Somewhere to Share

We asked some of our users to share their favorite Somewhere to Share products with you! If you’re not sure where to start, we hope that these reviews help you find just the right resource!

I love so many units from Huellas! My favorite so far is Bajo la mesa! The unit hook is the music video by Morat and Sebastian Yatra, and it connects to the theme of art! My students say that this song unit is “a banger,” which in today’s teen language means it’s a hit! Throughout the music video students are introduced to famous art. Each work of art has a comprehensible reading loaded with facts about the artist and their life and works. The unit comes with intriguing conversation questions and a final assessment that was a favorite by far in all of my classes! It is a wonderful opportunity for students to connect creatively and personally with the art that they chose all in Spanish!-Beth Langton

My kids have never been so interested in art as they are this year with Bajo la Mesa from Huellas. Not only do they love it but the plans are so easy to read and implement. It sure has taken a weight off of this teacher’s tired shoulders. – Meghan Loveless (@senoralovely)

Mi unidad favorita es “El agua es vida”  Siempre ha tenido un gran impacto con mis estudiantes. Miramos la película “También la lluvia” durante esta unidad y mis estudiantes siempre están asombrados al aprender esta triste realidad. Enseño esta unidad durante el tema de “cómo compartimos el planeta” con mis estudiantes de Bachillerato Internacional. También funciona con el tema de los desafíos globales para AP Spanish. -Cindy Medina (Profesora Medina)

Mar de plástico was an excellent unit for my combined Spanish 3/4 class this year. The new digital additions were so helpful while hybrid. The students loved learning about something “real” and multiple said it was their favorite unit ever! Allison Wienhold (Mis Clases Locas)

I’m new to using Huellas {Huellas 1 and Huellas 2} this year, and I’ve been really pleased with them in my all-remote level 4 classroom. When I ask my students what they are enjoying about the class, they tell me they especially like it when they get to talk about themselves and make the learning personal, which is what Carrie’s lessons do every time. We are doing Viaja Conmigo right now, because who doesn’t like to fantasize about getting to travel again?!?? I am very much enjoying getting to learn and use CI, even at the higher language levels, and the Huellas units are making it easy and fun (even on remote). Everything I need is right there, ready to go, and every unit can be modified for multiple levels of learners. Highly recommend (just buy the bundles, you’ll be glad you did). —Wendy Dufoe

I am NOT going to lie. This has been a crazy year. I was in a very dark funk from about November until February. I was struggling to just have the energy and enthusiasm for MY students and there was nothing left in me to draw on for making new materials! It was really a rough patch.

BUT the sun is shining, the faculty at my school is by and large vaccinated, and I am back with my students face to face. There was an almost immediate spark of needing to MAKE THINGS! They just feed my soul!

We want to introduce you to two new favorite songs:

IN FRENCH: Thanks to the amazing Krista Kovalchick, we can bring you our the Daily Routine unit as a French unit now!

Thank you for your support! Teacher authors couldn’t do it without our colleagues!

Don’t forget code FORYOU21 at checkout on April 6 and 7, 2021 to get an extra 25% off!

In upper level classes, it is hard to find the right balance between lighthearted, fun, engaging stories and real-world, current, engaging topics. I have, on occasion, found that my juniors and seniors were carrying the heavy load of a curriculum that was too grammar heavy. I have also, on occasion, found that my juniors and seniors missed the point of what we’d been doing in our curriculum because it was too light. It’s a conundrum.

• We want our language classes to TRULY lead to more proficient speakers.
• We want our language classes to be inclusive… places where no one walks out thinking they aren’t cut out to learn languages.
• We want our language classes to be engaging because engaged students acquire more language.
• AND we want our language classes to lead our students to a level of fluency that allows them to advance their skills even without us walking the path to proficiency with them.

But how do we do it?

With Huellas 1 & Huellas 2

What is Huellas?

How do I IMPLEMENT this curriculum?

We think that there are two ways: Option A, make Huellas your full syllabus. Here are my most recent scope and sequence (the pandemic has really wreaked havoc on a lot of things so we did NOT get through all I anticipated this year… I am hesitant to create them for next year because I JUST DON’T KNOW… Are you feeling this way??? Is next year going to be a regular year???)

Option B- Go a la carte. We know that sometimes you’re just TIED to a district curriculum but we hope that the flexibility of our plans and unit structure will allow you to incorporate the units you love without causing waves with your colleagues!

What if I am new to using readers?

I have a lot to say about the power of readers in the classroom. The more we read, the higher my students score on the AAPPL exam (they take it to qualify for the Global Seal of Biliteracy and IL state Seal of Biliteracy). BUT… If you have never used a reader in class, I don’t recommend you dive in with 4!

Because the curriculum does not fill a full year without the readers, we have begun work on a booster bundle for Huellas 1. The curriculum is under construction but we know that budgets are often due at the end of the year so we are offering the new bundle on Pre-Order at a discounted price! Check out the product description for the anticipated release dates of each piece of the new bundle!

A final note:

We hope that Huellas can engage and inspire your students to use their new language to be conscientious consumers and conscious stewards of their planet!

Find all of our Huellas products on sale this week, April 6 and 7, 2021 for 25% off with code FORYOU21.

We are really excited about our new Huellas 1 Booster Bundle. This bundle will consist of 5 units that help pump up the possibilities for your students in their Huellas 1 year! Unit 1.11 (Compra menos y haz que dure) is already available and unit 2 is so close we can taste it!!

After picking the brain of the INCREDIBLY talented Abra Koch, I fell in love with the idea of the library as a basic human right! Books really open doors but libraries themselves open doors I never realized! From internet for families with no access to services and classes for people new to the community, the library is so much more than just books!

In this unit we have the great pleasure of sharing some poems from the amazing David Bowles and Diego Ojeda. We will introduce you to the Cajas de ideas in Colombia and the amazing Muloteca! We’ll read the book Soñadores with Yuyi Morales (if you don’t have it yet, we give it all our thumbs up for the classroom library. The art is precious). 12 days of lessons packed into one tidy little unit!

Take advantage of the sale tomorrow, April 6, and Wednesday, April 7, to pre-buy this bundle (or even just this unit) at 25% off!

It was an amazing launch year for Huellas 1 and 2. I am SO grateful to the teachers who used my units and who gave amazing feedback throughout the year. Our Huellas Facebook group has let me see all the ways YOU are using the units in the classroom and that is a 100% inspiration in MY classroom!

Huellas 1 is a shorter curriculum than Huellas 2 and when I use it, I read 4 readers with my students along side the units… and not everyone has that privilege! I know budgets for classroom materials can be TIGHT! I decided to expand Huellas 1 for those who do NOT have access to readers and also to offer more choice! If you don’t connect with one unit, our Huellas 1 Booster Pack will offer options to swap it out for a different topic!

We are also thrilled to be able to pick the brains of colleagues Abra Koch and Bethanie Drew to bring you these new units. Working with like minded educators to share new content is THE BEST FEELING EVER!

TPT is hosting a sale April 6 and 7, 2021. We have created some PRE-ORDER PRODUCTS for our Huellas users. In the fall, when the full Huellas 1 booster pack launches, it will be $70, we are offering at a pre-order for $50 (with an additional 25% off using code FORYOU21 during the sale). We want to do this as a THANK YOU to those who jumped on board with a BRAND NEW CURRICULUM this year and trusted us with your students!

The Pre-Order Booster Bundle includes:

1.11 Compra menos y haz que dure – Available now

1.12 El paraíso es una biblioteca – Available mid April

1.13 La ciudad nunca duerme – Available mid May

1.14 El que siembra cosecha – Available mid June

1.15 No basta con hablar de la paz – Available mid July

My cart was full on Saturday. I LOVE when TPT has a sale. I can support my favorite teacher authors and artists, find great things for my own business docs, and still save some money!

I’ve left my feedback and gotten my TPT credits!

By the time you’re reading this post, I will be checked out and enjoying my new “city” clip art and fonts!

Let us warm up your winter with some awesome new resources in both Spanish and French! If you fall for sales too, be sure you check out your favorite TPT authors today before the clock runs out!

It’s cold.

It’s dark.

It’s the hardest school year we’ve ever taught through.

We are worried for ourselves and our families.

Our cups are empty.

At Somewhere to Share, we know that things are difficult and we hope we can help take planning off your plate. Let us plan your lessons so that you can take care of YOU.

Whether you have a wish list or are new to our products, we have a lot of exciting new things on sale today and tomorrow! Be sure to use code FEBSALE21 at checkout for 25% off!

EVERYTHING is on sale! February 9 and 10, TPT is having a site wide sale and Somewhere to Share is participating. Just use code FEBSALE21 at checkout!

Don’t forget: If you go back and leave feedback for your past purchases, you get TPT credits to buy NEW RESOURCES! It is helpful to other buyers if you leave feedback that is descriptive and specific to the product! Of COURSE if you’re unhappy, do not leave a 5 but remember that other buyers will see your ratings so if you give a product a 3 because you haven’t had the chance to use it yet, it might mislead people into thinking it was not a good product! Don’t be afraid to give a rating you feel comfortable with but also don’t be afraid to give 5 stars to things you’ve liked that make life easier!!

It’s February and that means Valentine’s Day is just around the corner… but not everyone loves LOVE… May we suggest the song Corazón by Maluma instead? Whether our students are in a relationship now or not, everyone can appreciate a good heartbreak story!

Whether you’re using the Huellas curriculum or not, Compra menos y haz que dure is a unit of study that helps students understand the impact of fast fashion and teaches them tips and tricks for being a responsible consumer!

This song… I HATED it the first time I heard it. But now I can’t stop listening. The video is NOT for school but the music is 100% kid safe. (Remember to always read product descriptions so that you don’t get any surprises!) I love it because it tells a story! This would make a great song of the week for Haz que dure or just a stand alone for a brain break every day. PLUS sometimes the most hated songs end up being the ones they remember most!

If you’re new to Somewhere to Share, you can get our movie talks, readings, and songs of the week in deeply discounted bundles! The perks? As we add more items, your bundle grows and you get to download them for free! The cultural reading bundle makes a great set of sub plans to have on hand!

Huellas 1 and Huellas 2 bundles are on sale! If you have been considering our curriculum, now is a great time to get it at a discounted price! Learn more about what’s in Huellas here.

We have added two more French movie talks thanks to the amazing Krista Kovalchick! AND… they include face to face or remote plans! Animaux Ronds and (perfect for winter) Lily et le Bonhomme de Neige! (Also available in Spanish: Lily Animales)

Don’t forget to follow our store, our Instagram, and our Somewhere to Share Facebook page and Huellas group. February 9 and 10, 2021 are a great time to stock up on goodies that will help the end of the year flow more smoothly!

This has been a hard year in education. Not just the 2020-21 school year… this calendar year.

1. We did not get to spend the 4th quarter with our students in 2020. Our seniors graduated without closure for us as educators.
2. We have lost some of what made it easy to collaborate with others – consistency in what school looks like. For some it has been normal classes, face to face all year long. For others, it has been 100% remote. In the middle there are as many different ways of handling this year’s challenges as there are teaching styles.
3. We have lost our face to face connection time. No matter how our schools have handled the pandemic, we have had no opportunity to learn and grow together face to face at conferences. We are not getting face to face planning time with colleagues. We are spending more time alone.
4. We have another class of seniors nearing their graduation and, for many of us, our time face to face with them has been/will be limited.
5. Many have been afraid for their health and the health of their loved ones. On top of planning in new ways, creating lessons that engage both face to face and remote students, and missing our social connections… we are living through a pandemic. It is stress that we don’t normally carry added to a lot of other stresses we don’t normally carry.

I have spent the year watching you, my colleagues, as you’ve had to go into the classroom face to face. I recognize 100% the privilege I have being able to teach remotely this year. Although I do have underlying health problems, I know that many of you do as well and your district was unable or unwilling to give you a modified work environment. I can not thank my district enough.

Watching teacher friends on Facebook discuss vaccine rollouts in their state has made it clear that, while the vaccine IS a game changer, it is going to take time for the game to be changed. My husband and I work for the same school and were able to get vaccine 1 yesterday. Some teacher friends have already had both. Some teacher friends are probably going to be waiting deep into March and April.

But there is light. As we near the end of the year, we also near summer break. We NEED that break this year. It will give the vaccine rollout time to reach the general population and I hope that by fall, even if we return to school masked, we will return to a more normal schedule and approaching herd immunity.

My planned return to in person teaching date is March 22. It will be the first time since March 16, 2020 that I have been in my classroom in front of my students. I can’t believe I have spent a YEAR away from them. We see each other every day as I Zoom in to do live lessons but… I feed off their energy and it’s hard to be as energetic about a giant head on a smart board. Some of my favorite units to teach are my “spring themes” like Plastic Ocean and Zero Waste! I am anxious to be able to teach those IN PERSON!! The light at the end of the tunnel really is getting a little brighter.

There is a sale this week (Feb 9 and 10, 2021) at TPT and my whole store will be 20% off. You can get an extra 5% off by using the code FEBSALE21. We’ve been working to add new French resources and to digitize some of our most popular units to make them easier to use in the uncertainty of pandemic education. The overwhelming brain fog of this year has made it harder to create new things so we’ve focused a lot of effort on making older things better! If you own units that you haven’t updated recently, be sure to check in your TPT purchases. You may have some surprises waiting!

Thank you for all you’ve done this year. Thank you for being a great educator. Remember, you ARE a great educator. This year, we are all doing our best. And our best is enough.