Teaching in the Elementary Schools: FAQ
Q:
Why do we to teach in the elementary schools?
A: You are now the one in charge! Both the IB and AP programs
require the student to confidently and quickly speak in Spanish. You won't have
much time to think about what you want to say, and thinking on your feet
prepares you well for the oral portion of the exam.
Also, you would be surprised how much the review will help you.
There may be some phrases you use in the classroom that you'll have to look up
ahead of time. You decide what you learn and your needs dictate what you
yourself learn. I cannot tell you how many students have had to ask me what
certain letters of the alphabet were because they forgot!
You will find as the semester goes on, you will be much more
comfortable with greeting and other everyday communications, having taught
them. This experience will enrich you, and many say it was their favorite part
of Spanish class! And who knows? You may even come better to appreciate what I
do for you each day!
Q:
When do we teach and for how long?
A: Once a week for about 30 minutes each session instead of
Spanish class. The first day of teaching will be Friday, September 2nd . Mark the
following dates on your calendar that we will teach (all Fridays):
September 2nd
September 9th
September 16th
September 23th
September 30th
October 7th
October 21st
November 4th
November 11th
November 18th
December 2nd
December 9th
Q:
What schools will we teach at? What grades do we teach?
A: Here is the list of teaching assignments. Click here if you need a map.
Q:
What if I can't teach that day/time?
A: It is your responsibility to make sure your partner 1) knows you’ll
be gone and 2) is ready to go without you. Please also notify me immediately at
(402) 672-7712 or tmjensen@mpsomaha.org
You must make up your missed
teaching(s) to receive points.
Q:
If we teach with a partner, who does the lesson plans?
A: Actually, you will take turns. Whoever's last name is
alphabetically first prepares the first lesson. You will both receive points
for the lesson, so do a good job!
Q:
How many points is each teaching worth?
A: 10 points. You will receive 5 points for your lesson and 5
points for your reflection as well.
Q:
What is the reflection about?
A: Preferably right after you teach (later that day), you will
briefly reflect on how your lesson went. What did you do that worked well? What
could have been done better? How? Why? I will read these carefully and comment,
not to judge you, but to help improve your experiences teaching. Please be
honest - you are graded on your level of reflection - how much you learned from
the experience - not how well the lesson went.
Q:
How do I make up the points of a missed teaching?
A: Come in and chat in Spanish for 30 minutes either before or
after school. You can chat with me or with another student. You can wait until
someone else has to make one up or just bring a kind friend who wants to
practice speaking Spanish. Of course, don't forget to write a reflection of
your experience.
Q:
Do I still have to do the lesson plan even if I know I'm going to miss a
teaching?
A: YES! You are the teacher, so your plans should be extra clear
for a "substitute" to follow. Make sure whoever is teaching your
class has the necessary materials too.
Q:
What are we supposed to teach?
A: The goal is that by the end, students should be able to express
needs, basic courtesies, likes/dislikes, state of being; ask and answer simple
questions; and make and respond to simple requests. These progress indicators
were taken from Nebraska K-12 Foreign Language Frameworks Essential Learnings
for PreK-5. For more information, click here.
In order to do this, you will use Spanish orally almost
exclusively, acting out and drawing on the board to aid comprehension. You
should be greeting them in Spanish, expecting a response, giving instructions
in Spanish (take out a pencil, raise your hand, etc.), as well as teaching
vocabulary that helps them to express likes/dislikes, needs, what they are
like/how they feel, etc.
There activities for several common themes here. Show
your teacher and encourage your elementary students to practice these
throughout the week. Some of the activities even have sound so the kids can
listen and repeat.
Q:
How do you know what we are teaching each week?
A: You turn in your lesson plan the Tuesday of the week you teach.
Q:
What do I put in the lesson plan?
A: You should have a title, your name, a list of activities, each
with a brief description, and a list of necessary materials.
Q:
I've never taught before. Where do I begin?
A: We do a "mini" workshop in class. I give a sample
lesson and you all create a similar one based on that. Also, refer to the list
of teaching strategies
you receive in class.
Q:
That is so much work. Are there any materials developed already to help me?
A: Yes! But, remember: you and your partner should be taking turns
preparing the lessons, so that's really only about 6 lessons each! Check the
black binder in the resource center in my room. There are pre-made worksheets
for copying. There are also several books you may check out and use. Please
return what you check out - I don't have extras. A great site for creating
puzzles - crosswords, wordsearches, etc. is puzzlemaker.com
Don't forget about the word lists available to you at www.quia.com/pages/espanolk12.html
Another thing some students have done in past years is share
lessons with one another. For example, for parts of the body, play "Head,
shoulders, knees and toes" in Spanish. (For more song ideas, click here OR here).
Or for food, play "restaurant" where the teacher (you) stands in the
middle of the classroom, with students sitting in teams of 4 around the room.
The teacher orders "Yo quisiera..." and one "mesero" from
each team runs to the teacher with the picture of the food she ordered in
Spanish. Every teaching team will not teach the same thing each week. Share
ideas!!!
Q:
Will you ever come watch me teach?
A: Yes, but don't be nervous! I will sometimes drop by for just a
few minutes, and others stay for longer. I usually send you an email after I've
observed you - within a day or two if not that day. I make comments on what I
observe, noting what is successful and giving you ideas for improvement. There
is no "grade" for these, they are just to HELP you be a better
teacher! I LOVE watching you teach; it makes me so proud.
Q:
Oops! I lost my permission slip! What now?
A: Have your parents write me a note OR fill out the form here.
Elementary Links: Quick Reference