I can’t believe how fast summer goes, how hard it is to shift from summer mode to teacher mode, and then how natural it is once the bandaid is ripped off and I’m back in the classroom. As of today, I have been at school a full week: One teacher day, four student days!
We started the year with our two truths and a lie activity in all levels. It’s a variation on “card talk”. I had student name cards on their chairs when they arrived. Inside the card, they wrote their two truths and one lie. In Spanish 2 it was things they did over the summer. In Spanish 3, goals they have for the school year. In Spanish 4, if I had 10k, I would… As you can see, I was working on different types of grammar in context by level! I went student by student and we looked at their 3 statements and decided which we thought was the lie. It’s a great way to get to know them a little and also set the tone that this is a place where we’ll speak Spanish as much as possible!
This week we are doing new units. In Spanish 2, I’m doing Kristy Placido’s Es una broma unit and some additions of my own like a class story and some games. In Spanish 3, we’re doing Bajo la mesa from Huellas 1. In Spanish 4, we’re jumping ahead a little and doing Biodiversidad y conservación from Huellas 2 while the weather is good and we can see some wildlife and insects in the woods!
It’s my 32nd year, but the best one I have had in a while. I know it’s only a week in, but my classes (and schedule) are SO GOOD RIGHT NOW. Post COVID era, I feel like I’ve had a few rough rides, but this first week has been smooth sailing! Hope it’s the same for you (whenever you go back)!
What I’m looking forward to:
Spanish Club trip to Fright Fest – It has NOTHING to do with Spanish, but the kids talk about it 100% of the time. One of the best things we ever started doing.
Continuing our writing experiment from last year but with some additional little grammar in context write and discuss activities before they write for real.
Our new SSR plans: In the past, I had classes compete to read as many books as possible. This year I am just giving a stamp for every book they read and then I’ll give them little candies as they reach stamp milestones of 5/10/15/20 books read!
What are you looking forward to this year? What has you feeling the school year scaries? Here’s to a great 2025-26 school year for us all!