Update 2013

I've fallen off the blogging bandwagon!  It's because I've been busy.

Here has what we've been up to in my classes:

1) Laughing so much more than last year!

The secret?  New administration that listens to me when I recommend that students shouldn't be forced to take Spanish.  I couldn't be happier that about 90% of my students actually asked to take Spanish and that 90% of them chose to be part of my class.  In years previous, my class has been filled with students that needed to simply fill a hole in their schedule.

2) PQA'ing it up!

I am finally getting better at this!  The secret?  Being so over-the-top dramatic and making my questions as personalized as possible.

3) Running like a well-oiled machine!

How is this happening?!  A couple reasons.  I have an amazing, lovely, and Spanish-speaking teacher's aide this semester.  She grades for me, organizes for me, and just generally makes me happy with her sweet smile and helpful attitude.  Also, I am following Martina Bex's curriculum plan from www.martinabex.com.  It is transforming the way I plan and teach.  For now I am sticking to her curriculum, but it is giving me all sorts of ideas and inspiration for eventually creating my own lessons.

4) I'm treating teaching as a job rather than my life.  Instead of saying to my husband, "I'm still at school," I've made a conscious effort to say, "I'm still at work."  This is my day job.  This is where I go each day to provide for myself and family. It's upped my sense of responsibility and lowered my expectation that teaching is some sort of "experience."  It's a job, just like any other - sometimes pleasant, sometimes not.