Time in class is not enough.Extra classes are not enough.Edmodo updates straight to their phones are not enough. Exciting topics are not enough.Contextual activities are not enough.Steady input is not enough. These kids just won’t do their work.Or they won’t Read more…
I am a good teacher because I always experiment and have learned to adapt to my students’ needs and caprices. If I weren’t a teacher I would be a translator, or perhaps an editor. I suspect it would be easier Read more…
I always assumed that using a Spanish-English dictionary was sort of an intuitive exercise. However, if you see “Ella be muy bonita” or “Mi amigo es muy fresco” enough, you start to remember what happens when you assume. I modified my vocabulary Read more…
Spanish I: Clothing Notes on clipart of different outfits Magazine collage of at least 20 words from list Voicethread commenting on famous músicos latinos’ outfits Random outfit interviews with flip cameras Scavenger hunt on Zara’s website Journal on outfits by Read more…
I have recorded and scrapped at least 5 lessons since finding out in November that I failed National Boards. I had gotten halfway through writing up at least 2 of them before deciding they sucked. And now? I’m halfway through Read more…
Chocolate increases target language usage. As do edgy topics and plenty of preparation beforehand. Before the debate, students completed a survey, ranking different situations that could be considered racist either “aceptable,” “cuestionable,” “maleducado,” “cruel,” or “peligroso.” Then they created their Read more…
1. Increase target language interaction during Spanish 2 discussionsI need this to happen, in part because National Board certification demands it. According to my new National Board bible: A wisely-selected video segment will show your interaction with the students in the target Read more…
Our school believes in e-portfolios and student-led conferences, but a successful approach has been just beyond our reach the past several years. So we’re 1) planning on bribing parents to come to parent night with hot dogs, and 2) switching Read more…
I don’t wish to presume with my next essential question (much harder to formulate than the last for Spanish 2), but I do want students to compare experiences and to develop a deeper sympathy for other cultures. In that spirit, Read more…
Sure, Black History Month will be all but over by the time I start the unit, but I really think I’d like to address racism in Spanish-speaking countries next. Maybe pick 4 or 5 to compare to the U.S. to Read more…