Just to remind you, I took on several new theories of teaching this year: I went to a blended classroom model, mixing lots of flipped classroom techniques, real world applications, ditched the textbook, added as much technology opportunities as possible and went to a project based system. I have tried to implement more rubric based grading and lots of more opportunities to speak and hear and read Spanish.
Now, that was a short paragraph on paper but a VERY tall order in real life! I just told a student that I feel like I am only "5 minutes ahead of my lessons." With recreating the curriculum, constantly trying new activities, falling behind on the amount of grading I have with all those new assignments...I have just not been able to stop and think about what I am doing.
I am holding on to the hope that next year, once I have the packets typed and the curriculum laid out, that getting in and getting my hands dirty with the students, working with them non stop will be much easier. But for right now I am in the beta phase. Just totally experimenting, trying things by myself with no guidance or advice, making up all the worksheets and units the students get as well as making all the podcasts that go along with the new units. Just writing that makes me feel stressed.
So, anyway...as I am still putting all the puzzle pieces together in my classroom, I just wanted to do a quick list of things that have worked very well for me this year! These are activities, lessons, techniques, etc. that I have loved and my students have loved even more than me (if that's possible)!
1st Semester Home Runs:
- Baile Jueves. I found resources from a teacher doing something called "Baile Viernes" or "Dance Friday." I changed it to Dance Thursday because we are a 4 day week and most students LOVE the opportunity to dance and get up to move around. Some kids loath this activity and fight me every week, but I have two classes in particular that really get into it and I just focus on them and enjoy those 5 minutes each week!
- Google Voice. For any teacher needing a way to speak with students one on one and possibly have it recorded, Google Voice has been amazing! For my Spanish classroom, I have the students call my "voicemail" number each week, listen to one question in Spanish and answer it in a complete sentence or two. This allows me to check in with them on their fluency and pronunciation, and not have to waste an in class period calling them up one by one. Also, Google Voice let's you send a text message back to the student, so I give them feedback based on their performance on that assignment.
- Storytelling. I am not a gung ho TPRS teacher, but I do see the fun and the benefits of storytelling with language students. I have been selecting one or two stories for each unit and dedicating one or two class periods to each story. The students love when I tell the story because I am goofy and act it out for them. Some classes I have asked students to act it out to check for understanding. Some of the stories are turned into videos on YouTube. I have not mastered the reading comprehension part (IE: do they write answers to questions, do we discuss, how do we ever get the point if they just miss something in the target language, etc) BUT these have been a very fun addition to my lessons!
- La Silla Caliente. I love doing the hot seat at the beginning of each class, and I think any classroom can benefit from this. I have the last person who walks through the door put on the hot seat, and they spend 2 or 3 minutes answering questions in Spanish from their classmates. This could serve any subject, because the class can come up with review questions about a text, current event questions, discussion questions...essentially they are making up assessment questions for the student in the hot seat to answer.
- A "Standing Teacher Desk." The more and more I got bogged down in making videos, typing curriculum, adding grades online, etc. the more and more I sat at my desk and the more and more my back and neck started hurting. It was just so easy to fall into this bad habit. BUT I recently ordered an adjustable laptop stand for my desk, that will reach a level of standing or be lower if I choose to sit. This maybe doesn't directly help my students, but it makes a fitter, happier teacher and maybe that helps them in the end too!
So, that's my list of things I love in the Classroom for now!
Until next week, the classroom is crazy but progressing. I am trying in this Little Life.
No comments:
Post a Comment