Greening ELT: Addressing Sustainability in the English Language Classroom

In the latest episode of The Teacher Think-Aloud Podcast, hosts Shé and Anna are joined by Harry Waters, a global ELT educator, teacher trainer, and climate activist behind Renewable English. Together, they explore how sustainability can become a consistent, student-driven context in the English language classroom—not just a one-off Earth Day activity.
 

We’re not just teaching nouns and verbs. We’re helping students find their voice in a noisy world.

From student-led recycling campaigns to eco-themed grammar activities, Harry shares practical ways to embed environmental awareness into your teaching—without overhauling your curriculum. His strategies include small but powerful shifts, like ending a lesson with “How does today’s topic connect to the planet?” or reframing the second conditional to ask, “If our school planted 1,000 trees…”.

But this episode goes deeper. Harry also tackles the tough questions—what happens when student projects fail? How do we keep going when change feels slow? And how can we empower students to lead, even when systems resist?

🎧 Tune in for honest insights, tangible ideas, and the reminder that every lesson is a chance to model agency, connection, and care for the world we share.

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