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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: @ms.londonteaches

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

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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.

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In a season when we just can't do it all, having clarity about what truly impacts our students’ proficiency journey is key. And this episode? It's the one you’ll want to replay over and over again.

This conversation with Dr. Stephen Krashen is one of the most downloaded episodes of the podcast—and for good reason. Dr. Krashen, the architect of the comprehensible input hypothesis, shares the powerful role of reading for pleasure in language acquisition and how simple, self-selected books can create big results.

This episode is a reminder of what really moves the needle in our classes—and what we can let go of.

☕ Grab your cafecito and press play. This one is a must-listen (again).

💡 Big Takeaways:

• Reading is the most powerful tool for acquisition—it builds vocabulary, grammar, writing, and even empathy.
• Easy and self-selected reading works—comic books, picture books, and leveled readers count (and they stick).
• Grammar doesn’t create accuracy—input does—and output naturally emerges from rich, repeated input.
• Students gain more from reading than formal study—it boosts knowledge in history, science, and beyond.
• Heritage learners thrive through pleasure reading—it’s how they stay connected to and expand their language.
• Good input doesn’t need to be perfect—even “bad” or imperfect input helps learners grow.

Resources:

Dr. Stephen Krashen’s Website

Article: The Power of Reading (PDF)

More Resources:

How to Teacher Guide: How to Shift to A Comprehensible and Communicative Teaching Approach
Growing With Proficiency The Blog
Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy Waitlist
Growing With Proficiency TPT Store
Join my Free FB Community: Growing With CI
Connect with me in IG: Claudia @‌IG

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In this re-released episode, I'm sharing one of the most powerful practices I started a few years ago—and yes, I still use it today! It's called the S.T.E.P. Forward Protocol, a simple yet transformative 4-step process to help you reflect, reset, and refocus your teaching at any point in the year.

In this episode, I break down each part of the S.T.E.P. process:

• S – Student Survey (Hear how I use surveys to gather meaningful student feedback)
  
  
• T – Teacher Reflection (Why starting with your wins matters more than you think)
  
  
• E – Explore Concepts (How to go deeper in the areas where you want to grow)
  
  
• P – Plan Ahead (Set one intentional goal—and a trick to make it stick!)

💡 Whether you're wrapping up your year, in the middle of a semester, or planning ahead, this episode will help you reflect with intention and move forward with purpose.

🛠️ Resources Mentioned:

✨ Free Reflection Guide (with survey link included):
https://growingwithproficiency.com/reflection

🎧 Curated Podcast Playlists based on your area of growth:

🎙️ Related Episode: Ep. 33 – How to Use Student Surveys in a CI Class

Growing with Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy Waitlist

“We need to do more of what’s working—but first, we need to know what’s working.”
Let this be your reminder to pause and celebrate your growth—just like I encourage my students to do.

If this episode resonates, don’t forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts and share it with a colleague