Help! My Class Keeps Blurting in English!

We’ve all been there. It is not easy as a language teacher to contain student’s natural response of speaking in English.

Quick tips to reign in your chatty class.

Disclaimer: I will not start my classes out with these approaches. I will continue to work with my classes to develop community, motivation, and routines. I will consistently teach and re-teach the routines. However, on the days that they really need to focus, here are some options!

1. Buy this helpful guidefrom my instructional coach and CI guru, Connie Navarro, for $1.50. It will help diagnose why students are blurting and how to respond to it.
2. Gamify: Split the room in two. Tell them that the team that wins does not have to take the quiz at the end of class. If one team blurts, the other team receives a point.
3. Timer: Set a timer for 5 minutes (start small, so they can feel successful.) Say, “if I hear English more than 3 times, there is a quiz at the end of class.”
4. 3 Strikes = Dictation: I ask students “Do you prefer to say the answers out loud or write the sentences out?” Most of the time they say “We want to say the answers!” I tell them, “Ok, you can say the answers, as long as you are staying in Spanish. If I hear English 3 times, you will write the sentences.” Then you do a dictation with them.
5. Silent Responses: Instead of having students say their responses outloud, have them write it on a whiteboard. When you give the signal “3-2-1 Muéstrenme” everyone holds up the board.

October is hard but you are doing it! Keep up the great work. It matters.

CI Power Moves: I LOVE YOU!

This is a guest post from Connie Navarro. If you are looking for other CI Power Moves, Connie has a new website with easy and clear ways to elevate your teaching game! I have learned so much from her. Check it out. www.cicoachingwithconnie.com

CI Power Moves: I LOVE YOU

This is the power of positivity. We love and care about our students but how often do we really tell them?

Connie’s strategy:

“Pause right before or right after the first activity in front of the whole class and say “oh, let me look at you.” Then slowly scan the room and really look at everyone in the eyes, then say “I just love period 7. (p1, p4, etc) I really look forward to seeing you every day. I love being a teacher, but I especially love being YOUR teacher. Today is going to be great. Let’s do this!”

You will get the biggest bang for your buck if you can do this in your most challenging class. You have to be able to be sincere, even if you are TELLING YOURSELF as much as you are telling the students that you love being a teacher. If the kids push back and say “no, Miss, you hate our class” you have to be able to say (even if you are really telling YOURSELF)– “No, I don’t hate this class. It’s true I lose my temper sometimes, or it’s true, we bump heads sometimes, and that’s not my favorite part of teaching, but I do really like you, and I like having you in my class. By choice and by profession, I am a teacher so that I can spend my days with really passionate, dynamic people. I am here for YOU.” Even in your most challenging class, there are students you do genuinely like, and if you can pause and remember (or discover) things about the kids you find most hard-to-love, every class can be your “favorite” class because it will be full of people you genuinely care about, even if they don’t always want to do the activities you have planned or even if they don’t always want to be in school.

When I started giving this unconditional positive regard and 40 seconds of positive energy from my soul to the souls of the worst kids I had ever taught, something truly magical happened. At first they were uncomfortable, squirmy, would not meet my gaze, shouted back “but not me, Miss, not me. You don’t really like having me in your class,” as if to say “no teacher has ever liked having ME in class” or worse yet I think sometimes they were saying “no adult likes having me around, admit it.” The magic happened when I reminded myself daily and affirmed to them daily that the whole reason I was there was to be present with the imperfect humans with infinite untapped potential. The magic was that spark of joy, that moment of calm in the whirlwind of life, when we as a class could set our intention that no matter what fresh hell yesterday had brought, today had the potential to be better, to be smoother, to be calmer.

If you do this, your best classes will be amazing, your middling classes will be awesome, and your worst, dreaded class will rise like you never thought possible.”

-Connie Navarro

Happy new school year! Happy teaching! You are all are my heroes for taking on this noble work!

CI Power Moves: Gestures

This post is part of a series CI: Power Moves. As a teacher in Denver Public Schools and Colorado, I have had the privilege of learning from effective and generous CI instructors. Visit the previous posts here:
1. CI Power Moves: Doorway
2. CI Power Moves: How ARE you?

(I post this slide before we do this activity. I refer to it. Later I have students explain WHY we do gestures.)

Gestures:
Why should we do gestures?
1. It is a behavior anchor. Once you establish a clear routine, students will know exactly what is expected. It resets their listening brains.
2. It provides scaffolding. You are priming your students’ brains for more listening later.
3. It is a comprehension check. They are able to show you they understand without speaking or writing.
4. Muscle Memory! This works for kinesthetic learners and almost all other learners. Physical response creates deeper memories because it activates more parts of the brain.
5. It provides repetition (not in context, but still, they are hearing the word spoken, as they see it on the board.) You can also continually review old vocabulary using gestures.

How do I effectively do gestures?
1. Before class, decide if you want a student to create the gesture, you want to create the gesture, or you want to use the American Sign Language. I usually type “asl (insert vocab word)” in Google. I like to use lifeprint.com because they usually have gifs that I can drag and drop into my slide.

2. Quickly explain to class WHY we do gestures. “I want to see everyone doing the gestures because it helps me see who understands and physical movements are scientifically proven to help you remember something faster.”

3. Introduce the word. Show the word on the board in (Spanish) and English. Say “tiene” means “has.”

4. Show the gesture. Say: this is the gesture for “has.”

5. Teach the word “Show me!” (montre-moi or muéstrame/enseñame). Say “muéstrame tiene.” You do the gesture and they do the gesture.

6. Be seen looking. Obtrusively watch all students do the gesture. Say “I am looking for 100% of the class doing the action.”

7. Expect that 100% of students do the gesture. If they are not, walk closer to them. If they still are not doing the gesture, quietly say “muéstrame tiene (show me tiene).” If they still do not do the gesture, re-teach them WHY gestures are important.

8. Repeat the same process with 2-4 more words. Then, say them out of order. Say them faster. PRAISE THEM!

9. Check in! Make sure students are connecting the word to the actual meaning. “¿Cómo se dice “tiene” en inglés? (How do you say “tiene” in English?) Give them a 3, 2, 1, countdown and then listen for all students saying “has!” Praise them!

10. Do this for 3 minutes every day.

CRANK IT UP:

When they are ready, give them some challenges.

1. Teacher delays gesture until most students do gesture. Teacher then shows gesture.
2. Split the class in half and have a contest. Who can do the gestures better/faster/all together? Give a small prize to the winning team. (I always end up giving it to both teams because they all do a great job.)
3. “Choose your challenge” Say “If you are ready for a challenge, close your eyes. Muéstrame tiene, le gusta, come.” You can gauge if your students are ready by seeing how many felt comfortable closing their eyes.
4. Let me trick you! Teacher calls out the word but does the WRONG gesture. Continue mixing up words and gestures. Get close to the kids and playfully show them that you are really trying to trick them. Then, laugh at them (if you have a good relationship) when they mess up. Make messing up a fun thing.
5. Incorporate last week’s words. Continue recycling old words throughout the year.
6. Play Simón dice/Simon says.

CI Power Moves: How are you?

How are you? 

Doesn’t it feel nice when someone asks that question AND ACTUALLY wants to know the answer? Adding the “How are you?” routine to your class is powerful. Why?

• Students feel acknowledged.
• Students can identify their feelings and advocate for what they need.
• I monitor the energy level of our class that day.
• We create community.
• We start really listening to each other.
• It is spontaneous, interpersonal communication!

This is a CI Power Move. But how do we make this INPUT? I credit these ideas to the hugely talented, Sarah Rasay.

1. Start by posting 3 emotions. (Tired, Hungry, and Stressed work well for high school!) Put the word on the board in L2 and L1, preferably with an image. Teach the emotions with a gesture.
   
2. Ask in the TL: “Who is tired, raise your hand?” Look at those students. Count them. “Wow, 11 students are tired. Poor things. Who is REALLY tired? Sam, you are really tired? Makai, you are really tired? Oh no. Class, tell them, ¡pobrecitos!” “Who is stressed?” Count again. Acknowledge them. “Who is very stressed? Oh no.”
3. WHY? **How are they supposed to answer WHY if they are in level 1?** Post some common answers on the board IN THE TL that they can use, for example:
   • just because (porque sí)
   • math class
   • lots of homework
   • stupid people
   • a problem with…
4. Give them something for sharing! Positive incentives (though it is extrinsic motivation) help break the stigma of not wanting to share in class. Find what works for your class! In my class, they get:
   • Profe Pesos (tickets with my face on them) They can be exchanged in varying quantities for candy, a positive email home, a positive call home, an excused assignment.
   • Hershey’s kisses
   • If someone shares that they are VERY hungry, I give them a granola bar.
   • Other ideas, if someone shares that they are stressed, give them a fidget or a stuffed animal or a pillow.
   • a high five
   • a SEÑOR WOOLY STICKER!
   • mix it up. Some days don’t give them anything. Start to wane them off of the extrinsic motivators.
5. Lean in. Show you are listening. Show you care.
6. Explain to students WHY we do this.
   • It creates community.
   • I care about you.
   • You are receiving INPUT, which is the ONLY way to acquire language.
     
7. On your roster, put a check mark by who you talk to so you can try to connect with everyone throughout the week.
8. Variations:
   • Quick poll: How are you? Thumbs up/middle/down. Acknowledge their responses.
   • Middle school variation: Stand up if you are happy, stand up if you are hungry.
   • Written: Ask them on their warm up how they are. Notice it. Circle back to them about their response.
   • 3 Volunteers/3 Victims
   • Turn to your partner, high five, ask them how they are. PRAISE them using the language. Ask them to report out about their partner.
9. Continue to add new emotions.
10. Then start asking, how do you feel?

What other ways do you use the “How are you?” conversation in class? How does it impact your class?

CI Power Moves: Doorway

I have decided to start a blog series called CI Power Moves. I have had the privilege of working with fantastic mentors and teacher leaders in DPS and Colorado. I want to share their expertise with you!

CI Power Moves is based on a session that Mary Overton and I presented at CCFLT this spring.

CI Power Move #1: Greet your students at the door.

Greet your students at the door every day. This is not SOLELY CI. I recommend this for every teacher. According to a study, students are more likely to be engaged in the lesson and less likely to be disruptive if you greet them at the door. Read more here. 

1. Stand in your doorway.
2. Smile.
3. Welcome every student and say their name.
4. Make physical contact: high five, elbow bump, fist bump.
5. Notice and compliment new hairstyles, shoes, logo on their shirt. Make a connection.
6. Notice if they are not doing well and ask them if they need some space today.
7. BONUS: Begin implementing the Password. Bryce Hedstrom is the master. He often presents on the password and why it is such a powerful way to start class. Read more here.

Cuesta Demasiado

I created this unit based on Martina Bex’s unit Cuesta Demasiado. It worked perfectly for my Spanish 2s, and could just as easily work for Spanish 1. I also incorporated several activities from Keith Toda’s blog.

Here is what I added:

• Price is Right Guessing Game
• A reading activity that is sure to provide major comprehensible input and take a good 20-30 minutes.
• A couple sneaky phrases to preempt Señor Wooly’s Es Una Ganga!

Thank you, Martina, for this fun unit! And thank you, Keith, for this series of activities!

Included in this folder is:

-a Powerpoint with each day’s lesson and slides
– a reading with three activities
– a visual aid to retell the story (you can use mine or create your own based on your class stories)

Class Rules

Here are my class rules for 2018-19. I worked with a version of these rules last year and they encompassed almost every interaction I had with my students.

Reasoning Behind the Rules 

Before a student has a chance to question me on the rules, I like to give them the rationale behind each rule.

Rutinas: it is my job to ensure that every student has a place to learn that is safe. And, we only have so many minutes in a year to learn Spanish- let’s use it efficiently.

Español: We learn language through understanding what we hear and read. Simple as that.

I added “Try to use the words you know” because it creates a more academic setting where they are challenged to use the language WHEN they are ready. It also deters the slippery slope of students speaking English.

Comunidad: To paraphrase Krashen, our brains absorb language best when we are less stressed. That is why we spend a lot of time getting to know each other in this class. We need to feel comfortable in each other’s presence.

No seas quejón: whining can set a really uncomfortable tone for the class. I might say something like: “When you are whining, you are blocking the Spanish from reaching your brain.”

How to Teach and Enforce these Rules

1. Post the rules.
2. Address each rule as it comes up within the first weeks. Address it each time it comes up. This year I will not be showing full slide presentation of what the rules are.
3. At the end of class, the class can earn 3 points. They earn 1 point if they completed routines with alacrity. 1 point if they stayed in Spanish AND allowed me to stay in Spanish. 1 point if they created a welcoming community. I will ask them to decide if they earned each point and I will ask them to explain to me why they think they earned it. I will agree or disagree by giving descriptive feedback. (This takes 2-3 minutes at the beginning of the year, but can take 30 seconds at the end of the year.)
4. When individual students are not following the rule, I will stop, point to the rule, pause, smile, and continue my lesson.
5. If an individual continues to not follow the rule, I will have a private conversation with them and talk to them about how their actions do affect the class and they affect their grade because (insert some student-friendly Krashen.)