I can't underestimate the importance of goofiness with Junior High students. It's interesting teaching middle school and high school because their worlds are so incredibly different.
Middle school students have so much more energy and I am trying to use that. Part of me tries to calm them down a little bit so that we can learn. The high school classes often need me to encourage them and coax them into getting a little more goofy.
There is definitely something more fun about middle school students.
Yesterday we were reviewing a story and they were dying of boredom. So I introduced a new word while we were talking about the story. I figured it couldn't hurt to through in the word besar (to kiss) into the PQA. The students suddenly all got really excited when I asked if the character in the story kisses someone else. Of course he does not. But then the students start getting really excited and I have to ask if the character in the story kisses or if a student in the class kisses. Suddenly all of the students want to call out suggestions and contribute to the story.
And all I did was introduce the word kiss. I need to start thinking like a middle school student again in order to better teach them.
Hola Jordan, I'm teaching Spanish to middle school(and elementary a few times a week)for the first time this year. We love to use your videos in class! My students are at a pre-Spanish 1/Beginning Spanish 1 level, and I want to incorporate more reading/writing in class, but their language levels just aren't high enough. (that's how it feels, anyway.) I would love to hear more about what exactly you do during the day with your Spanish 1 students. I don't even know where to start!
ReplyDeleteNatalie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog(s). If you're wanting to incorporate more speaking and writing, TPRS is a wonderful way to do that.
You're telling a story with them and practicing high frequency vocabulary in the process. It's really fun and if you can have a semi-engaging storyline for them, they should respond to it pretty well.
The following are a few places with TPRS resources for elementary Spanish.
http://www.tprstorytelling.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=20&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=6
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/elementarytprs/
Best of luck and let me know if I can be of any more assistance!
-Sr. Jordan