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Rosalie - Hello and welcome to the Spanish Chat!
Rosalie - Bienvenidos! Welcome Candy.
Candy in Florida - Hi Rosalie. This is my first visit..What is the procedure?
Rosalie - So far you are the only one here to chat, usually people drop in when they can. What would you like to talk about? Are you a Spanish Teacher? What grades do you teach?
Candy in Florida - I teach High School Spanish in a very SMALL rural district..I am the only Foreign Language teacher in the district and I am working out of field..
Rosalie - Well we can chat about whatever you'd like. If you have questions, need ideas, whatever. People drop in when they can. Very informal.
Candy in Florida - My students are fighting immersion and some of them are ready to lynch me because they say I am not teachiing them...I am taking my methods clas now but my degree is secondary Social Sciences.. The methods don't transfer real well...
Rosalie - I am a 4th grade Spanish Teacher in NJ. In NJ we now have to have an Elementary World Language Program to meet our State Standards.
Rosalie - Well, guide me through a typical day in your class from start to finish.
Candy in Florida - I finally got my curriculum guide from my methods prof for the books we are using and my 1st year students are almost right where they should be but my second year kids are way behind because they only got halfway through the 1st book.. What can I do? None of these students can speak the language and most don't care to learn..
Candy in Florida - !st my average class size is a blessing in that the classes are small but I have sassy kids thhaat think I am picking on them when I make them pick their heads up off the desk to participate...we do some book work, some verbal work.. I have paired them off to converse in guided conversation...they want me to give them vocab lists with the English on one side of the page and Spanish on the other...My methods prof recommends against it...
Rosalie - Well, it's important to make it meaningful for them, make sure they get to use the language and communicate as much as possible, and always remember that eventhough they are H.S. students, if it's not fun or interesteing, you will lose them. Learning a World language is no longer just learning a list of vocabulary and learning how to conjugate verbs. We use TPR, TPR Storytelling and so much more. Have you gotten a chance to get professional development in this field? If you don't mind my asking, how do you end up being a Spanish Teacher?
Candy in Florida - I call roll and try to motivate them to get started...
Rosalie - Give my some of your topics/themes that you have to cover and I can give you some ideas.
Rosalie - I just need a starting off point to help you. Once I get rolling, forget it! There's no stopping me. You may want to write some things down or print this.
Rosalie - Hi Kathy
Candy in Florida - I picked up some Spanish coursework to boost my GPA and liked it so well I decided to teach it instead of Social Studies...This district got my name from a list of teachers willing to teach in rural districts...I do have enough credits to teach out of field and there is a TPR storytelling workshop coming up in Deec in my aera. The district will pay for the workshop..
Candy in Florida - Topics...Time of Day Foods, Clothing Family mambers Body parts... We didn't do Día de Los Muertos because I have some students who have lost sisters and brothers in tragic auto accidents withn the past year...
Rosalie - My recommendations are to take advantage of as many conferences and workshops on teaching a world language, like TPR that you possibly can. Also, this is a great place to come and chat with Spanish Teachers, as well as the Spanish Chatboard. Finally, keep in touch with some Spanish Teachers that you will meet from Teachers.Net so that you can e-mail them with your personal one on one questions. Feel free to e-mail me whenever.
Rosalie - Ok, let's start with food.
Candy in Florida - How do I email you? At teachers.net or another address?
Rosalie - Hola gabriela!
Rosalie - How would you teach your unit on food? You tell me, then I'll tell you how I would do it.
Candy in Florida - ¡Hola Gabriela!
gabriela - ¡hola, amigas! ¿cómo están?
Candy in Florida - I taught the unit already to my second year students and what I did was to put the words on hte board in English as I asked them questions in Spanish...por ejemplo...¿Comes tocino? and I wrote on the board Do you eat bacon? Then I did the same thing with several food items and tried to get them to respond.. Some classes did better than others...I haave 3 Spanish I and 3 Spanish II No Spanish III at this time.. Also this is my first year teaching anything!!!
gabriela - candy, try using pictures instead of translation
Candy in Florida - I have no real supplies the last teacher took everything with her... apparently she invested a lot of her own money...it is a poor district..
gabriela - is this room slow or what?
Candy in Florida - can't find really large food pictures...
gabriela - i draw simple outline pictures of food on the board, also, i make vocabulary flashcards with pictures...you can play lots of games with those. the kids learn without even realizing it
Candy in Florida - I also had te 2nd year students make up menus and a skit as a test... they did reasonably well for not haveing a lot of experience in speaking the language..
gabriela - food is really easy to draw....just draw it and write the spanish word to the side and leave it up for few days so you can refer to it
Candy in Florida - I have a few who freak and pass out if they have to get up in front of hte class...
Candy in Florida - I bought the international fair books but they are either too elementary or too advanced for my kids...
Rosalie1 - This is my second year, so don't worry. You can still be a terrific teacher. It's how you teach, not how many years.
Rosalie1 - Hola gabriela!
Candy in Florida - I've used a few exercises and the students cmplained that they felt like kindergartners..
gabriela - i good book for pictures is "Un poco de todo"...it is geared for elementary, but the pics are great for all ages.
Rosalie1 - Hola NinaCoe
Candy in Florida - I love the language and my 6 y/o knows more Spanish than my second year kids do...
NinaCoe - hola Rosalie
NinaCoe - como estas?
Rosalie1 - Candy, try buying plastic foods at a toy store like Toys r us
gabriela - hola nina
NinaCoe - hola gabriela
Rosalie1 - By the way, everyone welcome to the Spanish
NinaCoe - how's everyone doing tonight?
Candy in Florida - They are begging for music but I can't sing and I don't know where to go for teaching music.. I have a few Mariachi tapes but htaat's it...
Rosalie1 - I am your host. Feel free to ask questions, or share ideas. It's very informal. Feel free to jump in where and whenever.
Rosalie1 - Fine, thank you and you?
NinaCoe - doing well, thanks
Rosalie1 - I use my plastic foods to introduce the foods. For examople, I hold up the apple, and say manzana.
Candy in Florida - uld have to do that out of my pocket and I can't afford it right now...My principal wants culturally correct foods...He doesn't realize that culturally correct is different from country to country...
Rosalie1 - Also, I would ask questions like, "Que color es la manzana"?
Rosalie1 - Well then, draw them or cut pictures out of magazines.
NinaCoe - that's so true candy
gabriela - you can also teach meals at the same time, that helps to generate conversation....que comes para el almuerzo? etc
Rosalie1 - Also, ask, "Te gusta"?, do you like it?
Candy in Florida - I want to give them Guacamole and authentic Mexican foods one month and authentic foods from another country the next but it is difficult because the cafeteria doesn't want us to feed the students it cuts into their profits...
gabriela - also, the kids can make a collage of foods....or a book...i have done both
NinaCoe - magazines are a great resource for pictures of food...ask for donations from local business that have magazines in their waiting room
gabriela - you can also use "que te gusta mas....la manzana o la pina....etc
Rosalie1 - Instead of taking roll, by calling out names. Try something different. Have each student name one thing that they ate for breakfast. Or what their favorite food is.
Candy in Florida - I've done that and I've taught meals at the same time and used the ¿Te gusta...as well as a bowl of ceramic fruits and all I get is blank stares... their last teacher thought they were too slow to immerse and most of them are honors students...go figure...
NinaCoe - then it's time to get them moving
NinaCoe - hand them each of the fruits and tell them something like "Raul tiene la manza"
Candy in Florida - Maybe a foods magazine would be a good idea to subscribe to...
NinaCoe - then ask them "quien tiene la manzana?"
NinaCoe - and "que tiene Raul?"
NinaCoe - la manzana..sorry
NinaCoe - lol
Candy in Florida - Nina the parents in the district sort of dictate what their kids will do...These kids need Foreign Language to get into college...most of them don't care if htey learn iot or not and some of the parents don't want their kids speaking Spanish at home even to practice.. It is really sad...
NinaCoe - I have that problem here, too...I'm in Colorado and teach 3rd grade...it's a constant battle
Candy in Florida - I did manage to get them pen pals in Peru because one of my methods classmates is Peruvian
Rosalie - Sorry, my computer is acting up.
NinaCoe - But, it's interesting how they get involved, even if their parents don't want them to
NinaCoe - wb rosalie
NinaCoe - hola shel
Candy in Florida - mine are High School and this is a district with a lot of prejudice against anything theey are not used to...
Shel - hola, hola everyone, rosalie, its been a long time
Rosalie - Shel, hola!
NinaCoe - so, they are only in this class to get into college or what? or just for the credit
Rosalie - Well, I teach 4th garde in NJ.
Candy in Florida - I eeveen had a kid tell me to go teach somewhere where the students WANT to learn Spanish...
gabriela - hola shel
Candy in Florida - Yes Nina that's exactly it...
Rosalie - Well Candy, something else I've done is to set up the classroom like a market and have the kids bargain and buy things in Spanish.
Candy in Florida - ¡Hola Shel!
NinaCoe - man, that's got to be hard!
Candy in Florida - Rosalie the can't even speak the language...some won't eveen try...no effort no pain...
NinaCoe - how long will this chat be going tonight? my kids are bugging me go to the store
Rosalie - Wow Candy! It doesn't sound like anything would work with them, but who knows. It's worth a shot.
Rosalie - Usually until 9 EST or until people want to stick around and chat.
Candy in Florida - nina it is but it is my goal for these kids to know how to use the language not just pass my class..
Rosalie - Have you tried games?
Shel - Candy, I teach high school also, sorry to come in on conversation late, kids are not motivated?
NinaCoe - ok...let's see it's 6pm here...so it's 8pm there, right?
Rosalie - Games work with just about everyone.
NinaCoe - or almost, anyway
Rosalie - 8:40 here in NJ (EST)
Candy in Florida - The reason I took the position was because the classes are small there is not a lot of disrespect and there are few if any true discipline problems...
Rosalie - Anyone else have any ideas to help Candy?
NinaCoe - ok...so, I'll try to be back then...if I can...Candy...I hope things move up for you...I wish I could help...email me if you'd like some more ideas, I have many
Candy in Florida - Have tried a few but can't get them motivated.. I have about 1 -5 per class tat are interested in learning....I teach to them...
NinaCoe - my email is ninacoe2@aol.com
Candy in Florida - PM me your email addy pleaase?
Rosalie - Or is there anything else that anyone would like to ttalk about, get ideas on, or just need to ask a question. I'm here to help and chat with everyone.
NinaCoe - too late for pm! LOL
Shel - are you in public school, Candy?
Candy in Florida - Yes I am.
NinaCoe - ok have to run...maybe I'll see you again soon
Candy in Florida - I got it Nina Thanks
Shel - are you under curriculum guidelines in your county?
NinaCoe - great room rosalie
NinaCoe - me gusta mucho
NinaCoe - adios y hasta luego
Rosalie - With clothing, we had a scavenger hunt where I listed 10 things with colors that someone in the classroom had to be wearing. My students had to get that person to intial by what they were wearing. No one could sign more than once. The group with all of the items found with initials by them (correct of course) would win a prize, like candy or something.
Candy in Florida - We have to teach State Standards...I just got the curriculum guides for my books from my methods prof and they are set up to include the state standards
Candy in Florida - I like that idea...thought about putting in a dress form with women's clothing can't afford store mannequins theey are cost prohibitive..
Rosalie - Also, for foods try brining in recipes that you could phtocopy for your kids to make a cookbook. Try asking parents to donate some items to make a Latin dish.
Shel - I have a few classes of unmotivated, only there for the credit, kids. I use an approach with them to help them prioritize their learning in Spanish.....
Candy in Florida - How Shel? What do you do?
Shel - I point out very very clearly the standard rules and basic basic vocabulary they need to pass. If they want to learn the exceptions, that
Rosalie - What were some other topics Candy?
Candy in Florida - We have no way to cook... this school doesn't have a home ec wing...
Shel - is up to them, the approach tends to put the learning decision on them...
Shel - That helps me build a repoire with those students and then we can do some of the fun stuff to pull them into the culture
Rosalie - Send home a note asking for certain items to make a Latin dish. Maybe you could make it at home and bring it in or have each student make something (give them simple recipes) for a fiesta.
Candy in Florida - I am teaching them how to give directions... I am going to give them a place in town I want to go to nad ask them to give directions in Spanish.. written... and turn it in for a grade.. quiz maybe...It is a small town and there aren't many places to go..
Rosalie - One parent can donate an onion, another onion some tortillas, etc. Just an example.
Rosalie - Oh, great! I have to do directions too! This is how I do it.
Candy in Florida - I drive more than an hour one way to go to work that's why I haven't cooked to take it to school...
Shel - How about putting them into groups and giving them directions in Spanish to arrive at a certain point in the school, during class time send them out and see if they can arrive at the destination
Candy in Florida - Shel I thought about that too...might work but who would proctor them?
Candy in Florida - Let me go change clothes...it is getting confusing when Shel and I post after one another
Shel - have all their directions different, but ending in the same locale. If you choose the groups, hopefully they will watch each other as they go through the halls
Rosalie - Ok, never mind about you cooking. How about them. Maybe for extra credit.
Shel - sorry Candy, I should have noticed the problem when I logged on
Candy in Florida - Taht's better get some color in here...
Rosalie - They could cook something and bring it in. There are several cookbooks and recipes on-line.
Candy in Florida - They LOVE extra credit...I thought about coming in early to prepare pico de gallo salsa and bringing an electric skillet to haave them make quesadillas..
Candy in Florida - No problem Shel...it's nice to have a change of clothes every once in a while...
Candy in Florida - Since I don't have to cook the Pico de Gallo
Rosalie - Well this is what i do with directions. I first teach them a few simple phrases, "Dobla a la derecha", "Dobla a la izquierda", "Para or Alto", and "Camina derecho".
Candy in Florida - Okay that goes hand in hand with the mandatos...
Rosalie - I then stand in a corner of the classroom usually facing a wall or with obstacles around me.
Candy in Florida - What is dobla I am not familiar with that is it turn?
Rosalie - My students have to guide me to the door using only those phrases and they do this together as a class. They can not move objects, instead they have to guide me around them. It's not as easy for them as it sounds until they use the vocabulary and get the hang of it. My kids love it. Yes, turn.
Candy in Florida - I could probably use that...although I have students thhat would guide me into htee obstacled on purpose...
Rosalie - If they have me facing the wall and say walk straight (in Spanish of course), then I do and i keep moving my feet as if i was still walking until tehy realize that they have to say, "stop".
Shel - have them in pairs create their own map quiz to give to the class, give them different scenarios, like a zoo, a spaceship, a jungle, a horror house, etc. and have them write directions through their scenario. Then they give copies of their map to the other groups and read their directions, the others must listen and work their way through the paper maze for practice.
Rosalie - True, mine do. But it's fun. Tell them that the object is to get you to the front door. Maybe time them. Tell them that they have a certain amount of time.
Rosalie - Try it like twice and then let them have control. have a student take your place and let the class guide him/her.
Candy in Florida - I don't know ho many of these kids have ever been to the Zoo. This is a district where there is more livestock than people...
Candy in Florida - Really....
Rosalie - Something else to try, have your kids make a map of their community. then have your kids work in pairs. One student gives the other student directions to a specific destination on the map.
Candy in Florida - I thought about that too...some good suggestions to make these kids work and maybe they'll learn instead of griping about how bad a teacher they think I am...
Rosalie - Do you have to teach parts of a house?
Rosalie - Do you have access to computers?
Rosalie - What are some other topics?
Candy in Florida - I want them to have fun because it will help them learn...I am taking my 2nd year students to a Mexican restaurant in a nearby city where theEE's are all Mexican and don't speak much English..a real trial for them..
Sheli - sorry, computer froze, had to relog under another name
Rosalie - I'm on a roll. I need more topics to share more ideas.
Rosalie - No problem, I've been having computer problems too.
Rosalie - Great real life experience!!!!!! Kudos!!!!
Sheli - Has your school systems adapted their curriculum to the national standards?
Candy in Florida - I have two computers in my classroom... one in my office Off limits since someone changed my wallpaper to say derrogatory things about Spanish while I had a sub and one for the kids to use buit they haven't given me internet access yet..
Rosalie - Oh, that reminds me get a menu froma Spanish restaurant to teach them what the foods are and how to order in Spanish. Have tehm practice, then they can order by themselves when they get there.
Rosalie - Do you have to teach parts of a house?
Candy in Florida - Sorry Shel this is my first year and I don't know ...I just copied the curriculum guide for them as the school haaad no curriculum guide for Spanish...Does that tell you anything? We've already done thaat Rosaalie except hte menu is written in English....
Candy in Florida - Probably but some of them know it and some don't ...
Rosalie - Parts of a house?
Sheli - Have them create their own menus in Spanish
Rosalie - I have some great ideas for that but i don't know if you will be teaching them that.
Candy in Florida - Yes...My 2nd year students...
Sheli - I have to do that one rosalie, go ahead
Rosalie - Creating your own menus is great.
Candy in Florida - Did that as part of the skit writing process. Shel
Rosalie - Well, you could have the kids make their own houses out of shoeboxes, complete with furniture and accesories, their dream house if you want.
Candy in Florida - Hey that's a great idea...
Sheli - I have mine do a one-meal menu, they draw assignments out of a hat, like dinner for the President and First Lady, lunch for 30 Kindergarteners, dinner for your boyfriend, breakfast for Jennifer Lopez, etc.
Rosalie - Also, like in Economics class, have them design their own dream house, looking through catalogs and buying furniture, appliances, ect. as deep as you wnat to get into it. The shoebox house can be their model. then have them present it to the class, maybe as the realtor.
Rosalie - We did this in one of my child development classes in H.S. where we got to design our own preschool classroom and pretend to buy everything on a budget,
Candy in Florida - I have to go or I will never get ot bed... Have to get up at 4AM to go to work...I WILL be back next week...Thanks for the suggestions I will let you know what I use and how it goes...
Rosalie - Also, i did this in Economics. Where, i had to choose a porfession, figure out how much I'd earn and how much I had to budget for everything, like if i had my own apartment.
Candy in Florida - Goodnight all...
Sheli - I marry my students off to each other and then they have to work together to draw the floor plan of their dreamhouse together, we do the boda and everything, then they have some negotiations over children, etc. to determine the type of house they need
Rosalie - No problem Candy. Godd night!!! I hope to see you next Sunday. I hope we were able to help you tonight. Take care and don't get discouraged. See Ya !!!!!! =-)
Sheli - hasta!
Rosalie - Just you and me
Rosalie - Just you and me Shel or should I say Sheli!!! =-) LOL
Sheli - Rosalie, I know you have been here a while, I'll signoff also, sorry I was late
shelli - got bumped again and almost couldn't get back in to say buenas noches!
shelli - thanks for the shoebox idea!
shelli - Rosalie, I'm thinking you have been bumped off as well, if you get back, thanks for all you do on teachers net and the message board, I really do enjoy reading everyone's ideas, it is a wonderful resource, see you there, good bye!
Rosalie - Thanks Shel. Goodnight!!!!
Rosalie - Well Goodnight everyone!!! Thank you for coming to the spanishChat it was a wonderful busy night as we all shared ideas and helped each other. I hope everyone will be back next Sunday at 8 p.m. EST to do it again. Good night all!!!! =-)
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