Language Lounge

See All Language Lounge Episodes In this episode of The Language Lounge, Michelle Olah and Lisa McHargue discuss the psychological and practical aspects of starting anew in the new year. They explore the importance of digital organization, the impact of chaos on mental space, and how to define productivity in a way that works for individuals. Lisa shares insights on reframing self-judgment, the significance of future planning, and practical strategies for implementing plans effectively, especially for those with ADHD. Producer’s Notes:  Lisa's Book recommendation: How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing by KC Davis Keep in Touch Connect with Lisa on Instagram and LinkedIn:   https://instagram.com/lisajmch   www.linkedin.com/in/lisamch   Visit the ⁠Language Lounge on X⁠ Connect with ⁠Michelle on BlueSky⁠ Have a comment or question? Email [email protected]  Produced by Wayside Publishing 

See All Language Lounge Episodes Summary In this enlightening episode of The Language Lounge, Michelle Olah and Gina Lanfranchi-Grubbs delve into the complexities of classroom management. Gina shares her personal journey as a teacher, highlighting the challenges she faced in creating a welcoming environment for her students. They discuss the importance of understanding emotional responses, building relationships, and addressing teacher fatigue. The conversation emphasizes that effective classroom management goes beyond strategies; it involves fostering a safe learning environment and viewing discipline as a tool for growth rather than punishment. Ultimately, the episode encourages teachers to shift their perspectives and recognize the humanity in both themselves and their students. In this conversation, Gina Lanfranchi-Grubbs and Michelle Olah discuss the challenges educators face in managing their emotions and reactions in the classroom. They emphasize the importance of positivity, mindfulness, and self-regulation, both for teachers and their students. The discussion highlights practical strategies for stress management, the value of seeking help, and the need for gratitude and perspective in education. They also touch on the evolving nature of teaching and the significance of maintaining relationships with students while navigating mistakes and challenges. Producer's Notes: Episode Transcript Gina's Bio: Gina Lanfranchi-Grubbs is a French teacher at Berner Middle School in Massapequa, NY. She has been teaching for the past ten years. During that time, she has gleaned so much wisdom from her teacher friends and mentors and through attending professional organizations at the state, local, national, and international levels. She loves learning from others who are excited to share what they find works in their classrooms and adapting their findings to her own context to make her classes as enjoyable and effective as possible. Contact Us: Visit the Language Lounge on X Connect with Michelle on BlueSky Have a comment or question?Email [email protected] Produced by Wayside Publishing

Teaching is not easy, and becoming an amazing teacher does not happen overnight. It takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears, times  of vulnerability and others of failure. Join Language Lounge host Michelle Olah and her guest Wesley Wood as they discuss the idea of acceptance. Acceptance of ourselves, of failure, of the vulnerability that comes from  continuously learning and growing on the imperfect journey to mastering our craft.     Bio Wesley Wood is a disability specialist at Georgetown University and a former K-12 Latin and French teacher. A licensed Maryland educator, Wesley has Master's degrees in Classics from the University of Colorado Boulder and in Foreign Language Education from Miami University - Ohio. In 2022, he was named Teacher of the Year by GWATFL (Greater Washington, D.C. Association of World Language Teachers). Wesley is also a NECTFL Mead Innovation Fellow for his work advocating for neurodivergent learners and supporting educators to create more accessible language classrooms and programs.   Producer's Notes Visit the Language Lounge on Twitter - https://twitter.com/langloungepod   Connect with Michelle - https://twitter.com/michelleolah   Have a comment or question? Leave a voicemail at (207) 888-9819 or email [email protected] Produced by Wayside Publishing - https://waysidepublishing.com Watch this episode on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/wayside Social Media @MagisterWood

Join teachers Kristin Archambault, Amy Marshall, and host Michelle Olah as they discuss what they do to set themselves us for a successful school year. Kristin and Amy share the importance creating a well-ordered environment of routines, procedures and expectations which in turn build a sense of community and trust within their classrooms. And don't forget to take care of you… Bio Kristin Archambault Kristin Archambault is a veteran French and Spanish teacher. Although most of her experience is at the high school level, she currently teaches middle school French in Storrs, Connecticut. She is also President of RIFLA (th Professional organization for Rhode Island language teachers), a former world language student teacher supervisor at the University of Connecticut, and a frequent presenter at state, regional, and national world language conferences in the US. Amy Marshall Amy Marshall is a dynamic and energetic Spanish teacher who teaches with a variety of techniques that fall under the umbrella of comprehensible input and TPRS. Building community and relationships with her students is one of the greatest focuses of any classroom that she teaches in. To connect and to truly care, building real relationships and community among the students and herself in her classroom is a huge contributing factor in guaranteeing a sense of belonging and as such a successful experience in learning language. Producer's Notes Visit the Language Lounge on Twitter - https://twitter.com/langloungepod Connect with Michelle - https://twitter.com/michelleolah Have a comment or question? Leave a voicemail at (207) 888-9819 or email [email protected] Produced by Wayside Publishing - https://waysidepublishing.com Social Media Krisitin Twitter: @HeyArchy FB: Kristin Bruno Archambault Amy Marshal Instagram @zonadeprofes LinkedIn: Amy Marshall Pygmalion Effect https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-power-of-the-pygmalion-effect/ CI - Comprehensible Input, Stephen Krashen @skrashen TPRS - Total Physical Response Storytelling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TPR_Storytelling

Going back to school is a stressful, emotional roller coaster, you know what it's going to be like, and you've got to get yourself prepared. Join Rebecca Aubrey and Michelle Olah as they discuss the struggles and anxieties in heading back to school and how you can set boundaries to alleviate the mental and physical toll that teaching demands.    Bio   Rebecca Aubrey has over 20 years of teaching experience at the college level, and 15 years of experience teaching Spanish in grades K-8. Rebecca has presented broadly on topics like differentiation, target language use, and language proficiency. She is the 2019 ACTFL National Teacher of the Year, and is the Immediate Past President of CT COLT, Executive Secretary for NNELL, and the PreK-8 representative to the AATSP Board of Directors. Rebecca is passionate about exploring the cultural and linguistic diversity of our world, and equally passionate about empowering students to do the same.    Producer's Notes   Visit the Language Lounge on Twitter https://twitter.com/langloungepod    Connect with Michelle - https://twitter.com/michelleolah    Have a comment or question? Leave a voicemail at (207) 888-9819 or email [email protected]    Produced by Wayside Publishing - https://waysidepublishing.com    Mentions  Leaders Must Address Teacher Well-Being With Action, Not Just Self-Care Talk https://www.edutopia.org/article/leaders-teacher-wellbeing-action 

Do you want to get your students excited and passionate about learning? Spark your students' curiosity and get them motivated to learn by using inquiry-based learning which allows your students to explore what's interesting to them. Here's how you can get started. Bio Dagoberto Polanco was inspired by his own language-learning journey upon arriving to the United States from the Dominican Republic at age 17. He hails from a family of educators and found his niche in the field of language acquisition. He has accrued over a decade of classroom experience as a World Language teacher. He simultaneously served as the lead tech mentor for the teacher body and as the liaison and translator for non-English speaking families. He enjoys empowering people with the needed tools to succeed in an ever-changing global world. Producer's Notes Visit the Language Lounge on Twitter - https://twitter.com/langloungepod Connect with Michelle - https://twitter.com/michelleolah Have a comment or question? Leave a voicemail at (207) 888-9819 or email [email protected] Produced by Wayside Publishing - https://waysidepublishing.com Mentions Inquiry-Based Learning Meets Language Acquisition: Inquire to Acquire: https://home.edweb.net/webinar/lang-lit20240808/ Inquiry-based Learning (IBL) Ted Lasso https://tv.apple.com/us/show/ted-lasso/umc.cmc.vtoh0mn0xn7t3c643xqonfzy Trevor McKenzie, Inquiry Mindset

What is structural competency? Hint: It's not about teaching grammar. It's about what is and isn't culture. Listen to this week's episode of the Language Lounge and come away with a new way to address culture with your students; what shapes our own culture and fostering a respectful curiosity about why certain cultural practices exist in our own communities and others. Bio Peggy Malec began her education career teaching English to adults in 2011. Since then, she has taught both Spanish and English in every grade level. She has a Master of Arts in Spanish from Middlebury College and is currently teaching middle school Spanish at Valley Catholic Middle School. As the Director of Community Development, she has founded and led an advisory program for the entire school community. Producer's Notes Visit the Language Lounge on Twitter - https://twitter.com/langloungepod Connect with Michelle - https://twitter.com/michelleolah Have a comment or question? Leave a voicemail at (207) 888-9819 or email [email protected] Produced by Wayside Publishing - https://waysidepublishing.com Social Media - Instagram @peigimalec

STaRLT, pronounced Star Light, is the brain child of Shannon Borum. Born of her frustration as a small town rural language teacher, this group has blossomed into an amazing support group for teachers in Georgia. It's a place to learn, to grow and belong. Join Shannon and host, Michelle Olah, as they discuss the origins, benefits and future of this unique and valuable community of teachers. Bio Shannon Borum is a high school French teacher in Jackson, Georgia and a doctoral candidate in Instructional Technology. She loves talking about language teaching and learning for those around her. She’s also passionate about connecting and supporting WL teachers in rural areas Producer's Notes Visit the Language Lounge on Twitter - https://twitter.com/langloungepod Connect with Michelle - https://twitter.com/michelleolah Have a comment or question? Leave a voicemail at (207) 888-9819 or email [email protected] Produced by Wayside Publishing - https://waysidepublishing.com Social Media Shannon Borum https://x.com/madameborum https://x.com/starltg FLAG Foreign Language Association of Georgia http://www.flageorgia.net/ ACTFL https://www.actfl.org/convention-and-expo STaRLT Georgia https://starltgeorgia.weebly.com/ SCOLT Southern Conference on Language Teaching https://www.scolt.org/ NNELL National Network for Early Language Learning https://nnell.org/ Rich Madel @SrMadel

Rachel Benson joins Language Lounge host, Michelle Olah to discuss her journey from classroom teacher to district language coordinator, supporting teachers during online teaching. Rachel made the decision to return to the classroom for the 23-24 school year and shares her unique perspective on life in the modern day classroom and resuming her role as a teacher leader in the upcoming school year. Bio Rachel began her teacher career as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Missouri-Columbia before teaching in a Berlin high school on a Fulbright Fellowship. Over the last 14 years, she has split her time teaching high school and middle school German as well as serving as the World Language Coordinator and Chinese Immersion Coordinator for the Blue Valley School district in Overland Park, Kansas. Rachel has returned to the classroom full time and is currently teaching middle school German. In addition, she is wrapping up her final year on the executive board of the Kansas World Language Association. Having spent some years in a leadership role, Rachel decided last year to work toward an administrator license, but for now, she is enjoying the humbling experience of being back in the classroom. Producer's Notes Visit the Language Lounge on Twitter - https://twitter.com/langloungepod Connect with Michelle - https://twitter.com/michelleolah Have a comment or question? Leave a voicemail at (207) 888-9819 or email [email protected] Produced by Wayside Publishing - https://waysidepublishing.com Mentions Leslie Graham https://www.grahnforlang.com/

If advocacy is building excitement, then Amy Rill is an advocate non-pareil. Listen as she and host, Michelle Olah, discuss the little and big ways to advocate for your program, whether it's in your classroom, your school, or your community. Listen and get some ideas for ways to build excitement and get that energy about learning languages out of your classroom and into the world. Bio Amy Rill spent 23 years as a German and Spanish teacher. She is enthusiastic about having fun while learning a language, immersing in the culture through music and art, and focusing on communication in authentic ways. As an Instructional Technologist with Wayside Publishing, Amy shares her love of enhancing learning language with technology and discovering innovative strategies for using technology in today's classroom. Producer's Notes Visit the Language Lounge on Twitter - https://twitter.com/langloungepod Connect with Michelle - https://twitter.com/michelleolah Have a comment or question? Leave a voicemail at (207) 888-9819 or email [email protected] Produced by Wayside Publishing - https://waysidepublishing.com Amy's Social Media https://www.instagram.com/amyrillwayside/ https://x.com/amyrillwayside/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-rill/ Mentions JNCL- Joint National Committee for Languages https://www.languagepolicy.org/