Productivity and Overwhelm in Teaching Any teacher who spends more than three days in a classroom can tell you that we have too many demands on our time and energy. Personally, summer break is one of the only things that saves me from third-degree burnout every year. But … [Read more...] about The Power of the Word No to Fight Teacher Burnout
Top 10 Professional Development Resources to Be A Better World Language Teacher Tomorrow
Good professional development for Spanish teachers, French teachers, and all world language teachers is hard to come by. Here’s a list of the ten resources that I use to improve my world language instruction and will make you a better language teacher TOMORROW. Don’t put … [Read more...] about Top 10 Professional Development Resources to Be A Better World Language Teacher Tomorrow
10 Easy French Songs for Beginners
(That you and your students will actually like) Looking for authentic and easy French songs for beginner French learners in the classroom, or even for French study on your own? Are you a French teacher looking for authentic music that's not too difficult, but your … [Read more...] about 10 Easy French Songs for Beginners
First Day of French 1 with Comprehensible Input
This Fall, I made the switch to teaching for proficiency using comprehensible input in my high school French and Spanish classrooms. It worked so well that I'm never looking back! Since my school runs on block schedule, I had the opportunity to do a trial run with my … [Read more...] about First Day of French 1 with Comprehensible Input
How I Started A Spanish Classroom Library for Free
Spanish teachers interested in using comprehensible input in my department often ask me for advice on where to start. After telling them to focus on input in class, my response is always "Start a Spanish classroom library." Creating a proficiency reading program in world … [Read more...] about How I Started A Spanish Classroom Library for Free
Five Fun French Speaking Activities to Review for Finals
(That Will Save Your End-of-Year-Sanity) At the end of the year in your middle school or high school French class, it seems like everything is working against you: the clock, the calendar, the kids, your sanity...you name it. There's so little time to review all the … [Read more...] about Five Fun French Speaking Activities to Review for Finals
5 Fun Speaking Activities to Review for Spanish Final Exams that Will Save Your Sanity
At final exam time in Spanish class, it seems like everything is working against you: the clock, the calendar, the kids, your sanity...you name it. There's so little time to review all the vocabulary before your final speaking assessment, let alone the questions or how to answer … [Read more...] about 5 Fun Speaking Activities to Review for Spanish Final Exams that Will Save Your Sanity
Why I Switched to Teaching with Comprehensible Input
What made me decide to ditch my grammar curriculum and teach for communication using proficiency and CI methods I've taught French and Spanish in a title 1 high school for almost four years. I teach in a department of 12 strong, with 4 languages and 3,000 students served … [Read more...] about Why I Switched to Teaching with Comprehensible Input