The most successful synchronous lessons are often game-based. As a parent, I have been spying on my own kids’ synchronous classes. As a curriculum coach, I’ve been debriefing synchronous lesson plans with SOMOS teachers. GAMES make online classes feel less like a chore, and they allow us to do what we miss most about being…
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The annual Teachers Pay Teachers Teacher Appreciation Sale is this week. On May 5-6, you can save up to 25% on e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. from The Comprehensible Classroom. But let’s be real… right now, this sale is probably just adding one more decision to your plate that you don’t have the brain space to make. Usually, this…
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If you’re anything like me, you love a good manipulative activity. Here are some common manipulative activities used by language teachers: sequencing events from a story that are printed on strips of paper matching chunks of authentic texts to paraphrased summaries sorting quotes into groups based on who said or would have said each one…
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Yesterday was Earth Day 2020, and I celebrated with a romp through the woods and a spontaneous interview with Elicia Cárdenas during our #SOMOSathome launch party. The three big questions were: What have you REDUCED in your teaching in recent years? What activities do you REUSE over and over again? How do you RECYCLE content…
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Many school districts have asked their teachers to provide up to two-weeks of printable lesson plans for students to be able to complete at home in case of emergency school closure in relation with the containment of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Creating a single sub plan is a big enough task, but creating multiple weeks’ worth of…
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After a lifetime of not really dating, my brother signed up for a speed dating event. Terrified from the moment he made the decision, I think that he would have considered “survival” a success. Lo and behold, he left with requests for a follow-up date from every person that he speed dated that evening, and…
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My parents were the first African-Americans to speak Spanish to me. When they did, I thought, Wow! That’s cool. They know how to speak another language. Their knowledge of the language came from their professional experiences. Little did I know at the time, this would have an impact on my life. The Importance of Incorporating Afro-Latin Content Into…
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This Tuesday and Wednesday, save up to 25% off ALL teaching resources from The Comprehensible Classroom– including the complete SOMOS Curriculum and El mundo en tus manos subscription – The first huge sale for 2020! 25% off is the largest discount that we can provide, so now is the time to stock up on materials to…
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It’s January– you’re tired, they’re tired. Routines have started feeling…routine…and the same old challenges that you’ve been dealing with since the fall are starting to feel really old. Now is a particularly great time of year to be predictable in expectations but unpredictable in planning. Instead of starting the next unit or chapter and working…
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