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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 154: What to Prioritize the First Week of School-Back to School Series
The first week of school can feel like a whirlwind—there’s excitement, anticipation, and let’s be honest… pressure. What should you do first? What’s most important? And how can you make sure you’re setting up your students (and yourself!) for a successful, sustainable year?
In this episode, I’m opening up about what I actually prioritize during that first week of school in my Spanish classroom. I’m sharing what I focus on (and what I no longer stress about), how I build trust and connection from day one, and the routines that help students feel safe, welcomed, and ready to use Spanish with confidence.
You’ll hear about:
- What students really bring into your classroom on the first day
- How to make that very first impression count
- Why I lead with connection, not curriculum
- The small changes I’ve made that have had a big impact on student engagement
- How I create an experience where Spanish is accessible and meaningful—even on day one
If you’re feeling the back-to-school pressure or just want a plan that feels human and realistic, this episode is for you.
🔗 Resources & Links:
- Join the Spanish Teacher Academy for free: growingwithproficiency.com/trial
- Don’t miss our Live Planning Session on July 22—available to all Academy members!
- Want more back-to-school inspiration? Catch:
