You know when you teach 3 or 4 (or 5… oh god or 6??) Spanish 1 sections… and one of the classes is highly motivated. And one of them can’t stop talking. One of them is right after lunch when everyone wants to sleep. Then the last one is full of jokesters… like each class has its own personality. And one section flies through the material. And of course one of them doesn’t… each class moves at a different pace. If you teach Spanish 1 and Spanish 2, and all of your Spanish 1 classes move at different paces, then it’s like having 5 preps instead of 2.  Hard. Pass. I’m not about that life ..read more

I once had a boyfriend that “cOuLdN’t BeLiEvE” I was giving my high school students stickers on their quizzes. He didn’t think there was any way that teenage boys appreciated stickers. And then literally right after he said that his younger high-school-aged brother came into the room where I was grading, saw my stickers, and excitedly asked if he could have one. He was delighted when I gave him one. Stickers are an awesome reward – even for teenagers that are too cool for everything. I like to put stickers on quizzes and tests that score a 90% or higher. If you don’t believe that high s ..read more

Spanish Question Words Activities Teaching students early on what the Spanish question words mean and how to use them makes life so much easier for both you and them.  This post includes tons of great ideas for Spanish question words activities, lesson plans, and resources so that your students will be able to ask and understand questions easily and confidently. Be sure to grab your free Important Questions Signs, 100 Questions Sheet, and Interactive Notebook Flashcards, too! Spanish Question Words ¿Qué? – What ¿A qué hora? – At what time ¿Cuándo? – When ¿Dónde? – Where ¿Adónde? – Where t ..read more

Inside: Learn about how to start the year in Spanish class with a Free Online Conference about comprehensible input. Do you want to learn about using CI? Learn more about Practical & Comprehensible. Practical and Comprehensible – Free online conference I know many of you are hoping to try out more CI (comprehensible input) techniques in your classes this year and need support. If things are getting stale and you could use a refresh, I have just the Free virtual PD for you! Clear your calendar from April 20-23, 2023 for a free online conference made BY world language teachers FOR world lan ..read more

Inside: Weekly classroom routines for Spanish class to save your sanity. Daily routines and bell ringers in Spanish class to help with classroom management.  Hey friends! It is Allison from Mis Clases Locas. Classroom routines have always been a saver for me when teaching all levels as a #deptof1. Here are my favorite ways to save your sanity with classroom routines in Spanish class   Why have classroom routines in Spanish class? The last few school years have been very unpredictable. I am so glad that I continued to implement classroom routines. These routines gave all of us a ..read more

Are you counting down to Winter Break? Students in New York City have school alllllll the way through December 24th. The people who made that school calendar decision are savages. Here are 9 ideas (designed to make planning easy for you!) that you can use in your Spanish classroom before and after Winter Break. Before Break in December Plate Sketch Game – Mis Clases Locas I have never played this game in my classroom, but I love the idea. Students put a paper plate on their heads and draw the (holiday-themed) directions you give them.  Check out Allison’s blog post with all the details ..read more

Inside: Are you struggling with how to teach a movie in Spanish class? Do you want to know how to get the most out of a culture-rich film in Spanish class? Find out exactly not just what movies to show in Spanish class but how to use them with ready-made materials to save busy teachers time.  Movies in Spanish class Hey friends! It is Allison from Mis Clases Locas with one of my favorite things to use in the classroom, films! Back when I was in high school Spanish class the only movies I ever remember watching were translated Disney cartoons on VHS. (Yes, this shows my age). While we of c ..read more

Looking for the perfect Day of the Dead videos to show in class to capture the essence of this colorful holiday?  Look no further!  Here are our favorites! Before we get started, be sure to grab this free Day of the Dead vocab sheet and word scramble to accompany the videos.  It’s in the World Language Cafe Free Resource Library (along with 25 other free resources). JOIN THE RESOURCE LIBRARY! Day of the Dead Videos in English 1. Love how the music captures the beauty and love surrounding Day of the Dead. 4 min. 2.  A more traditional video explaining the history and origi ..read more

Inside: Resources and ideas for Hispanic Heritage Month in Spanish class. Each year the United States celebrates Hispanic Heritage month from September 15 to October 15. As Spanish teachers, this is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the varied cultures, histories, and contributions of Americans with Spanish-speaking heritage. Additionally, see this post for steps towards more equity in class as well. To be honest, in my first years of teaching, I did not do the best job making Hispanic Heritage Month a priority. With the back-to-school hustle and trying to start the year off right, the mon ..read more

It’s that time of the year again. Time to get excited about back to school! We have 2 ways to help get you excited. There is a new 2022 Free Resource Library available now on TpT, plus FIVE lucky people will win $250 TpT gift cards! If free resources and free money don’t get you excited… well then I just don’t know what will. See all the details below. Secondary Spanish FREE Resource Library Who doesn’t love free resources, amiright?! 25+ secondary Spanish teachers get together every year and create a FREE resource library available on TpT. There’s also an elementary version. We’ve been cr ..read more