To be honest, I generally avoid social justice and culture-oriented sessions. I feel like they all sound lovely and fun during the conference high, but somehow, I leave knowing they’ll never work their way into my lesson rotation. I took a chance, though, and stacked my Saturday morning at SCOLT Read more…
My colleagues told me the vocabulary was too low-frequency, that I should not waste my time on regional words they had never even seen, like chapulín. But I had five goals that have only a little to do with learning particular vocabulary words: Reinforce essential verbs soy and me gusta Practice Read more…
Saturday is the day! We’re taking the Just Plain Dog Show by bilingual storm! Parks & Rec has agreed to provide us with some tables and chairs, and groups have been preparing materials on a variety of topics related to animal welfare that they want to promote at some exhibit Read more…
Music is the magic bullet for all language learning. Whether it’s my daughter’s endless loop of counting and color and Christmas songs from her bilingual kindergarten classes or Sr. Wooly songs that end up in student presentations about the music that best represents them (“Puedo ir al baño”–not even kidding), Read more…
‘Tis the season for holiday songs, classroom restlessness, and steady review. After the massive four-class product pitch project is over, we have to regroup a little bit in my class and remember what we remember. Also, we need to stop and remember that Spanish is still FUN. My own children Read more…
They will be here in two weeks. They do speak English, but it is not their first language. They may have traveled to the U.S. before, they may not. One thing is for sure. They have never seen anything quite like Gaston County. It’s as true for our community as Read more…
I guess I shouldn’t be shocked that pizza and ranch is a thing. But when one of my students drew it next to her name for her first card talk, it got my wheels turning. We OBVIOUSLY had to start with the verb gustar if we were going to talk about Read more…
Once upon a time I went too fast. It was long ago, too long for most to remember: let’s call it last Wednesday. It was week 2 of Spanish I, you see, and I had been watching eyes and noting attitudes, making gestures–going despacito. Everyone seemed to be with me, Read more…
Promise not to laugh? This is how I understood using authentic texts seven years ago. I do not know where the magic number 200 came from anymore, and WOW was I out of touch with even the CONCEPT of novice language learners. (Dra. Moser now claims she doesn’t remember me Read more…
I don’t know how I lucked out rooming with such an awesome dual immersion Pre-K teacher on my recent trip to Peru! It was so exciting to learn from her and absorb her strategies! Even though she teaches littles who are adjusting to their new context first and foremost, there Read more…