I’ve been tinkering with CI strategies since iFLT 2016. However, everything I had ever tried suddenly ceased to work when I switched schools last year. I attribute the bulk of the problem to larger classes and essentially a double load with the A day/B day, and perhaps a touch of freshman shock after five years teaching just sophomores, juniors, seniors, and SUPER seniors.

But my goal for iFLT 2019 was to find a way to tap back into CI strategies that worked, even with huge classes of new high schoolers.

When I saw this session with La Maestra Loca, I KNEW it would be my raison d’être this time. I knew from Annabelle’s April workshop that she had faced comparable management issues to those I confronted this year–WITH a new baby to boot!–so that she was presenting on equity from that perspective? I knew I was in the right place.

DO establish commonalities

The first thing we did in the session as chat with a partner about our purpose in attending that session. First of all, this es EXACTLY what my favorite PD amiga at my new school recommended to me as a next step to make more students feel heard: turn & talk. She said even if I didn’t hear their responses, saying them out loud would trigger the same satisfaction for the kiddos. Sra. Annabelle revealed her goal was for us to see that we are in the same boat with plenty of other people! It might be handy to have kiddos the first day turn & talk about how they’re feeling about language class–or HIGH SCHOOL–the first day just to get the same vibe!

Also: card talks. I think they didn’t work for me in my huge classes last year because I tried to make them do too much for me to track. Just drawing a picture of ONE thing would be easier for me to eyeball and start collecting info on who has what in common (I made the mistake of using card talk and Persona Especial to find UNIQUE qualities when the more powerful to do is to use them to find UNIFYING qualities!)

Also, commonalities can take the form of just reflecting your students’ identities in your class texts and imagery. I was blown way by how much seeing one little boy who looked them in “Puedo ir al baño” affected her kids! Nevermind the waterworks over the little girl in Venezuela or the women in sports video to reach out to specific kids!

DON’T rush the connections

“I think if I had had them every day, then the routines and procedures would have stuck better.”

Sister, me too.

I was used to hitting the ground running with kids I already knew and loved…but then on TOP of getting 180 new faces all at once and only seeing them every other day, there were also HURRICANES hitting the ground. Just this simple assertion reminded me not only of Jon Cowart’s practice of not even touching the TL really the first week or two, but also that I could and SHOULD allow for a longer time for ALL of us to get comfortable in our new class identities, ESPECIALLY when we only see each other 2 or 3 times a week!

Granted, I’m going to have to redo my Google Classrooms I started setting up with country names to avoid ruining Peru or Mexico or playing subconscious favorites. But I think really marinating in those identities as a class over a couple of weeks, reminding kids they can use gestures any time their Spanish falls short, we can establish a lot better atmosphere…before hurricane season hits full swing.

DO buy yourself time

Annabelle has a masterful arsenal of brain breaks that, frankly, numbs my neurons. BUT since seeing how she naturally works them in during her workshop and this session–AND seeing another couple of masters in action–I think I get how they’re ACTUALLY breaks for ME too! So like when you realize the technology is not going to cooperate, just have them do a quick, no-prep brain break like high fiving or rock, paper, scissors or para ti/para mí!

A couple of easy no-brainer brain breaks from this session include:

• (In TL) Touch your nose, touch your mouth x5
• High five 7 people (After, ask “How many of you got 7?” for sort of a pseudo-accountability celebration)
• Musical partners-while the music plays, if you feel like dancing you can dance, if you feel like floating you can float, but when it stops, high five the first person you’re near, and they’re your partner

DON’T tattle

I started Jon Cowart’s classroom management series (GOLD, I tell you), and I felt pretty overwhelmed with the idea of contacting a bunch of parents for those who just would not buy in. I think maybe if I start sooner (say, first week), I A) won’t have as many to contact and B) can do it more fruitfully.

Annabelle added to this crucial step that it you’re not making contact with whoever their “person” is (not necessarily parents, maybe a coach or even a BARBER) to rat them out. Rather, you’re touching base to learn more about the kid, to express genuine, heartfelt interest in what makes them tick. “I feel like there’s a wall and just wanted to know more about [kiddo], check in on him/her.”

DO talk to other teachers

Again, not talking about contact to “correct” the kid, and DEFINITELY not to have a whine-fest about their behavior. But rather, once again, to get insights on their interests. Take notes on kids’ projects from other classes, on what they talk or write about by choice. Find out relevant information about what–and who–motivates them.

DON’T stumble on landmines

Another reason to talk to teachers is to find out family situations before it comes up in class. You don’t want to surprise kids asking about sensitive subjects in front of the whole class. But if you know they live with their aunt, for example, and use that in questioning, kiddos feel seen if you acknowledge their situation casually without making them reveal it to you during, say, a PQA.

DO praise everything you can

Paul Kirschling says to be relentlessly positive no matter what. A revelation I had during this session was that If you’re not finding enough to be positive about, you need to break down tasks until they’re so easy kids can’t NOT succeed!

More info

Based on some of the reflection in this session, I might have to check out Annabelle’s mindfulness in the Spanish Teacher Success Academy, too, because I believe that she is right when she says that joy in the classroom is the result of every student feeling seen and heard, and any steps we can take to get toward that joy are

Equitable Engagement #iFLT19