Most of our readers are now on summer vacation, and we hope that you are taking your vacation seriously– whatever that looks like to you. Splash in rivers, get your hands dirty in your garden, sip icy cold beverages, play with your pets and your kids, veg out on the couch, clean out your closets… do what you need to feel fully you again after an unbelievably difficult two school years.
Self-paced professional development
For those of you who want to dive into professional development but do not have the time or the funds to take part in full-on conferences, we want to make sure that you have the support that you need to approach the coming school year with confidence, too. Elicia Cárdenas, our Director of Training, has put together two FREE options for self-paced training plans that you can use to prepare yourself to teach with curriculum from The Comprehensible Classroom this fall– be it Somos, Nous sommes, or Sumus. And because we know that this professional learning is valuable, we have made it possible for you to earn PD hours and even a Continuing Education credit for this investment of your time. Read on to learn more!
OPTION 1: Welcome to Somos Launch Pad
The Welcome to Somos Launch Pad option is a tool designed for teachers who want help getting started with Somos, Nous sommes, or Sumus. It is a single place where you can find answers to all the most commonly asked questions that teachers ask as they are preparing to switch to the Somos* family of curricula.
*Throughout this post, I will use Somos* to indicate Somos + Nous sommes + Sumus
Some of the resources that you can explore from the launch pad are:
- Which unit to begin with for which level?
- curriculum maps
- what materials you need for your classroom
- a syllabus
- tips from teachers about how to get started
- training videos about how to get started
- Links to Fun Club videos designed for new-to-Somos* teachers
- Our help desk
- Choosing Somos* Original or Somos* Flex
Option 2: Summer Somos Challenge
If you’re looking for something a little more formal and want the opportunity to earn Professional Development hours and/or a Continuing Education credit, take the Summer Somos Challenge! This challenge is self-guided and asynchronous so that you can fit it into your schedule. The challenge is designed for:
- teachers that will be teaching Somos* for the first time
- teachers that have been using Somos* but are unsure of the foundational ideas of the curriculum
- teachers that need continuing education hours or a credit
To begin the challenge, click here. You will be redirected to a view-only Slides presentation. BOOKMARK the link so that you can come back to it over and over! You do not need to register for the challenge or let us know that you are working on it; simply work through the challenge and submit materials as prompted throughout the path.
On the home slide, you will see a path of stepping stones that lead up to a school building. Each step on the path is clickable (notice the little red arrow “clickable” cues). Each clickable step takes you to a task that you must complete. The slides will prompt you to read articles, watch pre-recorded training videos, and complete reflections. As you complete the tasks along the path, you will become familiar with the curricular materials as well as the “how” and the “why” behind them.
You will also be prompted to create a reflection journal. Complete all of the tasks on the path and enter reflections in your journal, and you can submit it to earn up to 15 PD hours for the time that you invested in learning this summer. If you need to earn Continuing Education credits for certificate renewal and/or advancement on your salary schedule, you can choose to pay a small fee to receive 1 graduate CE credit from TeacherFriendly.
Free training Friday
In addition to our resources for Somos* teachers, we’ve got a free training this Friday that is for EVERYONE. Our Summer Fun Club series is back, and the second meeting is focused on how to work with colleagues while staying true to you– especially when you and your colleagues have disparate views about how language should be taught.
Join us on Friday, July 9 at 3:30pm EDT / 1:30pm MDT in the Somos Curriculum Collaboration group on Facebook to talk with Elicia about her recent experience as a GRAMMAR TEACHER in a university-level summer Spanish program, and how you can adapt her approach for your setting. If you can't join us live or aren't on Facebook, you can wait and catch the replay that will be posted on our YouTube channel.
Questions?
If you need more information about these or any of our training options, please email us!
