Seating Charts for Spanish Class {Facebook Corner}

Conversaciones de maestros en nuestra página de Facebook 
Jodi says:
“Do you have any good ideas for seating plans? I have 22 classes and can hardly remember the students names!
Think it would work if I assigned a number to each student?”

Joe: How many students? Maybe they could wear name tags until you memorize most of their names.

Simone: I observed a teacher with a white board who had made a spread seat seating chart for each class. It was the first slide she displayed at the start of each class period, so children could check where to sit and she could check their names.

Lisa: I tried numbers but most kids would forget. It got crazy at the beginning if class sometimes. I just made a seating chart for each class and kept it the same all year. It worked well.

Melissa: I’m in a similar situation – I make seating charts which helps (including assigned spots to sit on the floor for the littlest guys) but I’m open to others’ suggestions!

Melissa  S: I have 19 classes and totally get this issue. When I started, I made seating charts (my kids sit in rows, on a rug). Because I see them 2x a week, I photocopied the charts and then made a Monday group, a Tues. group, etc. I slid the papers into plastic protectors, back to back (2 per protector) and stapled them together in the groups. After a couple of months of using them, I had the names down and didn’t need to continue being so dependent on the chart. Later I would leave it on my table, next to smart board, for a quick glance, in the case I forgot a name.

Dana: I teach 46 classes a week, so I understand. As part of my warm up for the first few weeks, I throw a ball around and ask everyone their name. Then, once we’ve covered greetings, the kids throw the ball around and can ask their name or how they are. (As we cover more units, they have more choices of questions…what’s the weather, how old you are, etc.) I’ve been at the same schools several years, so it’s really just reminding myself of the returning students and learning the transfers and kindergartners. I let my students chose their seats until they show they can’t handle it, but if I were to move to a new school where I didn’t know the majority of the students, I would have seating charts for everyone.

Fun for Early and Elementary Spanish Teachers: I also make seating charts for my students. The homeroom teachers are helpful too. Every teacher gives me a chart of their classes with the pictures of each child in their group.

Debbie:  I do that every year. I do it by number in alphabetical order.

Neen: Sometimes hrteachers assign numbers so you can use the same numbers too.

Ana:For me, it is easier to use sticks with numbers for every group. I have numbered lists for every class that I can quickly check when they do not remember. It is good for them to learn the numbers in Spanish, too!

Ana :For the older ones, I use seating charts. I have chair pockets, which have a space to put their name and group, as well as their cuaderno y carpeta.

Lori : Hi Jodi, I have 16 classes and I do use seating charts. I keep the charts all year, but mix the students up during activities for pair work, group work, etc. so that they aren’t always working with the same people. I feel it saves time as far as them sitting down quickly and especially for me to pass back work. I have taught in the same school for 15 years and I made an investment years ago in this product:

Virginia : assign seats for older kids. The younger kids are usually on he floor and I ask them to pick a classmate that is quiet and seated (& I specify girl/boy for listening comprehension) and the kids all know each others names. 

Lori: https://pacon.com/product/educational-aids/classroom-seating-pocket-chart/ I reuse the labels every year and just update the classes as they move through the years. So after the first year I only had to add my new first graders and then reshuffle the names of the students in grades 2-8. I keep them in a 3 ring binder and they are there for a sub to reference as well.

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    Fun For Spanish Teachers

    12 Free Interactive Websites for Spanish Class

    It’s amazing how many free resources for learning and teaching languages are available at no cost. Many of these websites can be used during class with your students or as support to your program at home. I recommend, however, that you take the time to explore the sites before using them with your students or recommending them to your students’ parents. Here are the ones I have found are suitable for the elementary level.
    *Please note that this site has both paid and free resources.
    Enjoy!
    Carolina

    Inti Raymi in Spanish Class {Facebook Corner}

    Conversaciones de maestros en nuestra página de Facebook 
    Angie says:
    Hola, I am trying to do a lesson plan about Inti Raymi, the sun festival in Peru. Any suggestions? I can’t find anything online. Thanks!!”

    Kimberly  I don’t but I’d love to see the lesson when you get it done!

    Melissa: me too – do share anything you find!

    Tana Jai am also interested
    Nayka:  Here is a link. I have heard of it from a Peruvian friend of mine, but I have never had the experience or opportunity to teach it…please do share your lesson, sounds like it could be awesome!!!

    Fun for Early and Elementary Spanish Teachers: How about putting an offering together? It sounds like a great opportunity to talk about food in Perú

    Fun for Early and Elementary Spanish Teachers: If you have a computer in your classroom, taking a virtual trip to Perú using Google Earth could be a fun way to introduce this unit.

    Alison :I’d like to see what you come up with, too!

    Margaret  Sounds exciting. Good luck with your resources.

    Angie: Thanks for the ideas! I am so excited for this lesson plan.

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    Fun For Spanish Teachers

    Resources for Spanish Class {Facebook Corner}

    Conversaciones de maestros en nuestra página de Facebook 

    Sandra says:

    “This is a crazy question but I am teaching Spanish to kids on a grant and they are asking us to spend the money that is left over which is a lot of money. I want ideas of great resources that I can us or any ideas of things I should get?”

    Vero :Spanish books and movies in Spanish, and any other kind of audivisualmaterial that you can get

    Joe: Buy a subscription to ESL Library. It has fantastic images and labels in Spanish. This is one of the few things I’d buy even with my own money.

    Sandra: Can you write the link for ESL library?

    Joe: Reading A-Z has leveled readers that you download and print. They are excellent. My heritage Spanish-speakers and their families love them too.

    Marisol: Check out rockalingua.com


    Mary: Grab a teacher’s discovery and go to town! Puppets are also a great investment. Lakeshore Learning Store has a great selection with a variety of races, genders and even disabilities. They also have excellent play food that will last forever. Investing in cardstock and laminating can be a great way to save materials for future years. If you do any TPRS, the Hola Niñoscurriculum is great. Enjoy!

    Simone: What age are the kids? Check out the picture book collections from sonrisas spanishschool. Also, the teachers discovery website/catalog. If someone will continue to teach, look at the blaine ray tprscurricular materials. If there is technology access in the school, check out Qtalkmaterials for computer and interactive white board, or they have magnet tile version for low tech/ no tech settings.

    Fun for Early and Elementary Spanish Teachers:  Do you have a Ten Thousand Villages store close to you? They have very nice crafts from all over the world. I have a few things from there in my classroom. http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/wool-baby-vicuna

    Janet: I use the Sonrisascurriculum for my K-5 students and they sell four story book sets that are excellent for elementary grade levels https://sonrisasspanishschool.com/

    Marlo: Technology! Books! Manipulatives!

    Erzsi: Buy dictionaries, a good scheme of work if you haven’t got one, laminating pouches, ink for your printer, an ipad….how much money have you got:-)?

    PepaMaria: DVDs! they love them! you can get for preschool-1st and 2nd conoce los colores, conoce los numeros, conoce las letras, rosie and andy. For 3rd-6th you can get the “Spanish for kids” collection, volumes 1 and 2 are awesome, you can find them on amazon or carlexonline. Another great dvd is from “Calico Spanish” they have great songs and videos for kids. You can also get some storybooks from lakeshore learning, they have great story books to learn the alphabet and some other stories for 1st and 2nd graders. Music helps a lot too, get “Basho and friends” volume 1 and 2, he has some AWESOME music! As mentioned before, puppets are a great investment, I got mines from Amazon, manufactured by “Aurora”, those puppets are my best friends! Also, get ipads! Depending on how many students you have, try to get at least 1 per 3 students (not sure how much $$ you can spend, but this would be awesome!). Also, download some of the apps that were mentioned here before (bilingual child, busuu spanish, gus on the go… among others). ALSO, invest on a “treasure box” for kids who do a good job, this has worked like a charm in my class, I let them pick an item from the treasure box once a month if they did a good job during the whole month. You can check orientaltrading.com for some good/inexpensive prizes….

    Angela: Get Linguascope….. Great website for languages…. And get de CDs and books of Patti Lozano… Enjoy!

    Michelle : Send home bilingual books with text in both languages. Or pairs (for example the same Junie B or Magic Treehouse book in both Spanish and English). Spread the wealth and give kids a way to delight in their language learning at home!

    Music With Sara: Rockalingua!

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