Practical Proficiency Podcast
Where world language teachers gather to transition to proficiency oriented instruction through comprehensible input. All through practical, real-life, teacher-friendly ideas that make teaching language more joyful! Hosted by Devon of La Libre Language Learning.
Practical Proficiency Podcast
From Teaching on An Island to Transforming Her Program: Diane's Teacher Story & PPN Member Experience
Ever felt like the lone Spanish teacher on an island, wondering if everyone else has figured out the secret to effortless curriculum mapping? You're not alone. In this heartfelt conversation, veteran teacher Diane opens up about her 23-year journey teaching Spanish and the transformative power of finding professional community.
Today, I have a very special guest for you - Diane! Diane is an experienced Spanish teacher in a small private school. She is retiring this year and has spent the past year in my membership, the Practical Proficiency Network.
Get more info and join the PPN here: www.lalibrelanguagelearning.com/join
This video is all about her unique story of building a Spanish program from scratch, using VOCES and story-based teaching, and her unique and wonderful opportunity to hire and teach her program's successor teacher. Both of these wonderful Spanish teachers work with me in the Practical Proficiency Network. Diane is here today to share her story and her experiences in the PPN.
*** disclosure: Diane volunteered to share her honest opinion of the membership and was gifted a free month of membership in exchange for this testimonial.***
Diane candidly shares her struggles with curriculum planning across multiple course levels, the pressure to cover textbook material, and the nagging question all language teachers face: are my students actually acquiring language or just memorizing vocabulary lists? Her story resonates with anyone who's ever closed their classroom door at the end of a challenging day wondering if other teachers face the same battles.
The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Diane reveals her upcoming transition to mission work in El Salvador and her current role mentoring her successor. This unique arrangement highlights the profound impact of teacher-to-teacher support and the ripple effects of professional development. When Diane discovered resources that validated her experiences and offered practical strategies, she immediately advocated for her replacement to have access to the same community.
What emerges is a powerful reminder that teaching excellence isn't about perfection but consistent small improvements within a supportive community. Diane's "aha moment" came when she embraced the philosophy of aiming for just 2% improvement each day rather than overnight transformation. This sustainable approach renewed her passion for teaching and created space for both professional growth and personal wellbeing.
Whether you're a first-year teacher questioning your curriculum choices or a veteran looking to reignite your classroom joy, Diane's journey offers both validation and hope. Connect with other language teachers today – your teaching practice and wellbeing will thank you.
Let's connect:
Get the Free World Language Teacher Toolkit
Get the Free Roadmap to Proficiency
Website
TPT
Instagram
Youtube
Facebook
What's up? Que lo que Et salut world language teachers. Welcome to the Practical Proficiency Podcast, where we make the transition to proficiency-oriented instruction in your world language class in a way that works for you, your unique context and teaching style, and doesn't sacrifice your well-being along the way. I'm your host, devon Gunning, the teacher author, conference host, curriculum creator and consultant behind La Libre Language Learning. This podcast is for the creative world language teacher like you who's ready to ditch the overwhelming pressure of switching to acquisition-driven instruction and CI overnight. You're ready to discover how using more target language in class can actually bring you and your students more joy instead of adding to your plate. With practical, authentic and down-to-earth strategies that don't require reinventing the wheel or more training, we'll work together towards the magic of a community-based, target-language-rich classroom, rooted in the power of community and comprehensible input. Let's go.
Speaker 1:Welcome everybody to the Practical Proficiency Podcast. I'm so excited to bring to you a special guest today. We're going to be learning from a fellow teacher like you. Diane is my guest teacher today and she'll be sharing with us some of her experiences as a Spanish teacher. And Diane is an especially special guest to me because she's a teacher that I've been working with in the Practical Proficiency Network and she's here today to share some of her experiences, and I'm so excited to share all of this with y'all. So, without further ado, diane, thanks for coming. It's such a pleasure to hang out with you in this new recording scenario. This is cool and for our listeners today, could you share a little bit about your what's your background as a Spanish teacher, what's your, what's your class setup look like, and a little bit more about your experience?
Speaker 2:Okay, hello everyone and thank you, devin, for time together. It is good. I do cherish it, because working, just getting to know you and and the amazing resources and all that's available in the Practical Proficiency Network and the support that's there, it has brought a smile to my face again and again and it has refreshed me as an educator. So I'm really happy to be here. And so who am I? I am a Spanish teacher and I am completing my wait. I thought I did the math correct 23 years, 23 years of teaching now, which there's a little bit more like. I taught some preschool for a year, so there's some extra things in there, some extra fun. But I have been at it for a while and you don't always like realize that until you start to look at all the memories and the pictures and then you start to see how your face has changed and things like that. But also just looking at all the memories and how many students have been in your room and working with you and putting up with you and having fun with you and all those things. So I currently am finishing 16 years at my current job, although I took a little break in there. So 16 years, I'm at a parochial grade school, a private excuse me high school. High school in Indianapolis, indiana. Before that I taught about seven years in public schools seven years, a couple of different ones, and it had to do with, like my family and moving for jobs, and that's what makes the change oftentimes. And then a little bit of preschool in there because I had a baby, had my son and moving for jobs and that's what makes the change oftentimes. And then a little bit of preschool in there because I had a baby, had my son and changed the jobs a little bit there. So what is my overall like?
Speaker 2:Here at Lutheran High School of Indianapolis we have a full Spanish program of four levels and I am the one Spanish teacher. We are a small school, so one Spanish teacher is enough to teach all those courses. Sometimes we have students who advance a little more or they come in transferring from another school where they've had more. They've had preparation like in middle school, right. So they sometimes can reach that AP level fifth year of Spanish and such, and they usually will do an online class to take care of that at this point. But you know I spend it just depends on the student's experience. So that's, I should stop there. That's enough for now, but if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.
Speaker 1:That is a robust career You've got. You've got a lot of experience in different areas, different schools and everything, and there's actually a new thing on the horizon, too, is that you are transitioning right now, right Like you're moving into a new role, and what is so cool about your setup, and what I'm really excited to talk to you about, is that you have this unique opportunity where you are actually training your successor teacher and showing her the ropes of what your whole school structure looks like, which is so cool. So tell us a little bit more about that, too.
Speaker 2:So I remarried about eight years ago, married a man who is passionate about mission work and so with him I've been blessed to have many experiences in El Salvador. And now he is ready to retire and he is like we're doing it, we're going to go move to El Salvador and we're going to live there full time. And I'm like, okay, here we go, here we go. And I knew that about this man before I married him, so it was not a surprise. It was just the timing figuring that out. So we are planning. Our plane tickets are for October 21st, we know when we're going down and I have been blessed that my school was able to.
Speaker 2:We interviewed several candidates already for my position and that's huge right there just to find available candidates, since there is somewhat of and that's huge right there just to find available candidates, since you know there is somewhat of a shortage of teachers out there. But thank God for so many who are actually working to transition to teach. We have a number of teachers in our building who have gone through that program and we have hired someone and she is not currently working. She is transitioning to teach, she is taking her exams, she's doing all that, so she's actually available right now to come and be in my classroom and she has led a few activities so far and she's getting to know the systems I'm using and I was able to introduce her to the PPN. So I know that's a big connection here why we're talking today and anyway. So I am very blessed that I am able to work with her and hopefully give her good guidance. Praying for that.
Speaker 1:Well, I know she's got it because I've been working with her before. I knew that she was your successor. One of the things that you can do in the PVN is you can schedule one-on-one coaching meetings with me, and she did. As soon as she registered, she scheduled a meeting and told me I'm taking over a Spanish teacher's classroom. I'm working with her right now, but I've never taught before. Give me all the things, and we have been working on mapping out like what her transition would look like and the curriculum transition and everything. And then you told me that you actually introduced her to the network and that both of you have been secretly working with each other. I was like we got to share this.
Speaker 2:That's so we've got a triangle going on here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this is definitely a first a first for me for having a secret connection between two people in the school but it was awesome when I found out. This makes so much sense now. That's really cool. So tell me more about, as you're looking to, this new transition in your life where you're going to be using Spanish even more, which is cool, but in the context of the Spanish classroom, looking back at your career, what are some of the things that you really prioritized in your day-to-day teaching?
Speaker 2:Prioritized Use of the target language, right Use of the target language, having consistency in what was going on in the classroom. I was always told routines are important. So I worked to have a routine Challenging my students. It was important to me that they were challenged. And what does that mean, right? So, giving them structure, letting them work on that right. But then so it's hard to put that into words, but the idea of that I'm like we are here to learn something. We are here to learn something and we are going to take advantage of every minute we can. So I'm one of those bell-to-bell people. Sometimes, unfortunately for other teachers, I'm holding those kids a little bit after that bell Like wait, wait, un momento, mas una cosa, mas si algo asi. But just the idea that and that communication was really important. So that stems back from my own learning, you know, back in high school.
Speaker 2:High school was the beginning of my journey with Espanol. It didn't have to do with anything in my family or anything that way. It was just my sister in high school, who was two years ahead of me, saying you should take Senora's class. She's great, right? So then here I am, I'm diving in taking Spanish and I really did love it, I really enjoyed it, but I think for me it was kind of the nerd love of language and just the idea that, oh, I love to see how these words connect and I love how I get to change the words to do what I want them to do. And she was a great teacher. She really did give us lots of experiences, had us speaking, conversations and all that.
Speaker 2:So now, all right, moving forward to now advancing to now well, even I'm sorry, my career, you know my years the biggest thing to me really really prioritizing is communication and being able to speak, because my first year of Spanish in high school was conversational. Our teacher had us presenting and just using the language in the classroom. But after that, actually, I transitioned to a different teacher and he was more about learning the structure, learning vocabulary, and he knew what he was doing and he cared about us, I had no doubt. But it was less conversational, it was a lot less communicative and, honestly, I kind of started to wane on my passion for the language by the end of high school. So I go to college and I decide, okay, I'll take another Spanish class and I really didn't test very high into language learning at all in college, but it was then the next teacher who just got me on fire again. I knew I had wanted to be a teacher all along, but it was like that person like just kind of rekindled the fire.
Speaker 2:So now back to my teaching. Now, just the importance of we're gonna open our mouth and we're gonna say something like whatever, we're gonna whatever, so Whatever we're going to, whatever. But that has developed over the years too, and that's where we're getting to now. Am I making sense? Am I doing? Okay, absolutely.
Speaker 1:And I think you're reminding all of us, too the power of having an impactful teacher whose focus is communication, but also that all the teachers that you've had across your career have certainly put a lot of investment into how they present classes and things, but the difference has been too for you of the okay, I really want to teach this language too was the emphasis on communication. Which is really cool, because that's a big thing that I would love for all teachers to know and feel is that everybody's working hard, everybody's doing amazing things and with the same amount of work, it's just the perspective shift that can make a difference and light so much more of a fire with the people that you're working with.
Speaker 2:And make it enjoyable, so enjoyable.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true, it really does. I remember looking back on different teachers that I had, especially at the college level, where there were when we were encouraged to speak. Class was always more fun, and I could never really figure out why, but I think that was the big difference. So with that, you certainly have to work hard to make these experiences happen for your students. So what were some of the challenges that you faced? And you know that other teachers are facing, as a really extremely busy Spanish teacher, right.
Speaker 2:So it has been a flurry of activity, it feels like, for years and years and years. The minimum I've ever had is three preps. It's always usually been four, some years it's been five and I'm like I can't even believe I did five preps. Just, yeah, it's so much, because you're just never have enough time to really like get to know what you're teaching, like figure out what you're teaching, and that's where, again, we're going to get back to it. But the PPN has just kind of opened my eyes to, yeah, other people are struggling with this too, like the idea that there is so much to do and so little time to do it. How do we make it meaningful? How do we make it purposeful? You know, how do we guide towards proficiency? What are we doing so honestly? So some of the setbacks or some of the things that I struggled with were just, you know, like I did not know how to plan curriculum. Sometimes I wonder to this day if I still know how to plan it. But I know, over the years of experience I have figured things out, like I have figured out like, oh, I can see how that's connecting to this and this, and now I can transition to that. And oh, I can see now where I was teaching that in Español Uno, now in Español Dos here it comes, you know it's coming back. Espanol dose here it comes, you know it's coming back. And now we're going to advance that. You know, I can see the connections happening and and I'm very thankful for that.
Speaker 2:So, but still, it has always been difficult for me to like long term plan and you know, think even about a semester, even about a quarter. You know, what are you going to do with this quarter? So for me it was always like I'm jumping in and I'm going to figure it out as I go, and that can be very tiring. That can be very tiring because then you're always kind of like, well, I don't know what's coming next. Let's see what's coming next when you're starting a new series, so to speak. It used to be every I don't know six, seven years. We had textbook adoption, right, okay. So now you know, now we're coming to digital resources now, but before it used to be every six or seven years. So it's like you would teach from the same book and you would get used to it, and then you know your whoever was in charge of telling you it's time to adopt, it's time to adopt, okay. And you start reviewing everything and thinking I don't know if I want to try anything new. I just finally got comfortable with what I was working with, so anyway. So it's so definitely overall curriculum mapping and planning.
Speaker 2:That has always been difficult for me, honestly, but once I get through a few years, then I start to figure it out. So, and maybe that's common for many teachers, I don't know but because of that, like really using the resources for what they are, I mean, I, you know those textbooks always had like 12 chapters in them and I would be thrilled if I got between six or seven done in a year. And I just thought I don't know if I'm doing the right thing for my students. I would worry about it, I would. And then finally I was like Diane, you can't do anything more. You're working with them, they're learning something, just keep at it. And eventually sometimes you find ways to be more efficient and then you can kind of tie another concept down the road in now and introduce it more and things like that.
Speaker 2:But I used to really be concerned about that, but that thankfully, with the years and experience, I've realized it's okay. It's okay, you know, even if you fly through all this material with your students, how much are they grasping of that Right, how much are they really understanding it or how much are they using that? They may have all this stuff floating around in their brain, but are they connecting it? And then they get to the next year and you're reviewing and they're huh, you know they're no comprendo and like no, no recuerdo, senora, you know they don't remember what they were doing. So what was the point of flying through all that material? So those were some of the challenges, for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I remember you saying too and I think it was our latest workshop on target language where you mentioned that it's like you never get through the whole materials. And now that you're using Voces you still don't get through all of the materials. And I said that's what everybody does Like. Curriculums are so jam packed that there's you run into those exact problems that you mentioned that there's going to be. You're just going to end up reviewing all of it anyways and they're just going to be confused by the constant fast pace and stream of language that they're not going to actually grasp onto anything. And then they're disconnecting.
Speaker 2:Right, they're disconnecting because it's not interesting to them and it's too much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think everybody well, most people, at least, that I talk to can relate to the idea of curriculum mapping being very difficult. I always say that curriculum is not something that teachers are really instructed in, except for, like I had, you know, a couple little mentions of it here and there, but it wasn't really intended to be our job, and our job is to instruct and to teach. And curriculum mapping is quite different actually like planning out a full year of instruction, mapping it out, and all of that in many districts, for many different subjects, is done by a curriculum coordinator, and World Language never has one. I have yet to see it. I literally have yet to see it.
Speaker 2:So we're all, putting it all together, we're validating all the struggle it really is struggle.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it really is. So, with this idea in mind of curriculum mapping, and knowing that things are just really really fast paced and not sure if students are, you know, catching on to everything that's going on too, I would love to know what are some of the ways that this network has supported you, because it must have been doing something for you, since you recommended it to your successor and now she's a part of the program too. So what is it that you knew was going to help you get to where you wanted to go with your students?
Speaker 2:And so when I, however, it happened that you know the information about the network came through in my email, I don't even know Like I'm like. Did I click on something? Nobody ever does? I don't even know how it came there, but it showed up and I just would stare at it and think, boy, that'd probably be really helpful to me. You know, and that was over a year ago, and then, as the summer was rolling through, and then I picked up on the conference. What is the conference called? What's your conference?
Speaker 1:Practical and Comprehensible. Practical and Comprehensible.
Speaker 2:So I just thought I've got to do this, I've got to do this, I need to see how to make better connections and I just need help, right, even though all these years of teaching I'm like I know it can be better. I know it can be better. So it was really. That probably was my first big dive into it and I wasn't able to attend a ton of sessions, but the sessions I did, they immediately just validated, once again validated all the hard work that we're doing as teachers, but reminded us like we're not supposed to be super people, right, we're superhuman and a big thing.
Speaker 2:One part of the practical proficiency network that you have said is like you are meant to have a life outside of your job. That's probably one big, like you know bell that went off when I heard that and I went or the light bulb moment, as we say, right, that I thought, oh yeah, that would be wonderful, that would be nice. You know, if you can have a life, because I do put in quite a few hours, because I just want it. I want what we do in class to be good for my students, I want them to be able to connect and understand anyway, um, but so that was one bell that went off or, oh, I'm sorry, one more light bulb moment that went off when I started to connect with the practical proficiency network. But then, when I heard, and then we had, um, just different sessions where you would have experts, you know, you know you would have interviews with experts, or you would talk with Bryce Hedstrom Is that the right name? Yes, you know. And then I got to listen to a session with him and specifically talking about the personal interviews that he does, it's just, it's the simplest thing, but it's the most wonderful thing.
Speaker 2:And just, I don't want to say flooded with ideas. I want to stop there, because I don't want people to think, oh, all I need is just another flood of ideas, because sometimes we go to teacher conferences and you go to one session, one hour, another session, another session, another session, and then guess what you got this whole. Like in the old days, we would say you got this whole folder, this whole these packets, and what'd you do with them? Well, you're tired, you go home, you set them down and then you start working on your planning. You're like I got to get back to that. And do you get back to it? Right, do you get back to it. Nope, I didn't, you know it would go in the filing cabinet yes, the old filing cabinet, and it wasn't serving a purpose. So anyway, back to just you know conference that kicked off this year.
Speaker 2:I realized that help is available. Help is available and there's people out there that are willing to talk with me and work with me and commiserate a little bit, but mostly stay focused on the good things and where we're going with this. So that is. And then through the year, this current school year, you know, I have attended different sessions with you and you've refreshed the idea of you know what is language acquisition? Right, we went through all those, just the basic information there and how important that is. I mean just to have that basis, like, what are we really doing here? No, you're not teaching this, you're not pouring stuff into their head. They know how to talk, they figure out how to talk. It's just, you know, giving them the guidance along the way.
Speaker 2:So, being the facilitator, right, being the facilitator in the classroom, just again and again, so many good points. I have a master's. Understand this. I have a master's degree in the teaching of Spanish specifically. It was the only master's I ever thought was worth something. I was like when I figured out they had this master's program. I'm like that's for me. It was a very good program, it was very good.
Speaker 2:But your teaching in the PPN and that of the experts you bring on board, it's all just continuing to emphasize all the key elements of what language learning is about. And with that right, it just reminded me yes, oh yes, this is what I'm doing and there is purpose for this. And you know what Maybe I'm not really contextualizing that as much as I should be could be things like that, like it, just it, really, I know I keep saying it it refreshed me. And so then, when I knew, like you know, about the middle of the year, the decision was made with my husband and I knew that, you know, life was going to change and I was going to be leaving my teaching position. Then my heart said, oh, who's going to take over this position for my students? And so, and we have hired, you know, my replacement, so thankful that she is someone who loves to use Espanol and she has a big heart for wanting to do well and even though she's a, she's the beginning teacher right at the beginning.
Speaker 2:But I said, you know what you have got to get into this network. You have got to start learning from it because of, again, just all the important things that are happening, like reminding us of the importance of the methodology that's there for a reason, and the basis, the research that's behind it, and the use of target language as much as we can, as much as we can, and don't give up, try again and the encouragement there. So there, that's a lot. I went on.
Speaker 1:That makes me so happy to hear, too, and I want to thank you, too, for for advocating for it and working with your administrators to make it happen for somebody else too. That's a. To thank you, too, for advocating for it and working with your administrators to make it happen for somebody else too. That's a really, really big part of this, and I completely agree with what you were saying about going to any kind of training, learning, development, all of it.
Speaker 1:You have all of these notes, you have all of these things that you're excited to move into the next day with, but the tack on of practical for everything that we do is the idea of what about Monday? How, what is this going to actually look like on Monday? What's going to be your number one takeaway from this, or one small action that you can do from this? And I would say to that, like your successor, the horse, like she's always working on putting new things into motion and very much takes things and runs with it, which is a talent, for sure, and to do that, though, I think she feels very secure, knowing that you've got her back, that you're advocating for her. So what do you think is? What are some of the things that you think are important about advocating for others in this profession and taking on that mentorship role for helping with teachers. And what would you suggest for other people who are maybe newer in their teaching journey to find that in the world, if they don't have somebody who can show them the ropes, like you are?
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, as I was mentioning earlier, we I mean we used to say you need to be a part of your local organizations, right? So there are, of course, language organizations here in Indiana and there's bigger ones across the United States. You know the AATSP and then ACTFL, of course as well, and then there's Central States Conferences and there's the Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association's, the Indiana foreign language teachers association, which still says foreign language. But that's okay, no worries. Um, I do believe there is purpose to those because, especially local ones um, again, but cause I, my job has changed a little bit over the years, I haven't connected as much as I used to, but there used to be like local, like schools would come together to have language competitions and things and it's just like a field day, right, but in foreign language or in world languages, and so I mean simple things like there could be poetry, recitation and there was spelling bees and there was things like that. But the point is like that's a good thing, like getting people together just to have fun using the language number one. Number two is there is purpose to those conferences. But you check that out, right, you need to be the one who gets online. You look at the sessions and you figure out what is going to be purposeful for me, because then you have to stand up for yourself with your administrator and say this is going to be worth our money to send me to this conference. So again back to the Practical Proficiency Network. As soon as I got in and as soon as I realized the amazing value there that I had to share that with my administrator and I said, yes, my replacement, I want her to have this. What can we do so she can have this? Can you please support her in this? Could you give her one year of this? Could you give her one year? So that would help her. You know, like you said, she's already connected with you to work on her curriculum mapping. Thank you, jesus, thank you, thank you, devin. And so she and it's very positive, right, she's already feeling supported, simply because of not simply, but because of the good work that's happening there.
Speaker 2:You said advocating for it, and again, I'm a single teacher. You know, we do have American Sign Language taught at our school, which is amazing and awesome, and the other language is Espanol, right? So these are the two languages. So we are a department, but obviously we're not a department planning together, right, and so if I have needs, specifically as a teacher, I have to go out and seek them. So you don't have to go very far if you're part of the PPN, because the PPN is bringing you experts to talk to you, is bringing you question and answer sessions so that you can just talk about what you're struggling with right now, or again just sharing, like okay, I'm normal, I'm normal, they're saying the same thing. The other teachers in the session they're struggling with right now, or again, you know, just sharing, like okay, I'm normal, I'm normal, they're saying the same thing. The other teachers in the session they're struggling with something too.
Speaker 2:Ooh, there was a great idea Somebody shared. And you stop and you ask them and you give us time, devin, to say you know, oh, yeah, what's that resource? And you share it out with us. And then we talk about a little bit. Or hey, if you check in the treasure chest, right, there is a whole session about using that music website, you know, for your classroom. So great, a great use of resources, a great sharing of resources, but also encouraging us to just to do our best. And I know I'm kind of coming around in a circle there, but did I answer the question? You did yes, and I'm glowing just thinking about it.
Speaker 1:I'm so glad that all those things can be helpful to you. Like that's the whole reason that I do it is. I remember being a teacher in several different schools and having different levels of support, and when I did have support and colleagues that I could go to, it was a total game changer for me. But there were many instances where I didn't have that and it affected everything that I did. It was so much harder just to do the day-to-day things for I think, that exact thing that you hit the nail on the head with. Am I the only one who feels this way? Like, am I the only one who's also working with these same things or these same issues? And the answer really is that if you tap into the community for just a second, it's very clearly not like and that can.
Speaker 1:I for a while, thought that the PPN needs to be. Here's all the information that you need. But as soon as I started talking to teachers like you, the number one thing they kept coming back to was, honestly, it's nice to just have people who understand what I'm going through. It's so nice to meet with other teachers who have the same types of problems as me. So it isn't necessarily always about fixing it either. It's just knowing that, oh, I'm not the only one doing this. This is cool, it's good to know that, and it makes the stress of it a little bit lighter, a little bit easier to understand and move through, because that's what we're really working towards is can you enjoy your classroom and your life and enjoying your classroom is part of that and you can't enjoy it if you think that you know you're the only one who's walking through all of these things that are going on with that too.
Speaker 1:You mentioned a lot of the resources that are in the ppn, so I want to ask you to a little bit more about as you've moved through your career. What has been the difference for you? How, from your perspective, how important is it for teachers to have access to literally just resources to do what they need to do, and have you had different experiences with access to that?
Speaker 2:And have you had different experiences with access to that, access to resources? It is I'm trying to think about that Definitely now with. Well, I mean there's we could go all the way to AI generated materials now, but which I am not savvy at, but the young people around me are. I love it. I love hearing them talk about it. I'm like, but the young people around me are, I love it. I love hearing them talk about it. I'm like I need to learn more about that because it can be an incredible tool. But anyway, the idea, actually it really blows me away. Now that I got to get my grounding here, it really blows me away. What's all available to us?
Speaker 2:And there are several amazing teachers out there that have, you know, created like blog websites I'm not sure what to call them blog resource sites that you have also highlighted and shared out, and some of them have joined you in your conference, right, and so they are sharing incredible tools that have just added spice to the classroom, added fun to the classroom, and what really is cool is that they're blog resource sites because they're sharing how they use the tool themselves and why it was important to them or why they developed it. That has been a game changer for me. It's not just like looking through the old catalog in the old days, the old magazine catalog, and looking at the posters available or the books available and having the little blurb about them. But these are teachers sharing with you how they're using those materials. So that has made a big difference too.
Speaker 2:Actually, I can definitely share that, and sometimes you're going to pay some money for those, right. Sometimes teachers pay teachers. We're going to pay for those through those, but for the most part, they're pretty inexpensive and they've helped me develop my own materials right. So that's another awesome positive thing too. Like, oh, that's a really neat way how they did that, also showing me that sometimes I've been overcomplicating things right. It helps help me simplify and make things more reachable for my students. So, yeah, the use of resources has actually it has impacted me quite a bit in my classroom.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it sounds like it. I don't know any teachers who walk this road alone and are making completely all of their own things from their own ideas. Because just by the nature of teachers, it's not really how we work. We prefer collaboration most of the time. We prefer outside ideas and I would say I think just need them in a more organized way. It's easier to reach them because now there's a lot of them, which is great and also terrifying.
Speaker 1:So it's sorting through things. Yeah, very much so. So you've showed us so much about all of the ways that your career has been impacted by having support, by having resources, by all these things that I'm striving to provide in the PPN, and I would love to know how do you think that this program, the PPN, is helping you to ensure that smooth transition between what you're doing now and what you think will happen next year with your successor?
Speaker 2:Well, honestly it, just knowing that my replacement has connected with you and that she is, she is getting incredible guidance in terms of. I mean, really, that curriculum mapping is huge, right, just to see how it's going to go for her. So she doesn't. It's, it's just not scary. It's not scary. I have a map, I know where I'm going to go with this. It's just not scary. It's not scary. I have a map, I know where I'm going to go with this. That is huge in and of itself.
Speaker 2:Also, I mean just the different sessions that you're offering. Now, we're not always together to be able to watch those together, but I'm constantly like firing off, forwarding I should say forwarding the emails, the updates and things that you send us and saying, hey, are know, are you going to check into that? Check into, you know, like that specific topic that you're sharing with us, because I'm like this can be really helpful, you know, with what's coming up and helping us think about how do we say diversify? You know, our lesson planning Is that the right word? Is that the word I'm looking for? But, to you know, enable our lessons to reach, more than you know, one learning style of a student or students that just they're struggling more than others. Right, some take it and run with it and others they need more guidance along the way.
Speaker 2:So, but also again, just showing her that resources are available is huge, and you've already mentioned that. You know how she's really kind of hit the ground running with that and she's like tell me what to do, tell me what to do. She's sharing and teaching me new websites. Now you know new tools online, I should say, and I'm so thankful for that because I'm like that is perfect, that is going to be so helpful for you. That's great, because I tend to and it's probably the old school nature in me because I've been at it for a while but that I feel like I do have to remake things and I'm like stop remaking it, like, just try it, like I have to talk to coach myself through that so often. But also, of course, you know we want to adapt it to the topic you know at hand and things like that. So sometimes you have to, you know, tweak things here and there.
Speaker 2:But just encouraging her Also, it has given me which I hopefully am sharing with her like it really has reinvigorated me to be able to give her joy, to say you know, look what's happening here, listen to you know, like, listen to the recordings the students did, and what do you think about that?
Speaker 2:And we chat about it and it's allowing I guess it's allowing me, number one, to let go to know that you know, I am going to be walking away from this knowing that my students have done well this year and that I know they're going to be in good hands because, well, but see, these are personal things too, because, like, I can tell that she cares about that, but she, it is important to her to learn about, like you know, actual proficiency levels and things like that that I know that the PPN and all the work that's being done there is going to guide her to see as well. So that, of course, gives me great reassurance and I know that she can come to a question and answer session and ask things. You know, if she's stuck on something next year, you know if I'm not available to send her a little text message or something. So there's just, there are a lot of layers there. I'm not even sure where else to go with that, but thanks for giving me a shot at trying to answer that question.
Speaker 1:I love it. Well, I wish that I had an experience like this going into my first classroom, because I was floundering so much in my first year and having somebody to go to like a successor or an instructional coach would have made such a huge difference. So it just keeps me putting, putting me back in my first year Instructional coach.
Speaker 2:We all need it. We all need it. You know what? Just the other thing just telling yourself it's okay to get help, it's okay, yeah, you have your degree, you went to college, okay, well, that doesn't mean you're a perfect and you're an expert.
Speaker 1:It's okay to ask for help, it's okay to reach out, and I would say, too, that all of the teachers that are in the PPN and everybody that we work with are quite skilled. There are some there are even some moments from other teachers who come to me thinking that they're like somewhere in the midway of our roadmap to proficiency and I'm like you're better at target language than I am, like you have so much to share with what we're doing here. But what having a coach provides you is that outsider who can look at it from the top when you're in it, like you're always in the thick of it. So it's not necessarily. Actually, I'm blown away all the time when people show up to class and I'm still like it's amazing that people are here to hear what I have to say.
Speaker 1:I have to say, but most of the time, what they're finding from working with a coach is that it's that outside perspective who's able to remind you of these are the ways that you could make that happen faster. Here are the things that you're already actually doing really well, and they walk away from the meeting knowing like, oh, I'm actually doing these things really well. I don't need to be going home at 6 pm and beating myself up about it while I'm trying to eat dinner. That's what a coach really can do and what having a coach in areas of life for me has done for me as well. So coaching is my favorite thing that I like to do in the PPN. But I'm curious to know what's your favorite thing about being a part of the network or if you'd rather go with this. What's a recent experience you've had that was like, oh, this is great, I love this. You'd rather go with this. What's a recent experience you've had that was like, oh, this is great.
Speaker 2:I love this. I just I just enjoy all the sessions that we're a part of. I I think that when you are and I've mentioned it several times already but I think that when you have shared with us, you know, like language learning theory I don't know, that must be the nerd in me Like I really enjoy hearing about that, but it also it just grounds me and it reminds me of, you know, what is what is behind what we're doing here, you know, and where I need to pull back for a moment and and reflect on my teaching practices and understand that you know, there there is research behind what you're doing and there's purpose for what you're doing. So I guess, again, I feel like that's kind of the nerd side of me. I just really enjoy hearing that and knowing that, yeah, we're doing good things here and oh, you know what I kind of been sliding in that area, you know, or possibly you know like communicative activities or whatever. So you know it.
Speaker 2:Just, it has encouraged me to get back on the horse, as we used to say right, you know, just get back up there and give it a try again and don't give up, because there's always, there's always a new day and, as you have said to us again and again, you know, aiming for 2%, let's go for 2% improvement, 2% Like that was simply a huge game changer for me. Just to hear that I have somebody say that to me, I'm like, oh yeah, I guess they don't have to be perfect tomorrow, like, oh, there've been a lot of refreshing moments. There's some I.
Speaker 1:I did not know that the 2% thing would hit so hard, but it really does. I'm so glad to hear that that's awesome.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're trying to be 2% better every day. So we're we're getting to the the end of our interview here and it's been been so wonderful to talk to you and personally, for me to hear, like, oh, these things are working. I'm so glad to know that. But it's also a little bit bittersweet to know that you will be transitioning out but that I'll be working still with your school and with your students indirectly, of course students indirectly, of course. But the last thing that I want to ask you is what do you think is a key takeaway from your experience with the PPN and what would you recommend to anybody who's listening, who might feel overwhelmed with the things that they're being barraged with every day? As a teacher, what would be your takeaway for them, for anybody who's looking for some more support in their language teaching?
Speaker 2:I think the biggest takeaway is networking. I think it really is. I remember in college that I had a classmate in my language learning classes and language education classes that said she just talked about networking so much and I was like uh-huh, uh-huh, you know, like I listened to her but it never really stuck. I think some of that has to do with me being probably a little more introverted than I might seem when I'm talking to people, but I do have an introverted side and I have this side of like, dig in and do the hard work and get it done, and that's my nature. But you know, over the years I mean seriously, like the last 10 years maybe in my life it's finally like somehow the message has gotten through how important it is to talk with others, share your experiences, work through it and know again that you're not alone, that you're not alone in this, work through it and know again that you're not alone, that you're not alone in this, but also that there are, there are other ways to handle things and it's going to be okay when you're having a bad day. It's really going to be okay, like you're going to get through it and okay, it was a bad day and now we're going to move on and we're going to have a better day, and, and with that, it's okay to say to your students I'm sorry, I messed up, I messed up or this didn't go well, let's try something else. Right, it's really okay.
Speaker 2:Learning is not meant to be done in isolation, right? So we are so again, networking with others, and the PPN brings it to you, brings it to you, I mean. So that's what was super cool about this. Like honestly, I don't I don't even know if I've ever been to an online conference like before the last year. And then I'm like where have I been? I don't know how long, if these have been going on for a long time or not, but when I realized this could just be right there with me and I can just wait after school and I can have a session, I can be a part with others, I was like we've needed this forever. Where has this been? So I don't know if I missed the boat somewhere earlier or what, but reaching out to others, getting help, talking through things, that makes all the difference. It makes all the difference.
Speaker 1:So, networking, joining the network, I so agree with that and I think that for a long time in my career I've needed to hear that too is that being with others and networking is really what makes a difference, because I'm the same way Like. I very much like to dig into the work and just do the work, but there's only so far that you can get by yourself. Even with that strategy and with teaching, the work is never done. So you have to find a way to figure out what is going to be my approach to this. How can I do this better and how can I make my classroom a community and less of a like goal oriented deal, where the community is really where the magic happens? And it is that same way in teaching too. So thank you for sharing that about how the network makes that easier for you.
Speaker 1:So glad to hear that We've added a lot of new community features this year. They're just starting to take off. It's great. So that makes me really happy to hear Thank you so much for sharing this story with us all your insights about teaching. There were so many nuggets in there of wisdom too, from your experiences that you've had that apply to everybody and knowing, too, that your experiences with teaching are similar to mine, similar to others, like, just like what we're. What we're trying to emphasize here is that knowing that you can be in community with others and that many other people are walking a similar path as you, with the same kinds of challenges, questions and movements, makes a huge difference. So thanks for sharing your story with us, and I'm so excited to work with you for the last few months that we have left and then to continue working with your new successor. That's so cool.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. Thank you for providing the opportunity. It's been good. It's been good. I appreciate the conversation and time to reflect. It gives me time to reflect because it has been a blessed career for me. So yeah, be teachers. We need more teachers. Jump in everybody. Let's go For sure For sure.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you so much for this and I'm so excited to share it with everybody. And, as we are closing out, thank you, thank you, thank you again for everything that you bring to the network, because you're a part of that community. You helped it to grow, you helped it to thrive and I feel very lucky to have been your coach. Thank you All right. Bye, bye-bye.