This is my 9th year teaching. This is my 3rd year at my current school. This is the 5th school where I’ve taught. I got a new (bigger) room over the summer. I’ve set up and torn down a LOT of classrooms. I’ve hoarded materials for many years (including saving stuff from my HS Spanish classes 15 years ago…)
My room is NOT (in my opinion) Instagrammy or cute. But that’s OK – I LOVE my room. And I LOVE Instagrammy rooms too. I gotta do me and you gotta do you. I’m super over it with teacher shaming right now. So let me get a few things out of the way before I share my 21 minute video with you… (all 4 of you who read my blog).
- Some people think I have too much stuff on my walls. Thanks for the opinion. Don’t care.
- Some people think the era of verb charts and pronoun charts is over. I really hate the idea of explicit grammar instruction and worksheets and verb quizzes, etc. I understand teaching grammar implicitly using communicative contexts. I don’t use these charts when I introduce or expose the kids to grammar… but ya know what? They exist. I like ’em. Kids like ’em. Sooooo…. I have them. BYE.
- I like having my kids deskless during input (SOMOS vocab introduction, story asking, picture talk and movie talk etc) – but other than that I DON’T CARE WHERE THEY SIT. I let them hang out alone, in pairs, on the carpet, in comfy chairs, in regular chairs – WHATEVER.
- (I don’t have assigned seats unless kids can’t handle it. Only one class last year couldn’t handle it)
- If I sound out of breath in my video it’s because I’m approx. 1,000 months pregnant and don’t really have use of my lungs anymore.
- My room isn’t designed for a photo shoot. It reflects me and who I am as a teacher (but what about the stuuudeeennntssss and who theeeyyyy areeeeee) – yes I’m not a monster, so I also take care of my kids’ needs while I teach. I take feedback from them (like having charts available, having a routine, etc) and do my best every day. Please don’t throw some student-centered buzzword at me. I’m eclectic, random, silly, and jump from one thing to the next and the kids like it… so my room be like that sometimes.
I’ll share LINKS to other people’s stuff and DOWNLAODS to mine, in case you are immensely inspired by my random collection. So check out the video and keep it classy out there y’all. ✌🏼
OK, so if you are watching my video like….
Then that’s fine, just go away. It’s not the right time for haters right now. Check back in a few months and see if I’m in the mood. Maybe in January.
And if you’re watching my video tour like…
…Then these links and docs are for YOU. ONLY YOU. BUT NO HATERS ALLOWED to click on my cool stuff!!!
LINKS to things that you see or I mention (thanks to other teachers on the internetz.)
- Safe Zone, Zona Segura
- Martina Bex: CHILES, QUESO, AND SUPERSTARS (how I’ll reward rejoinder use this year)
- Spanish 411 flags
- Bilingual vs Monolingual infographic
- Notes to cover Pepsi calendar
- Quirky art I bought for myself
- What is success? – Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Linda’s ICTFL proficiency presentation
- CIRCLING WITH BALLS
- Martina Bex phrases for narration (and other classroom posters)
- Tina Hargaden’s Classroom rules and management (I always say “Ben and Tina” cuz I CAN’T GET THE PRONUNCIATION OF HER NAME RIGHT IN MY BRAIN! Does someone have an audio clip of her name being said? lol.
- “TEACH SUCH THAT THEY UNDERSTAND” – one of my top 10 favorite blog posts. “You do you… but keep these strategies in mind” – YEAH GURL.
- (Another current fave is from Kristy Placido” an idealist meets the real world.” GURL YAS.)
- My TWO store-bought decorative items: Flag Banner, Character signs (hung above lockers outside my room)
- (oh JK I also have these because I have a PERSONAL love for el Quixote… but haven’t put them up yet)
(My) docs for you:
Aite, so it’s been real. Happy New (school) Year everyone. ✌🏼
The Authentic Señora 
First of all, Enrique is my bf, not yours, lol. I have a very similar subject pronoun chart up, very useful. I am super jealous of your storage! I love your room!
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