 1: Stations for Focused Learning: Discover how to set up simple stations that boost reading, and interaction while you work with small groups.

✅ Strategy 2: Rotations for Recap & Review: Use rotations to reinforce what students have learned with creative brain dumps, illustrated one-pagers, and group summaries.

✅ Strategy 3: Pre-Recorded Listening & Reading Tasks: Create audio and video tasks students can complete independently using tools like EdPuzzle or Formative.

💻 Tool of the Week:

Chrome Extension: Mote
Looking for an easy way to record audio for your class? Mote is a Chrome extension that lets you record short audio clips directly from your browser. It’s a game changer for teachers looking to integrate more listening without extra prep!

📢 Resources & Links Mentioned:

The Spanish Teacher Academy Waitlist

🎁 Download Your Free Resource Pack:
“10 Ready-to-Use Station Activity Templates”

🎙️ Related Podcast Episode:
Episode 32: “How to Use Stations for a Low-Stress, High-Engagement CI Classroom”

Episode 118: Low-Stress Assessments with AnneMarie Chase

Episode 64: Teaching Without Tears: Effective Technology in Language Classes with Meredith White

💡 Let’s Connect!
✨ Follow me on Instagram
📧 Join my free Facebook group: Growing With CI FB Community

👉 Ready to keep your students engaged through the end of the year? Don’t miss this episode and grab your freebie today!

🎉 FREE RESOURCE FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS!

“10 Ready-to-Use Station Activities to Keep Students Engaged!”

✅ Reading & Easy Tasks – Print & go!
✅ Engaging & Interactive – Keep students focused!
✅ Low-Prep & Time-Saving – Less work!

Perfect for those moments when students seem more distracted than ever.

👉 Grab Your Free Resource Now!