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I've been regularly using the resources in the REEP curriculum to enhance my units. It was here that I first saw a link to the Ventures Arcade, which I had my students start to use last week. I see a lot of benefit from having my students access the laptops and get engaged in digital learning activities. In the Ventures Arcade, there are games where they can practice what we are learning in class. For example, they will get some time this Thursday to engage with the games aligned to the Word Unit from Ventures 1.

There are many other links to websites that provide interactive experiences, such as the "Finding a Job Website" that my students will use this week to build on learning how to respond to classified ads. Thus, the REEP curriculum is a rich addition to what Ventures can provide and does a great job at extending the learning far beyond the book.

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HB, "My English Goals" PPT and Goal-Setting Template

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HB, "My English Goals" PPT and Goal-Setting Template

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As I planned the lessons for the first two weeks, I found a couple of PowerPoint decks on goal-setting in the HB drive that I copied and made slight modifications to. They worked really well in that they scaffolded the writing stems step by step and used a lot of visual support to help students fully understand the concept of goal-setting and how to do it. The template was also pasted into the slides so it was super easy to guide students as they wrote their goals using that projected image. In the end, they all wrote clear, specific, and actionable goals that were aligned to their preferred modality (reading, speaking, listening, or writing). One thing that I couldn't find was a goal reflection tool so that students could later evaluate their progress and reflect on improvements. I made my own tool for this last week and it was directly aligned to the goal-setting tools that I borrowed so I will upload it to the shared HB drive in case other people are interested in using it.

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I recently taught Ventures Unit 2 which covers classroom items. I used the Getting Started Lesson Plan Level 100-150-200 by Micayla Burrows. I didn't use the entire thing but I did make good use of the partner dictation. We mixed it up a bit and switched partners a couple of times while changing up some of the vocabulary each time around so everybody got new words. We also used the scavenger hunt, but to do so I copied pages from the Oxford Picture Dictionary to support students who were struggling with some of the vocabulary.

Also suggested in the lesson plan was using TPR to introduce new vocabulary which I now do every time.

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The scope of the REEP Curriculum is really impressive. I've been able to find all kinds of resources to extend the learning in every lesson I've done so far. It's tempting to reinvent the wheel when you're lesson planning, but when so many experienced teachers have created such a comprehensive curriculum, there's no reason to do so. The standards align perfectly with the scope and sequence of the Ventures textbook so it's super easy to keep on track while deepening the learning experience for the students.

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Teaching ESL to Adults: Classroom Approaches in Action: Lesson Planning for Life Skills

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Teaching ESL to Adults: Classroom Approaches in Action: Lesson Planning for Life Skills

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I watched the New American Horizons video “Teaching ESL to Adults: Classroom Approaches in Action: Lesson Planning for Life Skills.”

I was very impressed with how organized and targeted the teacher was on very specific skills in terms of using the phone for low beginners. The part that really got my attention was quite simple and practical but such a good idea. Using red and green index cards, she simply checked for comprehension by asking students to raise a green card for “I understand,” and a red card for “I need more practice.” Sometimes, it’s simple tweaks that can save some time and energy in the classroom while providing really valuable feedback.

I also liked the homework she assigned, which was telling students to go home and call the local weather and then write down the temperature that they tell you over the phone. Such a perfect way to practice their new phone skills. Learning to use the phone in a foreign language is one of the most useful skills you can learn right off the bat. This lesson really set the students up for success. Her planning pays off when you see the students truly grasping the new concepts and how they are ready to apply them.

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I was impressed by the comprehensive REEP curriculum guide.  I will use many of the tools it describes, such as needs assessments, goal setting, monitoring, assessment choices, and digital literacy.  I appreciated the level guides, lesson planning template, the clear explanation of life skills (list), the role of (functional) grammar, and links to resources and interactive activities.  REEP is exactly what I needed as I transition from teaching academic English to community English. 

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I was impressed by the comprehensive REEP curriculum guide.  I will use many of the tools it describes, such as needs assessments, goal setting, monitoring, assessment choices, and digital literacy.  I appreciated the level guides, lesson planning template, the clear explanation of life skills (list), the role of (functional) grammar, and links to resources and interactive activities.  REEP is exactly what I needed as I transition from teaching academic English to community English. 

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I used the complete first day lesson plans for High Intermediate, which Susan Otero emailed me. I liked having the lesson model as an experienced teacher new to teaching community ESOL. I liked how there was a clear structure and the objectives were stated. There was a good balance of activities for all language skills. In addition, the activities were varied- from ice breakers (mix and mingle) to a jazz chant, reading, writing, speaking with parter work, and more. The students enjoyed the lessons, and it gave me

confidence.

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Lesson Planning and Classroom Management

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Lesson Planning and Classroom Management

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I watched the New American Horizons video titled "Lesson Planning and Classroom Management."

This video was incredibly helpful in showing how to intentionally plan lessons that are both engaging and language-rich. I appreciated how the teacher in the video used clear routines, visual aids, and scaffolded questions to support English learners at different proficiency levels. One takeaway I found especially powerful was the emphasis on modeling and repetition, which gave students more confidence and ownership of their learning.

This video reminded me of how important it is to create a welcoming, structured classroom environment where students know what to expect and feel safe to take risks with language. I’m excited to incorporate some of the strategies I saw—especially using visuals and sentence frames more intentionally.