Equipping ELLs 190. Time-Wasters vs. What Actually Works: How to Plan ELL Lessons That Save You Time and Boost Student Success
Are you spending hours planning ELL lessons that your students don’t even seem to retain?
Welcome back to the Equipping ELLs Podcast — the space where we take the overwhelm out of teaching English language learners and replace it with clarity, strategy, and confidence. In this episode, host Beth Vaucher dives deep into the common time wasters ELL teachers encounter during lesson planning — and what to do instead to reclaim your time without compromising student success.
If you’re spending hours planning beautiful slides, customizing lessons for each language level, or trying to retrofit a one-size-fits-all curriculum, you’re not alone — but it doesn’t have to be that way. Beth breaks down five major time-wasting habits and provides practical, proven alternatives that save time and increase impact.
You’ll learn how to:
- Use editable slide templates that speed up prep without sacrificing quality
- Plan one strong lesson with scaffolded access points instead of three separate ones
- Focus on what your ELL students need rather than forcing a general curriculum to fit
- Choose one intentional focus per lesson, not cram every domain into 30 minutes
- Replace busy work with interactive, language-rich activities that truly build skills
Beth also shares insight into effective systems — not just strategies — that lead to better routines, faster planning, and more confident teaching. From using the WIDA Can Do Descriptors to plugging into ready-to-go resources inside the Equipping ELLs Membership, this episode is full of takeaways you can apply right away.
🎧 Whether you're a new teacher overwhelmed by where to start, or a veteran educator ready to streamline your approach, this episode will leave you feeling empowered to teach what matters most.
👉 Want to go even deeper? Sign up for the free webinar "From Overwhelmed to On Track" by messaging the word webinar to @equipping.ells on Instagram or join at the link below.
💡 Plus, as a thank you for listening, use code TAKE10OFF for 10% off your Tier 3 monthly or yearly membership at Equipping ELLs.
LINKS AND RESOURCES: