Why I Decided to Learn Spanish (Again) This post is al little off-topic as I usually talk about English and English lessons – This time, I’m the student. As a language teacher, I’ve always believed in lifelong learning. I spend my days helping students build their English vocabulary, master tricky grammar rules, and feel more confident speaking—but I realized I wasn’t giving myself the same opportunity to grow. I’ve studied a bit of Spanish in the past, and it’s always been on my “someday” list to get serious about it. But between lesson planning, resource creating, and all the joys…
Author: Brooke Hamler
Brooke Hamler
Brooke is a curriculum designer, educational publisher, and former ESL and ELA teacher with 15+ years of classroom experience. She is the founder of Hot Chocolate Teachables, where she creates engaging resources that help teachers save time while improving student learning outcomes. Her materials are used by educators worldwide and focus on ESL, ELL, EFL, grammar, speaking, vocabulary, literacy, phonics, and critical thinking instruction. Browse more teaching resources at Hot Chocolate Teachables or explore classroom ideas and teaching strategies on the blog.
“I Can’t See!” Why Digital Flashcards Are a Game-Changer for Whole-Class Vocabulary Practice Have you ever held up a set of printable flashcards during whole-group instruction—only to hear a chorus of “I can’t see!” from the back of the room? It’s a common struggle. Printable flashcards are an amazing tool for small groups, centers, and hands-on activities, but when it comes to whole-class instruction, their small size can sometimes make it tough to keep everyone engaged—especially those sitting farthest from the front. That’s exactly why I created my line of interactive digital flashcards using Google Slides™. They’re designed with whole-group…
Grab a classroom-ready free CVC bingo set, learn exactly how to use it for decoding practice, and see a few no-prep game ideas that align with the Science of Reading—so you always have meaningful activities on hand. Why CVC Word Bingo? (And why this freebie belongs in your centers) Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) words like cat, jam, bed are the first true words most early readers decode independently. Because they’re short, highly decodable, and packed with predictable sound-letter correspondences, they’re perfect for strengthening blending, segmenting, and automatic word recognition. But “practice” does not have to mean rote worksheets or one-off drills. When…
Struggling with report card season? These customizable templates are designed to save teachers time while ensuring clear, professional, and standards-aligned grading. Why Report Card Season Can Be Overwhelming for Teachers Finalizing student grades, writing comments, and ensuring alignment with academic standards is a daunting task. Many teachers spend hours formatting report cards from scratch, leading to unnecessary stress and frustration. That’s why I created these editable report card templates—to make grading faster, easier, and more efficient. Why Use Editable Report Cards? ✅ Saves You Time & Effort No more formatting from scratch! These report cards come with a pre-designed structure…
Many ESL teachers struggle to get their students to speak freely and confidently. While we might have planned discussion activities, they don’t always spark the level of engagement we hope for. That’s why having ready-to-use conversation starters and question prompts can make a huge difference in student participation and speaking fluency. In this post, we’ll explore effective ways to increase student speaking time using conversation cards focused on real-world topics. If you would like to purchase the ESL Conversation Card Mega Bundle – CLICK HERE 1. Why Speaking Time Matters in ESL Classrooms Speaking is one of the hardest…
Are you looking for engaging and effective ways to enhance vocabulary learning in your classroom? Look no further than the Memory Match Vocabulary Games Bundle! These fun, colorful, and low-prep games are perfect for small group activities, helping students build essential vocabulary while having a great time. Here are three creative ways to use memory games in small groups and why this bundle is a must-have for every teacher. Increase Vocabulary Building Through Play Memory Match Vocabulary Games for Small Groups are a fantastic tool for reinforcing vocabulary in an interactive and enjoyable way. With themes like seasons, holidays, animals,…
Vocabulary acquisition is one of the cornerstones of mastering a new language, especially for English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. As an ESL teacher, you’ve probably experienced how challenging it can be to keep vocabulary practice engaging and effective. Vocabulary clip cards—a simple yet powerful tool that can make vocabulary lessons both interactive and fun for ESL students of all ages. In this post, we’ll explore four creative ways to incorporate vocabulary clip cards into your lessons, along with unique adaptations like using LEGO bricks instead of clips and self-checking techniques such as placing stickers on the back of…
As a teacher author, balancing the demands of teaching, creating resources, and running a business can be overwhelming. Whether you’re crafting engaging lesson plans or creating products to sell on platforms like Teachers Pay Teachers, finding the time to market your materials effectively can seem impossible. That’s where Flodesk email marketing comes in, it’s a simple, intuitive, and powerful email marketing platform designed to save time while helping teacher authors grow their businesses. Flodesk has helped me boost traffic to my website and increase my sales. In the teacher author world, there is always chatter about “growing your email list”.…