Our students arrive in our classrooms the first day with many different perceptions about what the class will be like. They are all wondering if the class is going to be difficult or if the teacher will be "nice." Others wonder if the class is going to be boring or if there will be loads of homework. Here is what your students need to hear you say on the first day of … [Read more...] about 5 Things You Need to Tell Your Students on the First Day of Class
TGIF! Personalize Learning with Weekend Chat
Are you looking for ways to build community within your classroom every Monday and Friday to get to know your students better? Do you want structures such as "I went", "I saw", and "I played" to flow effortlessly from their mouths? You need Weekend Chat! This is my go-to activity on Monday and Friday once we finish FVR (Free Voluntary Reading). Here is why Weekend Chat needs a … [Read more...] about TGIF! Personalize Learning with Weekend Chat
Arrrrr! How to Lead Your Students on a Treasure Hunt
I do this treasure hunt as a stand-alone activity. However, it would be a great supplement to one of the Fluency Matters pirate novels. Los piratas del Caribe y el Triángulo de las Bermudas by Carol Gaab and Christine Tiday, Piratas del Caribe y el mapa secreto by Mira Canion and Carol Gaab and Nordseepirat by Robert Harrell are all great choices for level one or two … [Read more...] about Arrrrr! How to Lead Your Students on a Treasure Hunt
Tips for Summer Language Study
Students and teachers alike need the summer to recharge and spend time with family and friends. That being said, here are some pointers that you can give your students to maintain their edge over vacation to slow down the summer slide. All of these are effective strategies for interacting with the language outside of class in general. Since it's too late to give students a … [Read more...] about Tips for Summer Language Study
Desert Island Survival Scenario to Teach the Conditional Tense
I love using hypothetical scenarios to teach the conditional tense. The very nature of activities like these encourage endless "what if" questions from the teacher and the class. In this scenario, the student can only bring four items from the list. The catch is that there is an opportunity cost associated with each choice. If the student only chooses items used to procure and … [Read more...] about Desert Island Survival Scenario to Teach the Conditional Tense