A conversation with Wesley Wood
As world language teachers, we want every student to feel welcome, confident, and capable in our classrooms. But when we talk about neurodivergent learners or students with disabilities, many of us feel… uncertain. We care deeply. We want to do right by our students. But sometimes, the tools and language just aren’t clear.
This week’s podcast conversation with Wesley Wood was one of those moments where I paused again and again just to process. Wesley brings experience from both the language classroom and his current work as a Disability Specialist at Georgetown University, supporting students and faculty in creating accessible learning environments. His perspective helped me shift the way I think about my planning — not just to accommodate, but to design inclusively from the beginning.
And honestly? That shift changes everything.
More about Wesley: Wesley Wood is a disability specialist at Georgetown University and a former K-12 Latin and French teacher. A licensed Maryland educator, Wesley has Master’s degrees in Classics from the University of Colorado Boulder and in Foreign Language Education from Miami University – Ohio. In 2022, he was named GWATFL Teacher of the Year and a NECTFL finalist. Wesley was also selected as a NECTFL Mead Innovation Fellow for his work advocating for neurodivergent learners and educators in language programs.
Why This Matters
Many of us were trained to look at students with 504s, IEPs, or learning differences through the lens of challenges. What do I have to modify? What will be harder? What might get complicated?
But Wesley reminds us that neurodiversity is about human variation. There isn’t one “right” way to think, process, or learn. And when we build classrooms designed for the margins — the students who need more movement, more processing time, more choice — we don’t lower expectations. We raise the quality of learning for everyone.
It’s not making it easier. It’s making it possible.
Key Takeaways from the Conversation
1. Plan With Universal Design, Not Reactive Fixes
Instead of waiting for accommodations to arrive in a yellow confidential folder, build structures that support everyone from day one. That means building with universal design in mind.
What is Universal Design for Learning? Universal Design for Learning, or UDL, is basically a way of planning our lessons so everyone can access the learning. It reminds us to offer different ways to take in information, engage in the work, and show what they know — so no one gets left out.
This can look like:
- Multiple ways to access text (audio, transcript, visuals)
- Clear routines that reduce anxiety, and you can start with these today.
- Options for seating, movement, and workspace
- Written and spoken directions
When your classroom is designed with flexibility, accommodations become refinements, not crisis-solving.
2. Center Strengths Before Challenges
One of the most powerful things Wesley said was:
“Before talking about challenges, start with strengths.”
Many neurodivergent students:
- Are incredible storytellers
- Have deep, focused interests
- Thrive with creativity and choice
- Show tremendous insight and empathy
When we lean into what students bring, instead of what they lack, we build belonging.
3. Choice = Access + Ownership
From choice boards to seating options to how students demonstrate learning — choice invites students to be human in our classrooms.
Some examples:
- Let students choose between writing, recording audio, drawing, or acting out a response
- Offer different ways to sit or move during class
- Allow self-paced reading or listening zones
Choice communicates: You belong here exactly as you are.
4. Wait Time Is a Gift
So many students know the answer, but need time to process before responding. Wesley literally counted 1…10 behind his back to slow himself down.
Try this:
- Ask a question → Pause 5 seconds before accepting any hands.
- Or use whiteboards → everyone writes → everyone shows.
Participation skyrockets when the classroom allows brains to breathe.
5. Create Class Culture With Students — Not For Them
Class norms, routines, and expectations are most effective when they are co-created. When students help shape the environment, they experience the classroom as ours, not the teacher’s.
And for many neurodivergent students, ownership = safety = participation.
Strategies You Can Implement This Week
Strategy | What It Looks Like in Class | Why It Helps |
Visual + spoken directions | Instructions posted on slides or whiteboard, along with verbal explanation | Supports different processing styles + reduces anxiety |
Write the agenda on the board | A simple, predictable schedule students can see when they enter | Creates a sense of safety + reduces “What are we doing?” stress |
Students have roles like Tech Helper, Door Greeter, Materials Manager, Timekeeper, etc. | Builds ownership, belonging, and shared responsibility | |
Multiple ways to access text | Provide reading + audio + visuals + gestures or images | Supports comprehension + honors diverse input needs |
Whiteboards for everyone | Students write before speaking and show responses together | Gives processing time + lowers pressure to speak out loud |
Flexible seating / deskless spaces | Chairs in a circle, floor cushions, standing desks, or choice seating | Honors sensory needs + increases focus |
Choice boards / optional output formats | Students choose to write, record audio, draw, or act out responses | Builds autonomy + allows students to demonstrate learning in their strengths |
Wait time (5–10 seconds) | Ask a question → pause → allow everyone to think | Improves equity in participation + reduces cognitive overload |
These small changes can yield big results. And remember to plan with the student in mind, and to do that the best way is asking the student: what works for you? Is this helpful?
Why This Changes Everything
When we design for humans, not for the “average students,” we transform our classrooms from places of performance to places of belonging.
Wesley shared something I’ll be carrying with me:
“When a student with a disability enters my class, I don’t think, ‘Oh no, how will I adjust?’ I think, ‘You’re home. You belong here.’”
That is what I want for all of us. A class where students walk in and feel seen — not in spite of who they are, but because of who they are.
Connect with Wesley:
Bonus Resource
If you want ready-to-use routines, visuals, and supports that make your classroom more accessible without adding more planning, they’re inside Growing With Proficiency: The Spanish Teacher Academy.
You’ll find:
- Deskless classroom training and a story your students will love
- Visual direction templates for many activities
- Ready-to-use resources to implement routines
- Choice-boards for Free Voluntary Reading
- Story-based curriculum
And more…. Want a private tour of the membership? Send us an email to support@growingwithproficiency.com or join our wait list at growingwithproficiency.com/academy
Join the Conversation
I would love to hear how this episode made you think differently.
Come share:
- What resonated
- What challenged you
- What small shift you’ll try this week
Tag me on Instagram @claudiamelliott or comment below. We grow better together.
