You know how it goes every time you meet someone new.
Yes, I teach STUDENTS Spanish. And I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. Anyone who teaches and has developed a passion for it, knows that students are more than just a "bunch of kids" that you coexist with 47 minutes a day. They become bits and pieces of you and if there is one thing I have learned in my short time as a teacher is that one should NEVER take them for granted. In fact, I am very careful to make sure that ALL of my students are known and valued in my classroom. Here are some of the little things that I do:
1) In my classroom, I have a bulletin board for Students of the Week titled "¿Quién es el estudiante de la Semana?¨. Each week, I pick one or two students from each one of my classes and I give them a blank outline of this owl. I ask them to decorate the owl in whatever fashion they would like and to write a paragraph about him/herself in Spanish. When they finish, it goes on the board and it takes me about two minutes a week to organize. I have done the math, and there are enough weeks in the school year to have each student spotlighted for at least a week a year. It is a small thing, but, they take it seriously and are truly honored to be picked (and write a paragraph...WIN!)
2) At least once a month, I pick a few students to make positive phone calls home to or to write notes home to. They are as simple as: ¡Hola! I just wanted to let you know that it has been an absolute pleasure having .... in my class this year. She participates frequently, has a great sense of humor and has been doing a great job with...¨ Let´s face it, ALL students have positives that can be highlighted. Accentuate them! It might make that student want to work harder or at the very least will give them a reason to continue that particular behavior!
