Quarantine Teaching Tips for Elementary Spanish

COVID19 has radically changed what education looks like right now. Some schools immediately switched over to distance learning while our district is making the switch with a three week turn time.

My school (as of 4/1) is out until April 20th. We are on spring break right now but the last two weeks we have been prepping for Non-Traditional Instruction or distance learning. For the first two weeks I was told to only give each grade level 4 activities - matching the number of times I would have met them in that time - and just review.

If we are out longer (highly likely) you might see me doing more but as of now here are a few things I'm trying to keep in mind as we pivot to our new reality:

1) Not every kid has access to technology. For our 10 day NTI plan our principal asked special area teachers to come up with 4 activities for each grade level - 2 max can require technology and at least 2 must be paper/pencil or can be completed without a device or internet access. Here is a link to my activities. My assumption is that I will have to add to these when it's announced that we'll be out longer than 10 days.

2) Keep it simple. While there are a TON of awesome resources that are free right now I'm probably going to stick with what I was already doing because that is what the students are used to. That means youtube songs, quizlet, activities on Google Classroom, Flipgrid, and partner games we've played in class etc. 

         2a) Check those resources out though and see if there isn't anything you might want to pay for             next year! Basho and Friends I'm looking at you!

3) Keep it short. Reading parents' experiences on social media and talking to my best friend who has three kids at home right now it is really easy to go overboard. What might take 30 minutes in class might take three times as long at home. I'm trying to keep anything I send home to 10 minutes or less. There's no way for me to make sure that my students are doing the work, but if I give level appropriate, short, engaging activities then I hope they will do them, but "I get what I get and I don't throw a fit."

4) They still need input somehow. My principal didn't want me sending home huge packets for Spanish class but I realize I need to send home at least one page per grade level that has the vocabulary in a comprehensible way so that students can complete the tasks I've given them. At the most I'm planning on sending home a page that has a front and a back.

5) Use this time to advocate. Stay in touch with your students and their families when and where you can. I'm using Class Dojo to send links to practice while we roll out NTI. I plan on making some videos for kiddos as well. I've already had a kindergarten student's mom send me a photo of her daughter looking up her favorite animals in Spanish. 

6) Use social media for good. It can be mentally taxing to be on social media right ow but there is a lot of good ideas, webinars, and resources being shared. I highly suggest Teaching Spanish for Kids on Facebook for ideas especially related to younger learners. 

7) Try to relax. This one is the hardest since we don't know what is going to happen next. But my principal has bee very adamant that we take care of ourselves. For me so fat that means getting dressed every day (even putting on make-up!), calling friends and family, and taking walks with my dog.

8) Don't compare yourself to others. This one is really hard for me. I look around on social media and I see friends and people I look up to giving webinars, creating tons of resources, making videos, and already holding Zoom meetings with their students and it's hard to not feel bad because I'm not doing any of those things. Mostly because we haven't started yet but also because I've been asked to not overwhelm our families. I'm also finding that I'm a "do a puzzle/take a walk" kind of person when it comes to being stuck inside and not a "make all new resources" kind of person. That doesn't make me less of a teacher or even a teacher leader.

We all care about our students and are doing our best by them. Hang in there! And let me know if you have any questions or great ideas to share in the comments below!