Minute by Minute Spanish

Spanish Lessons

Students Sing Spanish Day Song Before Class Even Starts!

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A Spanish teacher, Tina Ferrara wrote “I like to have songs playing as my students enter my classroom-either with lyrics or the video if appropriate. Wondering if you could please share some songs your students love? ”

I asked my Cuban-musician friend the same question, telling him my students loved “HOY ES DOMINGO” and he replied by making up a series of daily songs.  I created videos for them and my students love them and sing them all the time.  It is interesting to hear them discuss which one is their favorite – spoiler alert – “Querido Viernes” – followed by “Juernes.”

These songs help students to express in Spanish their feelings about each day of the week – and creates a 90% Target Language environment.  The lyrics enter their brains on a super-input-output route and very quickly they are using the expressions in conversations.  Start each class with meaningful music that can be used in other situations – you’ll be glad you did!

 

FELIZ LUNES

Feliz Lunes
Start each class with a Spanish song.

MARTES

Martes Amigo
Start Spanish Class with a Spanish Song

Celebrate the start of class with a song – Querido Viernes

MIÉRCOLES

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Miércoles Start Class with a song in Spanish.

 

JUEVES

 

Jueves
Start Spanish Class with a Spanish Song

 

 

QUERIDO VIERNES

Viernes

Save on Bundle of Five

Students love the routine and novelity of singing a different song depending on the day.
Set the tone for useful Spanish speaking even before class begins!
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Replacement Spanish Teacher Feels Like Unwanted Step-Parent

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When it's tough to replace a teacher during the school year the tough do this!
6 Steps to Turning Around a Reluctant Class!

Stacy wrote about replacing a teacher in a building with little written curriculum. One group of students is failing to respond to her and she asks for help.

Dear Stacy,

It is time to get the positive endorphins flowing and the best way to do this is with a steady stream of positive endorphins being released through out the class period.  Please see these prior blogs about how to do this.

https://minutebyminutespanish.com/outstanding-Spanish/spanish-teachers-go-beyond-fun-spanish-class-activities-and-create-joy/

https://minutebyminutespanish.com/how-can-i-transition-my-students-to-speaking-in-

Since your principal is willing to support you to grow the program, here is what I suggest you do once you are on board with the idea of using transition videos.

  1.  Buy a remote presentation device and have it ready.  A remote mouse will also work.
  2.  Based on what you have said you have taught so far, move on to classroom items.  You want every minute of this class scripted so that there is  no down time.  But you also have many preps.  If you want six days of lessons scripted out for you, including all handouts, then  Click here for classroom items lessons bundle .
  3. Insert the starter bundle videos as indicated in the lessons and start teaching with these.
  4. Get your head in the game and come up with one positive about each student – just for yourself.  Practice in your heart how much you want them to love your class and do well.  Envision the class turning around and how much everyone loves your time together.
    Put it out to the universe and keep believing it.  Stop thinking about what a pain they are.  You must stop this as they can sense it.  You are going to look back at this as one of your greatest teacher victories.  Hum the song “dale vuelta a la tortilla” to boost your spirits.
  5. On the day you are ready to start, have a two minute heart-to-heart talk with them.  Tell them that while you are not supposed to have favorites, they are your favorites but you don’t think they know it so you want to make some changes to the class so that they know how special they are to you.  (Yup, keep telling yourself this)  Then, change seats so that the usual sideways glances and little groups of resistance are separated.  Put a lot of strategical thinking into this seating chart.  Tell them to gather their things up and you decide if they look at the new seating chart on your screen or if you direct them.  As soon as they are ready, tell them this is the new signal that class is beginning and play ‘class is about to begin’ and then launch into the greetings in the lesson plans.
  6. Super prepare with the next six lessons.  Smile.  Don’t look back.  Fall in love with this class as they respond to the videos and lessons.

    Stacy, you are asking the right questions and I believe you can and will turn this around — let me know if I can help.

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Best Gift for First Year Spanish Teacher?

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Amanda asked:

I just got together with a good friend whose boyfriend is a first year middle school Spanish/French teacher in a charter school. He’s a bit overwhelmed from trying to reinvent the wheel, and I’d love to introduce him to TpT! Anyone have some Spanish/French activities for middle schoolers that I could pass along?

My response:

I am constantly inspired by the TpT Spanish teachers and their ideas.  You really can’t go wrong with some of the replies to this post.  But I think you need to ask the new teacher what he needs the most help with and follow his needs.

Most new teachers need help with classroom management and especially need help with managing transitions.

I have a series of 30 second transitions in Spanish and French that the new teachers can embed in their daily Powerpoint. They become part of the class routine and the class just flows better.  If this is something that appeals to your friend, click here.

Here are a couple of videos to give you more ideas about transitions.

visual lesson plan for 90 TL

 

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Support for French Teacher Teaching Spanish

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Daily Tech Guides help new teachers to conduct their Spanish Classes.

A French teacher asked what to do the last seven days of classes for an exploratory Spanish Class.

I script my daily lessons with a PPT with over 50 slides so that I can teach minute by minute. Many French teachers becoming Spanish teachers have used them to teach Spanish. Each day includes all of the handouts and slides. You just use a clicker or a remote mouse and walk around the room and use them. Of course you’d have to review them to get a feel for them before presenting, but it should support an emerging teacher’s Spanish.

They cost about $3 a day and are cheaper in bundles. I hope to bundle all of my Spanish One for next year, but I got sidetracked with transition videos and they consume my extra time as they help some very desperate Venezuelans.

So far I have bundles for:

Numbers 1 – 100

Days and Months

Infinitiives

Here is a link to purchase and here is a link to see what the first day looks like.

Otherwise you could this country project that has links to videos about each country and about a typical breakfast food.

Click here:

Students love this project.

Use this lapbook to bridge students’ knowledge of days, months, seasons, weather and infinitives into their writing a full paragraph of introducing themselves and stating what they like to do and when they like to do it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Using Snap Chat to Capture Student Interest in Spanish Class

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Do not use Snapchat with your students, rather use their interest in it to learn how to use Spanish when welcoming a new student and the question words in context.
Do not use Snapchat with your students, rather use their interest in it to learn how to use Spanish when welcoming a new student and the question words in context.

 

Today on Spanish Teachers in the US, a teacher asked about using students’ interest in Snapchat to encourage using Spanish outside the classroom.  She wondered if others thought it appropriate to snap chat with current students.   I thought the answer would be an overwhelming ‘no’ but some really excellent points were made about the unique situations that we teachers have.  For example, if you are in a small town and part of the fabric of the community, using social media to stay connected can be appropriate.  Ditto if you have children in the community the same age as your own children.  Personally, I am on Facebook with my former students only after they are old enough to have attended a high school reunion. I do hear from students in college but they contact me through the school’s email.

 

I am leary of Snapchat being the social media of choice because from my understanding, false accusations can be made about its contents and be difficult to disprove.  But I do  understand about wanting to use Snapchat to interest the students. I have included it  two of my transition videos – one about questions and one about introducing a new student to the class. The former teaches them to use question words by asking one another how long their snapchat streak it and the latter shows two students inviting the new student to eat with them and start a Snapchat streak.

See samples below.
For more info on welcoming a student to join your class click here
For more info on the question song, click here.
Thanks for Visiting For the Minute by Minute Spanish!
Thanks for Visiting For the Minute by Minute Spanish!