In this episode of Empowering the Educator Within, we unpack one of the biggest questions in ELL program design: Should we start with student needs—or fix the system first?
Host Christina Shala reflects on key insights that emerged after attending an ELL conference in the UK and explores how bottom-up and top-down approaches each shape the kind of support English language learners receive.
We’ll look at how whole-school planning, curriculum alignment, and individualized staff planners can make or break ELL success—and why rethinking your foundation may be the first step forward.
💡 Read the companion article on the blog at Top-Down vs Bottom-Up Approach in EAL
📝 Explore sample frameworks and planning tools inside Empowering the Educator Within, the book and workbook set designed to help schools plan with purpose.
Looking for a specific focus? Browse all episodes by category in the Empowering the Educator Within – Episode Guide.Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
The Brothers Ortiz
The Brothers Ortiz is the story of two brothers–both successful, but in very different ways. Gabe Ortiz becomes a third-highest ranking officer in all of Texas while his younger brother Larry climbs the ranks in Puro Tango Blast, a notorious Texas Prison gang. Gabe doesn’t know all the details of his brother’s nefarious dealings, and he’s made a point not to ask, to protect their relationship. But when Larry is murdered during a home invasion in a rented beach house, Gabe has no choice but to look into what happened that night. To solve Larry’s murder, Gabe, and the whole Ortiz family, must ask each other tough questions.