Hola! Greetings in the Elementary Spanish Classroom

What's the first thing you teach novices? How to say hello and goodbye. Most of my kids already know Hola and Adios but it's a great way to start and immediately inject some intercultural communication as well as get in some culturally responsive teaching. 

I start the year in English in order to make sure that students understand the rules and procedures. One of those procedures is learning my name. Otherwise I would be "Spanish Teacher" or "Spanish!" all year long. We practice how to say it in class. Hola maestra! And how to whisper it and give a "hug from afar" in the hallway. (You cross your fingers and wiggle them at the person you want to hug but can't because you need to stay in line - this also prevents me from being mobbed by kinders in the hall.)

We also practice saying hola to my stuffed dog and cat. At the end of class we say Adios maestra. Adios perro. Adios gato. As the weeks go by I add more and more animals that we greet. It's really helped them learn their names and made it way easier later during our Animals Around Me unit later on. 

Then we talk about how we greet people we know. I use an anchor chart that is laminated (so it can be wiped off and used again for the next class) and I write down their answers.

It's interesting to see what answers I get in kindergarten. Sometimes I have to really lead the conversation because otherwise I´ll ask how do we greet our families and they'll answer "If my mom tells me to do something I should do it" or something even more random. But once I give some examples they are pretty good about coming up with some on their own.

After we talk about how we greet people then we watch this video about how people greet each other around the world. The kids love this video!

In the following classes, I like to watch it a second time and pause and we practice greeting each other in the different ways. We also go over the anchor chart again and practice those greetings with each other too. 

Be sure that the kids ask their partners if it is ok first. It is definitely alright if a kiddo doesn't want to try a greeting.

Next, we talk about how in Spanish-speaking countries they greet each other with an air kiss. I show them this video (which also has a lot of repetitions of Me llamo too!) Be prepared for ewws and gross! but we talk about how it's not gross it's just different. 

Then I pass out stuffed animals and they practice say hola and doing air kisses with the animals first with their partner and then again as we play Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up. The stuffed animals are important because at the same time I am teaching them all of these different greetings they are learning that they need to keep their hands and feet to themselves at school. I do get kissed on the cheek by at least a few students as they leave class though!

I also like this video with it's many repetitions of the greetings. It also includes a few different ones which are good for my heritage speakers to hear.

And finally I this year I will introduce this greeting choice board from Fun for Spanish Teachers. Students will get to choose a greeting as we sing coming in the room.

How do you teach greetings? Share in the comments below!