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Growing With Proficiency The Podcast
Welcome to Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast! Are you a World Language teacher who is looking for ideas, strategies, activities, and inspiration to create a World Language class where you and your students enjoy using the language to learn about the world and each other? Do you want to transform your class into an acquisition-driven instruction space where you intentionally provide a ton of comprehensible input?
If you are, you're in the right place.
Let's start this journey together. Head over to IG, and send me a DM @claudiamelliott to let me know what topics you would like me to cover in an upcoming episode.Join my free Facebook community, Growing With C. Also, check out my blog to start discovering some of these ideas and strategies at growingwithproficiency.com
Growing With Proficiency The Podcast
Episode 149: What to Do When Your School No Longer Feels Like a Safe Place
This isn’t your typical episode about strategies or games. Today, we’re talking about something real, something we don’t say out loud enough in our teacher circles: What do you do when your school no longer feels like home?
I’m joined by the amazing Kia D. London, a world language educator and returning guest, who opens up about the pain of leaving a school she once thought she’d retire from. In this raw and vulnerable conversation, we talk about what happens when your admin doesn’t support you, the grief that comes with leaving, and how to begin again—without losing yourself in the process.
Whether you’re in a toxic school environment or supporting a teacher who is, this episode will make you feel seen and remind you: You are not alone.
🎧 Tune in now, and let’s have the conversation we all need. 💛
Show Notes:
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- What to do when your principal doesn’t support you
- Signs of a toxic school culture
- Why grief is real when you leave a school (even if it was your choice)
- The importance of honoring your emotions while starting over
- How Kia rebuilt her confidence and professional identity in a new space
- Why we need to normalize conversations about burnout, grief, and integrity
This episode is for any teacher who has ever felt stuck, unsupported, or unsure whether it’s time to go. It’s also for those who are rebuilding after a hard transition.
🔗 Links & Resources
🎙️ Kia's podcast:
Wisdom From An (Almost) Failed Teacher — Powerful, reflective episodes from Kia’s journey as an educator and human being.
📘 Related Blog Post:
What to Do When Your School Is No Longer a Safe Place – A deeper dive into Kia’s story and practical steps for teachers navigating unsupportive environments.
🌐 Connect with Kia:
Instagram: @clases_de_london
Website: bit.ly/klondon
Podcast: Wisdom From An Almost Veteran Teacher
Facebook Group: Culturally Diverse and Equitable Curriculum Design Group
🌐 Connect with Claudia:
Instagram: @growingwithproficiency
Website: www.growingwithproficiency.com
📩 Want more support and resources for your teaching journey?
Join The Spanish Teacher Academy → growingwithproficiency.com/academy
🎧 Subscribe & Review
If this episode resonated with you, please take a moment to rate and review the podcast. It helps us reach more teachers who need to hear these conversations.
🧡 Gracias for listening, profe. You're not alone—and your story matters.
