Field Trips, Testing...and WHEN DO I TEACH!?!?

I'm sure by just reading the title of this post you are already saying "FOR REAL" or as the kids say "For Realz"...(okay, maybe they don't say that) but anyways...it seems like in our fast paced world and especially in the education industry..."It's always something." Testing, Makeups, Field Trips, Pulling kids out for RTI, Pep Rallies, Fire Drills, Tornado Drills, Earthquake Drills, Zombie Protection Practice (Guess, we haven't gotten there yet....just wait, it'll come)!

We ask ourselves constantly..."When do I teach?" I have been teaching for 5 years now and I can say within that 5 years there have been plenty times when my lessons was...."shot to H*!!" I look around at the 12 kids sitting in my classroom and they say "Can we just listen to music?" AHHHH! What do I do, what do I do? Any true good teacher understands a day wasted of no educational content, is well....a day wasted! We are already under so much pressure to get through the content and then THESE things happen...shoot me in my freakin' foot! 

I am here today to share with you some of my "Emergency Activities" for when things like this happen! I learned my first year of teaching when I looked at the remaining half my class and I heard the ever-so-popular "Are we going to do anything in here today?" I knew I had to prepare for these days. FROM THE BEGINNING, you have to preach and teach to your kids that EVERYDAY will be valued and YES, you will be learning and doing SOMETHING today! 

So here it is my Top 5 "Get Your Crap In Gear, Your Butt Is Doing SOMETHING Today" Activities... :) 

1. Circle Conjugation Game: Get the kids in a circle (they can sit down or stand up), put infinitives on the board, and make them go around and conjugate in order (yo, tu, el, ella, etc.)---I want to apologize for the no accents. Spanish teachers are clinching their teeth together after seeing that! When it comes your turn, you don't know the conjugation, big fat buzzer---you're out. It will come down to two kids going back and forth. IT CAN GET INTENSE! You can also do this with counting or category vocabulary sets!!! :) 

2. El Cuerpo: This takes a little pre-planning. Take thick paper (cardstock is the best) and put two body parts on each card. You'll need about 10 to 12 cards. Ask for two volunteers to come to the front. Whatever card you pull out of the basket is what two body parts they have to touch together. BE CAREFUL AMIGOS! I usually say 2 guys or 2 girls because it will get physical....but funny! 

3. Youtube Vids on Hand: Take time to develop an emergency youtube CULTURAL/EDUCATIONAL video list...of course they will ask you can we watch "Ridiculousness" or something totally non-content...just say no! 

4. Conjugation Board Race: Two teams of 5 or 6 (vosotros)...so 10 or 12 kids. Have them face each other. Ones at the top of line holds a white board on each team. Say an infinitive, and they have to conjugate and pass until the last dude or dudette has conjugated. Whoever is the fastest...wins! 

5. Nerf Ball Goal Review: I keep a nerf goal in my room for emergencies like these. Days of chaos or schedule change...conduct a 2 or however many teams review game. Give each team a point for answering and an additional point for making the shot. If they steal, they can take away OTHERS points! 

So these are just scratching the surface BUT...it may save you from a day of chaos, schedule modification, and lesson melt-down. 

Enjoy & Steal!!!

God Bless,

Brittany B, 

Happy Dia de Los Muertos

So tomorrow "officially" starts Day of the Dead but since it's over the weekend...why not have some fun with the kids TODAY (since it is also Halloween)!!! 

The kids brought in food, we built some fake altars, we are watching some you tube videos over La Llorona, La calavera Catrina, La isla de las munecas, and I am showing the kids some videos/pictures of when I visited the Mummy Museum in Mexico. 

We have been watching lots of videos over el dia the past month so they have practically seen them all. LOL 

Anyways, today is a class day celebrating and learning how the hispanic cultural deals with death, celebration of life, and just overall culture. I think they have learned we are VERY similar and the curiosity of life after death is a universal concern/interest for ALL cultures! 

I love this day! It's one of my favorite holidays (American and Mexican) and I'm so blessed to celebrate it with my kiddos! 

Here is a pic of my annual tradition "Dead Makeup" 

I always have such a hard time being "dead"/"scary"/"serious"...so here is a pic of me smiling. Yes, I kind of look weird and you can laugh! 

Everyone have a safe and festive holiday whether you're celebrating Halloween, Day of the Dead, or both. 

God Bless,

Britttany B. 

Breaking the "Packet" Stereotype

So I remember being a student in high school and the teacher would slap a big packet in front of us and we would moan and cry and she would wobble back to her desk. (Not my Spanish teacher though, but other classes). I remember not comprehending any of that packet because we were not made to be engaged with the packet. We were just suppose to sit there like model students and complete the packet. It was pointless and as a student, I learned to hate packets. 

I promised myself when becoming a teacher I would never give ANY worksheets or packets and I would always be engaging. It was until recently I heard a few of my really "good kids" say "We never really do simple written tasks that could help us learn it better and practice." I was taken back...Wait, you WANT that work? I was so surprised...I went back to these two same girls and asked them. After having a little conversation I found out that students actually like this work as long as it's given in moderation and they are asked to be engaged. 

I then went back into work mode to make sure I could offer kids written and fun activities and practices. I also had some really good kids say "I would like some more work to work on at home." Do what now?! 

I decided you know what...I am going to prepare a huge activity packet jam-packed with activities, practices, written opportunities and it will all be together and I won't have to worry about giving out a bunch of different papers and copies. Shew, having it all together was SO much easier! 

So this is what I did exactly! The kids LOVE it! My biggest challenge is keeping them from flying ahead so lesson learned: I will attach "EXTRA CREDIT" pages within my next packet for all my little over-achievers to do. 

We have done the following activities with working with the packet: Partner Rally, Pass & Write, Stand up-Hand up-Pair up, All Class Together where we try it and check it, Individual work (quiet time), we used it in a class game (they LOVED that day), attached homework, and even study hall work! 

Now that I have been convinced, I will create a packet with EVERY concept I teach. The kids are REALLY getting their "Ser Verb" I attach different grading criteria to each page and it's a great practice.

If you want to do the same, you can always create your own packet using the same idea. My "All About the Ser Verb" packet is available at: 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/All-About-the-Ser-Verb-Packet-1510959

Thanks & God Bless,

Brittany B. 

Teach Them What You Want to Hear...

So it would be a foreign language teacher's dream to hear the beauty of the classroom target language flowing from the students mouth every time they attempted to speak, right? But let's be honest. We may start strong but how many of us ACTUALLY have a classroom that is achieving 80% target language coming from the STUDENTS' mouths? IF you do have this, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell us all your dirty little secret because we're dying to know! In reality, we may start off strong at the beginning of the year but we get a little "too nice" allowing our kids to speak English just a little too much! I'm guilty...what's my punishment? A nap...BRUTAL *but I'll take it* 

So I decided to examine this problem a little more deeply and I realized you know what...what if we started small? Giving the kids the EXACT words we MUST hear (FREQUENTLY USED WORDS), giving them activities to practice, and then ENFORCING (BIG OL' MEAN TEACHER) them to use them. When the kids master this set, I'll pass on some more words. 

I created this special packet I plan on giving ALL my levels (1, 2, and 3). The packet can be done all in one class period OR you can do a page a day spreading it out over a week's time. Your choice. 

I start off with giving them the words, we'll repeat and word on pronunciation. This 1st page is for me to be able to teach the kids. The 2nd page is a "Find Someone Who" where the kids will get to get up and interact with one another. Of course, I will play too. My favorite is probably the charades activity where they must act out the phrases and the other person has to guess the world. Other activities include unscramble, matching, and a scenario/riddles games. 

I think that kids hear so much Spanish that to them is seems like a billion words. I think we have to put it back on them that we want THEM to be able to give it back to us. This year I'm starting off small in little chunks with highly frequent used words and then expanding.

What do you guys do to get the kids speaking Spanish in your classroom?

I have included the link to my "Lucky 13" Packet if you are interested in using mine, or you can make your own with special words for your classroom. 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Lucky-13-Spanish-Survivor-Words-Phrases-1355704

God Bless,
Brittany B. 

A paragraph a day, gets the Spanish underway...

I'm always trying to figure out the perfect that is going to allow my Spanish 1 kids to walk out at the end of the year learning such a high amount of Spanish and taking it with them to Spanish 2. I am always trying to implement new things that will give my students a ton of practice with using words and phrases they will see and need all the time. 

I was blessed to have the opportunity to go to AP Spanish training, and I met some really cool individuals and rockstar teachers while I was there. While I was there, I met an awesome teacher who had been teaching AP for years along with the basic Spanish one, Spanish two, and three and four.The number one thing he told us was get your kids reading every day! Considering he had a high pass rate for the AP exam, and has been doing this for years... I took his advice to heart and tried to figure out how could I get my kids reading on a daily basis or at least every other day. 

I finally realized this past year that my kids have to be reading at least every other day. I created these paragraphs that emphasize the Spanish 1 material, but they are also great for Spanish two review. 

I told the kids they would get 30 to 45 seconds to read the paragraph in their head, then I would draw a name out of a stick and if they could translate it into perfect English then they would get some pesos (extra credit system I use). 

The kids started to see all the words in context and were so confident when they were able to translate the paragraph into perfect English. This is something they wanted to do every day and would ask "Are we getting a paragraph today?"I would even have kids asking at the door if they could translate the paragraph that day! 

My administrators were amazed by how the students wanted to read and how well they did it. Instead of using old traditional methods like making the kids write the words over and over, worksheets or book work, they quickly learned from seeing everything in context. Also, I was even able to include words that I wasn't going to introduce until later that year into the paragraphs and by the time the kids got to when I was supposed to teach it...they already knew it! 

So I'm sure you are interested in what my AP pass rate was using this system?!? Using this system...All my kids passed! I had one get a five, a lot get a four, and the rest got threes! 

To purchase my pre-made paragraphs...(So you don't have to write them your self... Believe me it takes time.) Click the link below to purchase from my teachers pay teachers account. 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/50-Spanish-Level-1-Practice-Paragraphs-1332286

These paragraphs can be used in Spanish 1 and are great for Spanish 2 review. They are edible so you can mix up the details and even include your own students name. They come in PowerPoint form, but you may also take them and put them on any document you like. You may use them in a reading folder, stations, or like I am doing with a daily reading time. 

Hope this works for you as well as it has for me :) 

God Bless, 

Brittany B. 

Culture in Music

One of the best classroom management strategies I have is using music. Everyday I play an artist that represents a Spanish singer. I mix it up with Country, Rap, Salsa, Cumbia, and more.  Instead of just playing the music...I like to introduce the artist on Monday and give some information over the artist (where they are from, how old, languages they speak). Throughout the week I will play songs of that singer. 

Here's my classroom management tip: I am always playing music while the students are switching classes. I am out in the hall welcoming my students in and using this time to ask Spanish questions. My students usually love to talk to me and try to answer Spanish questions. My rule is...when the bell rings I am IMMEDIATELY coming into my room and shutting the door. I am then making my way to my desk to turn off the music. IF you are not in your seat by the time I turn off the music, you are considered tardy and points will be deducted from your weekly participation grade. 

AMAZING!!!!!! It works! You HAVE HAVE HAVE to stay consistent with it and do it everyday. There have been a few days where I got side-tracked and didn't get the music going and it made a huge difference. It broke their routine, their stability. From now on, I keep a loaded you-tube page up on computer with the daily song ready to go. 

Here's a list of popular artists I play that the kids 

1. Shakira
2. Ricky Martin
3. J-LO
4. Prince Royce
5. Fanny Lu
6. Enrique Iglesias
7. Santana
8. Paulina
9. Celia Cruz
10. Marc Anthony
11. Alejandre Pires
12. Juanes 

They Took Their Test...Now What?

So I teach AP Spanish and anyone who teaches this knows that we usually take our AP Spanish test very very early (May 6th to be exact). After taking the tests...try telling SENIORS that we are going to continue class "and learn"...ha, (hold up shield for the tomatoes thrown at face).

This year I didn't want to just "quit" after the test...with the snow and lovely KY weather this year...we're here to June. (Swallow Valium) So I was thinking what can I do that will be fun but not intense that will challenge the kids but not overwhelm them and just be "FUN LEARNING" So I have come up with a mini-idea list...enjoy!!!

(Some of these activities were actually done in Spanish 3 and AP but are great repeats because you can switch them up.)

1. Mock Court Cases - Let the kids create their own crazy trial, organize the positions, allow them time to work on what they will say and ask, present and enjoy!

2. Bizarre News Reports - Let the kids organize "fake" news reports. We actually do this in Spanish 3 and it's always really fun to watch. Put them in small groups and have them create at least 3 stories: You can do top news, sports, weather, etc. Always fun to watch. You can also give them cameras and let them record their reports!!!

3. Helping Out Lower Levels - Let them be the "teacher" and prepare a mini-lesson for the lower levels. Let them pick a topic, organize a level. It's cool if you can actually pull them out of class to teach this lesson. If not, just record and show lower level classes. 

4. Create a song and dance - There are so many grammar topics that are just easier with a little tune and a little jig. Give the groups a topic and let them prepare this. Record and show your lower levels (if they let you) ;-) 

Hope these activities will keep your Spanish mojo flowing and allow the kids to have a little fun with Spanish being the center :)

God Bless,
Britt