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November and December are full, and many of us don't have the capacity to start something new or complicated right now. In this episode of Growing With Proficiency: The Podcast, I share how I turn one Star Student Interview (Estudiante Estrella) into several days of comprehensible input, reading, games, and interpersonal speaking, all with only six to eight questions.

In this episode, I break down:

✅ What a Star Student Interview is and how to build trust before you start

✅ How to prepare 6–8 comprehensible questions and level them up or down

✅ How to co-write a short text with your class and turn it into an independent reading

✅ The "Me Too" (¡Yo también!) game I learned from La Maestra Loca

✅ A whiteboard recall challenge that adds more input through review

✅ How to set up student interviews so students stay in the target language

✅ A class yearbook idea from Mónica, an Academy member, and how I use it to give feedback

✅ Why you don't have to do every step, and how to choose based on your capacity

This idea works in any world language class, at any level, and with any curriculum or textbook.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

📝 Read the blog post for this episode

⭐ Spanish Star Student Interview School Year Bundle

🎧 Episode 49: How to Foster Connections While Using the Target Language with Star Student Interviews

📖 Episode 214 (en español): Cómo facilitar la adquisición del español sin agotarte

📖 Teacher-Led Collaborative Writing (Write and Discuss)

GROWING WITH PROFICIENCY: THE SPANISH TEACHER ACADEMY

Ongoing support, a full curriculum, monthly resources like Star Student Interview, Calendar Talk, and Panorama Cultural, and a professional development hub with amazing educators. Join the waitlist to be the first to hear about our Cyber Monday special (and get a little gift):

👉 https://growingwithproficiency.com/academy

CONNECT WITH CLAUDIA

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Profe de español,

Grab this free resource and bring into your classroom 5 fascinating and comprehensible leyendas Latinoamericanas.

Go to growingwithproficiency.com/leyendas to grab your free copy.

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¿Trabajas muchísimo y aún así terminas el día sintiendo que no hiciste lo suficiente? No estás sola. Y no, la solución no es trabajar más.

En la conferencia de Florida, Soraya, una profe de la Academia, me dijo: «Tienes que hacer un podcast que se titule: ¡Ay, Dios mío! ¿Cómo lo hago todo?». Me reí… pero aquí está. 😂

La respuesta honesta: yo no lo hago todo. Lo que sí hago es decidir qué hago. En este episodio te comparto las tres decisiones que me ayudan a facilitar la adquisición del español sin agotarme:

• Tener claridad pedagógica: qué necesitan de verdad mis estudiantes para adquirir el idioma
• Usar rutinas que hagan el trabajo por mí
• Aprender a decir que no (o «todavía no»)

También te cuento dos actividades de baja preparación que me salvaron la vida esta semana: la pregunta del día dibujada con un dictado de cierto o falso, y una lectura con datos falsos seguida de un Kahoot más lento. Al final te dejo cuatro preguntas para encontrar tus propias prioridades.

🎁 Rutina gratis de la pregunta del día: growingwithproficiency.com/rutina

📖 Lee el blog

💛 Academia de Profes de Español: la semana de Cyber Monday tendremos una oportunidad muy especial. Apúntate a la lista de espera: growingwithproficiency.com/academy

🎧 Mencionados en este episodio:

• Episodio 88 con el Dr. Bill VanPatten: https://growingwithproficiencythepodcast.buzzsprout.com/2051875/episodes/14909613
• Episodio 135 con el Dr. Bill VanPatten: https://growingwithproficiencythepodcast.buzzsprout.com/2051875/episodes/16611301
• Episodio 196 con el Dr. Bill VanPatten: https://growingwithproficiencythepodcast.buzzsprout.com/2051875/episodes/19419893
• Discusiones silenciosas (Chelsea Lawrence): https://growingwithproficiency.com/silent-discussions-a-simple-strategy-to-boost-interpersonal-communication-in-your-language-classes/
• Episodio 148, cómo evitar el agotamiento docente: https://growingwithproficiencythepodcast.buzzsprout.com/2051875/episodes/17164501

Si este episodio te ayuda, suscríbete, deja una calificación y compártelo con una profe amiga.

Ciao, ciao. ¡Nos vemos!

Profe de español,

Grab this free resource and bring into your classroom 5 fascinating and comprehensible leyendas Latinoamericanas.

Go to growingwithproficiency.com/leyendas to grab your free copy.

Send us Fan Mail

Do the same three students answer every PQA question while the rest of the class stares at the clock? You’re not alone, and it doesn’t mean your students don’t care.

In this episode, I share the shift that changed my PQAs (personalized questions and answers): task, don’t ask. I learned this idea from Sally Barnes, and it’s all about total participation. When we only ask, we hear from the students who are ready. When we give everyone a task, every student has a way into the conversation.

You’ll learn five low-prep strategies you can use tomorrow, in any world language and at any level:

• Write, Walk & Respond
• Draw, Dictate & Predict
• Write, Swap & Discover
• Find Your Match
• Predict, Ask & Verify

I also share real examples from my Spanish 1 and Spanish 3 classes, how I scaffold answers so every student can participate, and why the real goal is for students to listen to each other.

🎁 Free question-of-the-day guide and template: growingwithproficiency.com/rutina

📖 Read the blog post with all five strategies

🎧 Mentioned in this episode:

• 7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive Classroom with Sally Barnes: https://growingwithproficiency.com/7-steps-to-a-language-rich-interactive-world-language-classroom-with-sally-barnes/
• Promoting Participation with Justin Slocum Bailey: https://growingwithproficiency.com/getting-the-stakes-right-student-participation/

If this episode helps you, please subscribe, leave a rating, and share it with a teacher friend.

Ciao, ciao. ¡Nos vemos!

Profe de español,

Grab this free resource and bring into your classroom 5 fascinating and comprehensible leyendas Latinoamericanas.

Go to growingwithproficiency.com/leyendas to grab your free copy.