And the Bar is Raised

After the Scavenger hunt, the Hawks want more! More, they say! My newest class topic is the Subjunctive and Doubt. In the past, I taught this by talking about Aliens, Yeti, and Zombies. I mentioned it to the group a few days ago and they seemed underwhelmed. When you get that kind of reaction, you just know that it isn't going to work. In an effort to set us all up for success I spent some time brainstorming scenarios that would require kids to question their beliefs. I came up with two (fairly simple) ideas, both allowing kids to try to "stump" each other. (Providing an element of competition)

Activity # 1) I asked my Hawks  to go around and take two "fotos de algo misterioso" for discussion that they needed to email to me. They were also given directions to keep them a secret from each other. Some examples:

We spent the class period reviewing the subjunctive and its conjugations by playing battleship and taking notes. All the while, they kept asking when we would get to "las fotos". Finally, I put the fotos up one at a time and had them write down what they thought the photo was, quietly. I then had them work with a partner to compare answers.  

After giving them some time, I would call one pair at a time and ask ¨Qué es esto?¨ about one of the photos. When they provided me with a response, I called on another pair to ask ¨Creen que es ______?¨ If they believed it--indicative. If they didn´t---subjunctive. Simple, and basic but NOW we have a foundation to scaffold on AND I have kids hooked on the subjunctive.

Activity #2) Sticking with the intrigue of mystery, I gave each of my Hawks a brown paper bag and asked them to fill it with something from home and staple it shut (again, a secret). I numbered the bags and passed them around the room while having the kids answer questions about the items (that they could only feel) inside.

Examples:

¿Crees que es algo fácil de identificar?

¿Crees que uno puede comerlo?

¿Crees que uno lo necesita para vivir feliz?

¿Crees que se usa para algo importante?

¿Crees que tu familia tiene algo similar en casa?

Overall, two high interest activities. Now what to do with the rest of WEIRDO?

QR Code Scavenger Hunt

The treasure? An enthusiastic group of Baby Hawks wondering when we are going to try again.


As an avid watcher of the Amazing Race, I have been wanting to do something like this for a long time. The idea, however, seemed too "big" for my classes. After reading "Teach Like a Pirate" this weekend, I felt inspired to try a couple of things that I have thought might be too "big" or "creative" for me. As Burgess states, NO ONE is born "creative". Creativity takes hard work and reflective thinking: two of my favorite things.

The Process:

 1: I split my class into four teams with four different routes throughout our school.

 2: I picked 7 locations in our school that students could find. (la biblioteca, el gimnasio, la cafeteria, la sala de banda, la oficina, el laboratorio de computadoras and la clase de Rad)

 3: Using their vocabulary words I wrote out little tasks for them to perform at each location. I.e. "Saca una foto de algo misterioso" o "Saquen una foto de Uds. haciendo ejercicio"

 4: I got online and searched for a QR Code Generator. A quick Google search and I came across this one. http://www.qrstuff.com/.  I opted to use "Plain text" as my data type and for each location I typed in my task and their NEXT location. For example, at the library, it would say "Saquen una foto de algo misterioso. Luego, vayan a la oficina."

 5: The night before the activity, I asked the class to split into groups and to have one person in each group download a QR Code reader.

 6: At the beginning of the class period I gave each group a QR code like the one above that said "Saquen un "Selfie" de tu grupo y luego vayan a..." Once they scanned it in, they were off!!!!

***TIP*** Print the QR Codes in four different colors (one for each group). Because the routes are different you don't want them scanning the wrong one and ending up going in circles

NOW, I know some of you are thinking..."Is that it?" The answer is no. There was MUCH more.

When the kids got back to the classroom they had to narrate their route to the class showing them their photos and sharing their "battle" stories. They were told to give their reactions and to use transitions. This is a group that doesn't really like to present. TODAY, they were excited and told me that they would be willing to present again if there was another one. That is of course, if I think "bigger" next time. Ha! So much for it being "too much".

Teaching Like a Pirate...AAARRRGGGHH

I'm going to start this post by saying that if you haven't picked up "Teach Like a Pirate" yet, you need to check it out. It is a quick read and as someone who is constantly looking for ways to improve my practice, this book really has me fired up!


Reflection # 1: Perspective, Perspective, Perspective

Right off the bat, Burgess points out that inevitably, you aren't going to be passionate about EVERYTHING in your class but you are ALWAYS passionate about something.

I'll be honest, I don't really get excited about demonstrative adjectives, direct object pronouns, sports, indefinite and definite articles and the uses of por BUT I sure as heck get excited about spending time with my Baby Hawks, making a difference and making my class one that kids want to be in. Furthermore, I think that all students start to associate certain passions with each teacher. My students would peg me as someone that LOVES school, Baby Hawks, Spanish, owls, chocolate, Grammar, squirrels, coffee,  and traveling (among other things).

My best lessons are those that bring those passions to the forefront. I'll take my most recent out of the box presentation, for example. I titled it "Direct Object Pronouns...and Squirrels". In the past, teaching direct object pronouns was a disaster for me. Not because my students couldn't figure it out, but, because as I taught it I could see on every one of their faces that the lesson was a complete and total grind for them. They were soaking in the material out of loyalty to me, not because they were truly engaged or extremely jazzed about learning grammar for grammar's sake. Those lessons are as soul sucking for me as it is for them. As teachers, we want all kids to look forward to coming to class everyday. With each year, I hope to have fewer and fewer of the "Daily grind" days as I add more pizzazz to my arsenal of lessons.

In any case, last chapter, I was faced with the DOP section of my curriculum. I sat at my computer for hours determined to improve this mind-numbing lesson of mine, thinking about my Baby Hawks. My sweet baby hawks, and how they would be so "squirrely" if I didn't get this just right and then it dawned on me! Squirrels! I affectionately call my students "ardillitas" on a daily basis when I see them get all bright eyed and bushy tailed about something and they love to "push back" and deny this similarity.

I quickly googled "squirrels" and one search led to another as I hit the google images jackpot of squirrels doing everyday things. I copy and pasted as many of these photos as I could find into a Powerpoint and  starting captioning them all in different tenses while using student names.

                                                                   "Will lava la ropa".

As I went through the Powerpoint, we discussed the ridiculous photos. The kids were quickly eager to expand on these scenarios and descriptions. Without them even knowing it, I was able to smoothly get them to start understanding the use of DOPs and to start trying them out in their own sentences.  By personalizing this lesson, incorporating a little bit of creativity and allowing them to learn through experience I effectively engaged all of the students in my room. And, guess what? DOP instruction became a rewarding experience for me too....I can't wait to try it out again next year!

In summary, Burgess is spot on. "By changing focus and activating the creative genius that resides inside each of us, there are incredible ideas all around for the taking". All it takes is a little change in perspective.

PLCs: as Important as ABCs

I have been teaching for seven years now. The first two years of my career, my Professional Learning Community consisted of two important people. My cooperating teacher/mentor/dept. head/Spanish teaching colleague and the math teacher that I carpooled to work with. Don't get me wrong, these women are two of the best teachers on the planet. They both have a wealth of knowledge and skills that they are willing to share and they offered some of the best advice I have ever been given.

My third year of teaching, however, I became part of a Freshmen Team at my school given that I taught four sections of Spanish I every year. Talking about insight! Being part of this team gave me the opportunity to look at student data with people that shared the same students!! Together we have a more well-rounded view of student performance and are able to come up with more comprehensive intervention plans. The success we have seen in the last five years is quite incredible and deserves a post all of its own.

My newest PLC is one that took a little convincing to join. Don't get me wrong, I like the internet. But, for a while, I wasn't sure that Facebook, Twitter, Edmodo and Pinterest were really for me. It took a required course in Technology and Education to get me signed up. A few weeks later, I was hooked. As someone that LOVES school, these sites get me really fired up! Facebook and Pinterest are my two favorites. I love Facebook because of its "Spanish Teachers in the US" group full of Spanish Teachers from all over the US gracious enough to share their craft with others. It truly warms my heart to see teachers asking and RECEIVING support from total strangers. I consistently find myself inspired by the other teachers on this site and strongly encourage other teachers to join. While you are at it, check out Pinterest! It takes a little while to get used to, but, after a while, you get a little rush out of the hunt for true Pinterest treasures! I assure you, it is full of them! If you are ever in the need to spice up a lesson, these are the places to check out!

Expertos de Moda

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of teaching Demonstrative Adjectives. We use the Realidades series in my district and in Spanish 2, Demonstratives are paired with clothing and accessories. As a result, I decided to allow my kids to play the role of "Expertos de Moda". I had two (brave) students volunteer to be modelos and as a class we picked out their outfits.

In preparation, I brought in two big bags of clothing and accessories. I had three dresses, skirts, shirts, sweaters, vests, scarves, hats and pairs of sunglasses. I passed these items around the room and stood at the back of the class. I presented the concept of demonstratives by saying. "Amigos, vamos a ser expertos de moda" "¿Cuál falda debe llevar estudiante? ¿Esta falda?(pointing) ¿Esa Falda?(pointing) O ¿Aquella falda?(pointing) We then followed that up with the next article of clothing and then the next. When it was all said and done I asked our Modelos (again) if they would be willing to try on their outfits (just in case they became too wild and uncomfortable for them to wear since their initial agreement). And, of course, outgoing Spanish students are always willing to take part in a catwalk!

As a class, we picked out a song and these two walked in displaying their newest styles. After all the fun and games, we took the time to discuss the difference between esta, esa and aquella and the difference between este and esta and so forth. Having had a little bit of fun certainly made for a more interesting lesson and students that were more willing to explore the grammar side of the language. Furthermore, this lesson is one where the grammar was presented in context as opposed to my old worksheet/guided notes method. Overall, with a little more tweaking, this will be a solid lesson that I plan to use for years to come.

La Nochevieja

As much as I love Spanish I also love to talk about cultura. Last year (2012-2013) I had the pleasure to celebrate New Year's eve (Nochevieja) en Puerta del Sol in Madrid, España.

Those that know me, realize that hanging in a crowd this large is NOT my scene, but, I will admit that it was an incredible experience well worth being outside of my comfort zone. Afterall, what teacher doesn´t like cultural bragging rights with her students :) In any case, in Spain it is traditional to eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight on New Year´s eve. You will see hundreds upon on hundreds of people with their plastic baggies of grapes ready to go. On T.V. during the Campanadas, they even have a countdown to eating them. Each grape devoured is believed to be a month of good luck.

With this in mind, I decided to recreate this experience with my students.

Learning Objective: To be able to describe New Year's Traditions  (I go over the daily objectives with my students everyday--they need to know what they are responsible for learning)

I start my lesson by having my students read an article about New Year´s eve traditions in Spanish. It includes Puerto Rico, Mexico, Ecuador and other Spanish speaking countries. I follow this up by going through a powerpoint I created explaining many of these in detail. The last of the slides is of Spain, where I explain the grapes and the campanadas.

Instead of just talking about it, I have my students watch the Youtube clip of ¨Las Campanadas¨ and interact.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV1VFcCKijY

As they watch the video, I have them eat 12 gummy bears... or deliciosos ;)

It seems like a silly task, but with all sincerity, this really does make for a memorable experience for the kids. In fact, my Spanish 2 students asked me if we would be celebrating again this year. They are ready.

New Year, New Me...Not really

Some things will never change, I love teaching and I love my students. I do have a few goals this year though:

1) Continue to learn and try new things. As an avid pinterest user and Spanish teacher share follower I have hundreds of ideas everyday at my finger tips. But, it takes more than just pinning to make A difference in the classroom. As I become more and more familiar with my curriculum objectives, I plan to try things that are new and out of the box every unit and to reflect on them. TPRS, you are on my list!!!

2) I will continue to focus on the positives. I've always been a glass is half full kind of person. It is pretty easy with amazing friends, family and some of the best students a teacher can ask for, but as a teacher, I truly believe that optimism and a positive attitude is of the utmost importance.

3) I will continue to push myself outside of my comfort zone. One of the most influential people in my life always says that to promote growth it's a good idea to keep yourself comfortably uncomfortable. If life gets too cozy you are less likely to change. Let's face it, education is constantly evolving and so should we.

4) I will continue to lead and to be led when needed. Anything is possible when everyone is on the same page working towards the same vision.

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