La paz empieza conmigo. Say it!
This article about today’s terrorist attack in Barcelona is written in super simple Spanish–almost entirely cognates–so that you can use it with students that just began their Spanish study. Even still, it will not be ‘highly comprehensible’ to fresh Spanish students because it is lengthy. It is up to you to tailor it to your students. Please take the time to share the message la paz empieza contigo from the presentation that I shared yesterday. Please draw a hard line in your classes that no form of violence or hatred will be accepted. Please pray every day for your students and for our world. And please continue to model love, respect, and peace every day.
I remember listening to one of Lisa Terkhurst’s Proverbs 31 Ministries snippets on K-Love a few years back. Typically they leave me rolling my eyes because they’re a little over the top, but this particular one has stayed with me. I remember her talking about how crazy things can get in her home with all of her kids. And she–like me–tends to get swept into the spiral of stress and frustration. You know, like when all of your kids (students) are making every. bad. choice. that they could possibly make, all at the same time? And so you snap? Lisa shared a phrase that she has owned, and I own it now too: “You bring the peace”. I find myself saying this multiple times a day. Kids are screaming? Breathe in, breathe out. You bring the peace. Baby is crying, 4 & 5 yo are fighting, 3 yo just pooped AGAIN? Breathe in, breathe out. You bring the peace.
We have to model for our students that we can choose how to respond to any given situation. When we are not content, when we feel that we have been treated unjustly, when we are really freaking pissed off, we can still bring the peace.
La paz empieza conmigo.
Click here to download the article. It’s free.
Thank you for creating and sharing, Martina. I will definitely use this with my classes.
Gracias.
You do such a beautiful job with these!! One question…I know “furgoneta” is a van or pickup truck, but it also means a “hit and run”? That’s new to me!
I just did some checking and I don’t think it does. OOPS. Fixing it now.
No hay problema! 😉 So generous of you to share this!
Thank you so much for all of this. I’m using La Paz empieza contigo in class today. Would it be OK with you if I print / copy some of the slides to make a poster “En la clase de espanol…” ? I’d like to ask all my kids to commit to those ideals by signing it & posting it in the classroom or hallway.
Wondering if you’re planning on starting back up with the subscription to the Noticias for this year. That was a very important part of my curriculum last year with level 3’s and I was hoping to continue to use them in level 4 even as embedded readings before reading the more difficult, original article. Please say you’re doing it again!! They are the BEST!!
Yes, it will be bi-weekly this year though: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/SUBSCRIPTION-Bi-weekly-news-summaries-for-Spanish-students-2017-2018-2950636
Thank you so much for the timeliness of this article. I studied in Barcelona in college, so hearing about the attack on Las Ramblas was especially difficult to hear about. I knew I wanted to address it in my classes today. Finding you had provided this great resource was one bright spot in a week full of depressing news. It gave us a starting point for an important discussion.
Martina,
Thank you so much for taking the time to help us teach our students that they can make the world a better place. As both a teacher and a mother, I was shaking my head reading “You bring the peace” (as my kids are fighting in the background as I am currently typing). It is so simple yet so easily forgotten. I can’t thank you enough for all the materials you have created. They have really been game changing for me. Also, your posts are always perfect in their timing both professionally and personally. Thank you.
That mantra has been a life changer for me!!! I am the one that has to set the tone in my house, my classroom, my world. *I bring the peace*
Are you thinking of or in the process of creating something for Hurricane Harvey?
On Thu, Aug 17, 2017 at 9:39 PM, The Comprehensible Classroom wrote:
> Martina Bex posted: “La paz empieza conmigo. Say it! This article about > today’s terrorist attack in Barcelona is written in super simple > Spanish–almost entirely cognates–so that you can use it with students > that just began their Spanish study. Even still, it will not be ‘h” >
There will be an article about it (involving Mexico) for the first week of El mundo en tus manos. Other than that, no.