¡4 Rincones!

Using 4 corners en la clase de espanol:

    

I was recently reflecting how often I use the game "Four Corners" in my classroom. If you are not familiar with this game, it is a popular and fun Morning Meeting game that gets everyone up and out of their seats.

*How to play: One student is chosen to be the counter. They will close their eyes and count out loud up to 10 in Spanish, while the rest of the class walks to one of the 4 corners. The counter will then choose one of the four corners with their eyes closed. Anyone in the named corner must sit down. The game will continue until one student is left.The winner then becomes the next "counter".  I have the winner write their name on our whiteboard so I remember!

How does this game work in the world language class?

This game is best for introducing and practicing new vocabulary. Students will see the word/visual posted in the corner and will have to make a conscious choice to go there, which helps them to internalize the word.They also hear the words said over and over again (in the beginning, I will tell the counter the 4 choices each round).  The game also helps reinforce classroom vocabulary and commands like "Caminen" (walk) and "Silencio". Most of my student enjoy the game and do not think of it as learning! Any chance to get students learning while out of their seats is a bonus.

Some Variations:

Numbers: Why stop at 4?

As first graders learn their numbers, I keep changing the corner labels. I use sheet protectors and will keep slipping in a new paper with higher and higher numbers. We start with labels 5, 6, 7, 8 and then 9, 10, 11, 12 and keep going up to 20. This game helps to learn those tricky teen numbers and later on 0, 10, 20, 30. You can also have students count up to 15 instead of 10. 

4 Cuartos (a.k.a- Four Corners Edición de casa)

We imagine the classroom es una casa and put up the room labels around the classroom. (sometime I add 2 extra walls in addition to the corners so that students can learn "las escaleras" and "el comedor").  The one twist I add is that I give students a choice of action they must do while they are "in" that room. For example: for el baño, students have to act out brushing their teeth or washing their hair and in la cocina, eating a sandwich or cooking. Students usually get a kick out of being in "el baño"!

4 estaciones: 4 Seasons Game

After I teach the 4 seasons, I count them (uno, dos, tres, cuatro) and then begin counting the 4 corners (uno, dos, tres, cuatro).  Students know right away what I am thinking... The counter will say the 12 months of the year this time, instead of counting to 10. After students are out, they help the counter say the months. Sometimes, I have students act out a deporte (sport) that is popular during that corner's season.

4 Puntos Cardinales: Cardinal and Intermediate Directions

I usually label the actual directions in my classroom, which turn out to be in the center of each wall. Instead, students will go to the middle of the wall  instead of the corner. We play 4 rincones  (corners) once students have learned noreste, noroeste, suroeste and sureste. 

To teach the layers of the Rain Forest:

In this version students can move like rain forest animales as they go from corner to corner or show the movement of an animal that lives in that part of the rain forest.

*More ways to get students using language:

About the counter: of course, I like to give as many students an opportunity to speak as possible. Sometimes I alternate the counter so that each round a new counter counts and chooses a corner. I also ask students who are out to say the numbers or months with the counter. Once students are comfortable with the vocabulary, I have students tell the counter the choices of corner names. 

Using Surveys to Get Everyone Talking

Surveys en la clase de español

A language teacher's ultimate goal is to get students to use the target language as much as possible. Surveys are a great way to achieve this goal, and to engage students to the fullest extent! I was reminded of the benefits of surveys when I recently had third grade students survey one another about how they were feeling:

Why are surveys so great?!

Surveys are perfect for getting students to use the language in an authentic way, as students often do not know the answer to the question they are asking. It gets student to not only ask the question, but respond as well. There is also an element of competition that many students crave. They want to get everyone's response and find the "winner".  I also love surveys because they get everyone out of their seats and around the room. Even students who are less likely to participate, are part of the survey, so that everyone is engaged. I was amazed the other day when my principal walked in and so many students went right up to him and began asking him how he was feeling in Spanish, without hesitation. Luckily, he responded right back in Spanish and students were thrilled! 

Making surveys successful:

I have done enough surveys to know that if not set up correctly, students will resort to using English.  It is best to have students practice asking the question and response ahead of time, in another context (with a partner, chorally, with a chant, etc.).  For younger students,  I usually put the question at the top of the survey to remind students what to ask, as well as the response. I find it also helps, if possible, to have visuals available for students. For example, before doing the survey, I put all of the "emociones faces" on the board and had students say their Spanish names. I left them up for students to refer to, or point to, if needed. Finally, I model how to do the survey so that students know what is expected. I will model asking three people in Spanish so they know to ask in Spanish. It sounds obvious, but sometimes students forget, or don't realize, that it is expected!

Surveys as an assessment tool:

Surveys are also a great way to see which students can ask and respond to questions. I used a checklist when I did mine and checked off who was able to ask the questions, who was able to respond, and who was able to use o/a endings correctly. I was able to get a true sense of who had internalized the language and was able to use it more automatically. 

¡Primeros días de clases! 1st Days!

Beginning-of-the-year highlights:

1st & 2nd Grade

In first and second grade we reviewed the rules and then read Davíd va al colegio by David Shannon. This book is great because of its simple language and funny illustrations. It also reinforces a lot of the vocabulary that I use in the classroom.  

2nd grade- Manzanita del Perú game

Students played the game "Manzanita del Perú" to review phrases "¿Cómo te llamas?" (What is your name?) and "¿Cuántos años tienes?" (How old are you?)       
   Manzanita del Perú, (Little apple of Perú) 

   ¿Cómo te llamas tú? (What is your name?)

  Manzanita del Perú, (Little apple of Perú) 

   ¿Cuántos años tienes  (How old are you?)

To make it more like a game, I have students spell their name and pass the apple as they say each letter. On the last letter, the students with the apple stands up and becomes a "judge".  I play until all students are standing except for the winner! We do the same with age, except each person says a number, instead of a letter.

3rd Grade

Students begin the year by learning the emotions and people in the school. A great way to practice both is by reading the book, ¡ No te comas a la maestra ! (Don't Eat the Teacher) by Nick Ward. This book is about a shark, Samuel, who is muy nervioso on the first day of school. Unforunately when he is nervous, he eats everything! His friends have to remind him, "No te comas a la maestra (Don't eat the teacher)!"

4th grade- Fortune Tellers

After reviewing all of the colors in Spanish as well as numbers 1-15 and Spanish greeting questions, students get to make and use fortune tellers.  We also spell out color words using the Spanish alphabet and do color "math problems" (rojo + azul = morado). Finally, we practice with an online game and speed quiz!

Check out this color website!
http://www.spanishspanish.com/colors/color_menu.html

5th grade ¿Cómo se dice...? 

Scavenger Hunt/Video

I start off fifth grade with a letter to each student explaining my goal for the year is to prepare them for future foreign language classes. They will be expected to speak more Spanish in class and will do more writing and reading than in the past (because they are ready for it!).  I also tell them they will be doing a lot more projects and speaking activities independently this year. 

    Students also do a         scavenger hunt to    practice the "frase imporante": ¿Cómo se dice...? (How do you say...?) Students have to find all of the labels around the classroom and find out how to say/spell words like "pencil sharpener" and "tissues". It helps students to also locate these items in the classroom!

Students also watch a video called, "The Importance of Being Bilingual". Watch it now and see why you think it is important to speak more than one language!

Happy New (School) Year! ¡Feliz año nuevo!

¡Feliz año nuevo! Happy New Year!

¡Feliz año nuevo! Happy New Year! In the world of education, the New Year starts in September, not January. With the upcoming "New Year", I would like to reflect on what worked well last year and what improvements that I would like to make for the upcoming year! 

What worked last year:

*Teaching the rules, again and again and again...

Last summer I read a lot about Whole Brain Teaching. One of the important things I learned was that the classroom rules should be taught, and then practiced and reviewed often. I directly taught our four simple classroom rules in Spanish with an accompanying action. I found students learned the rules quickly and would even help me reinforce them in Spanish! I will definitely do this again this year. Hopefully, many students will remember them from last year. Our rules:

1. Follow directions quickly (¡Instrucciones rápidamente!- hands brush each other)
2. Pay attention (¡Presta atención!- point to eyes)
3. Raise your hand before you speak or leave your seat (¡Levanta la mano!-raise hand)
4. Follow all school rules (Escuela/Respeta- use hands to make a house signal).

*Using Tarjetas: Cards

This is a manageable version of "popsicle sticks" when you teach almost the entire school! I gave each student in grades 3 through 5 a blank index card on the first day of Spanish. I had them decorate them with their names and things they like (also a way to review "Me gusta"). I kept them in the front of the classroom and used them to select students for games or to answer questions, and to create partners/groups. Also, I used the cards as a way to show students where to sit when we changed desks.  Students would easily find their cards and it saved me time from having to call over each student!

*Student-centered learning: 

This was a big change and it really affected my overall approach to teaching. I incorporated more projects tailored to students' interests and questions. I also gave students many opportunities to explore real items and let them draw their own conclusions, instead of telling students what I wanted them to learn.  I gave students many opportunities to teach and help one another: Here are some example of student-centered learning:

*La palabra mágica (The Magic Word):

During each class I would come up with a magic word that students had to wait for in order to begin following a direction. I found students paid better attention to directions, as they had to wait for the word before even moving a muscle. The word also would usually reinforce our objective for the day (For example: "la bandera" when we learned about the Puerto Rican flag or "Roberto Clemente" when we learned about sports). Sometimes I had students come up with the word, which often became food items, especially when it was close to lunch time!  

Improvements for 2015-2016:

*More immersion! 90%+ of class in the target language

Over the summer I have become intrigued by Señor Howard's blog about using total immersion in the language class. I do believe students learn the most when they are exposed to the language as much as possible, especially in the short amount of time that I see them!  

I try to incorporate a lot of Spanish while giving directions, explaining content, and for general classroom routines, but would like to use even less English (which I do, on occasion). I would also like to figure out a way to incorporate more inquiry-based learning while staying in Spanish! 

*Connecting with others (around the globe, in the school community and professionally). 

*With students:
My ultimate goal is for students to speak Spanish, not only in the classroom, but with others who speak the language around the globe. I attended a powerful workshop last spring by Silvia Tolisano (check out her blog here) and during the workshop we spoke to others in Argentina, Brasil and Canada, using FaceTime and Skype. It was amazing connecting to others so far away in a common language, and would love for my students to have this global experience.

*In the School Community and Professionally: 
My goal is not only for my students to connect to others, but it is my goal to connect to others as well. I want to involve the school community as much as possible in the program, as I feel it is crucial for any language program's success. I also look to connect to other teachers and to dialogue about teaching language to children. I enjoy discussing language acquisition and children and welcome any comments! 

What changes are you hoping to make during this upcoming school year?

Fifth Grade End-of-Year Challenge!

Yo hablo español challenge:

What is the "Yo hablo español challenge" and why did I start it?

This time of year can be a challenge to keep fifth grade students engaged. There is a lot going on in their grade level and I sometime find their minds are elsewhere.  To keep things interesting and to motivate them, I recently challenged my fifth graders to only speak Spanish when our sign is flipped from "inglés" to "español.  I teach students for a full

hour period, which is a long time for students to not use their first language. Students start class with ten points in English and I erase a point for using English. I  also award them points every time they use one of our "frases importantes" or speak Spanish in class. I especially make a big deal when students get creative and access words and phrases that are stored in their memories since they started learning Spanish! It also holds me accountable to speak in Spanish and helps me achieve my goal of immersing students in the target language.

Final scores (before Mr. Schaal's final class)!

What do students get out of the challenge?

I think one of the best outcomes of the challenge is that the class works together to stay in the language. They will help each other with reminders ("¡No inglés! Habla en español!") and will do things for their classmates to comment on in Spanish (like sneezing!). I also extend the puntos to outside of class and have heard students speaking Spanish to one another while at their lockers! I tell students it is great practice for middle school when they will spend more time each week immersed in the language they choose. I don't typically use rewards with classes, but have found that I don't mind using them if it means that my students will speak so much in Spanish during class!  When students reach 100 points, I allow them to vote on an activity as a class.  I give classes three choices: play a fútbol game outside, watch a movie (such as "Finding Nemo" or "The Lion King") in Spanish, or a game day when they can play their favorite Spanish games. Fútbol usually wins! 

What are some of the phrases that students learn?

Our wall of "frases importantes"!

Each class, starting Day One, I begin teaching students "frases importantes".  These are high-frequency, survival expressions that students could use in, or outside, of the classroom. I directly teach each phrase and then we practice with "scenarios". For example, I might have several students pretend to sneeze and the class with say "¡Salud!" or will have a student act a little loco and the class will practice using the phrase, "tranquilo" (calm down).  Once students learn the phrases, I will no longer allow them to say them in English!  I have them posted in the room and will point to them if students ask in English. Here are some phrases:

¡Fiesta de Frutas in Fourth Grade!

Los productos de Puerto Rico

I have been holding a fruit tasting party with classes for the past 12 years and feel that it is such a meaningful experience for students,  that I will always make sure I include it as part of our Puerto Rico unit! I am very passionate about food and believe it is a great way to experience any culture. 

Learning about las frutas:

We start by learning the name of the products as they are called in Puerto Rico (for example: orange in Puerto Rico is "la china"). This year I tried something different to introduce the products. After students predicted the types of fruits that would grow in Puerto Rico's hot and humid climate, they were given 8 numbered brown bags, each with a real fruit inside. They were then asked to name each fruit by touch, smell and sound only!  


This year I also had students choose one product that they wanted to learn more about and use iPads to research how their product grows, what it looks like on the inside and how it is used in Puerto Rican cooking.  Students were placed in groups with other fruits and taught one another what they had learned.

Bargaining Skits:

 After talking about why Puerto Rico uses American dollars, students begin learning how to say prices in Spanish. We review numbers to 100 and I have students guess what I really paid for the products in a "Price is Right" kind of game. I then teach students about bargaining and have them create a skit in pairs where they have to ask 
for a product and bargain for it!  

"Bargaining" for Puerto Rican products!

Finally...the fiesta!

Enjoying many different fruits and juices!

Sampling authentic foods!

Star fruit, sugarcane, pineapple and homemade guacamole

Plantains, Rosita cookies, yuca and more! 

Serving up arroz con leche!

I ask for volunteers to send in fruit, and the phenomenal families in my school always come through! I used to do everything myself, but realized it would be more meaningful for students to bring in the products themselves (and I was really bad at opening coconuts)! Of course, students ask every year ask if they can bring in coffee (No!) and sugarcane (Yes!) In several classes I had students bring in small sticks of sugarcane and everyone enjoyed seeing how they felt and tasted!  I also invite parents to come in and help, as it is a fun experience and it is always great to have extra hands. 

 The day of the fiesta: I think I get as excited as the kids, as I know that students will get to sample some fruits and foods for the first time. Some lucky classes have parents who are able to make some Caribbean dishes. I have had parents make natilla (a custard) and arroz con leche (rice pudding), and the kids usually go crazy for it. I also have students list the fruits they will be trying and then check off if they like it. At the end we always debrief about what students liked, what was their favorite, and if anyone tried anything new!