by Megan Smith | Mar 13, 2020 | 1 Planning, 2 Authentic Resources, Distance Learning, Proficiency, Teacher Problems, What's New
The talk about Online or Distance Learning is buzzing through schools and communities around the world. If you’re anxious about the change OR already there and need suggestions, this post is for you! It takes a change of mindset, but there are some great perks... 
by Megan Smith | Aug 10, 2018 | 2 Authentic Resources, AP Themes, First Days, Movies, Proficiency, Units, What's New
Here it is. I’m openly against a “review unit” in the world language class (or any class actually). (If you love them, keep reading. You might change your mind. If not, we can still be friends even if we disagree.) I’ve tried starting the year with a review, and... 
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 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....
