Shhhhhh. it's a secret! First day activities!

So, here's my little secret. My first day of class will not consist of me struggling through names, strictly reading my syllabus and rules, or anything else that has to do with "housekeeping," unless it is requested by a student.

Here is what I will be doing on my first day Spanish 1 classes.

First, we do a little movement and input activity. Yes! My goal is always to start my classes in Spanish. So we will start by finding a partner or group.... Here are some of the find a partner sentence ideas (you may have to invent some based on what you see in your classroom). You might want to have a few pictures prepared to demonstrate a word more efficiently. The most important rule of this activity is that no one gets left out ever (oh oops am I sneaking a classroom expectation in here...maybe :)

So here we go:
- Look for a group that has the same color...
       shirt
       shoes
       hair
       socks
       backpack
-Look for a group that writes with the same hand as you
- Look for a group that writes with the same writing thing you write with (pen or pencil)


- Which do you prefer....
      cats vs. dogs
      pop vs. country music
      plants vs. pets
      being inside vs. being outside
      running vs. swimming

Ok, after this activity, which I will keep snappy, short, and focused we will play a name game, Where students will practice the basic introduction of "my name is" "what is your name." We will practice this phrasing while wandering the room forming groups. Finally, we will go around the classroom and see who can say everybody's name (if there is time).

What will your first day of class look like?

What's New at my Store?!

So, I most often don't blog about the products on my TPT store. Not because I don't think that they are great products, but for the most part, I feel that they are self-explanatory, and people will find them if they need them. However, my store has two new products that I am really excited about!

Note: I am super careful to respect the work of the clip artists that I use so I am not gong to post pictures here, but you can follow the links to find these products.

Ok, so the first new product is a build a verb ice cream cone! I am really excited to try this one in the classroom because it is something I have been wanting to create for awhile. The goal is to make verb conjugation more friendly for kinesthetic learners. The cone contains the "root" of the verb such as com for comer. Then, the students can put the different ice cream flavors on the cone to conjugate it. So, in my classroom I might say something like "yo como el helado." (I am going to try to use sentences as much as possible to keep conjugation in context). The students would make their cone using the ice cream flavor that has the "o."  I have a few other suggested activities with this product, but I know it's one that will be a time-saver and I can't wait to let students physically manipulate the verb conjugations without having to struggle with the mental load of writing them and conjugating them!


https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spanish-Present-Tense-Build-a-Verb-Ice-Cream-Cone-3863813


My second new product this month is an ocean animals vocabulary practice. The bulk of the activity is flashcards. Now, I know you may groan, but flashcards are really just task cards in disguise, when used appropriately! I plan on laminating and cutting several sets to do fun things with such as an animal scavenger hunt around the classroom, playing matamoscas, playing "go fish," memory, and I have included an "I have, who has" game. The possibilities are endless! What sort of games do you make out of cards?

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Animales-del-Mar-Spanish-Ocean-Animals-3977704


As always, if you use these products, let me know what you think!

Ready, Set, GO!!!

Dear Teachers,

I see you. I see you picking-out your classroom theme, decorating, arranging desks so they're just right.

I see you. Toes tapping through the requisite but boring meetings, eyes lighting when discussing a new idea with an administrator or colleague, frustration mounting that this technology that you loved has now been tweaked.

I see you. Smiles beaming genuinely as students fill the school with sounds. Finally, finally, no more quiet!

I see you. Exhausted after the first week. rearranging desks and seating, worrying over a student, eyes-lighting when you figure-out how to connect with a student.

I see you. Waiting patiently, while launching forward, calmly, patiently, smoothly starting, while in your mind envisioning the end. How you will travel together may not be decided, but the final destination clearly in your mind's eye. I see you.

Good luck to all this school year. I hope it is a joyous and meaningful 2018-2019!

Are Your Speaking Prompts Sensitive to Your Learners?

Like most teachers/people, I used to ask my students what they were going to do over the holiday break. I believed it to be an innocuous question. However, one day as I was walking into the school, I asked one of my eighth graders what she was going to do over break, and her response was both heartbreaking and a wake-up call. She simply looked at me and said, "the adults will sit around and get drunk and I will look forward to school starting." I suddenly realized how cruel it is to use  the question prompt: what will you do during the holiday break? This prompt is problematic for two main reasons, it is insensitive to students whose home lives might be difficult already, and it often highlights income disparities between the students.

Instead, I have started asking questions such as, "What was the most fun thing you did over break?", "What was one thing you enjoyed about your break?", Who were the people you got to see over break?". While these questions aren't perfect (and I welcome other suggestions!!!!!), they at least give students who don't travel or have adults who spend time with them, the opportunity to give an answer. Seeing a movie might have been the best thing, or sleeping, or playing video games, listening to music, etc. Yes, these questions can still highlight income and home-life disparities, but I feel like every student can think of something they enjoyed at some moment.


Happy teaching in 2018!!!!!

P.S. If you haven't checked-out my free New Year's Resolution activity, look for it in my TPT store!!!!

Estatuas: A Vocabulary Activity

So since I wrote about vocabulary and teaching active learning strategies for vocabulary in my last blog post, I decided I will share one of my favorite vocabulary activities with you.

What you need: Your vocabulary list cut into strips so there is only one word per strip (or make index cards, etc.) This activity words best with nouns and verbs, although some other words can work if your students are creative :)

Cooperative students ;)

White boards (or a piece of paper, or a tablet)

White board markers (regular markers or fingers to write on tablet..)



For the lower levels: more than one card with the same word is fine!


How it works:
1) Give 2/3 of the class an index card with a word on it. Have them spread around the classroom and become a statue that represents that word. No moving!!!!

2) Place a white board next to all of the statues

3) Give the remaining students a white board marker, and send them on a statue tour.

4) The students write the vocabulary word that is being represented on the white board. They receive no feedback from the statue.

5) Review the statues and the whiteboards. This can be done as a second tour or using photos that you take and project.

6) Shuffle the vocabulary cards, and the students, erase the white boards and repeat!!!!

**please note any and all photos that I take in my classroom are immediately deleted from any personal device. I am extremely careful in the use of photos and student privacy. If you choose to use photos, make sure you know your school's policy.


For upper level students: Do the above activity with a twist.

Instead of writing just the vocabulary word on the white board, I tell them that if the vocabulary word that is being represented is already on the white board, then it is their job to write a synonym or another word the effectively describes the statue.

You can also have them write antonyms if you want to change things up!


*** As with any activity*** quit while you are ahead. Don't wait until the students are tired of the activity before you move on. Do something else while they are still having fun. I say three rounds max. One or two is probably best. Use this and all activities as part of your tool box :)


The students can also complete the above activities using sentences in order to practice the words in context: lower level students each write a different sentence which incorporates the same vocabulary word, and upper level students write their own creative sentences with synonyms.

Study Skills and Strategies: Vocabulary

The school year is just barely gearing-up in many parts of the country, or if you live in a place that doesn't start until after labor day, you have a few more weeks to enjoy summer, planning, professional development, and everything else!

As I start a new year, I always try to incorporate some basic study skills training into my classes and lessons. I firmly believe that the effort and time that I invest in the beginning of the year pays off later on!

So... one of my favorite things to tell my students, especially freshmen is to make sure that they are studying not staring!

Then we practice :)

Every day we take two or three vocabulary words from the unit and try a different method of active studying.

Here are some of my ideas.... I will probably add more in another blog post... and please feel free to share your favorite ideas too! I am always on the hunt for new things to incorporate into my lessons.



Write the word or words several times on paper (on the computer doesn't count)
Look at the word and careful say each syllable out loud-several times in an exaggerated and slow manner, then say the word as fast as possible several times
Act the word
Sing the word
Draw the word (if its a noun or if a verb is easily represented)
Act and sing the word
Write the word in the air several times-use both print and cursive
Listen to a Native speaker or near native speaker say the word and repeat after him/her several times
Use the word in a sentence (or four)
Go around the room and have every student use the same word in a different sentence (level 2+)
Think of words that sound similar and make sure that this word and its meaning are clear: example would be hombre, hombro, hombre, etc.
Quiz each other on the word



One note ** I do have my lower level students learn words in English and Spanish. My upper level students are given words in Spanish with Spanish explanations/definitions.

Ok and a final note*** my vocabulary quizzes contain a huge mix of sections, I try to keep them as Spanish based as possible so students might draw the word, label pictures, use the word in a sentence, complete sentence fill-ins...... and yes.... when I feel like giving them a break (or me) translate a word or two....although I try to avoid translation on quizzes, tests, in life, etc.

Do you teach active studying and strategies? What are your favorites!!!!???

Back to School:Welcome New Teachers!!!

I love back to school time. I admit I love my summers too. Especially when they are hot, sunny, and filled with fun with the family. But, I am always excited for a new school year. Every year, in pretty much every school there will be at least one new teacher. I have been the newbie in three schools so I have a few things that I would like to talk about :).


For the Veteran Teachers!!! 

Be sure to introduce yourself. You are the comfortable one. The one who knows the ropes, the culture, expectations, etc. Don't make the new person do all the work!!!

Offer your ideas in a concrete manner to someone new in your department. Go beyond showing them the curriculum and create a space and forum to discuss lesson plans... first day... when you will try to give first assessments...etc. Remember that when your new colleague succeeds, your department, students, and you succeed.


Be receptive to your new colleagues ideas too! Get excited about their creativity, technological skills, or whatever it is they have to offer.


Ask your new colleague what they need. This simple question can make their life so much easier. Is there anything that you need?

Be a nonjudgemental presence. It is not your job to critique or judge their abilities (unless it is). Welcome them into the school and enjoy working with someone new.


For the New Teacher!!!

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Make sure that you ask the basics: Where does one make copies, obtain supplies, go to the bathroom, etc. The supply question may be particularly important when it comes to obtaining things like markers, or colored pencils, large paper (anything out of the ordinary that you might want to use).

Make sure you apologize if you make a mistake. Say thank you to those who help you. Say hello to everyone.

Don't join in on gossip or complaining. In fact, avoid these circles at all costs.

Don't hesitate to give credit to a veteran teacher who helped you. If the principal complimented your first day lesson that you co-constructed with a colleague, be sure to mention that it was a collaborative effort!

Learn the technology that the school uses. Practice with the technology until you get it right. Have back-up lesson plans in case technology fails you, but always work to incorporate technology.

Ask a veteran teacher for ideas if you are stuck on lesson planning, how to deal with a parent, how to deal with a particular student, or how to incorporate a particular topic.

Ask other teachers if they will share with you: materials, ideas, cross-curricular ideas, etc.

Be sensitive of others' time. Remember that the beginning of the school year is crazy busy for everyone. If a colleague can't help you at a particular moment, realize that they have their own commitments and obligations too.

Good luck to all and I wish for you a wonderful 2017-2018 school year! 

Managing Stations (part II)

I have decided to do a series of blog posts on stations and their management because while they can be an extremely effective lesson format, this format can also be challenging and stressful!!!!! I also recognize that if your first experience running stations didn't go as planned, it is difficult to be motivated to try them again.  So... a few more tips on stations:


1) set-up the desks in advance (if possible). Floaters!! I know you. I have been you for two years. Every class I taught occurred in a different classroom. For someone like me who likes props, this was an extreme challenge. I simply had to let go of my expectations of starting stations with the bell. I would give my students a warm-up activity, then calmly rearrange the desks while they were completing the activity. If you have a class that is used to changing desk formations, then have them help. But if you do not, I recommend simply directing five students at a time to change into the arrangement that you want (spares time and noise!!).


2) Know your stations inside and out. Know exactly what activity corresponds to which station number. When you know what students are supposed to be doing at station 2, for example, you can answer a question, even if you are assisting a student at station 4.


3) Pre-form the groups with a maximum of five students. I honestly prefer groups of three-four, but for large classes this configuration is simply unattainable. For the first times that you run stations, make the groups in advance, and carefully consider your pairings. If you really want to get fancy, save your groupings and use them to inform your next station activity.


4) Don't be afraid to insert a "silent" station. While silent might be a bit of a misnomer, I occasionally incorporate a station that doesn't actually require cooperation (gasp!). My reasoning is to give introverted students a chance to breathe, relax, and process the data without being required to interact on top of all that work. So....what are some silent stations:
               Create a pneumonic device for learning x... (remembering vocabulary, conjugating a verb, remembering irregular verbs of a tense, etc. )
              Another silent station if your school is computer or tablet based is to have students complete a quick quiz in Quia, or any of other website. complete a quick web quest on a related cultural point, have students create their own five question quiz to share with you or the class upon completion of all stations.
               Or incorporate some color therapy and have students draw a vocabulary word or verb picture, or simply color something that is pertinent to your class.


Let me know what else you want to know about stations!!! I would love to hear all about stations in your classroom.

Managing Stations

I love stations, but I know that getting a class used to station work can be a challenge. In the ideal world, the first time a class did a station activity it would go smoothly and everyone would be pleased, but in reality, just like any other new classroom activity, stations take time for students to figure-out, and it takes time for me to decide how to best manage them with any particular class. Here are some of the things that I do to manage stations:


1) Spot check/spot grade at random. I will grade or check students' station work. It is either entered in the grade book as participation or homework. If I have small classes, I will spot check a few questions from every student. If I have a large class, I will check the work of one of the group members that I select at random. Now to me the key is selecting the students' work you will grade because otherwise students who are bright, but less inclined to work with others, will show you their work for the group and nobody else will do anything.


2) Expect to have to re-explain the directions the first few times you do station work. If you have upper level students, it's ok to tell them to figure it out and travel around, but with the lower levels 7-9 a lot of time might be invested in explaining the stations again (and again :) ).


3) Plan to run stations for two days. Even if you have five ten minute stations and a fifty minute class, it is likely that when first starting stations, students will only participate in three of them due to needing new directions, traveling slowly, etc. That's ok! I find the second day of stations usually goes more smoothly, and then I have time to review answers as a class.


4) If I am running stations for two days, and I anticipate having some free time, I will encourage students' to revisit a station they found challenging, check their answers, or tidy-up their work.


What do you do to keep stations running smoothly?

Peer Observations

In my experience, peer observations can be nerve-wracking or enjoyable, collegial or competitive, a learning opportunity or an opportunity to criticize. I hope that if your school uses peer observations they are all of the first things and none of the second!

If you work at a school that is thinking about setting-up peer observations or would like to modify existing peer observations, or if you yourself would like to promote them, I encourage you to consider the following questions.

Who is the learner? Is it the person being observed or is it the observer?

What are the observations going to be used for? Are they going into a formal file?

Who will have access to the observation notes?

How many times will they be done?


I think that peer observations can be an extremely useful and beneficial tool, but I firmly believe that the answer to the first question should be the observer. The observe should be observing to learn a new technique, strategy, classroom management idea, a new way to present material, or looking for a way that more cross-curricular studies can be done. As long as the observer is the learner, most teachers welcome peer observations.

Peer observations should never be formal or evaluative. This should be left to the administrators and department heads. If department heads typically observe to evaluate, then they should observe each other.

No one but the observer and the observed teacher need to have these notes. The best way for a department head to gather information about peer observations is simply to ask during a meeting what was learned from the peer observations. What strategies are being incorporated due to peer observations.

How many times peer observations are done is really dependent on teacher availability and time. I would say no more than three formal peer observations should be done at least in the first year of a peer observation set-up.

Does your school do peer observations? What are the pros/cons? and how do your experiences align or differ from mine?

Vida y Muerte en La Mara Salvatrucha: my thoughts and review

I know that many of us are trying to incorporate as many reading opportunities as possible into our lessons. My school was looking at using Vida y Muerte en La Mara Salvatrucha to replace La Gran Aventura de Alejandro in our Spanish II class. In the end, we took a year off from a longer reader, which was a difficult decision and one that I wasn't thrilled with either, but we didn't find Vida y Muerte to be the right book for our Spanish II classes. The teacher of the Spanish II Advanced class did use the book, however, and he reported that he would probably use it again.

Here are some of the pros and cons of the book (in my opinion)

Pros:
1) Tons of past tense verbs (which is one of our main grammar goals in Spanish II)
2) A high interest topic for most/many high schoolers
3) A relatable character (he talks about his first true love experience, his need for acceptance, etc)
4) Many topics (probably several dozen that could be expanded into sub-units, projects, papers, quick writing prompts, etc.
5) Many other works with themes that are relatable (music, newspaper articles, etc.)
6) A good albeit short history lesson on La Mara Salvatrucha (again this could be expanded in a number of ways)


Cons:
1) This work could be perceived as casting Spanish speakers in a negative light, and we decided that this was a problem for us since our population of students has limited contacted with Spanish speakers (this wouldn't be an issue in many parts of the country where the students are friends with Spanish speakers)
2) The book is a bit dark. My Spanish II classes consist mainly of students who are 16+, but there are a few younger students in the class (advanced 13 and 14 year olds) and I didn't feel right using it with them.
3) As with all readers made for non native speakers, some of the language seems a bit contrived.

While my pros outweigh my cons in terms of the overall book. I ultimately decided that for Spanish II this work wasn't the right one.

What do your students read in Spanish II? I am always searching for something that is not too babyish but not too dark.

Group Work in the TL!

One of the biggest challenges I have is maintaining Spanish throughout an entire class period, especially if the class lesson involves group or partner work (which they all almost always do). So, I have tried a few things to keep my students speaking in the target language while doing group work.

Tickets-each student has three tickets on his/her desk. A ticket is removed if I hear the student speak English.  The best aspect of this method is it allows students to tangibly see that I am aware of their language use. The worst aspect is it makes me feel like the language police, and really I want my students to want to use the language. I don't want them to use it out of fear or shame. As a result, I personally don't find this method very effective for my teaching style. But, I am open to the idea that there are teachers out there who can pull this method off without making the students feel as though they are being policed.

Timer-I have tried having students use or speak in Spanish for a set amount of minutes. Then, after the allotted time has passed, allowing them to clarify or elaborate in English. The pros to this method is that all students can participate. The biggest con is that the reluctant speaker simply waits until the English allowed portion and then participates.

Self Evaluations- On the smart board, I project the self-evaluation prior to and during the group work. The evaluation generally looks like this:  
 /5
I spoke only Spanish = 5 points
I spoke primarily in Spanish, but I used a few English words = 4 points
I spoke in both in Spanish and English, but I was one hundred percent on task = 3 points
I spoke only English, but I was one hundred percent on task = 2 points
I spoke only English = 1 point

My students know that their self-evaluations go into the participation category of the gradebook.
This method has thus far been my favorite because it allows me to make my participation category more objective, and I find that students are generally honest. I also allow students to write me a note on the bottom of the evaluation.

How do you encourage students to maintain their use of the TL, even when doing group work?

Getting Back into It!

After a wonderful summer spent with family, moving, and finding new jobs, I am back to blogging! Are you ready for the beginning of school?! I must admit that every time at this year I feel a million different things. I am nostalgic for the peace and quiet summer evenings, looking at a sunset, waking up slowly and enjoying a cup of coffee while doing nothing (well almost nothing :), and a great excitement to see who will come through my classroom doors this year, experience how much the kiddos will inspire me, and the general excitement that learning and teaching with a purpose can bring! How do you feel?

As I mentioned above, I have been in the process of moving, so it will be a bit of time before I am fully up and running, but I hope that you bear with me. Here are some things that I am hoping to set-up in the next few weeks:
-Task Cards! I began using task cards at the end of last year, and I loved them! I will be posting a blog in the future on how to use them, but in the meantime, I am hoping to put a small sample for free on my TPT store. I will put the whole preterit/imperfect set up for sale too!

-More organized pinterest boards! I am hoping to reorganize my pinterest boards, eliminate the boards that are just products and really focus on boards that I find useful in my teaching.

- New elementary units. I am presently working on a new elementary unit that should also be up in the next few weeks.

In the meantime, be sure to read through my back to school check-lists from last year. I can't wait to see what this school year will bring! Also, feel free to post about your back to school prep in the comments :)

What is your ideal Exam?

So, I have been a rather vocal proponent of trying to make the traditional paper/pencil exam at my school into an assessment that is more authentic. While my school is unwilling to stray from the two hour traditional format, one of my colleagues asked me what my ideal exam would look like. My answer is not one hundred percent formed, and it would need to be scaled to fit each class level,  but here are the elements that I would like to see included in my (more) ideal final exam.

- Students would create a planned speaking presentation that incorporated two of the themes that we had studied (I would create some prompts to help them get started, and most of my classes have studied between 6-10 themes)

-Students would write a paragraph on one of the themes that we have studied (Again, I would design relevant prompts)

- Students would read two different articles on two different themes and respond to the questions.

- Students would dialogue with another student about a predetermined topic, but without a script or notes.

- Students would spontaneously speak (in the computer lab) without a script or notes on a theme that was not told to them ahead of time.

- Students would listen to an audio text or view a video clip and write or speak a response.

- Students would write, listen, or speak about an element of culture that we had covered throughout the year.

While I have purposefully left my ideal exam a bit vague, I acknowledge that there would be some challenges to creating and using this sort of an exam.: Time (all of my students take their traditional paper/pencil exam on the same day at the same time), Perceived subjectivity by parents and students, Rubric (would need to be highly specific about length, grammar requirements, etc.)

Here to me are the advantages: student can show their ability to use the language, students have some choice in what their exam looks like, this exam would ideally be more reflective of the way the students are being taught.

Is a final exam required at your school? What is your ideal exam?

No Grass Picking! A Self-Reflection

Quite a few years now, I worked at a summer camp, where I had the opportunity to lead small groups of kids in activities. I remember one summer, I vowed to myself that the kids would all be so involved in the activities that I had planned that not a single one of them would pick grass, in that distracted fashion that children do. So, I had my challenge, and I am pleased to say that I met it! I was able to plan activities that kept the kids so occupied and engaged that not a single one of them picked at the grass.

As I think about my lesson plans for the rest of the year, while acknowledging that this time of year students often become distracted and less interested in school, and instead they become more interested in spring activities and the end of the school year. So, as I reflect on the challenge I gave my younger self, I realized that I could issue an even greater one. Can I design lesson plans that keep students so engaged and interested that they don't pause to check their cell phone, or wander off the web page that they are looking at to check their email, facebook, twitter, etc. Can I design and revamp lessons such that there is no "grass picking" for the remainder of the year?

What are your end of year goals?




I have add to this post to note that thus far in the week, I have failed at my goal. The screens continue to beat me. I will have to keep working!

Why I do Projects

My school, like many, invited a speaker in to do a professional development talk on the faculty workday proceeding the December/January holiday break. I have to admit, I am pretty nerdy and generally love speakers. I usually get fired-up to try a new technique and I often think of new lesson plans on the spot while listening. For this reason,  I always bring a notebook to speakers. I don't necessarily take notes, but I jot down my thoughts on how their presentation could be relevant to my classroom practice.

So, generally I love speakers, but I must respectfully disagree with the one that my school brought in most recently. He spoke vehemently against projects, inquiry-based learning, authentic assessments, and really any sort of performance based learning. He also lumped all of the above into one method. So, while he gave the argument that all of these methods are too taxing to the learner, here are my reasons for why I will continue to do projects. I might choose to address some of the other methods later, but for now, I will stick with projects.

1) Engagement! Students get the opportunity to explore a topic that truly interests and excites them.

2) Pacing! Students can work at their own natural skill level with guidance from me. This means that advanced students can incorporate more advanced grammatical structures and higher level words, but the struggling students can stick to the rubric's requirements and still find a lot of success.

3) Projects allow students to incorporate technology, music, video, and other outside interests that I don't necessarily use on a daily basis.

4) Speaking practice! My projects all contain an oral speaking component which students can practice beforehand. As a result students can target pronunciation, fluency, and other speaking skills that we don't practice as much during our spontaneous speaking activities.

5) Vocabulary and more vocabulary! Students use the vocabulary in a manner that makes sense. They are forced to contextualize their learning and this usage in turn causes them to both remember and apply the vocabulary with much greater accuracy than any paper/pencil test (at least in my experience)

6) Listening skills and peer critique! All of my students are required to fill-out some sort of peer critique sheet while their classmates are presenting their projects. As a result, students have to both comprehend what they are hearing and give useful feedback. Giving peer feedback is an excellent life-long skill.

7) Public speaking practice! Again, this is another lifelong skill that every student should have numerous opportunities to practice (in my opinion).

8) Focus on form! Students have to really consider what grammatical structure best conveys the meaning that they desire.

9) Culture! I think that projects are one of the best ways for students to explore/experience a taste of another culture. I love when my students are willing to try to cook from a Spanish recipe or learn a dance from a video.

Here are some of my arguments for why I will continue to use projects in my classroom. What are your reasons for using projects? If you don't use them why not?

Keeping Language Fresh?

My husband brought me a chocolate crescent from a French bakery today and as I prepared my coffee,  it brought me back to when I was 19 and in Spain. All I needed were the cute tiny fork and knife that they give to you to eat it with, and a glass of fresh squeezed zumo de naranja to top it off.  So I  reflect on being 19 and struggling through ordering a chocolate crescent in Spain (and struggling through consuming bitter coffee before I learned to order it with dulce de leche. Now, I consume way too much coffee of any type, and I definitely don't struggle through it!

I realize through my reflections that it has been 12 years since I have been back to Spain, and almost three since I have been to a Spanish speaking country, and I know from listening to my Spanish as I speak with my level I and II students that it is getting rusty. It is hard to keep the language fresh when teaching exclusively in the younger grades, and when the language department doesn't have the culture of speaking the language amongst itself (which is highly unfortunate, as I have worked in places that do use the language between department members and I think that it provides great role-modeling for the students).

So, what is one to do to keep language fresh? I try to listen to the news regularly, but I'll admit, I get busy and don't always keep it up. I also watch children's shows both with my students and my child, but they only offer so much. I watch music videos, and ask the native Spanish speakers at my school questions-especially when it comes to slang words, which of course teenagers love to use, but I don't know many current ones anymore. When possible, I listen to Spanish radio. I also read other language teacher's blogs in order to obtain ideas as to how to stay more current, and when possible attend conferences.

However, nothing compares (at least in my mind) to the real deal of sitting down in that café ready to relax with a chocolate crescent and coffee that was successfully ordered, paid for, and a side-conversation about where I am from was even had, and it is this feeling, this ability to communicate and enjoy while in a different country that is most important to me to convey to students when they ask "why?" Until I can get back there, I will continue working on my Spanish, just as I ask students to work on theirs. What do you do to keep the language fresh?  

Thanksgiving: Thankful for Teenagers

I have been thinking about this post for quite a while now, and I will admit it is a bit different from my usual classroom ideas, but I decided that it fits well with the Thanksgiving weekend. Today, I would like to say I am thankful for teenagers and for the enrichment that they bring to my life.

I am sure that many of you have had this experience. You meet someone new and they inevitably ask what you do for work. When you respond that you teach they comment something like "Oh little kids are so cute." When you correct them and tell them  that you teach high school, they give you a pitying look and mumble something about dealing with their teenager, or say something like "that must be interesting." I will be the first to acknowledge that teaching teens has its challenges, but often people forget about the teens who are doing amazing things. Teenagers who receive very little credit in the media.

So here is a secret, I admit that I watch (and love) The Voice, and while I am several episodes behind (I watch online), I still have to give credit to Caroline and Jackie. Two teenagers who are onstage night after night, who carry themselves with grace and poise. Two teenagers who can look adults in the face and accept critique without tears, and instead they say Thank you. And, to any who may not teach, I would like to say that all of us high school teachers receive the gift of being able to work with similar teens. I have students who are able to conduct themselves with as much control as an adult. Students who can politely ask for help, come back and give an apology, or look me in the eyes when I have asked them to correct something and say Thank you. So yes, while I teach students that can be challenging at times, it is also good to recognize the numerous teens across the country who conduct themselves more professionally day in and day out than many adults.

Today, I am thankful for teenagers (and my job!)

Pronunciation

Fall for most teachers is extremely busy, and I suppose that my classes have been no exception. However, I have recently been pondering pronunciation and the teaching of pronunciation. I have recently been talking to several teachers who do pronunciation drills and activities, which is very different from the approach that I take. I am not certain which method is best, but I would love to hear what others think!

For older beginner students, I actively teach them the correct vowel sounds, r, ñ, and some of the other basic pronunciation rules such as soft c's and g's when followed by i and e in Spanish. For K-5 students, this active teaching is not really necessary, as these students tend to be very quick at mimicking the correct pronunciation.

In my classes, I usually have students speak the first ten minutes or so of class. During this time, which is relatively informal, I do not ask students to correct their pronunciation of a word; however, I will recast (repeat the word with the correct pronunciation) the word for the student. Some students will notice the recast and work on pronunciation on their own, but other students seem to prefer to either ignore the correct pronunciation or actively don't want to use the correct pronunciation for fear of being seen as "trying to hard." I do not force the student to repeat the word correctly, but a few of my colleagues do take this approach. What do you think? Should a student be forced to try the word again? I do not want to embarrass the student, especially if he or she cannot say the word on the second try so I do not force students to try it (although many will on their own). I should note that the above activity is an informal assessment of the students and they are not graded so to speak, except for participation.

For oral presentations, I generally give beginning students one or two pronunciation topics in the rubric. For example, the rubric might state that the student correctly pronounces the vowel A and the letter R. The students are also told that they should actively practice and look in a mirror. For upper level students, I expect them to pronounce the majority of the words correctly. So their grading rubric is a bit different. Once again though, I do not correct students or interrupt them at all during graded oral presentations. I do not call any attention to pronunciation during the actual presentation at all. Again, I do not wish to embarrass my students. At the end of all of the presentations, I might choose one or two words that appeared in many of the presentations and was consistently incorrect that I pronounce and ask the class to practice as a whole. Do you interrupt students' presentations to correct pronunciation? What are the benefits?

Two fun things that I do to practice pronunciation without the students really knowing that we are practicing is tongue twisters and reading Dr. Seuss. I will start the class with a tongue twister on the board and give students time to practice saying it. Then, I will ask for volunteers to say it aloud for the class. Finally, we will have a little competition (volunteer participation only) to see who can say the tongue twister the fastest. Most of my freshmen love this activity, and even if they do not choose to participate in the competition they are benefitting from hearing the words pronounced correctly.

I also like to have my upper level students read Dr. Seuss books. While I fully acknowledge that these books aren't truly authentic because they have been translated, I think the benefit of trying to pronounce the rhymes and maintain a nice reading rhythm is sufficient. My students definitely benefit from trying to read aloud and maintain a decent cadence and pace. Furthermore the students love these books! So for a warm-up activity, my upper level students will each take a turn reading a page or two and then passing the book to the next person in the circle. It is a great Friday morning activity.

How do you teach and grade pronunciation?

Back to School:Ice Breaker Activities for Early Intermediate/Beginning Students

In my last blog post, I discussed some of my favorite first week ice breakers for Intermediate/advanced students. I do however, think that it is equally as important to get students who are just beginning the language to speak and feel comfortable in class. Again, I must stress that I think it is especially important that the teacher participates with the student to set the correct tone. Here are some of the activities that I use in the first week of school.

Circle/action Name game: I have my students sit in a circle. Then I model a few times for them, Me llamo _____ , como te llamas, and se llama ____. Then I say my name is ______ and do an action for something that I like to do. The next student will say my name is _____, and her name is ______. and will his/her name with an action for himself, and then say my name with my action. This ice breaker allows each student to say everyone's name, and allows students to move! Another added benefit is that by the end of the activity, most students have a decent grasp on mine name is___ , his/her name is___ I try to finish the game, which is a good way for me to test whether or not I have learned each student's name. I do insert gentle recasts if a student is struggling with the pronunciation.

Trainwreck or fruteria: I have heard this ice breaker called many names. It is basically like a verbal musical chairs. Remove a chair from the circle of desks (or chairs are even better). One student stands in the middle of the circle and says a mi y todos mis amigos nos gusta(n) ______. Every student who likes said object has to get up and switch chairs. Students may not just move over a chair. The student who does not get a chair, is the next person in the middle. With very beginning students, I usually write the first part of the sentence on the board "a mi y todos mis amigos nos gusta(n) _____. I will allow the very beginners to say what they like in English, but I supply the Spanish word for them. Students are often surprised (and relieved) to hear how many cognates there are in Spanish. An added benefit includes students getting early exposure to gustar.

Quien tiene?: With Middle School or upper elementary students, I will often play a game, I simply call quien tiene. This activity requires a coin or other small object. All of the students stand in a circle. One student leaves the room, and the rest of the students pass the coin around in a circle until I call para! The student who has the coin then hides it in their hand or, if the students are sitting in desks, every student places their palms flat on the desk. The student who left the room is called back into the classroom, and everyone asks in chorus Quien tiene la moneda? The student has three chances to guess. For each guess the student should say ________ tiene la moneda. If a student doesn't know another students' name, he or she is encouraged to use como te llamas?

I will sometimes also have students make lists of cognates or words that they already know if Spanish. For example, I may challenge them to make a list of US states that have Spanish or Spanish derrived names. Or, city street names (depending on where you live). Once again, the purpose is to make the foreign language not seem quite so foreign and to activate connections in students' brains.

What are your favorite ice breakers for beginning and early intermediate students?