Back-To-School Bilingual Blog Hop

I am so excited to be part of this bilingual blog hop that will help you get ready for the new school year. 19 bilingual teachers have teamed up to share with you all these amazing resources that I hope will make your transition to the new school year easier. If you have already started teaching, these materials will serve you well too!


ONE DAY FREEBIE ALERT!
 I have put together a set of six flipbooks with vocabulary related to the fall season. These flipbooks can be used as a way to introduce or support your units. 
Download your free copy HERE!
$100 SHOPPING SPREE GIVEAWAY!
Last but not least! As part of the blog hop we are also hosting a big shopping spree giveaway. Two lucky teachers will win $100 worth of products from our TpT store. Just fill out the Rafflecopter to participate. ¡Buena suerte!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Keep hopping!
Carolina

Bringing Different Rhythms to Class {Cultural Corner}

I am one of those Spanish teachers that loves singing in class for many reasons.
Through songs, students learn new vocabulary, internalize grammar structures that may be useful in the future, and explore vocabulary in context – and singing along to a tune is a great way for them to practice pronunciation.

I teach at the elementary level and of course some songs may be complicated for my students. However I ensure there is a natural progression, where I first introduce some basic rhythms, and later, with greater familiarity of beats and timing, we use the rhythms in the various songs we learn in class.  We sing the songs while adding some features of the rhythms and some basic dance steps, which adds some movement to the singing and gets everyone moving in class to break the ice and get circulation moving! I also have a set of flash cards with some famous singers that I show while doing the activity. You can download the cards for this activity HERE.

This is how I use the cards:

Rock: Pretend you are playing an electric guitar while singing.
Bachata: Use a soft voice and pretend to hold a microphone.
Salsa: Sing faster and use the basic Salsa step.
Merengue: Use the Merengue step and sing fast.
Ranchera: Use a deep voice and pretend to hold a sombrero while singing.
Vallenato: Pretend that you are playing an accordion, which is the main instrument in Vallenato.

I have put together a list of songs that go along with the pictures. This might help your students identify the rhythms with the singers. This is also a fun way to bring some culture (and pop culture) into your classes. Feel free to add more traditional rhythms to your list. ¡A cantar y bailar!

 
Happy singing!
Carolina
Pre-K, Kindergarten, First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, Homeschooler, Staff - TeachersPayTeachers.com

Exit Tickets in Spanish Class {Teaching Strategies}

The “Exit Ticket” is a technique used by many teachers in different subjects. It’s usually utilized at the end of the class before the students leave your classroom. It is used as a way to check for understanding, to clarify concepts in preparation for the following class, or as a way to assess students. Students may respond to questions about the class, list what they remember, ask the teacher questions, and so on.
 
I have used this technique in my classes, but have usually just done it orally. I typically line up my students and ask simple questions related to the topic we’ve focused on in class. For example, I might show a flash card and ask a student to name the picture on the card or ask a question about it. The only way a student may leave the classroom is by responding to my question. Taking it a step further beyond oral delivery, using the “Exit Ticket” on a paper allows students to practice their writing skills and can in some cases be a faster and more efficient way to end the activity.
 
I have included a template of the “Exit Ticket” I plan to use. You can customize it according to your needs.
*Tiquete is used in Colombia and other Spanish-speaking countries. See RAE for reference. 

Download your free template HERE!
Enjoy,
Carolina

 

Seating Charts for Spanish Class {Facebook Corner}

Conversaciones de maestros en nuestra página de Facebook 
Jodi says:
“Do you have any good ideas for seating plans? I have 22 classes and can hardly remember the students names!
Think it would work if I assigned a number to each student?”

Joe: How many students? Maybe they could wear name tags until you memorize most of their names.

Simone: I observed a teacher with a white board who had made a spread seat seating chart for each class. It was the first slide she displayed at the start of each class period, so children could check where to sit and she could check their names.

Lisa: I tried numbers but most kids would forget. It got crazy at the beginning if class sometimes. I just made a seating chart for each class and kept it the same all year. It worked well.

Melissa: I’m in a similar situation – I make seating charts which helps (including assigned spots to sit on the floor for the littlest guys) but I’m open to others’ suggestions!

Melissa  S: I have 19 classes and totally get this issue. When I started, I made seating charts (my kids sit in rows, on a rug). Because I see them 2x a week, I photocopied the charts and then made a Monday group, a Tues. group, etc. I slid the papers into plastic protectors, back to back (2 per protector) and stapled them together in the groups. After a couple of months of using them, I had the names down and didn’t need to continue being so dependent on the chart. Later I would leave it on my table, next to smart board, for a quick glance, in the case I forgot a name.

Dana: I teach 46 classes a week, so I understand. As part of my warm up for the first few weeks, I throw a ball around and ask everyone their name. Then, once we’ve covered greetings, the kids throw the ball around and can ask their name or how they are. (As we cover more units, they have more choices of questions…what’s the weather, how old you are, etc.) I’ve been at the same schools several years, so it’s really just reminding myself of the returning students and learning the transfers and kindergartners. I let my students chose their seats until they show they can’t handle it, but if I were to move to a new school where I didn’t know the majority of the students, I would have seating charts for everyone.

Fun for Early and Elementary Spanish Teachers: I also make seating charts for my students. The homeroom teachers are helpful too. Every teacher gives me a chart of their classes with the pictures of each child in their group.

Debbie:  I do that every year. I do it by number in alphabetical order.

Neen: Sometimes hrteachers assign numbers so you can use the same numbers too.

Ana:For me, it is easier to use sticks with numbers for every group. I have numbered lists for every class that I can quickly check when they do not remember. It is good for them to learn the numbers in Spanish, too!

Ana :For the older ones, I use seating charts. I have chair pockets, which have a space to put their name and group, as well as their cuaderno y carpeta.

Lori : Hi Jodi, I have 16 classes and I do use seating charts. I keep the charts all year, but mix the students up during activities for pair work, group work, etc. so that they aren’t always working with the same people. I feel it saves time as far as them sitting down quickly and especially for me to pass back work. I have taught in the same school for 15 years and I made an investment years ago in this product:

Virginia : assign seats for older kids. The younger kids are usually on he floor and I ask them to pick a classmate that is quiet and seated (& I specify girl/boy for listening comprehension) and the kids all know each others names. 

Lori: https://pacon.com/product/educational-aids/classroom-seating-pocket-chart/ I reuse the labels every year and just update the classes as they move through the years. So after the first year I only had to add my new first graders and then reshuffle the names of the students in grades 2-8. I keep them in a 3 ring binder and they are there for a sub to reference as well.

Visit Fun for Spanish Teachers on Facebook for more exciting conversations like this one!

    Fun For Spanish Teachers