As I considered career paths, I realized that I had a passion for teaching and I loved Spanish. Over the last 18 years, teaching Spanish has been very rewarding to me. Although I feel as if I learned Spanish (immersion) in a completely different way than my students are learning (schoolroom), I have found techniques that have proven effective. As time has gone by, my teaching techniques and my overall effectiveness have improved. This comes from experience, research, and having an open relationship with my students that make them feel comfortable giving me feedback on their learning experience.
I believe that all students have the capacity to learn. Many have different learning styles, and they come with different motivations to learn Spanish. My job is to find out their learning styles and motivations and teach to what they need. As much as I can do in the classroom, I also know that the learning process is two-sided. They must work hard to be proficient at a foreign language. I do all I can when I have them in front of me, and they must do their part to listen, interact, and stay engaged. I have a website that supplements the learning that takes place in class.
One of the most important things for students is that I be fair and predictable. I have learned over the years what it takes to have very few problems and questions from students and parents. My disclosure is thorough, my website has all the resources the students need, and my policies are fair. Having test retakes, morning tutoring, and websites for practice and review have proven to be a perfect combination for student success.
First and foremost, I have found that students learning a foreign language need motivation. Many of them are just taking the class to fulfill requirements and not because they initially want to learn the language. I use a few different strategies to motivate my students. My attitude and behaviors are always positive, supportive, and playful as I try to keep a fun atmosphere in the classroom that invites participation. I try to keep them entertained and make them laugh, even though they may be struggling at what they are currently trying to do. I have found that this atmosphere in the classroom helps them to be more open to learning.
I also try to keep the class relevant for the students. Besides learning typical textbook vocabulary, the topics we discuss in my classroom are geared toward the lives of the students. That means I have to get to know them, either by experience and time with them, or by having them fill out an “interests” survey so we can discuss things that interest them. This also has given them a chance to make the class their own.
After 17 years of teaching I know what works and what does not. This has come from experience and daily reflection about the failures and successes of various teaching strategies I have tried. This daily reflection is also appreciated by the students who can tell that I am adapting my teaching and lessons to them.
Most of my students have loved music. Besides singing traditional latino music, I also give them the opportunity to choose songs that I translate into Spanish for them. This is another way for them to make the class their own while they reap the benefit of music to help them learn vocabulary and idiomatic expressions.
My personal feeling about Spanish is that it is a language to be spoken. I use every opportunity and exercise to get the students to talk to me or to each other, either by asking questions in Spanish or by breaking up into small groups to talk. I believe this is the most important form of communication and must be practiced from day one. Because of this, I have high expectations when it comes to attendance. I’m sure that for many of the students the in-class time is the only exposure to speaking Spanish. I always give a participation grade because of this.
Aside from daily observation of the students, I also find it necessary to have one on one evaluations. It is very easy to tell how much the students know by how much they participate, but I also have evaluations which include questions and answers that cover the material we have covered in class, as well as questions that test their creative abilities. These conversations have always weeded out the strong from the weak students and allow me to give them a more accurate assessment.
Because there are students to whom Spanish does not come naturally, I also believe in setting aside time for one on one tutoring. The lower the student-to-teacher ratio, the better the learning experience. My door is always open to proactive students who are interested in individual help.
Finally, I believe in teaching culture in what has been called the “Little c” method. There is Big C and Little c. Big C refers to the country's traditions, language, religion, etc. My time in South America has allowed me to integrate the kind of Little c culture into the classroom that only comes from living in another country. I believe that it’s not only about dates and names, but also about the daily life of the people of other cultures that make them a “people”. Hand gestures, street talk, and things you can only learn by living there are interesting to the students and get their attention and keep the class interesting.