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.

What if your school hallways could do more than just showcase student work—what if they could teach?

In this episode of Empowering the Educator Within, we explore how to turn transitional spaces like hallways into interactive, meaningful learning environments. From math challenges and comment-ready displays to collaborative art and outdoor learning prompts, you'll hear practical ways to spark curiosity beyond the classroom.

This episode builds on the ideas from Episode 13 (Don’t Just Decorate—Educate) and invites educators and leaders to rethink how school walls and walkways can reflect, reinforce, and extend student learning.

🖼 Read the blog article: Turning School Hallways Into Interactive Learning Spaces 📘 Explore Empowering the Educator Within – the book and workbook set 🛠 Find planning tools to support whole-school alignment at shalaboooks.com

Is your IB team planning transdisciplinarily—but assessing in isolation?

In Episode 29 of Empowering the Educator Within, we explore how to move beyond beautifully connected unit plans to create assessments that truly reflect the same level of integration. From collaborative summative task design to shared rubrics and cross-subject standards, this episode walks you through the practical tools and mindsets needed to close the gap between planning and evaluation.

We’ll discuss: – Why transdisciplinary assessment is often overlooked – How to use a transdisciplinary summative assessment planner – What a shared rubric overview looks like in action – How specialists, ELL, and SEN staff can align their assessments – And how this approach can transform student learning outcomes

🛠️ Referenced tools are available here: Creating Transdisciplinary Assessments and Rubrics, and in editable format on ESBPlanners, our digital platform for structured, collaborative planning.

🎙️ Whether you're an IB coordinator, subject teacher, or language specialist, this episode gives you the clarity and confidence to make transdisciplinary assessment work.

🎧 This episode builds on Episodes 26, 27, and 28, which focus on running IB team meetings and using Transdisciplinary Planners to align learning across subjects. Be sure to listen to those first if you’re just getting started.