Best of Mis Clases Locas 2019

Inside: Top Mis Clases Locas posts of 2019. the best of Mis Clases Locas resources for Spanish teachers. 

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Quick Tip: 10 Holiday dance videos for any class - baile viernes navidad

Inside: Some fun baile viernes or brain break dances for your next couple of crazy weeks. These dance videos would work with many classes and ages. 

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Lista lunes - Winter Holidays in Spanish class

Inside: Ideas for Winter Holidays in Spanish class. From the Spanish Navidad Commercial Madness, to the Christmas Lottery, to 3 Kings Day, and everything in between. Hopefully you will find the answers to the questions: "What to do in December in Spanish class?" "What to do the day before winter break?" and "What to do the day after winter break in Spanish class?"

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Cyber Bundle for Spanish teachers! Don't miss out!

Inside: A bundle of resources you do not want to miss. A Cyber Monday week steal, a Free Ebook & a TPT sale, Oh my!

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Cyber Monday Deals & Steals! - resources for Spanish and French class to save to TIME!

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Lista lunes - Thanksgiving in Spanish class

Inside: Ideas from around the web for Thanksgiving in Spanish class. 

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Quick tip: Positive Plates

Inside: A positive team building activity for any class. A great activity for Spanish class before Thanksgiving. 

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10 Confessions of a DEVOLSON Teacher

Inside: 10 Confessions of a tired teacher during DEVOLSON (the Dark Evil Vortex Of Late September, October, November). Just a teacher keeping it real. 

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Libro lunes: Me llamo Víctor (parte 1)

Inside: Me llamo Víctor (parte 1), a new graphic novel from Sr. Wooly that you need for your classroom library. 

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#TFLA2019 - Session Resources for teaching with novels and movement in class

Inside: #TFLA2019 - Session Resources for Keep it Novel and I Like to Move it, Move it Presentations. 

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Coco in Spanish Class & Coco in French Class

Inside: Resources for teaching the movie Coco in Spanish class and French class

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#IWLA19 - Session Resources for Comprehensible Input Presentations

Inside: #IWLA19 - Session Resources for CI Toolbox and Keep it Novel Presentations.

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Quick Tip: 1, 2, 3, ¡SALTA! (1,2,3 Jump!) a game to get any class moving

Inside: A new low prep game or brain break for any class to get students moving. All you need is a set of true and false statements and your class can get up and moving!

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Lista lunes: Hispanic Heritage Month in Spanish class

Inside: Resources for Hispanic Heritage Month or Latinx Heritage Month in Spanish class. 

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Weekend Talk: 6 Ways to Mix Up Weekend Chat

Inside: Mix up Weekend Talk in Spanish class or mix up Weekend Chat in Spanish class. 

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A Classroom Without Desks - #Deskless FAQ & Expectations

Inside: Answering Frequently asked questions about a deskless classroom and flexible seating expectations. 

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Libro lunes: El mensaje

Inside: A review of A.C. Quintero's novel for Spanish class El mensaje. Another book you need for Spanish class!

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Go! Vive a tu Manera in Spanish class

Inside: Resources to teach the Netflix show Go! Vive a tu Manera in Spanish class. 

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French Curriculum - French 1-4 using comprehensible input

Inside: Resources to plan a French 1-4 curriculum without using a textbook. A French CI curriculum. 

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Spanish Cuentos Book Bundle + Mis Clases Locas Giveaway

Inside: A chance to win a Book Bundle from Spanish Cuentos or a Bundle of your choice from Mis Clases Locas. 

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10 Tips for hosting a Student Teacher

Inside: How to rock as a cooperating teacher of a university practicum or student teacher. Tips for a successful experience with a student teacher. 

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10 Tips for Student Teachers - guest post from Srta Depping

Inside: How to rock your student teaching with tips from a recent graduate. 10 tips for a great student teaching experience.

Many of you know that I had the pleasure of having a pretty awesome student teacher this past spring. Sierra Depping was with my for 8 weeks of her experience and jumped right in to trying everything CI with me. I loved the collaboration and was so excited when she was actually hired in a small town near me, which means us #deptof1 teachers will get to meet once per month as a part of school PD (plus extra in person and on social media whenever needed). I already posted about her awesome Frida unit and she has her own blog you should check out (especially if you are a new or student teacher!). I asked her to write a guest post since I KNOW there are university students out there right now freaking about about starting teaching practicum this fall. (Plus here are my tips for cooperating teachers). Here are 10 tips from a recent student teacher to help ensure you have the best experience possible. - Allison

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Libro lunes: El Pombero - una leyenda paraguya

Inside: Why you need the novel El Pombero - una leyenda paraguya from Spanish Cuentos in your free reading library.

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Fewer Things, Better - a review for teachers who want to focus on what matters most

Inside: A review of the book Fewer things, better: The courage to focus on what matters most from Angela Watson. How doing fewer things better will set you up for the best school year yet. 

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Mis Clases Locas Curriculum for Spanish 1-4

Inside: Scope and Sequence for Spanish 1-Spanish 4 using novels and comprehensible input curriculum without a textbook. Mis Clases Locas updated curriculum for 2019-2020

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How I Create a CI Curriculum for Spanish 1-4 - including yearly and weekly plans

Inside: Curriculum planning for a year of comprehensible input Spanish 1, Spanish 2, Spanish 3 & Spanish 4, as well as weekly lesson plans. 

** French 1-4 Curriculum**

I have been working on my next year CI curriculum without a textbook and due to some requests I thought I would do a pre-curriculum post explaining exactly how I planned it. As a disclaimer, remember I am the only World Language teacher in my entire district. I have a supportive administration who trusts me as the Spanish expert and allows me complete freedom in my curriculum. I understand that this is rare, but hopefully this will help you see some possibilities if you do get the chance to help create your won scope and sequence. 

Also, please remember this has been a multi year process and did not happen overnight. I just tried things out, failed on some attempts, had success with others and then tried again until I found what worked best for my students and I. Here has been my curriculum journey. 

Curriculum year 1 - ancient textbook - I taught how I was taught

Curriculum year 2 - new textbook - I tried to spice it up with projects

Curriculum year 3 - CI baby steps - got 4 novels, some SOMOS Units & El Internado in III & IV

Curriculum year 4 - Full CI at a new school, novels, SOMOS Units & El Internado (Sp1-4 + Explore)

Curriculum year 5 - Added more novels & Sr. Wooly Pro units (thank you curriculum budget)

Curriculum year 6 - Added in Super 7 Units & finally hit my groove

Curriculum year 7 - Refining curriculum with a few new novels. Back to Spanish 1-4

As a department of one, I also have to have a sustainable program for me to implement with four separate preps. For me personally, this means I can not do story units or special person interviews in all levels at the same time. It is too exhausting for me and I am prone to loosing my voice. 

Novels are my bread and butter because I have gotten them down. Since I have done all the prep work up front, once we get rolling, I know I have a couple weeks of a well oiled comprehensible input novel machine. But, once again this is after four years of teaching with novels. I did the math and I have taught 53 full class novel units using 16 different novels. You can find all posts for these novels here or using the label novels. If you want to get started, check out Teaching a Novel 101 to help research, find funding, organize, plans teach and assess your first novel. 

So where do you start if you are dabbling in comprehensible input and want to try something new?

Spanish 1 or 2

Super 7 Units - Depending on the previous knowledge of your students, I would start with a Super 7 Unit either present, either as a review or to introduce important words. You could even keep going with the Sweet 16 as well. 

SOMOS 1/2 Units - Then I would do units from Martina Bex's SOMOS curriculum. It was how I figured out skills like personalized questions, movie talk, story asking, and many other activities as well. She lays everything out great for a beginner. 

Novels - If you are able to get funding for a class set of novels, I would start with El capibara con botas in Spanish 1. (after about unit 5 of SOMOS). If your Spanish 2 students have not yet read a novel, I would start with Brandon Brown quiere un perro or Tumba. If they have read a book, I would do Esperanza or Fiesta Fatal. 

Sr. Wooly - These songs hook students on Spanish class and provide a nice break from always giving the input yourself. 

Spanish 3 or 4

Super 7 Units - I would start the year with upper level classes Super 7 Unit either in imperfect or preterite, depending on your goals. It is a great class community builder and helps solidify important past tense words for future novels. 

SOMOS 2 Units - If your upper level classes have not had much CI, I would do some of Martina Bex's Somos 2 curriculum units. They will help build your skills and lay a foundation as well. 

Novels - There is no such thing as too easy of a novel, especially if it is the first one a group has ever read. My goal is to build confidence and have students feel successful with their first novel. I read Robo en la noche with my level 4 class to start the year for their first novel ever. At my new school we started with Esperanza and Felipe Alou in upper levels as their first novels. I like to pick ones with rich culture, but that are at a lower level to start. I like to include a variety of countries of study during a year as well. 

Sr. Wooly - Upper level students still love the dark, goofy Wooly humor and the break it provides from the deeper books we read and themes we explore. 

Also see this post for more information on Spanish 3/4 - Curriculum Planning for Upper Levels

So how do you put it together in a scope and sequence?

I start with the school calendar and make a Google Sheet with each week of the year. I add in breaks, conferences, and other pertinent information to see the year at a glance. I have all levels side by side, so I can see what everyone will be doing at the same time. This way I can spread out my own sanity savers like movie and Sr. Wooly units. It also makes sure I am not introducing a new unit in every class on the same day, as that is super draining. 

I start with cultural holiday units. These are some of my favorite things to teach and I have found that if I do not plan for them, I get caught up in other units and do not have time for them. I block out the week of The Day of the Dead, as well as before and after winter break for a variety of holiday activities related to the Spanish Christmas lottery, 3 Reyes, etc. I also like to do Las Falls in Spanish 1 or 2 in March, as well as La Tomatina in Spanish 2 to start the year. We also learn about Mexican Independence Day in September and Cinco de mayo in May to make sure they know the difference!

Then I put in the big novel units. I like to have about one per quarter. This does not mean that we read a book for one quarter, but we may do many activities and films related to the themes in the book. 

For example here is a rough plan with the novel Esperanza:

1 week - Intro of Guatemala, with the song Ave que emigra and the film Living on $1

1 week - the film Which Way Home and immigration

1 week - Intro the Guatemalean civil war and vocab in the book

2-3 weeks - Read the novel Esperanza 

1 week - the film La Misma Luna

1 week - assessments putting everything together

I put all of this together in a monthly plan, that I share with students as well. That way we are all on the same page and can see the end goals. 

I add in shorter units to round out the quarters and provide a break. These are usually about a week long and include Super 7 Units, SOMOS storytelling units, Sr. Wooly and film units. 

I understand that this is a rough plan that is self imposed by myself and that things will change. Some things will go longer than expected, some novels will bomb so we will power through to be done and things will come up that change the whole schedule. 

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Pachamama in Spanish class

Inside: Resources for Spanish class for the Netflix movie Pachamama. Teach a cultural unit centered around Pachamama in Spanish class. 

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Summer Reading list 2019 - 10 books you need to read

Inside: 10 books for your 2019 summer reading list from a teaching mom. 

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Lista lunes - end of the year ideas in Spanish class

Inside: Ideas for the end of year in Spanish class when you are having a hard time finding inspiration or motivation. 

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Take your Spanish class outside - end of the year ideas to save your sanity

Inside: Take your Spanish class outside, get some fresh air and have some fun while learning. End of the year ideas to save your sanity in Spanish class. 

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Music Bracket - mania musical de Sr. Wooly

Inside: An end of the year Music Bracket for Spanish class using songs from Sr. Wooly. 

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AAPPL test in Spanish class - how to prepare and 1st time reflections

Inside: Reflections on taking the AAPPL test in Spanish class for the first time in an attempt to get the seal of biliteracy. 

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Resources to prepare to teach the novel El Silbón de Venezuela in Spanish class

Inside: Resources for teaching the novel El Silbón de Venezuela in Spanish class

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10 Confessions of a Teacher in Spring

Inside: 10 Confessions of a tired teacher in Spring. Just a teacher keeping it real. 

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Teaching the novel Frida Kahlo in Spanish class

Inside: Resources to teach the novel Frida Kahlo by Kristy Placido. 

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New Resources to save you time from Mis Clases Locas

Inside: New Resources to save you time from Mis Clases Locas. From March Music Madness, to Las Fallas, to new Future tense units, to routines to save your sanity and even a couple freebies!

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Daily Classroom Routines in Spanish class

Inside: How classroom routines can save your sanity in Spanish class. Weekly routines that you can use to save prep time, build community and provide input in Spanish. 

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How to use High Frequency Verb Units in Spanish class & French class - Super 7 & Sweet 16

Inside: How to use high frequency verb units (Super 7 & Sweet 16) in a comprehensible input based Spanish class. 

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Quick Tip: Quizlet Live Relay Race

Inside: get your students moving with Quizlet Live relay races in any class

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SSS - Big Ideas in 2018: Our favorite posts for Spanish Class

Inside: The favorite posts from the Secondary Spanish Space teachers this year. 

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