Remember the old days before classroom technology was a thing?
When I first started teaching Spanish, all I had was a textbook, a handful of transparencies and a few raggedy Spanish-English dictionaries.
Thankfully, the professional development I had at this …
First words are pretty important. Just ask babies.
Words like “mama” and “dada,” (or, as in the case of my own child, “dog,”) all convey a powerful feeling. Food, fun, affection—the power of such human experiences can last a lifetime.…
One year, I taught in a classroom the student body liked to call “the dungeon.”
I’ll leave the details to your imagination, but the fact is, we all suffered for it.
The students most of all.
I’ve heard the ideal …
Handouts hold a certain nostalgic appeal for me.
They remind me of my earliest days as a student, when I first delighted in writing legibly and storing papers in a sturdy folder, just like a grown-up would.
Growing up, we …
You know what’s amazing about teaching a foreign language to children?
It’s not the flexible hours and the ability to work internationally—although those things are pretty awesome too.
It’s the ability to turn anything into a lesson.
One day you’re …
Do you ever find that technology is not all it is cracked up to be?
Do your students often forget their devices and chargers?
Or are you a lover of tech in the classroom but are looking to give your …
When I was in high school, Spanish was really the only foreign language option for me.
I had maps of Spain and Cuba and all the countries of South America.
I was excited to go abroad and experience a world …
