Sunshine's Secondary ESL Studio

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Sunshine's Secondary ESL Studio High school ESL teacher, curriculum designer, and creator of engaging resources for multilingual teens.

Sharing real classroom ideas, strategies, and support for secondary ESL teachers.

Trying to teach The Monkey’s Paw to English learners can feel like a battle between keeping the story rigorous and makin...
09/04/2026

Trying to teach The Monkey’s Paw to English learners can feel like a battle between keeping the story rigorous and making the language actually accessible.

Your students may be perfectly capable of understanding suspense, foreshadowing, irony, fate, and consequences—but the older vocabulary and complex language can get in the way before they ever reach the deeper thinking.

I just published a new blog post with practical ways to scaffold The Monkey’s Paw for secondary ESL students using adapted text, visuals, audio, chunking, vocabulary support, sentence frames, and literary analysis strategies.

If you teach middle or high school English learners and want to keep the story challenging without making it inaccessible, this one is for you.

🔗 Link in the comments.

🍎 Well… back-to-school season officially got the best of me!I started back at school three weeks ago, and between gettin...
08/24/2026

🍎 Well… back-to-school season officially got the best of me!

I started back at school three weeks ago, and between getting my classes up and running AND preparing for a move, Sunshine’s Secondary ESL Studio has been a little quieter than usual. 😅

But I’m still here—and I have some exciting things to share!

🎉 The TPT Bonus Sale is coming August 25–26!

You can save up to 25% off resources in my TPT store when you use code BTSBONUS26 at checkout.

If you’re settling into the new school year and realizing you still need resources for your English learners, this is a great time to stock up on secondary ESL resources for reading, speaking, grammar, bell ringers, newcomers, and more.

And while I’ve been quiet over here, I have been creating. 👀 I just finished new resources for The Monkey’s Paw that I’m really excited to show you!

🛒 Browse my TPT store and start your wishlist:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/sunshines-secondary-esl-studio

I hope everyone’s school year is off to a great start! ❤️

Secondary ESL teachers: Are you still trying to figure out how to start class each day without creating another activity...
08/05/2026

Secondary ESL teachers: Are you still trying to figure out how to start class each day without creating another activity every night?

My ESL Bell Ringers Mega Bundle includes 160 teen-friendly warm-ups with audio support, speaking, listening, reading, and writing practice—all ready for the school year.

Today is the FINAL day to save up to 25% during the TPT Back-to-School Sale with code BTS26. The sale ends tonight!

Link in the comments.

Some ESL students want to speak — they just need a lower-pressure way to begin.That is why I like starting with simple, ...
08/05/2026

Some ESL students want to speak — they just need a lower-pressure way to begin.

That is why I like starting with simple, structured speaking prompts that help students participate without feeling put on the spot.

These kinds of prompts can support:

✨ shy students
✨ newcomer students
✨ mixed-level classes
✨ partner talk
✨ first-week speaking routines
✨ confidence building

If your students are quiet at the beginning of the year, start small.

Link in comments.

✨ FREEBIE ALERT ✨Some ESL students know what they want to say, but they need help getting started.Sentence starters can ...
08/03/2026

✨ FREEBIE ALERT ✨

Some ESL students know what they want to say, but they need help getting started.

Sentence starters can make speaking, writing, and classroom discussions feel less overwhelming — especially during the first weeks of school.

This free ESL Sentence Starters resource gives secondary English learners language support they can use for partner talk, writing responses, classroom discussions, and everyday participation.

It is designed for grades 6–12, so it supports students without feeling babyish.

Link in comments.

Planning for secondary English learners can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re preparing for newcomers, multiple p...
08/01/2026

Planning for secondary English learners can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re preparing for newcomers, multiple proficiency levels, and teenagers who need age-appropriate materials that don’t feel babyish.

The TPT Back-to-School Sale is coming August 4–5! You can save up to 25% on teen-friendly ESL resources from Sunshine’s Secondary ESL Studio, including newcomer supports, first-week activities, assessments, bell ringers with audio, conversation activities, grammar resources, and more.

Use promo code BTS26 at checkout to receive the full discount.

Start building your wish list now! Link in the comments.

✨ FREEBIE ALERT ✨Need a simple way to start class while students settle in and you take attendance?This free ESL Bell Ri...
07/29/2026

✨ FREEBIE ALERT ✨

Need a simple way to start class while students settle in and you take attendance?

This free ESL Bell Ringers Sample gives you a quick look at teen-friendly warm-ups that can help students begin class with more focus, structure, and language practice.

These kinds of warm-ups are especially helpful for secondary ESL because they give students something predictable to do right away.

Link in comments.

Back-to-school planning already comes with a long list of things to prepare. Trying to figure out how to include meaning...
07/29/2026

Back-to-school planning already comes with a long list of things to prepare. Trying to figure out how to include meaningful TELPAS writing practice in a high school ESL class can feel like one more overwhelming task.

TELPAS preparation does not have to mean daily test-prep worksheets or completely separate lessons. In this new blog post, I share practical ways to build writing practice into regular secondary ESL instruction using age-appropriate prompts, sentence-expansion strategies, speaking before writing, differentiation, and manageable weekly routines.

These ideas are designed for mixed-proficiency classes and can help students build stronger written responses throughout the year without making every lesson feel like test prep.

Link in the comments.

Have you ever worried that allowing students to use their home language will prevent them from learning English?When I w...
07/29/2026

Have you ever worried that allowing students to use their home language will prevent them from learning English?

When I was a brand-new ESL teacher, I was told to enforce an “English only at all times” rule. However, I quickly noticed that it made some students quieter and less willing to take risks in English.

That experience changed how I approached language use in my classroom.

In my newly updated blog post, I explain what translanguaging is, what it is not, and how secondary ESL teachers can use it purposefully without replacing meaningful English instruction.

You’ll find practical strategies for newcomers, mixed-level classes, speaking, writing, reading, vocabulary, and content-area lessons.

🔗 Link in the comments.

New ESL student on day one?Start simple.Secondary newcomers need practical language they can use right away — not overwh...
07/27/2026

New ESL student on day one?

Start simple.

Secondary newcomers need practical language they can use right away — not overwhelming lessons, and definitely not babyish activities.

A strong first-day support plan can include:
– survival English
– visual support
– classroom routines
– simple communication
– feelings and needs
– school vocabulary

Newcomer students do not need everything at once. They need a calm starting point, clear routines, and language they can use right away.

I put together a Back to School ESL resource page with newcomer support, first-week activities, routines, bell ringers, and speaking resources for grades 6–12.

Link in comments.

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