To demonstrate my commitment to maintaining a semi-daily running blog of classroom activities and lesson plans, I’m starting well before school starts. Just a few thoughts as a I start a new year and a new language.
I’m switching to Spanish so we can give a full-time position to the incoming Latin teacher. We are very lucky to get her as #1 she’s very good and #2 she worked at my school before and is well liked. So I have just one Latin class, a Latin II class.
The first hurdle will be to articulate my students with the new teacher’s teaching goals. The second will be to fend off the students who do not get into my class; last year they made me swear I’d teach Latin. I’m not so concerned about the Twos b/c they had to go on anyway, but the Threes did not need the third year and will be sorely upset that I’m not teaching them. However, I know this new teacher and she’ll have them enthusiastic about the class in short order. One hurdle for Sp will be articulating with the more grammar-oriented second year teacher.
This is an opportunity for me to expand some ideas like picture files, graphic organizers, etc. One thing about Latin and Spanish is that I can maintain a steady patter in Spanish on any topic whereas I can’t do that in Latin, so I’ll be able to stay in L2 in Spanish, something I never got to in Latin, although I spoke more Latin in class than a lot of Latin teachers do.
One personal note: this was supposed to be my last year but it may not be; there is an issue of vesting that may require me to work one more semester at least in order to comply with the vesting procedure. Oh well. My schedule is so easy I’m out before 11 a.m. that I can do everything I’m doing this summer housework and language study and reading without strain. One more personal note: my exercising is going well, very well, so once I have some oral surgery Friday, I should be good to go a few more years.
I’m reading over the Spanish textbook, Avancemos, to get ideas on how to integrate it with my methods. I’ll be reporting more on that as I go along. I want to have conversations a bit one-sided with my students in Sp and then do comprehension checks that will serve as entries into the accursed grade book. I have lots of ideas incl a geography lesson to start with, biographical info on myself and the students, etc. Keep in mind that most of my students will have had 8 years of Sp………. but only know colors and days of the week.