The ESL Teaching Podcast

Ieva Grauslys, ESL/ELL teaching
  • 4.9 (24)
  • LANGUAGE LEARNING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to The ESL Teaching Podcast, a place for K-12 teachers of English learners who are looking for simple and easy-to-implement ways to engage their students and for inspiration and empowerment in their day-to-day teaching. Whether you need a boost of confidence in reaching ESL/ELL newcomers, students in mixed proficiency level classes, or clarity in how to help them access content in the mainstream classrooms, this podcast will quickly become your go-to spot for inspiration and support. Each week, you will hear actionable and easy-to-implement tips and strategies from me, your host, as well as interviews with amazing ESL teachers, and educational consultants around the country so you can leave inspired and ready to rock on. For more teaching tips, strategies and teaching resources, go to www.simplyieva.com. And to connect with other like-minded educators of English learners, join us over at our Facebook group Helping ESL/ELL Teachers K-12 where you can find support, ask questions, and share your expertise.I always say: teaching English learners is the best job in the world. And even though it’s sometimes hard, by staying open and learning together, we make it a path of discovery and adventure. I will see you inside the show!www.simplyieva.com/apple

  1. 23H AGO

    Episode 168. When “You’re the Expert” Becomes Too Much: Decision Fatigue in EL Teaching

    In this episode we tackle the pervasive issue of decision fatigue among educators, specifically focusing on teachers of multilingual learners (ELs). We redefine decision fatigue not as a result of being disorganized, but as a rational response to working within a system that demands constant decisions without providing sufficient structural clarity—what is called "Ambiguity disguised as autonomy." To combat this overload, the episode introduces and explores the five steps of the our Inner Classroom framework: Awareness, Regulation, Clarity, Aligned Action, and Renewal, offering practical ways to reclaim internal capacity and prioritize self-preservation. Here is What You Will Hear in This Episode: A clear definition of decision fatigue and why it's a common experience for teachers, often showing up as mental fog or irritation.How the concept of "You’re the expert" often masks a lack of necessary systemic support and structure.A breakdown of the five steps in the Inner Classroom framework—Awareness, Regulation, Clarity, Aligned Action, Renewal—and how to use them daily.Practical ways to apply The Eisenhower Matrix to teaching tasks to prevent burnout.The three powerful questions you can ask yourself to stop emotionally carrying decisions that are outside your authority and confuse responsibility with accountability. Simply Ieva Offers: The Inner Classroom™ Clarity SessionIf you find value in The ESL Teaching Podcast and want to support the time, effort, and costs that go into bringing you these episodes each week, consider making a small donation—whatever feels right for you. Your support helps keep this podcast going and means the world to me! You can find the donation link below. Thank you so much! https://www.paypal.biz/simplyieva  Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources: Simply Ieva websiteMy TpT storeFree resource: Grab your free practice The First 7 Minutes: How to Start the Class Grounded (Even if Your Students Aren’t) Related episodes:  One EL Strategy, One Shift: How to Support ELs Without Burning Yourself OutSelf Management Techniques for the EL Classroom. Let’s connect! Follow me on InstagramFollow me on Facebook Follow me on LinkedInSupport the show

    26 min

  2. FEB 10

    Episode 167. When ELs Freeze, Shut Down, or Give Up: What Testing Reveals About the Emotional Side of Language Learning

    In this episode, we address the overlooked emotional dimension of language testing, exploring why English Learners (ELs) may "freeze, shut down, or give up" during high-stakes assessments like ACCESS. ACCESS and other language tests don’t just measure English as they touch the themes of identity,  confidence, and belonging. In this episode, we offer a framework for shifting from a state of urgency to one of grounded presence to support the student's emotional well-being first, which then allows them to access their language and learning. Here is What You Will Hear in This Episode: Why language testing can feel heavy for multilingual learners.What is actually happening beneath the behavior when students freeze, shut down, or give up.How our presence as teachers can either intensify pressure or create enough safety for students to access what they know.A personal story about where the host first learned what it truly means to hold space.A classroom moment that changed the host's approach to assessments, involving a student overwhelmed during ACCESS testing.Practical ways you can support students when anxiety shows up—without rushing, fixing, or pushing through.An invitation to download the free resource, The First 7 Minutes, designed to help teachers intentionally reset their classrooms. Simply Ieva Offers: The Inner Classroom™ Clarity SessionIf you find value in The ESL Teaching Podcast and want to support the time, effort, and costs that go into bringing you these episodes each week, consider making a small donation—whatever feels right for you. Your support helps keep this podcast going and means the world to me! You can find the donation link below. Thank you so much! https://www.paypal.biz/simplyieva  Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources: Simply Ieva websiteMy TpT storeFree resource: Grab your free practice The First 7 Minutes: How to Start the Class Grounded (Even if Your Students Aren’t) Related episodes:  One EL Strategy, One Shift: How to Support ELs Without Burning Yourself OutPreparing ELs for State and Language Proficiency Tests. Part 1: Listening and Speaking Let’s connect! Follow me on InstagramFollow me on Facebook Follow me on LinkedIn Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you! Support the show

    17 min

  3. FEB 3

    Episode 166. Preparing ELs for ACCESS Without Panic: What to Teach, What to Let Go, and How to Stay Regulated

    ACCESS season can quietly shift the energy in our classrooms—bringing urgency, pressure, and the feeling that we should be doing more. More prep. More drills. More fixing. But let's talk about preparing ELs for ACCESS without panic. In this episode, we slow the entire conversation down. Instead of panic-driven test preparation, we focus on what actually supports English learners during ACCESS—and how your own regulation as a teacher directly impacts student language performance. This episode is about preparing ELs for ACCESS without cramming, without overload, and without sacrificing nervous-system safety—for you or your students. Here is What You Will Hear in This Episode: The 3–4 language behaviors ACCESS measures across listening, speaking, reading, and writingWhy understanding the task matters more than perfect grammarHow expansion (adding a reason, detail, or example) impacts scoresWhy language acquisition doesn’t respond to last-minute intensityA simple Inner Classroom check for awareness and regulation during testing seasonFour low-stress, high-impact prep routines that actually support ELsWhat to intentionally let go of during ACCESS seasonA grounded reframe of ACCESS as information—not judgmentSimply Ieva Offers: The Inner Classroom™ Clarity SessionIf you find value in The ESL Teaching Podcast and want to support the time, effort, and costs that go into bringing you these episodes each week, consider making a small donation—whatever feels right for you. Your support helps keep this podcast going and means the world to me! You can find the donation link below. Thank you so much! https://www.paypal.biz/simplyieva Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources: Simply Ieva websiteMy TpT storeFree resource: Grab your free practice The First 7 Minutes: How to Start the Class Grounded (Even if Your Students Aren’t) Related episodes:  Reading and Writing Practice for State and Proficiency TestsPreparing ELs for State and Language Proficiency Tests. Part 1: Listening and SpeakingLet’s connect! Follow me on InstagramFollow me on Facebook Follow me on LinkedInSupport the show

    22 min

  4. JAN 27

    Episode 165. One EL Strategy, One Shift: How to support ELs without burning yourself out

    If you’re listening today and you feel like you’re constantly trying to do more—more scaffolds, more supports, more differentiation—yet still wondering if you’re doing enough for your English learners, this episode is for you.  In today’s episode, I want to do something very simple and very intentional. I’m going to share: One practical EL strategy you can use tomorrowAnd one Inner Classroom takeaway that will help you actually sustain your teaching—without burning yourself outI have shared a lot about EL teaching strategies in some of my previous episodes on this podcast and I can link a few episodes for you to peruse below. But today’s episode is going to go a little deeper rather than wider - no overload, no long list.  Just one solid instructional move and one internal shift.  If you find value in The ESL Teaching Podcast and want to support the time, effort, and costs that go into bringing you these episodes each week, consider making a small donation—whatever feels right for you. Your support helps keep this podcast going and means the world to me! You can find the donation link below. Thank you so much! https://www.paypal.biz/simplyieva  Related episodes:  Seeing is Understanding: 5 Visual Strategies for Supporting ELs4 Strategies for Teaching Math to ESL StudentsCultivating Comprehension: The Art of Strategic Questioning for English Learners Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources: Simply Ieva websiteMy TpT storeAccommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist Let’s connect! Follow me on InstagramFollow me on LinkedInJoin the Simply Ieva Facebook Group Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you! Support the show

    16 min

  5. JAN 20

    Episode 164. Your Inner Classroom: The 5 Pillars That Change How You Show Up

    Today, I want to do an official introduction. An introduction to the new layer of Simply Ieva ESL, the addition that I believe is so so important in teaching yet is so frequently overlooked. That addition is the Inner Classroom™ framework. The Inner Classroom is what is happening inside of your mind and your emotional landscape and how it affects your environment and your perceptions. In today’s episode, I will talk about how taking care of this inner classroom helps teachers prevent burnout before it happens—and recover from it when it does—by strengthening emotional regulation, clarity, and self-leadership.  If you enjoy this podcast and would like to support the time, effort, and costs that go into bringing you these episodes each week, you can now do so through a pay-what-you-can contribution. You can pay by clicking HERE—just choose an amount that feels right for you. Your support helps keep this podcast accessible and sustainable for teachers. Grab your free practice The First 7 Minutes: How to Start the Class Grounded (Even if Your Students Aren’t)1:1 EL Teacher Clarity Power-Up Session Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources: Simply Ieva websiteMy TpT storeAccommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist  Let’s connect! Follow me on InstagramFollow me on LinkedInJoin the Simply Ieva Facebook Group Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you! Support the show

    27 min

  6. JAN 13

    Episode 163. The First 7 Minutes: Why Your Class Needs a Better Beginning (Not a Better Lesson)

    Stop focusing only on the lesson plan and start focusing on the most critical moments of your class: the first seven minutes. In this episode, we dive into the powerful shift that happens when teachers prioritize grounding the room over pushing through. We explore why those initial moments set the tone for all the learning that follows, especially for multilingual learners. Key Takeaways: It's about the Nervous System, Not Competence: The class often feels "off" not due to a classroom management failure, but because students (and you) are still transitioning and their nervous systems are activated. Learning can't fully land until the room settles.The Power of Grounding: Learn what "grounding" actually means—it's not about silence or perfect behavior. It's an invitation to settle, which can be physical (a breath, a stretch), emotional (naming the room's energy), or cognitive (a predictable routine).Save Time Later: Grounding the first seven minutes saves time later in the lesson because you spend less time redirecting, repeating yourself, and trying to recover attention.If you are ready to change how you begin class, grab your free resource, The First 7 Minutes: Start the Class Grounded (Even If Your Students Aren’t). Find the link below.. I want to hear from you! What is your biggest challenge when it comes to transitioning from one class to the next? Share with us in the comments or send a message on Instagram, Facebook, or email! Here is What You Will Hear in This Episode: Three ways of grounding and what they can look like at the start of the classWhy it is incorrect to assume that chaotic start of class is always classroom management failureThe First 7 Minutes practice that you can use in your classroom right away Simply Ieva Offers: 1:1 EL Teacher Clarity Power-Up SessionIf you find value in The ESL Teaching Podcast and want to support the time, effort, and costs that go into bringing you these episodes each week, consider making a small donation—whatever feels right for you. Your support helps keep this podcast going and means the world to me! You can find the donation link below. Thank you so much! https://www.paypal.biz/simplyieva  Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources: Simply Ieva websiteMy TpT storeAccommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist  Related episodes:  Here is Why You’re Drained (or Energized) by TeachingHow to Beat the Mid-Year Slump in the EL Classroom Let’s connect! Follow me on InstagramFollow me on LinkedInJoin the Simply Ieva Facebook Group Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!Support the show

    17 min

  7. JAN 6

    Episode 162. When the Strategies Aren’t Enough: Teaching ELs without Losing Yourself

    Today’s episode "When the Strategies Aren’t Enough: Teaching ELs without Losing Yourself," is a reintroduction to The ESL Teaching Podcast, marking a new season of growth and transformation. Here are a few key ideas you'll here:  A Personal Break and Burnout: I am sharing why I stepped away from the podcast for several months (July through December 2025) - to recover from complete burnout from teaching, over-giving, and grieving the loss of a loved one. This break prompted a necessary pause and a shift in perspective.The 'Inner Classroom': We are shifting focus from solely teaching strategies and lesson plans to the internal state of the teacher, which I call the "inner classroom." The argument is that no external strategy will be enough if the teacher's inner state is chaotic, exhausted, or depleted.The Podcast's New Direction: The podcast will continue to cover practical EL teaching strategies, scaffolding, and effective instruction, but it will also become a "bridge between pedagogy and self-preservation." Topics will expand to include:Teacher energy and boundaries.Sustainability in teaching.Coaching (professional and personal).Acknowledging teaching as emotional, relational, and human work.Invitation and Free Resource: I am inviting you to stay, subscribe, and be part of a space where you don't have to pretend you are fine. Grab my free practice titled "The First Seven Minutes: How to Start Class Grounded (even if your students aren’t)," which is designed to help teachers slow down, reset, and reconnect.Grab your free practice The First 7 Minutes: How to Start the Class Grounded (Even if Your Students Aren’t) Simply Ieva Offers: 1:1 EL Teacher Clarity Power-Up SessionIf you find value in The ESL Teaching Podcast and want to support the time, effort, and costs that go into bringing you these episodes each week, consider making a small donation—whatever feels right for you. Your support helps keep this podcast going and means the world to me! You can find the donation link below. Thank you so much! https://www.paypal.biz/simplyieva  Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources: Simply Ieva website My TpT storeAccommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist Related episodes:  Rewriting the Script of Negative Self-Talk for TeachersHow to Beat the Mid-Year Slump in the EL Classroom Let’s connect! Follow me on InstagramFollow me on LinkedInJoin the Simply Ieva Facebook Group Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!Support the show

    12 min

  8. 07/01/2025

    Episode 161 - Announcement + Big News About the Roadmap

    Today’s episode is short, sweet, and exciting! I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes update and big news about the ESL Teacher Roadmap. Whether you're new to the ESL Teaching Podcast or you’ve been listening since day one, this quick episode is for you. I’ll walk you through a few upcoming changes, a big shift I’ve been planning, and how it will impact the content, resources, and support available to ESL teachers just like you. If you’ve ever wished there was a clear, practical path to follow as an EL teacher - one that balances pedagogy, language acquisition, and real-world support - then this update will speak to you. Be sure to listen to the end so you don’t miss what’s coming next. Show Notes: Episode 161 - Announcement + Big News About the RoadmapHere is What You Will Hear in This Episode: A special announcement about the future of the ESL Teaching PodcastExciting updates to the ESL Teacher Roadmap and what’s coming nextWhy this change matters for new and experienced EL teachers alikeHow to stay connected and make the most of upcoming resourcesSimply Ieva Offers: New and improved:  The ESL Teaching Roadmap membership for teachers of English learners1:1 EL Teacher Clarity Power-Up SessionIf you find value in The ESL Teaching Podcast and want to support the time, effort, and costs that go into bringing you these episodes each week, consider making a small donation—whatever feels right for you. Your support helps keep this podcast going and means the world to me! You can find the donation link below. Thank you so much! https://www.paypal.biz/simplyieva  Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources: Simply Ieva websiteEMBARK™ Newcomer CurriculumMy TpT storeAccommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist Related episodes:  What to Do With a Newcomer in the First 30 DaysYour First Year as an EL Teacher- What Matters MostLet’s connect! Follow me on InstagramFollow me on LinkedInJoin the Simply Ieva Facebook Group Record a comment for us - click HERE. We can’t wait to hear from you!Support the show

    7 min
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4.9
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

Welcome to The ESL Teaching Podcast, a place for K-12 teachers of English learners who are looking for simple and easy-to-implement ways to engage their students and for inspiration and empowerment in their day-to-day teaching. Whether you need a boost of confidence in reaching ESL/ELL newcomers, students in mixed proficiency level classes, or clarity in how to help them access content in the mainstream classrooms, this podcast will quickly become your go-to spot for inspiration and support. Each week, you will hear actionable and easy-to-implement tips and strategies from me, your host, as well as interviews with amazing ESL teachers, and educational consultants around the country so you can leave inspired and ready to rock on. For more teaching tips, strategies and teaching resources, go to www.simplyieva.com. And to connect with other like-minded educators of English learners, join us over at our Facebook group Helping ESL/ELL Teachers K-12 where you can find support, ask questions, and share your expertise.I always say: teaching English learners is the best job in the world. And even though it’s sometimes hard, by staying open and learning together, we make it a path of discovery and adventure. I will see you inside the show!www.simplyieva.com/apple

Information

  • Creator
    Ieva Grauslys, ESL/ELL teaching
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    169
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The ESL Teaching Podcast
  • Show Website
    The ESL Teaching Podcast

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