My students need wire and acrylic racks to attractively advertise books in our class library, new books, dry-erase markers for drawing stories, and a whiteboard/easel for class artists to draw characters we create.
I love teaching a diverse group of students: they have different backgrounds, different reasons for taking Spanish, and different levels of motivation to acquire Spanish. The goal of the Spanish program is for students to acquire some proficiency in the language and cultural knowledge, not just pass the class and fulfill a requirement. My goal is to help all of my students increase their proficiency in Spanish. That's why I teach through a communicative approach and with tons of reading.
In a "comprehensible input" class, the students' job is not to memorize words or study grammar rules, but rather to comprehend the messages in Spanish that they hear and read.
If they comprehend, they will eventually acquire that language and be able to interact and communicate in the language. Spanish begins to fall out of their mouths because they are exposed to language they comprehend.
We create and act stories out with student actors, props, and audience gestures for key words. Students are so focused on the story that they forget they are acquiring Spanish! Later we read our story, a different story with similar vocabulary, or about a current or historical event, cultural tradition, or issue.
My Project
My students are hooked on silent reading; a couple of my class periods beg to read beyond the 10 minutes three times a week! Students will be excited for more choices in the class library. The racks will better advertise the books with all book covers visible. Currently books are in bins and spread out across a bookshelf and table. Protector sheets and binder rings are for printed stories.
The whiteboard/easel and markers will allow the class artists to draw class-created characters (humans, animals, foods -- anything we can imagine) behind the easel.
Once we have finished creating the character we do the big reveal and discuss the drawing. Whiteboard markers are for drawing a story on individual whiteboards as students listen, or for students to write suggestions as we collaboratively create a story.
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