Tag Archives: spanish

261: Revisit Teaching Culture With Purpose

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This is episode 6 in my 2026 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 31st, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday. For today we take a look back at teaching culture with purpose in episodes 241, 245 and 247.

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Spanish Students Build Writing Confidence with Scaffolded Practice

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One of the biggest challenges in a Level 1 Spanish classroom is helping students move from writing isolated words to expressing complete ideas with confidence. The key isn’t assigning longer compositions, it’s giving students frequent opportunities to write in small, manageable steps.

When writing is scaffolded, students focus on communicating instead of worrying about getting everything perfect. They build vocabulary, strengthen sentence formation, and develop confidence each time they write. Over time, those small successes lead to noticeable growth in proficiency.

That’s the idea behind my Level 1 Spanish Scaffolded Writing Prompts. Each topic guides students through four short writing stages, gradually moving from brainstorming vocabulary to connected writing.

The prompts are designed to fit naturally into your curriculum and work well as warm-ups, exit tickets, or quick formative writing activities. Because each stage only takes a few minutes, it’s easy to make writing a consistent classroom routine without sacrificing instructional time.

The resource also includes student reference sheets with high-frequency vocabulary, useful expressions, and a writing process guide that students can use throughout the year. This allows them to become more independent writers and rely on their growing knowledge of Spanish rather than translation tools.

Whether you’re looking for Spanish writing activities, Level 1 Spanish writing prompts, or Spanish writing practice that supports proficiency, these scaffolded tasks help students build confidence one step at a time. Instead of asking students to “write a paragraph,” you’ll be giving them a clear path to success.

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A Spanish-Speaking Countries Project That Builds Language Proficiency

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One of the best ways to help students build language proficiency is to give them a reason to use the language to learn, share, and communicate. A country project gives students that opportunity.

As students explore the Spanish-speaking world, they develop interpretive reading skills while learning about geography, traditions, food, landmarks, and daily life. Then, by sharing what they’ve learned with classmates, they continue building interpersonal and presentational communication skills in meaningful ways.

This type of project encourages students to see both the diversity and the connections across the 21 Spanish-speaking countries. Instead of viewing the Spanish-speaking world as one culture, students discover the unique traditions, landscapes, and histories that make each country special. This Spanish-Speaking Countries Project does just that.  It includes:

Everything is designed to keep students communicating while learning about culture rather than simply completing a research report.

Whether you’re planning a culture unit, looking for engaging Spanish culture activities, or preparing Hispanic Heritage Month activities, this Spanish-speaking countries project will give your students meaningful opportunities to build proficiency while developing a deeper appreciation for the Spanish-speaking world.

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260: Revisit Classroom Routines

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This is episode 5 in my 2026 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 31st, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday. For today we take a look back at Classroom Routines in episodes 224 and 233.

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259: Revisit CI Activities

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This is episode 4 in my 2026 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 31st, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday. For today we take a look back at CI Activities in episodes 218, 222, 228, 231 and 232.

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258: Revisit ACTFL 2025

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This is episode 3 in my 2026 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 31st, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday. For today we take a look back at ACTFL 2025 in episode 225.

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257: Revisit Sustainable Teaching

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This is episode 2 in my 2026 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 31st, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday. For today we take a look back at Sustainable Teaching in episodes 230 and 250.

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256: Revisit Student Motivation

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This is episode 1 in my 2026 summer headspace series. This is a chance to revisit episodes from the previous school year during the summer months when you may have a little extra time. Beginning August 31st, you will see new episodes with exciting new topics every Monday. For today we take a look back at Student Motivation in episodes 235 and 237.

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255: Get into Your 2026 Summer Headspace

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As the school year winds down and we go into summer mode, hopefully your schedule begins to open up a bit and you have an opportunity to reflect with a little more space and a little less urgency. This is the perfect time to get into what I call your “summer headspace.”  What do I mean by that?  It’s about taking some time to perhaps revisit episodes from the past year in a fresh way that can spark new insights. So, let’s jump in.

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254: 5 Things You Can Do This Summer to Be Ready for the New School Year

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When was the last time you had enough time to actually think about your teaching instead of just keeping up with it? If you’re like most language teachers, the school year is a constant cycle of planning lessons, grading, answering emails, attending meetings, and preparing for the next day. Summer offers something different: space. Space to reflect, learn, create, and prepare for the kind of teaching you want to do next year. But I also know that summer doesn’t look the same for everyone. In this episode, I’m sharing five ways language teachers can use whatever time they have this summer to grow professionally without sacrificing the rest and balance they deserve.

Topics in this Episode: 

  •  summer is one of the few opportunities teachers have to work on their teaching instead of simply surviving their teaching
  • five things language teachers can do during the summer that are genuinely difficult to find time for during the school year.
    • reflect on what actually worked this year
    • earn one new teaching skill deeply instead of ten superficially
    • explore ideas you’ve been curious about all year
    • start next year feeling prepared instead of panicked
  • Ready For Tomorrow Quick Win Course

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