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Literature Circles in Spanish Class

April 11, 2016, 1:45 pm
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In my post about my Curriculum Year 4, I mentioned a plan to have literature circles in both Spanish III and IV. I have always wanted to try out this English class technique, where multiple groups are reading and discussing different books all at once. Luckily, I am a part of the language PLC with the English teachers, which includes a young rock star English teacher who shared her wisdom and resources with me while I planned. I also checked out the following posts as well Kristy Placido - Círculos de la literatura & Martina Bex - literature circles. We just finished up literature circles in Spanish 4, and are starting in Spanish 3. 

**You can download the entire Literature Circle Unit here**




The first step was to purchase a variety of books in sets of 5. I chose the books below, all from TPRS Publishing. For Spanish 4, I picked all level 3 books, and for Spanish 3 a variety of levels that all use the past tense. I like that for individual reading, I like that these books all have a glossary that included every word and cognate.

Spanish 4 - Literature Circles with the following 3 books 
Spanish 3 - Literature Circles with the following 4 books in past tense 

For students to rank their choices, I made a power point for each class with a description of each book, including the country of setting and main cultural themes. This was shared in our shared Schoology folder and students filled out a form ranking their choices, and giving their reasoning as well. I went through their requests and tried to put students into groups of their 1st or 2nd choice, while making sure that each group would be a positive functioning unit. For the duration of this unit, groups sat together in table groupings. 



Once in their groups, they filled out calendars to keep everyone accountable for their plan. I I included an editable calendar in the unit package. 


This is the plan that was shared with students as the basis of our unit. It includes the following days as a part of our plan. 
  • Reading & Discussion - They have these general discussion questions, which help them when they get stuck. I move from group to group, helping where needed. I wanted to give them enough in class time to make sure everyone reads, and to provided support for those who like to read out loud with their group. For next year I am requesting the audio books for each group to have as an option as well. For my first time I did not have specific "roles" in each group, but this is something I think I may add with Spanish 3 especially. Spanish 4 had just gotten done doing lit circles in English class, so they had a better idea already of how to stay on track. 
  • Guided Interpersonal Speaking - Every few days we have a more structured interpersonal time which is required to be completely in Spanish. I give a topic (characters, setting, theme, plot, dram, critique etc), set a timer for 15 minutes, and then walk around informatively assessing. Here is my power point of topics & prompts. It is meant to be like a book club and students may use their books and notes.
  • Guided Writing - Right after speaking I set another 15 minute timer and students write about the topic they just discussed, also comparing it to other books and movies. I read these, give feedback and return them as formative practice. you can get all of the writing prompt forms in the unit plan.
  • Interpersonal Speaking Assessment - I will listen to each group separately as they discuss and critique their book. 
  • Presentational Writing Assessment - Students write an individual essay in class on paper about their book, using the literary elements discussed in class, as well as comparing it to other books and/or El Internado. It is included in the unit plan.
  • Project - Each group does a short presentation to teach the others about their book and the related culture. All others are encouraged to ask questions as well. 
**You can download the entire Literature Circle Unit here**

As always this is a work in progress and I would love any feedback that you have for me to make this better!

If you do not have multiple copies of each novel and would like to do something similar, check out my posts on how we did Individual Novel Study last year. Individual Novel Study Part 1 & part 2. 
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Comprehensible Iowa

April 12, 2016, 9:10 am
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As you may have seen on social media, Iowa is officially going to have a conference this summer specifically geared for comprehensible input strategies. I am very excited for this opportunity to learn and grow so close to home. It will be on Saturday, June 18 in Nevada, Iowa. There will be tracks for beginner, experienced CI teachers, as well as edcamp style sessions. Check out the Comprehensible Iowa website for for information. 

CI: Comprehensible Iowa Conference - graphic by Elizabeth Dentlinger


I will be presenting a session on Teaching a Novel 101. I would love YOUR feedback of what you would want included in my session. Please comment with what you would want to be included in a session like this!



You should register here for this great one day event. There will be TWO keynote presentations: Carol Gaab (author & founder of TPRS Publishing) and Grant Boulanger (CSCTFL teacher of the year). If you are in the middle of the U.S., this is the event of the summer to be at. Get your PD requests in now & I hope to see you there!

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Teaching the novel Tumba

April 13, 2016, 7:10 am
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As a part of my Spanish 1 expansion Culture & Civilization class, we are reading Tumba by Mira Canion. It is now my third time teaching the novel, and it gets better each time. My first time with the book I posted each chapter with ideas. You can see them all with the label Tumba. I am including links to the original plans, along with what did this time. We have 60 minute classes and typically did 1 chapter with expansion activities per day. For more ideas, here are all posts with the label Day of the Dead.




Introducing the novel Tumba

  • Read & discussed the chapter as a class. 
  • Compared our school to both a private school and public school in Mexico using the pictures & school schedules in the teacher's guide. 
  • The next day reviewed the chapter by completing a cloze activity of the chapter using target vocab. 
  • Looked at pictures of day of the Dead to spark discussion. 
  • Students read chapter on their own. We then listened to the audio book, pausing to discuss as we went. 
  • Students completed a timeline activity by Elena Lopez & we discussed it. 
  • We discussed "calavera" poems. Students wrote their own and read them to the class. (With a bigger class earlier in the year we did a 2-line retell, sharing poems to one partner at a time). 
  • Since the chapter is titled "Altares" before reading it we watched and discussed this video & this infographic. 
  • We also watched this video for more visuals of the holiday. 
  • While reading I drew out the family tree on the board to try to keep all of thr new characters straight. 
  • Before starting the chapter, we used the comprehensible reading and questions on the Mexican revolution from the teacher's guide. This gave more background on the history of Mexico for this culture class, as well as gave context for the buried treasure in the book. 
  • At this point, the students are finding the actual book quite easy to easy, so they read the chapter on their own, and then we discussed it. 
  • We looked at pictures of typical foods in Mexico, as well as watched this video about how to make tamales. 
  • To review the chapter on Monday, students used images of the chapter from the teacher's guide to do a free write describing what happened. We shared these to review as a class. 
  • We listened to multiple versions of the traditional song "Cielito Lindo." We also watched this Coca-Cola ad , which shows whole stadiums of soccer fans singing the song. 
  • After reading and discussing the chapter, where Sergio flirts with Alex's little sister, we discussed pick up lines in Spanish. 
Tumba - Chapter 6
  • Using pictures from the teacher's guide, we compared cemeteries in the US and those in Mexico using PQA. 
  • Students explored pictures of caves in Mexico from my original Chapter 6 post to see the variety an beauty of caves in the region. 
  • After reading the (very short) chapter, students worked with a partner to put together sentences from the chapter (activity from Elena Lopez). They then put the sentences in order of the chapter, used their books to check, and then retold the chapter in Spanish and English to their partner. To finish, we reviewed the chapter as a class. 
Tumba Chapter 7
  • Using pictures from the teacher's guide, we discussed Ciudad Mante.
  • Students came up with 2 truths and a lie (Mentiroso) about chapter 7. They wrote them on small pieces of paper, I read them, and students guessed which was the lie. 
  • After reading chapter 7, students made an 8 box storyboard to review what had happened in the book so far. They used one box for each chapter 1-7, and one box for their predictions for the rest of the book. 

Tumba Chapter 8
  • To intro the vocabulary, students worked in partners to sort words from the chapter into categories of their choice. See this post for possible extensions to this activity and other ideas for this chapter. Students explained their choices of categories and how the words fit. 
  • Using an activity from the teacher's guide, students read a passage of the chapter that goes back and forth between telling a story in the past and the present and identified which verbs were past tense and was present. They justified why they thought each word was past or present and we spent a little time looking at how you could identify based on context or the word ending. Pop up grammar in context at its finest!

Tumba - Chapters 9&10
  • After reading chapter 9, students create 10 question true/false quizzes to give out loud to multiple partners. 
  • Students practice interviews of the characters by matching up questions and answers provided in the supplemental section of the teacher's guide. 
  • When we finishthe book, we will discuss how Alex, the main character changed throughout the books and students will take a Chapter 10 Kahoot. 
Assessments
  • Students will complete both an interpersonal speaking and presentational writing assessment. 
  • For the interpersonal speaking they will use authentic pictures from the teachers guide to ask each other questions about the book, including the school, home, city, Mexico, day of the Dead, etc. They could also compare these elements in the book to their lives. 
  • For presentational writing, they will chose one or more aspects above from the book to compare to their lives. (If you leave your email in the comments I will share what I have used). 

El Libro de Vida - movie guide
  • Normally as a part of this unit we watch the movie El Libro de Vida (The Book of Life) in Spanish with this movie guide. This group actually already watched the movie, so to continue with our study of Mexico, they will watch the family friendly movie The Perfect Game (about Mexico's little league team) in Spanish with an adaptation of these comprehension questions. 
Please share other ideas for this novel in the comments!
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Teaching La Calaca Alegre - Chapters 1-5

April 18, 2016, 5:00 am
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To finish the year, Spanish 4 is reading the novel La Calaca Alegre by Carrie Toth. I have only taught the novel once before, with Spanish 4 last year. I have the wonderful teacher's guide and realized that the fist time through last year I must have just been flying by the seat of my pants, pulling questions day by day from the teacher's guide and projecting them. It was my first year with novels and was teaching them in four separate classes at once for the first time, just trying to survive. 

This year I spent some time putting together a big Google Slide show with chapter by chapter questions and activities. For each chapter I have pre reading, during reading, and post discussion questions included. We do not necessarily discuss every question, but I project them to spark discussion, and the whole slide show is posted on Schoology for absent students. This is especially nice during track season with students leaving early multiple times a week. Students know if they are gone, they should read the next chapter and complete the accompanying questions. This slide show is where I also put links to additional videos, resources, and activities that supplement what we are discussing. It helps to keep me focused and able to pull up the day's plans easily. I find it much easier to plan a whole unit at once, and it ultimately saves a lot of time.


image source


Introducing La Calaca Alegre
  • Just like last year we started with a discussion on Identity. As I discuss in this post, I used pictures of me in high school to talk about my high school identity, as well as pictures of me now to show how my idea of my identity has changed. 
  • Students created a single PicMonkey collage or Google slide using pictures that represent their identity. 
  • I projected these collages and each student talked for about a minute in Spanish about their identity through these pictures. 
Chapter 1
  • Now that students have done their Literature Circles, they are much more independent readers in Spanish. They read chapter 1 on their own, and then we discussed it as a class. 
  • As a review the next day, I projected the chapter 1 word cloud from the teachers guide. Students did a 5 minute free write retelling the first chapter using the world cloud. They shared these at their table and we discussed it as a class. 
Chapter 2
  • To introduce the vocab we tried out Quizlet Live for the first time with vocab from chapter 2. We used these terms from Darcy Pippens & Christine Clark. The students and I had both never tried it, but it was a great team building way to introduce or review vocab. 
  • I read the chapter to the class, discussing questions as we went. 
Chapter 3
  • Students read the chapter in groups and then we discussed it as a class. 
  • To review the next day, students put 10 events from the chapter in order using the manipulatives from the teacher's guide. 
  • We also did a reader's theater, acting out the restaurant and car scenes from the teacher's guide. Students love the chance to dig into the prop box. 
  • We used the food slide show to talk about Mexican food. 
Chapter 4
  • Students read the chapter alone and then we discussed it as a class. 
  • Individually, student retold the night Angelica disappeared, using the word cloud from the teacher's guide. 
  • Students completed a chapter quiz informally together to see their comprehension so far. 
Chapter 5
  • We read and discussed the chapter. Most of the small class decided to sit together and take turns reading out loud. A few others chose to read alone. 
  • The class got to chose either a chapter 5 quizlet or chapter 5 Kahoot to review.
  • We discussed the mural Gulliver by Hector Duarte. We watched the Duarte Interview, while students followed along with the transcript (all provided in the teacher's guide). They worked together to answer comprehension questions from the interview. 
  • Students also read through the murals of Pilsen slideshow. 
I plan to continue with this series as we read with posts on chapters 6-10 & 11-15. Here are all posts with the label La Calaca Alegre.
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El Internado - Final Exams

April 19, 2016, 12:12 pm
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This year my Spanish III & IV final exams will be heavily based on the TV show El Internado: Laguna Negra, which they have been watching all year on Fridays. You can find all of my El Internado resources here. Dustin Williamson has some other great exams for the show that were very helpful when putting this together. 

By the end of the year Spanish IV should have finished season 3 (We are now farther than i have ever watched with students! last year we only made it to 3.3). Spanish III should finish season 2. We will be able to do this since we have 65 minute classes on Friday and after both classes finish their last books of the year they will get to do a week long El Internado unit. They have been asking to do an Internado unit all year, so this will be their reward for working so hard. (Isn't it awesome when their reward is more input in Spanish;)

I started with the same basic character descriptions and character matching for both exams, as well as who said it quotes. There is also a summary of each season, with key vocabulary words missing to fill in using word banks. There are a few pictures as well to describe where they take place, who is included, what is happening, and why this is important to the show. To finish there is a review essay where students give a summary of what happened, how they feel about, how they would change it, who they would recommend it for, and predictions. You can download both versions here. I would have shared it freely, but I did not want answer keys floating around the Internet. 

For the interpersonal part of their exam, they will discuss, compare and contrast El Internado with the other books they have read this year. 

If there is interest, I can also reformat and post my El Internado season 1 exam. It was made in the old Google Forms on my old school email and once transferred, it no longer collects responses. Let me know if you would be interested! 
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Teaching La Calaca Alegre - Chapters 6-10

April 25, 2016, 7:26 am
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To finish the year, Spanish 4 is reading the novel La Calaca Alegre by Carrie Toth. I already posted about teaching chapters 1-5 and here are all posts with the label La Calaca Alegre.


Chapter 6

  • We reviewed chapters 1-5 from the week before using the fun marker partner game from Cynthia Hitz. I read true/false statements from the first 5 chapters & students have goofy rules to show their comprehension. 
  • Students read chapter 6 and we discussed it as a class. 
  • We used the videos from the teacher's guide to do a video tour of the neighborhood of Pilsen in Chicago. 

Chapter 7

  • We used the phrase "meterse en líos" to talk about students past history of getting in trouble using an activity from the teacher's guide. 
  • We read and discussed the chapter. 
  • We reviewed the conditional tense and students did a guided writing on what their reaction to Carlos would be in they were his aunt and uncle. 

Chapter 8

  • Students shared their free writes from the day before with their tables, reviewing and discussing once again what they would have done it that situation.
  • Per the class request, i read the chapter to them, and we discussed as we went. 
  • Students then wrote and discussed their prediction of what would happen in the second half of the book. 

Chapter 9

  • We discussed predictions as a class and then read and discussed chapter 9. 
  • Students completed a web quest from the teacher's guide about Jeff Zimmerman murals. 
  • We went through the Murales de Pilsen slideshow from the teacher's guide. 

Chapter 10

  • We started this chapter after a long weekend, so I divided up the 9 chapters we had read so far. My nine students were each given a piece of computer paper and were responsible for drawing and writing what happened in their chapter. These were then posted around the room in a gallery walk style, so students could walk through what had happened so far. 
  • Before reading we discussed the phrase "meter la pata," using times we had put our foot in our mouth.We read and discussed the chapter. 
  • Students completed phrases from the starter "If I were Carlos," once again focusing on using the conditional. 
Hopefully by next week I will be able to post Teaching La Calaca Alegre - Chapters 11-15 once we finish the book!
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El Internado Final Exam - Season 1 & SALE!

April 26, 2016, 6:03 am
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For those of you who were interested in an exam over El Internado season 1, here it is!
El Internado Final Exam - Season 1. Last week I shared a post on my final exam for seasons 1-2 & seasons 1-3. Once again I would have gladly shared it for everyone to use, but I did not want the answer keys out there for students to find. 



This exam was originally made in Google forms for flubaroo, so it includes more specific answers than most assessments I do. Give this exam if your students have watched season 1 (the first 6 episodes) of El Internado: Laguna Negra. This exam includes a mix of 45 multiple choice, true-false & fill in the blank questions over season 1. There are character identification, who said it, place identification with pictures, and major plot points included. There is also a writing prompt to be completed in Spanish. In addition I usually do an interpersonal assessment as well, where students must talk in pairs about both El Internado and the books we have read this year. 

See this blog page for all of my resources for teaching El Internado. El Internado Resources


TPT Sale - This Thursday & Friday!


Since I finally added a few things to Teachers Pay Teachers for the first time since SUMMER, I decided it was time for a little end of the year sale! This Thursday & Friday (April 28 & 29) my entire TPT Store will be 20% off! This is your chance to get some end of the year activities to spice it up and finally grab some items that have been hanging out in your wish list. Remember, that if you review items you have purchased on TPT, you get points that can be spent like money. 20 points equals $1!

Here are my newest additions to check out. 

So, do not forget to go shopping this Thursday & Friday (April 28 & 29)!
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Teaching La Calaca Alegre - Chapters 11-15

May 2, 2016, 5:00 am
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To finish the year, Spanish 4 is reading the novel La Calaca Alegre by Carrie Toth. I already posted about teaching chapters 1-5 & teaching chapters 6-10. Here are all posts with the label La Calaca Alegre.


Chapter 11

  • It was a very nice day out, so we went outside to read chapter 11. I usually just post discussion questions from the teacher's guide, but I quick printed them out, so students could answer and discuss while outside. 
  • The next day to review, we completed a running dictation to get students up and moving.Here is our Running Dictation for chapter 11. 
  • We discussed a reading about Aztlán and chicano identity from the teacher's guide.
reading in the sunshine

Chapter 12

  • After reading and discussing, we did a reader's theater, acting out a portion of the chapter. 
  • Students did an activity from the teacher's guide, reading about an immigrant family. We discussed the challenges they faced, and if these are the same hardships the students would personally face if they were immigrating somewhere new.

Chapter 13

  • We played a couple rounds of Quizlet Live to review and practice vocabulary from the last few chapters of the book. 
  • We read and discussed the chapter and then did a little mini quiz from the teacher's guide to check for comprehension. 

Chapter 14 & 15

  • Per the class request I read the last two chapters out loud for old times sake, since it was their last book, or their last class. We discussed questions that I had projected as we went and completed it all in one class. 
  • Before the last chapter, we stopped for students to make their predictions for the end of the book, but no one guessed the big plot twist!
  • To review at the end we played Heads or Tails, a fun game with true/false statements. Here are the basic directions that were projected. 
    • Form a circle of chairs.
    • Stand in front of your chair & close your eyes.
    • The teacher reads statements from the book.
      • If true place both hands on your head.
      • If false, place both hands on your bottom.
    • If answer incorrectly sit down.

Assessment

  • Last year we did a presentational writing assessment and interpersonal speaking, but this class asked if we could do a project to end the year.
  • They are going to complete the great idea from the teacher's guide of creating projects that represent their identity. We will have a gallery walk day, where each student will explain their project, and everyone else will ask questions. The students are really excited about the project and I plan to have light snacks like an art gallery event on that day.
Overall, most students said La Calaca Alegre was their favorite book they have ever read in Spanish class! The recommended that it is a must read again next year for Spanish IV. Thank you Carrie Toth for such an engaging book and wonderfully written teacher's guide!


TPT SALE!

So I jumped the gun last week, because this Tuesday & Wednesday there is a site wide Teachers Pay Teachers Sale. Use the code CELEBRATE for additional savings on every store, including Mis Clases Locas! Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!



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Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

May 3, 2016, 5:00 am
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TPT SALE!

Today & tomorrow there is a site wide Teachers Pay Teachers Sale. Use the code CELEBRATE for additional savings on every store, including Mis Clases Locas! Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!


Here are my newest additions to TPT to check out. 

Also, all of my Para Empezar bell ringer slideshows make for fun end of the year activities incorporating music and dance in Spanish class!

So, do not forget to go shopping this Tuesday & Wednesday (May 3 & 4)!
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Final Assessments

May 11, 2016, 10:37 am
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It is that time of year again when everyone is trying to figure out how to assess their classes. We are down to the home stretch, as we will be out before Memorial Day this year. Here are my tentative plans for the classes I am teaching this trimester. I wrote a post earlier about my Curriculum for this year.


Exploratory Spanish

  • Final Project - Create/Interpret Class Story
  • This is my 4th group of junior high students as a part of 6 week exploratory Spanish. I have tweaked their final project each time to meet the needs of the class. I started with having them write and do something with a story, but I knew that would not work well for my class that was very IEP heavy. They had the additional option of instead, just using a story from class and interpreting it. Here is a cute example of a puppet show made by a couple extra special students. Here was the adapted Exploratory Project Description (with options). You can see the original final project in this post.
  • Since it is an exploratory class, during finals, they get to watch El Libro de Vida in Spanish with English subtitles. 

Culture & Civilization (level 1)

  • Final Project - Culture Project
  • For my trimester long Spanish 1 expansion, they will be ending the year investigating a topic of their choice, and then presenting it to their class in Spanish. You can see the 12 week plan in this Culture & Civilization post. So far students have mentioned researching topics such as tamales, Los Incas, or visiting Puerto Rico. 


    Spanish III

    • Literature Circle Unit
      • Interpersonal Speaking - (listen to each group ask each other questions and evaluate their book)
      • Presentational Writing - Individual writing assessment done in class over the topics we have covered this unit about their book)
      • Interpretive - Create projects either individually or as a group to share with the rest the class what their book was about & how it relates to culture of the Spanish speaking world. 

    Spanish IV

    • La Calaca Alegre Unit
      • Gallery walk including presentational writing, interpersonal speaking, presentational speaking & interpretive reading of the book. This post gives more information about this project, which came from the awesome teacher's guide. 


    What do your final assessments look like this year? please share in the comments!
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    Music Bracket - Round 2!

    May 12, 2016, 7:32 am
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    One of my most popular posts this spring was March música miércoles madness. It was adapted from last year's Música miércoles - bracket style based from this awesome post from Bethanie Drew. Our first bracket was such a hit, that they begged for another round. 

    Our march final bracket with the winner Danza Kuduro!


    I usually would have only done it once, as to keep it from getting stale, but since we were changing trimesters and I was getting 3 new classes of kids, including the other half of the 8th grade for exploratory, I decided to go for it. We once again voted via Google form for requests to be a part of the second bracket. This time the four quadrants were: upbeat favorites, dramatic power ballads, baile viernes& new songs they had not heard this year. You can see how the second bracket played out in the first picture above, with Waka Waka as the winner. 

    For logistics, all classes watch and vote for one pairing each day via twitter poll. I have a google slideshow with both videos for the day embedded, that is projected with a video playing as they walk in. Once they have listed to both songs, they vote on their own, and we may discuss why they voted the way they did. For 8th grade exploratory, it was a perfect way to talk about I like this song because, and I do not like this song because, using me gusta. To keep it easy, all classes had the same bracket, and as a school decide who wins and moves on. This way on the giant bulletin board we can all follow along with who is winning. I also have a youtube playlist of the songs which keeps things organized for me, and for students to use if they are voting on their own. 

    If you are interested in doing something similar to spice up the end of the school year, you can Download the whole unit here!! (includes March songs with editable slideshow, bracket & bulletin board)
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    10 Confessions of an End of Year Teacher

    May 19, 2016, 6:45 am
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    This is the time of year when teachers reflect on their start of year goals. You have all seen the memes of teachers in August and teachers in May, and can completely agree with the feeling. In August we are refreshed, bright, shiny and full of new ideas, but by the end of the year you just start thinking, there is always next year. 

    At the end of 1st trimester I wrote 10 Confessions. Here are 10 more for the end of year teacher. 





    1. I do not think my hair has seen a blow dryer or heat tool in the month May. As I sit here before school my hair is literally straight out of the shower, air dying. It is a rotation between wet braid, wet ponytail, or dry shampoo something. We can just pretend I am doing it for the health of my hair. 
    2. This week my 2 year old had a full on morning meltdown not wanting to go to "school." I almost joined him. 
    3. When Spanish 3 & 4 suggested spending the end of the year watching and discussing El Internado, I was all for it. Sitting in the dark and not having a lot to prepare. Deal. (Final El Internado Exam Season 1 & Exam Seasons 1-2 & 1-3). This also applies to the exploratory class ending the year with El Libro de Vida.
    4. As a high school teacher, the idea of attending the ton of graduation parties every weekend in May is exhausting. If I can not attend them all, I often choose to attend none. 
    5. The effort it takes to sit down and grade a stack of essays or exams requires: a tour around the school scavenging for food in the lounges, a trip to fill up your water bottle, an aimless walk to chat with your favorite teacher you share prep with, a trip to the bathroom since you drank the whole water bottle, a chat with you favorite office ladies, attempting to plan your entire next year's curriculum, and the will power of super human strength to finally sit down with your pen. By the time you finally do, the bell rings 5 minutes later and your prep is over. 
    6. My phrase of the week poster has literally not changed all year. 
      Semana 1 - nice job Sra.
    7. Regular weekly procedures such as Para Empezar have lately only been showing up randomly by student request. 
    8. This week I threw out two perfectly organized binders from my first year teaching, one sorted by grammar topic and the other by Avancemos textbook chapter. (Except you know I took the time to pull everything out of their perfect sheet protectors to reuse them, because #binderaddiction). Last year I posted about spring cleaning, but this time not just certain activities went, EVRYTHING did. 
    9. This trimester I have a class with one student. Yesterday she was finished with her final project, since like a great student she worked on it at home. I gave her a few options, and she decided to help me organize, clean and pack up my storage cabinets. 
    10. Even though I have been secretly counting down the days of school left, I am sad that I will not even return to school until November, since I will be on maternity leave with baby #2 the first day of school and will be on maternity leave. I know that one week into the summer I will be consumed with planning for next year. I will get giddy with the thought of back-to-school shopping, and spend countless hours this summer working to make next year the best year yet, because #weareteachers. 

    What are your end of year confessions?
    Here are More Confessions from Megan Sulewski
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    Lista lunes - end of year in Spanish class

    May 23, 2016, 10:08 am
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    Lista lunes - end of year in Spanish class 2016


    It is that time of the year when we need just a little something extra to finish up the year. I know that most of these are not rocket science, but at this point most teacher's brains need a little help and a link as a reminder. Here are a few ideas to keep students (and teachers!) engaged. 

    Mini Cultural Unit

    Even if you are tied to a certain curriculum, the crazy end of year schedule sometimes allows for some flexibility. If you have a few days extra, a mini cultural unit is perfect! I put together a few of my favorite mini units in this post. Some ideas include La Guerra Sucia or Las Fallas. 


    Music Unit

    Music is almost always an engaging way to hook students. You could focus on one particular song if you only have a day, or could do a music bracket, where students listen to many songs and vote on their favorites. 

    Movie Unit

    Sometimes with wacky end of the year schedules a movie is perfect. For example my exploratory class gets to watch a movie in Spanish during the long finals classes, since they do not have finals. The Book of Life or Canela would both be great movies for a novice class to watch. There is a guide posted if they need a little something to keep them focused and on track. 




    Do a Class Story

    Everyone loves being a part of a good story. Even those in upper levels if you see this post. Check out Martina Bex's site for inspiration on story scripts and activities to go with them. Make it relate to their life such as crazy summer plans, and keep it fun with props. 



    Sr. Wooly

    You can never go wrong with a wacky song from Sr Wooly. I can not wait to have access to Sr. Wooly Pro next year, since we are purchasing it as a part of our curriculum budget!


    Zambombazo summer spanish 2016

    This packet of activities would be great to transition to summer, or to give to students as supplemental optional enrichment over the summer. One summer I gave it as an option to complete over the summer for those returning to Spanish, as was pleasantly surprised with how many students completed it! Here is another list from Maris to help keep up student proficiency over the summer. 

    Lista lunes - end of year in Spanish class 2015


    Here was my post from exactly one year ago with more ideas!
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    2nd Blogiversary!

    May 24, 2016, 9:45 am
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    In the craziness of the end of the year, I missed my 2nd blogiversary. I started this little blog on May 21, 2014, as a space to reflect and to try and give back to all of those who have helped me. It has grown into something much bigger than I expected and I am very grateful to all of you who take time to read my ramblings. 

    TPT SALE


    In honor of my 2nd blogiversary, and my last day of school, I will be having a special 1 day sale on TPT. On Wednesday, May 25 all products in my store, Mis Clases Locas, will be 20% off! 


    Go check out your wish list, since this is the time to purchase them. There are final exams and assessments to help make your end of the year easy. 

    Remember to go back and rate products you have purchased to earn FREE credits that you can use to make purchases like money. 20 credits = $1 and add up fast if you are a TPT regular like me!


    Feedback form

    In order to keep growing and improving this blog I would LOVE your Feedback. If you take the time to fill out this super quick, 4 question google form by May 31, I will enter your name in a drawing for ANY product from my store for FREE. 



    Have a great end of the year & thank you for reading!
    Allison 
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    How to Teach Your 1st Novel

    June 4, 2016, 11:01 am
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    Teaching your first novel can be a daunting task. Logistically it is quite different from the textbook chapters I was used to in the past. Some teachers integrate novels into an existing curriculum as a one day per week supplement, but I have chosen to use novels as the heart of my current curriculum. Using the novels with the teacher’s guides resources forms a complete cultural unit.



    Before Starting

    • Get the teacher’s guide. The teacher's guides have tons of great pre-reading discussions, during reading questions, post reading follow up activities and cultural expansion. They have been essential to saving my planning sanity and give more than enough ideas to make a novel a complete cultural unit.
    • Do not reinvent the wheel. Besides the teacher’s guide, check Pinterest and other teacher’s blogs for more inspiration on how to implement certain novels in class.
    • Front load vocab. It works best if you have used backward planning with stories to introduce important vocabulary before starting the novel.
    • Hook them with culture. Use a novel hook or excite students with fun cultural elements that will enhance their comprehension of the novel.

    While Reading
    What I struggled with at first was not what to complement the novel with, but how to actually read each chapter without it getting stale. Here are a few ways of how to mix up actually reading each chapter.

    Teacher reads the chapter to the class

    • This is how I would suggest doing the first chapter or two, or even more for first time students or low levels. This is the preferred method for most students as they enjoy when I read with inflection, as well as pause to ask questions, expand and personalize. The issue is reading five classes in a row takes a toll on your voice and requires a lot of teacher energy. You have to vary your approach not just for student interest, but teacher sanity.
    SPICE IT UP!
    • Students get to sit anywhere in the room while listening.
    • Everyone gets to bring in comfy blankets and pillows and lounges around the room.
    • Students sit on the floor around the teacher's chair, similar to kindergarten style.
    • Have projected discussion questions on the board, that remind you to pause and talk about these topics, relating them to the students.
    • Read to students in a new location that fits the chapter, such as outside or in a dim auditorium for spooky ambiance.
    • These activities by Martina Bex would be perfect to use at the end of a chapter or novel to review the material.

    Students read alone

    • This is not recommended for lower level classes right away. It has worked well having low level students read alone after the teacher has already read it to the class. As a review, students can start the day re-reading yesterday's chapter.
    • Some upper level students prefer to read alone, as they do not like to be dragged down by reading at slower students' pace. It works well to give upper level students the option to read alone, while also having the opportunity to read in a small group with the teacher.
    SPICE IT UP!
    • While reading students jot down how they feel after each page or paragraph.
    • Students have a graphic organizer or story map to keep their focus on important events or character organization.
    • While reading students decide one change they would make to the story.

    Students read in pairs

    • Some teachers have had great success with students "volleyball reading," where they take turns reading a paragraph and then translating it out loud. This can be a good confidence builder to show students they understand more than they think. It works best when students have a task while with their partner as well to keep focus. I generally give students the option to read in partners or alone, for those who would rather read on their own. In some classes there are small groups who like to read together out loud.
    SPICE IT UP!
    • While reading out loud to their partner they must use accents like the character. There can even be a competition for the best character portrayal.
    • Change the seating to side by side partners in a circle.
    • Students get to sit anywhere they are comfortable, also allowing other parts of the school or outside if possible.

    Class listens to audio recording

    • The audiobooks are an amazing resource that I mistakenly rarely used my first year using novels. They allow for students to hear a native speaker and someone other than their teacher read the novel. It is a great refresher of a chapter after a weekend too. They are also a lifesaver when you lose your voice or are just plain exhausted and need a break.
    SPICE IT UP!
    • Silent student actors portray what is happening during the book with props and costumes. Even more shy students like this option, because they do not have to actually speak. (A class favorite!)
    • Pause the audio like you would do while reading to discuss and personalize.
    • While listening, students draw a mural or storyboard of the chapter.
    • While listening, students have paper characters that they move, imitating movement in book.
    • Students follow along in their book with their finger while listening, jotting down questions, words they do not understand, or reflections.
    • While listening a second time, students move paper strips of events around in order.
    • Here are more of Kristy Placido's great ideas of using audio books.

    After Reading a Novel

    • I usually ends a novel unit with summative assessments. This typically includes interpersonal speaking and presentational writing.
    • Interpersonal Speaking
      • Random pairs or groups discuss the novel by my desk.
      • Sometimes they have authentic pictures to help guide discussion or certain prompts, but others they simply ask each other questions about the book, what happened, what characters they relate to etc.
      • This was a very new concept for my students who were used to a typical grammar and textbook curriculum, but they soon warmed up to the idea of just showing what they know.
    • Presentational Writing
      • Assessments are completed individually, in class and on paper, so they can show what they know.
      • There are typically a few writing prompts to discuss to make sure that they reflect on the unit as a whole including music, movies, and other resources we added.
      • There are often choices of how to show their comprehension.
      • Many times I end with a book review where they must explain a summary, how they feel about it, what they would change, who they would recommend it to, etc.
    SPICE IT UP!
    • Have students complete a Choice Project. Elizabeth Dentlinger has a great example of such a project for the novel Esperanza.
    • Students complete a non-traditional project, which all students present in a gallery walk style. Like at a gallery students float around listening to people talk about their projects and asking questions. I got the idea from La Calaca Alegre teacher’s guide and blogged about our assessment here.
    • Have students create a movie trailer to show what a movie version of the book would look like. I blogged about a Brandon Brown movie trailer.

    More Resources

    So far, I have taught the following novels in the levels listed. I am SO excited to be getting 10 new novel sets as a part of my curriculum budget this year to use!!!
    Also, for more pre and post reading ideas, here are 5 Activities to Spice up any Novel.

    What are other ways you mix up reading novels in class?

    Feedback
    Thank you to everyone who took time to give me feedback on the blog. I really appreciate it and will try and incorporate your suggestions and requests. Congratulations to Michelle M, who filled out the form and won a product of her choice from my store. If you ever have a request or something you would like me to write about, please let me know as I often run out of ideas! This blog post was a reader request!

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    No Prep Post Reading Activities

    June 6, 2016, 5:00 am
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    One of the big pieces of feedback I got from my blog survey was that everyone wanted specific activities to do with novels. Here are a few no or very low prep activities (that do not involve any technology) that you can do after finishing a novel chapter or story. They can be pulled out in a flash for "O crap we have 15 minutes left what do we do," a last minute sub plan, or a time filler when many students are missing.


    6 box storyboard

    • Supplies Needed: Computer paper & markers
    • Divide blank piece of computer paper into 6 boxes
    • Draw what happens in chapter(s)/story
    Storyboard review of Ch1-5 of Brandon Brown Quiere un Perro

    Blind Partner Retell (with Storyboard)

    • Supplies Needed: Storyboard
    • Partner A - Use storyboard to retell to partner
    • Partner B- look at book/projected story & correct partner
    • Switch jobs
    • Switch partners & repeat

    2 Line Retell

    • Supplies Needed: Storyboard (optional)
    • Line students up across from a partner
    • Simultaneously retell chapter (can use storyboard if have them)
    • Ring a bell & one line rotates
    • Repeat a few times

      Gallery Walk

      • Supplies Needed: Paper & markers
      • After reading a story or a few chapters, give each student/group a chapter or scene.
      • Each chapter illustrates what happened on large sheets of paper or a piece of computer paper.
      • Post each one around room/school.
      • Students walk from picture to picture re-telling book using pictures.
      • **We actually did this when the power went out for a whole class period this year.**

        Optional Twist 1 - Put in Order: These could be out of order and students must put them in order.
          Optional Twist 2 - Take it outside: Use chalk to draw scenes outside when nice weather.

          Top 10 Events

          • Supplies Needed: Novel or copy of story
          • After reading, have students work in pairs to come up with the top 10 (or 5) events from that chapter in the target language.
          • Compare with other students to come up with a class Top 10 events.

          Dear Diary

          • Supplies Needed: paper & pencil
          • Have students write a diary entry as if they were a character in the story. 
          • They should include what events have happened during the story and reflect on how they affected the character and why.

          Free Write

          • Supplies Needed: paper & pencil
          • Have students write what happened in the story, chapter or book so far.
          Optional Twist 1 - Silent Conversation: Students pass their paper after 1 minute and the next person continues where the first left off.
            Optional Twist 2 - Play the teacher: After writing, students trade papers, read another free write, and reflect leaving comments like they are the teacher.

            Do you need more ideas? Here are 103 Things to Do Before/During/After Reading

            What are your go to, no prep, post reading activities?
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            How to not take school work home

            June 8, 2016, 5:00 am
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            A reader recently requested a blog post on balancing life as a teacher/mom/blogger. Here are all posts with the label teaching mom, and I will be the first to tell you that it is a balancing act that always seems like it is really close to tipping over. Like everything on the internet, I am sure it seems I have things together much more than I actually do. For example, right when school got out I went weeks without a new blog post, because it was actually harder to find time to write when I was at home full time, due to operation potty training, than it was while teaching full time. Bless those of you who work from home with kids, because my before/after school and prep time is when I get SO much done, and this includes blogging. So, while I am not an expert by any means, here is my biggest tip for finding a teacher/mom balance - do not take school work home!



            How to not take school work home

            Set boundaries

            As a first year teacher who also directed the play and musical, it was common for me to be at school from 7am to 9pm. Like many first year teachers, I was in a constant state of drowning and had no boundaries of when not to be doing school work. I let teaching Spanish I-IV as a department of one become all consuming and I rarely got to see my new husband (who I married six weeks onto my first year teaching. ay ay ay!) Even when I was not at school, I would pull out the work laptop during the evening and weekends. Once I had baby boy in January of my second year teaching, I knew things had to change. Now I (generally) follow this boundary when it come to school work - only work while AT school, and I leave within 30 minutes after the bell. It helps that I need to pick up the little guy from daycare at a certain time or I am charged a late fee. Charge yourself a fee if you stay after your cutoff. Also, after one year, I dropped the play and musical. Do not let someone guilt you into "helping" with something that you are not truly passionate about. Remember your boundaries and say "no, thank you."


            Plan ahead

            In order not not take anything home, you must leave with your plans ready for the next day. This means you must plan ahead and not wait until the last minute to get lesson materials ready. My rule is to leave Friday with all plans and materials are ready for the next week. I personally like to plan an entire unit at once, with a rough idea of what we will do each day on Google calendar. I pull all materials and get everything copied for the entire unit at once, as well as post a folder on Schoology with online resources, links and handouts. Then around Thursday, I put the next week's plan in my weekly lesson plan template. At this point, I check through my copies, see if anything else needs to be prepped or online materials or links added to our Schoology folder for that unit. This gives a little wiggle room, so by Friday everything is ready for the next week. This way as soon as you pick the little one up from daycare on Friday, it is mom weekend mode and the teacher stuff stays at school. In the rare occasion that there is something that HAS to be done at home, it is after the little one is sleeping as to not interrupt family time. 

            Get Organized

            It is so much easier to plan, after you have completed a unit once before. It is ever easier if you were organized the first time around and thought about implementing it in the future. Here is how I organize lesson materials in binders. My system is to put all activities, manipulatives, and copies that will need to be made in plastic sheet protectors, which are organized by unit in a binder. This way when you do your rough unit plan the second time around, everything is basically ready to go. 


            Prep Time is Precious

            I know this sounds selfish, but it is a big factor in not having to bring anything home. At the small schools I have taught at it is a daily occurrence that you are asked to cover someone's class during your prep, because there is no sub. While my current school at least gives you $15 for volunteering, to me it is NOT worth it. For one, prep was my pumping time a year after baby boy was born, so no amount of money would have convinced me to miss that chance. Now I use that time to go through my To-Do list in a focused way, and missing it would mean getting behind. So I will never win co-worker of the year for covering classes, but it is a choice I have made based on priorities. Set a plan for your prep, and once you have gotten everything done, you can reward yourself with chatting with your favorite co worker or secretary. If you fail to plan for your prep, you plan to fail. 


            Enlist Help

            If it does not require a teaching degree, let someone else do it. This year I was VERY lucky to have a senior Spanish IV student, who volunteered in my classroom one period a day as a student assistant. If you do not have a program like this at your school, work to try and get one, because it was a blessing. Also there are parent volunteers, students with study halls, homeroom etc. The key is when you come across tasks such as cutting, making manipulatives, straitening up the class library, decorating bulletin boards, write them on your list for when a helper gets a chance. By planning whole units at once, you will see what needs to be prepped way in advance, and it can be on the list for when someone has a chance to help. If you wait to the last minute, it will be YOU frantically running to the copier between classes, or cutting out activities. If you do not have any help at all, make your students accountable. Have the first class carefully cut out the category cards, clip them together, use in each class after that, and SAVE them in an organized fashion for next time. There is no shame in asking for help!


            Do not reinvent the wheel

            If you find a great resource from someone else, use it. If using a wonderful unit you can purchase on teachers pay teachers will save you hours, BUY IT. If you are teaching a novel you better buy the amazing teacher's guide. It does not matter what style of teaching you do, someone has started the groundwork of what you are planing to do. So before you create something from scratch, Google it, Pinterest it and tweet out the request to your PLN. Make sure you are planning ahead, so you have some time to dig, but 90% of the time someone has a starting point that will save you hours. It is not about pride, it is about your sanity. A new teacher in my building insists in creating EVERYTHING herself, refuses to use TPT because she is too picky about formatting, and as a result is typically at school for 12 hours a day minimum, and is burning out at a rapid pace. 90% of what I do in my classroom was created by someone else and I feel zero shame about that. 


            You may be gasping out loud at the idea of leaving all school work at school, but it can work. This means you must set boundaries and say no. It means the precious before/after school and prep time is GOLD and must be used effectively. It means those tests from last hour will have to wait until prep tomorrow to be graded. Also, you must plan ahead and not wait until the last minute to get your lesson materials ready. You will need to enlist help and not insists that you do everything yourself and 100% perfect. You have to give yourself some slack and remember that if you work yourself to the ground as a teacher you will burn out, FAST. Teaching is a marathon, not a sprint and hopefully this tips will help keep you a little more sane next school year. 
            **Disclaimer during the summer I do school stuff and blogging during nap time.**

            What are your best tips for not taking school work home?
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            Fiesta Fatal - Resources

            June 13, 2016, 4:44 am
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            I am really excited to use Fiesta Fatal by Mira Canion this fall in Spanish II. It will be their first novel in the past tense, and how what I will start with when I return from maternity leave in November. (To say I like planning ahead is an understatement :) I purchased a set of novels and the Teacher's Guide using our curriculum budget, but they can not be ordered until the new fiscal year in July. Of course that did not stop me from already searching to see how other teachers have used the novel and what kinds of supplemental activities they have come up with. I have already started planing with my large slideshow for the unit. As I find resources, I add them to the slideshow, so once I get to the chapter, I do not forget them. Once I have the teachers guide, I will add discussion questions and many other cultural expansions. As you can see most of the resources below came from the generous sharing of Katherine Matheson,Cynthia Hitz& Martina Bex.





            Before starting the novel

            I can statements for Fiesta Fatal- by Cynthia Hitz
            La Quinceañera embedded reading - by Martina Bex
            Morelia - Slideshow- by Martina Bex
            Insecurity in Mexico Activities- by Zachary Jones


            Resources & Ideas by Chapter

            Ch1 - word sort WS- by Martina Bex
            Ch1 - Character Matching Worksheet - by Cynthia Hitz
            Ch1 - Time capsule Predictions
            Ch1-3 Review - Use the marker game - review Ch1-3- by Sra. Rump
            Ch1-5 Review -Kahoot - by Katherine Matheson
            Ch1-5 Review - Bingo- by Martina Bex
            Ch5 - Freeze Frame- by Cynthia Hitz
            Ch5 - 2 Past Tenses - by Katherine Matheson
            Ch 6 Pictofrases- by Cynthia Hitz
            Ch7 - Journal - by Cynthia Hitz
            Ch9 - Past Tense Activitiy - by Cynthia Hitz
            Ch10 - Story Retell - by Cynthia Hitz

            Fiesta Fatal Pinterest Boards

            Have you taught the novel Fiesta Fatal? What ideas or resources do you have to add?
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            #WBW - Para Empezar

            June 15, 2016, 11:44 am
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            This summer I decided to do a little #WBW - Way Back Wednesday, bringing back some older posts with a new and updated spin. Something I posted about my first summer was how I start each class, Para Empezar. Now every week does not follow this exact plan, such as when we did our March music madness, but these give a good basic guideline for consistency and structure during the week. 





            Why have a Para Empezar Bell ringer?


            • Classroom management - Students have something to do as they walk into the classroom. They know that as they walk in the room, there is a task they should be completing. It helps to get them to their seats and thinking about Spanish. All you have to do is ask the magic question, "What is your job right now?" as you circulate after the bell rings. 
            • Fun Routines - Many students have told me that Música miércoles or Baile viernes is their favorite part of Spanish class. There is something to be said about hooking students with the love of the Spanish culture and the camaraderie and family that comes with goofy class traditions. If spending 5 minutes a week listening to a song in Spanish keeps a student to take the next level of language study, I am all for it. 

            How do you make it work?


            • Be consistent - Have a Google slideshow ready that pull up on the projector AT THE END of the previous class. This way their task is ready to go and you can do hallway duty, go to the restroom, fill up your water bottle, or chat with other human adults for one minute. Once the bell rings, I enter class, shut the door, and the expectation is everyone is doing/starting their Para Empezar. 
            What students would have posted on a music Wednesday

            • Minimal Accountability - In their binders there is a Para Empezar section. This is where they answer questions if there is a prompt, write the song and artist for Música miércoles, or complete any tasks that is asked of them. Here there is also a simple reading log to record where they are at in their choice reading books. Do I collect or look at this? Rarely. I give out "chile" rewards to those who are hard at work when the bell rings, and sometimes give minimal completion points for those classes who need extra encouragement to stay on task and do their job. The students know that everything we do is practice for formative assessments, and they should do whatever it is that will help them prepare to move up the next proficiency level. 


            What do you do each day?

            loco lunes
            • This is usually a short video I found on Pinterest relating to their topic, holiday or a current event item of interest. It is a great way to grab their attention on a dreary Monday while sneaking in an entertaining cultural authentic listening source.
            • Weekend Chat - For Spanish II and above we discuss our weekend and sneak in some past tense. They think we are wasting time casually chatting, but really we are getting in sneaky repetitions of the past tense. Here are 4 variations on weekend chat by Andrea Brown. 

            martes y jueves - Reading
            • Free Choice Reading - We start both Tuesday & Thursday by having about 5-15 minutes of free voluntary reading. See this post about how I started my own classroom library. Students know on these two days they go straight to the classroom library and pick out something to read. 
            • We start second semester of Spanish I with 5 minutes of reading from my classroom library. This time builds up each level, and I judge it based on class engagement. 
            What is posted on a reading day

            • Students fill out this basic log, to keep track of what book/page they are on, and if they liked the book enough to keep with it. 
            • Sometimes we extend by having students share with a neighbor asking about their book. 
            • The point is to give students a chance to free read ANYTHING in Spanish. 



            música miércoles



            baile viernes



            Para Empezar Bell Ringers




            Do you have class starters? What are they and how do you implement them?
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            Teaching a Novel 101 - CI: Comprehensible Iowa

            June 17, 2016, 5:00 am
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            On Saturday I will be presenting at the first ever CI:Comprehensible Iowa Conference. For those of you who will be attending my session, Teaching a Novel 101, my presentation can be found here. 



            If you are not able to attend, but would like more information, check out the following resources for teaching novels in your classroom:









            Resources for teaching specific novels

            (from easiest, to most difficult)


            Let mw know if you have any questions as you plan for your novels this year!
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