T'was the night before NECTFL , and my teacher self might normally be trying to come up with sub plans that would keep my students engaged while I am learning this weekend. Lucky for me, there are some great options out there.
For my new class of Spanish 1's there is the Calendario de Conjugarte from Zambombazo. These drawing activities are the perfect sub plan for novices. They are fun to do and afterwards make great room decor. Not to mention they give students a taste of some terrific art from the Spanish-speaking world. For my intermediates, we are working on the Fluency Matters novel Felipe Alou: Desde los valles a las montañas by Carol Gaab. All of the Fluency Matters novels are so compelling and an excellent source of input. If you purchase the available Teacher's Guide, there are additional readings, activities and questions. Of course, the teacher is an essential part of working with a novel, but when you can't be in class, having the Teacher's Guide allows you to put together sub plans that give your students comprehensible input, even when you aren't able to directly provide it. For my two sections of AP Spanish Language & Culture, the plan was actually the easiest sub plan to create of all. This year, in AP, we have a Friday routine - Book Club. (We have some other routines, too - check out the T-shirt in the pictures in this post. My amazing students designed and ordered a class T-shirt! Expect a future post on our Gran Hotel Monday's - by the way, if you have yet to watch Gran Hotel on Netflix, get on that, ASAP.) I wrote about "Book Club Friday's" last year, but it has evolved a bit from when I first began. Students still read a chapter a week, outside of class in preparation for 'Book Club'. We all read the same book for our first selection - Cajas de cartón by Francisco Jiménez. In class, we would have discussions in small groups, create #BookSnaps (thank you, yet again, Tara Martin for coming up with such a brilliant idea), and record our thoughts on Flipgrid. We were fortunate enough to get in touch with the author and he wrote a lovely email to us. Talk about impressing your students! We finished that book in December. So, I wanted to start reading a new book in January. Last year, we all read the same book again - this time La ciudad de las bestias by Isabel Allende. The students enjoyed that selection as well, but I was looking to take "Book Club" up a notch. Over winter break, I came across the book Marina by Carlos Ruíz Zafón. I thought it could also work for a Book Club selection. As could Senderos fronterizos, the sequel to Cajas de cartón. How could I choose just one? Then, it hit me - I didn't have to. I would let the students choose. In each class, I have different groups reading their choice from the three options. On Friday's, they sit with their group, talking about what they read, creating with language, discussing the nuances of the story, sharing their opinions and predictions. It is beautiful to watch as a teacher. Friday's have become my favorite day of the week in AP and not just because it is almost the weekend. I am not the only one who loves Friday's in AP Spanish. One of my students was disappointed to be missing a Friday in AP Spanish while he went on a field trip! Now, tomorrow is Friday. And I will not be in class. But, Book Club goes on, just as well, when I am not there. It is part of the genius of Book Club. Of course, it is better when I can be there to go around and talk to different groups, but the book club groups pretty much run themselves. Students have autonomy, they have something authentic to talk about and their proficiency, especially with interpretive reading is increasing. Recently, a number of students in my AP classes who have been a part of "Book Club Friday's" since September took ACTFL's AAPPL assessment to earn the Seal of Biliteracy from the state of New Jersey. Guess what they scored on the interpretive reading section. A - as in Advanced. I couldn't be prouder of them. And I can't wait to see their Flipgrid videos tomorrow, in real time, while I am at NECTFL. I will also be connecting with them via Twitter (live). We also use Twitter - a LOT in class. Check out our hashtag #APSpanchat and you can join in the conversation. Do you have routines that work well into creating sub plans? Do you use book clubs in your language classes? Please feel free to share in the comments!
2 Comments
Christy C.
2/19/2018 06:44:21 pm
I’d love to know how you use Cajas de cartón! I am doing it now with my AP students and love finding new ideas for discussion, Extension, etc.
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2/20/2018 03:31:10 am
Hi!
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AuthorHigh school Spanish teacher in NJ. Proficiency-oriented teacher. Always looking to try new things in my classes. Foreign Language Educators of New Jersey 2019 Teacher of the Year. Archives
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