by Kara Parker | Aug 1, 2018 | 1 Planning, First Days, Proficiency
I’m starting to see teachers on social media heading back to school! Where did the summer go?? The syllabus can be one way to set proficiency expectations at the beginning. We’ve updated our past syllabus template, plus added an additional template with a...
by Megan Smith | Jun 3, 2018 | What's New
The school year is wrapping up for most teachers and summer vacation is almost here. Transitioning from a busy, action-packed routine to a more relaxed and carefree one can be difficult… right?!? 😉 Looking for a few ideas to enjoy your summer AND get inspired...
by Megan Smith | May 26, 2018 | Last Days
Published on May 16, 2015 Grammys! Emmys! Golden Globes! Nobel Prize! ESPYs! Every year we celebrate all kinds of accomplishments. Those nominated for the different awards are simply being honored for their hard work and success achieved! Our students also work...
by Megan Smith | May 11, 2018 | What's New
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by Kara Parker | Mar 1, 2018 | 4 Assessments
Over the years, formative assessments was another aspect that changed as I transitioned to proficiency-based instruction. Here I’ll show you a few examples that worked for me. What is a formative assessment? What is the purpose of formative assessments?...
by Kara Parker | Feb 5, 2018 | 1 Planning, Proficiency
About 8 years ago, I blogged about my “Stamp Sheets.” In fact, it was “Idea 45” on Creative Language Class. This was one of the first steps that helped me to shift to proficiency-based instruction. Today I’d like to tell you why I still...
by Megan Smith | Jan 19, 2018 | PD, Proficiency, What's New
Daily objectives (can-do statements) are one of the biggest game changers for me over the years! They force me to narrow in on a purpose for the lesson and help me stay on track as I plan. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve definitely missed the mark on...
by Megan Smith | Jan 16, 2018 | PD, Proficiency, What's New
It’s the time for new beginnings, fresh starts, and renewed motivation… but then, just like that, it’s already mid-January. It’s easy to be overly ambitious this time of year and try to do a million things to be a better world language teacher....
by Megan Smith | Nov 6, 2017 | 2 Authentic Resources, AP Themes, Culture
The AP themes for teaching World Languages are BIG. If you’re not familiar with them, here they are: Even in one individual theme, there are a million different ideas, resources, and paths to take when planning. Covering it all can be a little overwhelming for...
by Kara Parker | Oct 30, 2017 | Día de Muertos, October
When I was living in Spain, there were many times that I needed to explain my traditions and products because they did not know about them. It always helped when I could compare it to something they were familiar with… (Well, it’s kind of like… but...