Okay, so it's not really the "new year," but when you're a teacher, the "Happy New Year" has a completely different meaning. That said, I know it's October...so it's really not the beginning of the school year either. Give me a break. (Really...a break would be lovely right now.) So much has happened this year, and I just wanted to document and share some of it.
First of all, I'm planning another trip to Costa Rica!! This time it will be with students! I'll just go ahead and say that planning a school trip is so much more frustrating than planning my own trip. Whew. Thanks NSE for helping that be a not-so-painful process. I'm looking forward to sharing beautiful Costa Rica with some of my best students.
Secondly, I've been trying out some new teaching methods and activities. If you're late to this party, you should keep in mind that I teach everything from level 1A to AP. By the end of the day, I often can't speak plainly in English. Sometimes I can think of Spanish words but can't call to mind the English equivalent.
Six levels of Spanish + online classes + stress + homecoming week = a brain of mush
Here are a few things that have worked thus far this year:
Spanish 4: Conversation Circle
This has been such a learning experience. I read about using conversation circles at Diary of a Language Coach. I've put my own spin on it, though, and it seems to be working nicely. Each Wednesday, a student or two gives a brief presentation and opinion on an article he/she found online. The article must be related to a predetermined topic such as tecnología, arte, belleza, etc. That student then uses his/her article to determine the topic of conversation for the following Monday. My Spanish 4 students are already required to only speak in Spanish, but the conversation circle allows them to express their opinions and discuss topics that they normally would not have the opportunity to discuss.
How does it work in my classroom?
Over the weekend, the students write 2 questions they could potentially use in the discussion.
With about 20 minutes left in class on Monday, we get started. First, students sit in a circle. (Mine chose to sit on the floor--still not sure why...but it does make it a bit less formal.)
The person who presented the article and chose the topic gets to start the conversation with one of his/her questions.
Rules:
1. No question can go unanswered.
2. Only Spanish is allowed. (I'm still working on what to do when they hit a word that they don't know because of lack of exposure. Sometimes their classmates know, but other times, they look to me, which I'd prefer to avoid during this activity.)
3. Each student must contribute to the conversation at least 5 times with a substantial question or comment. I usually listen and keep track.
4. Students are in charge in the activity. They guide the conversation and stay on each question as long as they want.
My students seem to love this so far. It's really amazing (and encouraging!) to hear them tackle topics that they have never had the opportunity to study in Spanish. They recall vocabulary from past years and even help and support each other in Spanish. How many 11th grade students do you know that can do that in their second language?! They definitely aren't perfect, but they are communicating in a way that the meaning is rarely lost, so I'd say this activity is a winner!
AP Spanish: Diarios and Mini-research
My AP students are amazing. I get to spend one-on-one time with them as I teach them, so I'm still surprised when I see how different their levels of skill are. One of them might be able to easily converse with me, using advanced vocabulary he/she just learned this week, while the other one might struggle with speaking only to blow me away with his/her persuasive essay thought process.
In order to better prepare them for the AP exam in May, I ask them to write a journal entry every other week. They choose the topic (from a very long list I provide), and then they correct it after I mark it up. They then look for a news article in Spanish that touches on their journal topic and post the link at the bottom. Their submissions are in Google Drive so we can constantly edit and see each other's comments and changes as needed.
After posting the link, the students are expected to compare and contrast their journaled thoughts with those found in the article in a 1-2 minute oral presentation. That might not seem like long, but at the beginning of the year it seems like forever to them. This particular activity provides writing, editing, speaking and research practice. Hopefully it will all pay off when they take their exams.
On a completely different note, this time of year is the hardest for a teacher in my opinion. What's more, it's homecoming week. So I like to remind myself of the "little things":
This week, one of my student's parents told me that my class was the only one she had spoken positively about all year.
I might not be able to form a complete sentence due to the mushiness of my brain, but THAT brought tears to my eyes.
If you're a teacher and struggling through this time of year, hang in there! You never know what's going on in the lives of the students whose eyes follow you every day. You just might be the light they need.
Bendiciones,
ProfaXploradora
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