Kara Parker

Kara Parker

Kara Parker is a World Language consultant, curriculum writer, and blogger with Creative Language Class. She is National Board certified and has taught Spanish and ESL for 13 years in private, public, and alternative schools in Louisville, KY. She was also a part of JCPS district cohort’s shift toward proficiency. Since 2015, Kara has been presenting professional development at districts and conferences across the United States as well as several countries in Asia. She is enthusiastic about proficiency-based instruction inspired by culture in order to positively impact students’ language learning experiences.

Kara is from Indiana, but currently lives in Minneapolis, MN.

Megan Smith

Megan Smith

Megan is a World Language consultant, curriculum writer, and blogger with Creative Language Class. She studied International Business and Spanish and has a Master’s in Education. Her time working and studying abroad inspired her to create more authentic lessons with real world tasks to develop 21st Century skills. She taught Spanish for 7 years in public schools in Louisville, KY. While there, she was awarded Kentucky’s New Teacher of the Year in 2011. She was also a part of JCPS’ district shift toward proficiency and led her school’s world language department in the same direction.

Megan is from Michigan, but currently lives near Charleston, SC.

Creative Language Class

Creative Language Class

Their site, Creative Language Class, was started in 2011 as a way to share their journey toward a more authentic, student-centered, and communicative class. It now has over 5 million views and connects with teachers from around the world to share ideas, solutions, and inspiration. Their leadership experiences include leading departments, mentoring teachers, designing district curriculum, and creating performance assessments.

Currently, Kara and Megan are presenting and creating curriculum on www.AdiosTextbook.com full-time. They are enthusiastic about showing how to transition to proficiency-based instruction in order to positively impact students’ learning.

Our professional development and training background includes:

  • MOPI (Modified Oral Proficiency Interviews) through ACTFL
  • Assessing using Proficiency: rubrics, assessments, feedback, data
  • Teacher Effectiveness through TELL Project
  • 90% Target Language Use
  • Project-Based Learning
  • Standards-Based Grading
  • Integrating 21st Century Skills