Early in the Year:

Before taking over any classes I had the opportunity to observe my mentor teachers. This was a great opportunity to build rapport with the students, get to know their interests, the school itself , staff, and the general resources that were available. It also served as a great way to learn school policies, codes of conduct, and the school culture before taking over my first class.

Taking over my first class: Spanish 5

The first class I took over was Spanish 5, a class of high-performing seniors, the majority of which are part of the “Goddard Scholar” program the school. This was a great way to start my year of teaching, it forced me to meaningfully plan a curriculum that was rigorous, as well as plan for a consistent classroom structure. This was great for me, in that is set the tone for the rest of my classes. I would continue to implement high, cross-curricular, academic content, as well as have a structured classroom that varied within that context.

Taking over ELL

Big different between Spanish 5 and ELL. Direct language instruction, differences between 5 and ELL. Building comprehensible input, academic literacy, confidence

Taking over both Spanish 3’s

More strict, routines and consequences. Once I implemented new routines, however, I realized that my students appreciated the new sense of clarity and calm in the room.  Furthermore, I came to realize that student-centered really means implementing the right practice at the right time for your students.  Sometimes, that means a flexible and creative group project and other times, it means a mini-lesson accompanied by independent note-taking in a graphic organizer.

Combining ELL and Spanish 5