Can novice Spanish learners understand authentic poems? That was the question asked, quite appropriately, through the Ñandutí listserv, an email list from the Center for Applied Linguistics that serves primarily educators working with elementary learners. The answers were so helpful that I wanted to share them here. First, check out the very rich list of poems […]
Sometimes, our brains don’t just need a break, we need physical movement to wake us up and get us thinking. Says who? Well, John Medina says it’s Rule #1. So let’s get moving. Dance to “In the Jungle” It turns out the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” really does have its roots in Africa, and […]
And now, for the nightly news. For students approaching or solidly sitting in Intermediate Land, a unit focused on news reporting can add some real power to world language class. Consider what pops up in the news: high-interest stories (engagement!) narration interviews (multiple voices!) culture (practices + perspectives!) the perfect tenses (“17 people have gotten sick […]
If you asked me about the most frequent dilemma questions I get/see in professional interactions, including teacher development communities, workshops, social media, and email, this would have to be way up there: What am I supposed to do about this PBL thing? Rewind please… You probably know this, but for clarity’s sake, let’s do a […]
Given the wall of text that was my reflections on myself as beginning teacher, I thought I’d follow up with a quick idea you can take and use right away. I love the ideas flying around everywhere for brain breaks over the last couple of years. I even attended part of a conference session last year […]
For a teacher, opening old files is like opening an old photo album. You’re flooded with memories, and also reflections on what went wrong and what went right: Why did I let my mom talk me into that perm? Stirrup pants with winter boots! When are those coming back? If I had real friends, they […]
The assessments are given and graded, the farewells made, the photographs taken, the materials packed away, and it’s time to sign off, from school, yes – but from what else? This will be my third summer (mostly) taking the months of June and July as an opportunity to go quiet on the blog, to prepare […]
I’m about to let you in on a well-kept secret. (clears throat) I love textbooks. You read that right- I truly do. And the more worksheets, the better. I love grammar exercises, finding the patterns and replicating them, filling in all the blanks. That is, I love them for me. Because I’m a grammarian, a linguist, an analytic learner […]
You teach, you input, you provide experiences, you assess, you re-assess, you plan and prepare and teach again. At some point, I think we all wonder deep down – what if someone else were assessing them? What would the results be? Not here to #showyoumine I’m adamantly against such middle school showmanship reflected in tactics […]
Think about yourself and the bilingual people you know. How did you all become proficient in a new language? A while ago, Marc’s post on 5 things to tell kids on the first day of class reminded me that I had done a survey related to that question. I felt like I discovered some important […]
Athletic events. Widespread illness. Someone’s unprepared (teacher or students) or arrived late (“Teachers, due to a car accident on the highway, do not count any student tardy in first period today”). Emergency drill – or a passing kindergartener decided to pull the fun red handle on the wall. Half the class gone for an AP exam, […]
Love is amazing, but man, it can hurt. At least, that’s what pop music says! Indeed, the metaphors involving love and sickness, pain, and medicine abound in pop music. That means a health unit rivals any other theme in the contest for most applicable music options! My high school students are currently wrapping up such […]