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How to Make Authentic Spanish Materials Accessible in Middle and High School

January 10, 2022view the post

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What’s the week before winter vacation like?? On

What’s the week before winter vacation like?? Only fellow teachers can understand! Need some activities to keep you sane and your students engaged this winter?
🎁 Your Spanish teacher friends have got you covered with this 12 Days of Giving freebie giveaway! You'll have access to 12 activities, each valued at $5 or more! But it's good for only 12 days - until December 17th! Check the link in my bio or comment below and I’ll send it to you directly!
@specialtyspanish @kosmikteacher @laprofeplotts @bestpowerpointsforspanish @esteemlearning @lasenoraeller @MissSenoritaTpt @FirstGenerationDreams @perfectplansbymarilyn
#12daysofgiving #languageteacher #spanishteacher #highschoolspanish #middleschoolspanish #spanishholidays #feliznavidad #spanishclass

📚 Did you know that language is the key that un

📚 Did you know that language is the key that unlocks a world of opportunities? 💬 As secondary Spanish teachers, we have the incredible privilege of guiding our students to explore new cultures, connect with others, and expand their horizons. 🌍🌎 Let's keep pushing those language limits! 💪💙
#LimitlessLanguage #StudentExplorers #spanishteacher #profedeele #profedeidiomas #languageteacher #profe #spanishclass

📚✨ Teacher Truth Talk: Let's break it down, a

📚✨ Teacher Truth Talk: Let's break it down, amigos. 🗣️💪 Repeat after me: Students should be working harder than you. Are you hustling more than your students?
Language learning is a journey, and it's tough—it should be! 🚀 They're soaking up knowledge, acquiring skills, and it's their effort that lights up the path. Sure, I'm prepping materials and giving feedback, but the real magic happens when students roll up their sleeves and showcase what they've got.
Here's the scoop: Quick planning, minimal worksheets, and activities on the fly—that's my secret sauce. 🧙‍♂️✨ My students dive into independent work, writing up a storm for a solid 15 minutes. 📝⏰ Because when they're working hard, that's when the language magic truly happens. 🌟💬
#profe #TeacherTruths #StudentSuccess #LanguageLearningJourney #TeacherHacks #EffortEqualsGrowth #spanishteacher #spanishclass

👩🏻‍🏫 We’ve all been there: you’re g

👩🏻‍🏫 We’ve all been there: you’re grading a Spanish 1 or Spanish 2 writing or speaking task, and suddenly the student drops the imperfect subjunctive into their work. Hold up… WHAT? 🤨 I didn’t teach them this. We haven’t seen this in class, not once. This must be the work of… Google Translate. Maybe ChatGPT. Could be SpanishDict. Or DeepL. 🤦🏻‍♀️
It’s hard to be on the receiving end of a translated task. No matter how many times we remind them not to use translators, students do it anyway.
Need support to stop translators? Check out my blog post. Link in my bio ➡️ @kosmikteacher
#spanishteacher #spanishteacherproblems #teacherproblems #speakingtask

🌟 Because who doesn't love a good freebie? 🎉

🌟 Because who doesn't love a good freebie? 🎉💰 Stumbled upon three gems that have been my time-saving superheroes lately:
Spanish Learning Lab Targeted Audios: 🎧 Vocabulary focus, anyone? This site has specific audios tailored for your vocab needs. Authentic is great, but sometimes you need that laser focus. 🚀
Magic School AI: 🤖 AI is taking over, and I'm (kind of) here for it! The feedback tool is my ride-or-die. Copy, paste rubric, insert student work, and voilà—effortless feedback. Qué fácil.
Voice Feedback with Kaizena: 🤯 Mind-blown emoji right here. Leave voice memos as feedback directly in a Google Doc. They say we speak 75% faster than we type—hello, time saver! 🕒
PSA: No sé si estarán gratis por siempre, so snag 'em while you can, pronto!
Found any cool freebies lately? 🎁✨ Share the wealth—comment below and spill the deets.
#TeacherLife #FreebieAlert #TimeSavers #EdTechMagic #TeacherHacks #spanishteacher

Confessions of a Teacher Life: 📚✨ On Friday,

Confessions of a Teacher Life: 📚✨ On Friday, I shared my rookie teacher mistakes. Here's another gem—I used to spend ALL my Sundays planning and grading. ☕📝 The coffee shop became my Sunday sanctuary, because home just wasn't cutting it.
Fast forward 12 years, and I've learned a thing or two. Burning the midnight oil on weekends? That's a highway to burnout. Now, I prioritize self-care, rest, and reclaim my weekends for ME. 🌈 Outside of school hours, I'm living my best life—doing the things that light me up! 💃
Lesson learned: The key to being a great teacher is also being a happy, well-rested human. 🗝️
How do you recharge after a week of teaching chaos? Share your secrets below! ⬇️
#TeacherConfessions #SelfCareSunday #TeacherLifeBalance #WeekendVibes #GrowthMindset #Spanishteacher

¡Hola, profe! 🍎✨ Today, I'm throwing it back

¡Hola, profe! 🍎✨ Today, I'm throwing it back to my early teaching days with a pic from my first week in the classroom. Can you believe I rocked the same cardigan in three different colors? 🌈 It was all about that budget life.
But let's not talk dollars and cents today, profe. 🤑 This is about the 12-year journey that transformed my teaching game and the three major missteps I made back in the day.
Mistake 1️⃣: No differentiation. Yep, 22-year-old me was guilty. Shoutout to Mia, my mentor teacher, for setting me straight! Now, every lesson is a buffet of choices, supports, and options for my diverse learners.
Mistake 2️⃣: No Scaffolding. What's that? Chaos, that's what. Backwards planning became my BFF. Breaking down skills, taking it slow, and ensuring understanding before moving on.
Mistake 3️⃣: Exit tickets were my go-to… IF I remembered them. What was I thinking? Checking for understanding became a real-time affair. No more end-of-class guesswork. It's all about that constant connection now.
So, profe, let's get real. What cringe-worthy moments from your teaching debut still haunt you? 🙈 How have you turned the ship around? Me encantaría saber. Comment below and spill the tea. ☕📚
#TeacherThrowback #GrowthMindset #TeachingJourney #LanguageTeachers #ReflectAndGrow

Power up your teaching career with our PD for Prof

Power up your teaching career with our PD for Profes teacher development membership!⁣
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Improve your skills with personalized workshops, enrich your knowledge in world language, and join our vibrant community of educators. ⁣
⁣
This month, we have a panel about assessments. Remember each month includes:⁣
⭐ Resources to use in your classroom⁣
⭐ A live and recorded workshop⁣
⭐ Office Hours ⁣
⭐ A private supportive community⁣
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Start your journey today. Link in my bio!⁣
⁣
#spanishteacher #frenchteacher #worldlanguage #teacherproblems #teacherlife #spanishclass #frenchclass #germanteacher

Experience culture, language, and age-old traditio

Experience culture, language, and age-old traditions with this Día de Muertos Choice Board Project. 🎊 Perfect for your Spanish class, this main choice board AND alternative project combine fun and learning while honoring traditions. 🇲🇽⁣
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🏵 Start celebrating. Start learning. Link in bio. ⁣
⁣
#DíaDeMuertos #SpanishClass #HonorTraditions #teaching #profe #diademuertos #Spanish1 #spanishteacher

A few weeks ago, I asked my email community for día de muertos ideas.
Here's what they wrote back:
🇲🇽 Danielle shared: “Students create ofrendas in a Google Slide so they can better manipulate the size and position of the ofrendas elements.”
🦋 Marie commented:"For an alternative project have them work on the Journey of the Mariposas."Tori says:“For the kids that can't do the altares, have them pick a person of Hispanic heritage and make a biography using the box.”
🍽️ James adds:"Student made calaveras from paper plates."
🪁 Heather focuses on sharing traditions from Guatemala, to better represent her student population: "We had students make kites and fly them outside."
🎯 And I'm sharing my own favorite, a Día de Muertos choice board.
What's your plan for Día de Muertos? Share below!
#d

What's your favorite way to review? These are my

What's your favorite way to review?
These are my top 3 easy ways to build review into any class.
Check out all the ideas in the post - link in my bio @kosmikteacher
#spanishclass #spanishteacher #spanishreview #backtoschool #teacherresource #spanishteacherlife #profedeespañol

This time of year, it’s so important to review a

This time of year, it’s so important to review and reteach materials in your Spanish class. Whether you’re approaching midterms, the end of the quarter, or the end of a unit, review and reteach are so important.
When I was a new teacher, I don’t think I did any strategic reteaching. I’m sure I reviewed with games and fun activities, but I was missing out on an opportunity to strengthen my students’ skills and for them to show off what they had learned! Now I know better, and I build review and reteach into my materials.
#spanishteachersofinstagram #instaspanish #spanishteacherlife #teachmorespanish #iteachmiddles #middleschoolteachers #highschoolteachers #teacherideas #teacherblogger #highschoolteacher #teachersofinsta #teachergram #educatorsofinstagram

¡Hola profe! Here's an unpopular opinion for you

¡Hola profe! Here's an unpopular opinion for you today. ❤️ if you agree!
Sometimes, a hands-off activity is better for me and my students.
Having a hands-off activity that I can turn to every so often. For example, I love stations for Hispanic Heritage Month (and pretty much anything).
Here's how I roll with stations:
🔸 Set up 5-6 stations, depending on class size. I like to have 4 students at one station.
🔸 Put all the materials in a folder (or file folder) with the station number and instructions on the front of the folder. I leave these numbers on all year, and swap out the instructions.
🔸 Use a timer on the board to show students when to change stations. Have them practice, and count them down (I give 10 seconds and class points/merits/etc. to students who move quickly). I usually go with 8-10 minutes.
Do you use stations? What tips and tricks do you have? Share them in the comments!
#spanishteachersofinstagram #instaspanish #spanishteacherlife #teachmorespanish #iteachmiddles #middleschoolteachers #highschoolteachers #teacherideas #teacherblogger #highschoolteacher #teachersofinsta #teachergram #educatorsofinstagram

✨ Grading made easy! 📝✨ 🌍 Download thi

✨ Grading made easy! 📝✨
🌍 Download this free speaking and writing rubric now from the link in my bio - @kosmikteacher.
#LanguageAssessment #FreeRubric #TeacherResources

Here's the deal, profe: I love stations. They're

Here's the deal, profe: I love stations. They're a great way to have a hands-off activity... but what about the content?
I usually have 5-6 stations, and I try to structure them with different tasks at each station.
📚 Reading: texts about Hispanic Heritage Month, famous Hispanic people, etc.
🎧 Listening: could be a podcast, a video, some sort of authentic resource and a worksheet to hold students accountable.
🎲 A game to review or introduce concepts and/or vocabulary.
📝Speaking prep: I give students some prompts that we could discuss at the speaking station, and they have time to review and discuss responses as a group. I encourage them to brainstorm the vocabulary words they can use for the task.
🗣️Speaking: I sit here, and we discuss the questions together. I try not to start students at this station. If I have to, I give them the speaking prep resource and we swap the order - when they make their way back around, they do the speaking at the speaking prep station.
🧩Information gap or puzzle: this is a great way to review!
What about you? Comment below!
#spanishteachersofinstagram #instaspanish #spanishteacherlife #teachmorespanish #iteachmiddles #middleschoolteachers #highschoolteachers #teacherideas #teacherblogger #highschoolteacher #teachersofinsta #teachergram #educatorsofinstagram

☕️ It's national coffee day, profe. What's yo

☕️ It's national coffee day, profe.
What's your go-to order? 💬 Comment below!
#imma_teacher #iteachsecondary #spanishteachers #spanishclasses #clasesdeespañol #iteachspanish #spanishclass #spanishteacher #profe #teacherfriends #highered #iteach #iteachtoo #spanishteacherresources #secondaryspanish

We’ve all been there: you’re grading a Spanish

We’ve all been there: you’re grading a Spanish 1 or Spanish 2 writing or speaking task, and suddenly the student drops the imperfect subjunctive into their work. Hold up… WHAT? I didn’t teach them this. We haven’t seen this in class, not once. This must be the work of… Google Translate. Could be SpanishDict. Or DeepL – that’s the hot new translator, right?
It’s hard to be on the receiving end of a translated task. No matter how many times we remind them not to use translators, students do it anyway.
Need a solution? I've got a whole blog post about it - check it out at the link in my bio.
#spanishteachersofinstagram #instaspanish #spanishteacherlife #teachmorespanish #iteachmiddles #middleschoolteachers #highschoolteachers #teacherideas #teacherblogger #highschoolteacher #teachersofinsta #teachergram #educatorsofinstagram

I moved from the US to Spain in 2018, and thought

I moved from the US to Spain in 2018, and thought I was SO ready. I mean, I’m a Spanish teacher! I’d been teaching Spanish for six years, and I’d traveled, been to language exchanges, etc. 🇪🇸🎒
I was not ready. First, my brain needs a moment to “switch on” when I visit a new Spanish-speaking place, with a different accent, new slang, you know how it goes. 🧐💬
But you know what? All that effort I put into maintaining my Spanish skills back in the States did help. 📚✨
So, I'm here to share some tips and ideas on how to keep your language skills sharp. Whether you're traveling, living abroad, or simply passionate about languages, let's explore ways to stay fluent and connected to the culture! 🗺️🗣️
Read the post - link in my bio @kosmikteacher
#LanguageJourney #LanguageLearning #SpanishAbroad #TravelandLearn #LanguageSkills #CultureConnection #SpanishTeacherLife #BilingualLife #LanguageTips #StayFluent

Ohhh profe last week I followed Maddy @livingnsuns

Ohhh profe last week I followed Maddy @livingnsunshine’s advice and re-examined my goals for 2023.
I have personal goals for the year (and goals for my blog, TPT, etc.) but I also have goals for my CLASSROOM.
Every year I choose one or two key components to focus on. This year I want to encourage community, and engagement in Spanish. I’m taking steps to work on these two things with my students.
If you set goals for yourself, comment below and let me know what they are!
#teachergoals #spanishteacher #spanishclass #middleschoolspanish #highschoolspanish #backtoschool #classgoals #reflectiveteacher

☀️¿Tienes ideas para el mes de herencia hispa

☀️¿Tienes ideas para el mes de herencia hispana?
🤩Te comparto estas 5 ideas para tus clases de español.
¿Quieres más información? Lee todo en mi página web - link in bio!
#spanishclass #hispanicheritagemonth #spanishteacher #highschoolspanish #middleschoolspanish #iteachspanish

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