Mercado Central de Valencia
ESPAÑA 2019
ESPAÑA 2019
BIO
I am a Nebraska native and attended Middlebury College in Vermont. I have cultivated my passion for languages and cultures through studying, working and traveling the world. This will be my 13th year teaching Spanish! My husband is a native of the Dominican Republic (and East High Spanish teacher), and we endeavour to raise our daughters to be bilingual and bi-cultural. It is my mission to instill these same values with Park Hill students to set them on the journey of language learning and foster an appreciation and respect for other cultures.
IN THE CLASSROOM
I teach using the Comprehensible Input method, a form of language acquisition based on the research of Dr. Stephen Krashen. In our class you should see 90% of instruction in Spanish, choral response, movement, singing, gestures, storytelling and acting. Students acquire Spanish much as an athlete develops muscle memory; through repetition and dynamic practice.
EXPECTATIONS
Just like a baby learns to speak by WATCHING and LISTENING to its parents and siblings, students must hone these skills to receive as much INPUT as possible. Listening in a second language is hard work, but I strive every day to support students in their learning and give them opportunities to demonstrate success in multiple ways.
In turn, I EXPECT students to listen carefully at ALL times, WATCH the speaker, ENGAGE their minds and bodies in activities and AVOID speaking ENGLISH except when given permission.