Author Archives: spanishplans

About spanishplans

Spanish Teacher in Chicago. Have studied or traveled to Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Argentina, and Uruguay. Have taught level 1 at middle and high school levels. Degree in Spanish and Master's in Teaching and Leadership. Blogger www.SpanishPlans.org

Hispanic Novels

Posted on June 1, 2015

First, let me say that the librarian at my school rocks! A few years ago, I approached her about getting my students to read some novels to learn more about the Hispanic culture. She compiled over 60 titles from our … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Decorating with Postcards

Posted on May 28, 2015

I know we have all bought some beautiful postcards during our travels. Let’s use them to decorate our classroom and turn our hospital walls into a charming space that allows students to see the beauty of the target culture. Step … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Travel Theme

Posted on May 20, 2015

After coming back from a year of absence traveling South America, I want to bring my experience of travel to the classroom. So this year, one of our major themes throughout the year will be travel and the richness of … Continue reading →

Posted in Lesson Plans | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

End of Year Awards

Posted on May 7, 2015

In Colombia, students graduate at the end of year 11. The school celebrates with a ceremony during the school day where the 11th graders give performances. Some groups sing songs, others dance.  One of the activities was to present students … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Dia de la Madre

Posted on May 7, 2015

At a mall in Quito, Ecuador, the shopping center featured a campaign to promote Dia de la Madre y Dia del Padre with the concept of you better buy your parents something nice because of all they know about you. … Continue reading →

Posted in Authentic Resource | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

MoreThanSombreros

Posted on May 5, 2015

Thank you to all those who have participated so far in our #MoreThanSombreros campaign. Our goal is to celebrate the rich culture of the Mexican community and bring an awareness on how some images may be stereotypical. We choose to … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

6 Places to Connect with Spanish Teachers

Posted on January 10, 2015

Imagine a staff lounge full of like-minded Spanish teachers with whom you could discuss best practices, talk about lesson ideas, collaborate on projects, and more. Well, that place does exist, you just have to broaden your definition of lounge. So … Continue reading →

Posted in Discussion/Methodology | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Raquel Sofia

Posted on December 13, 2014

If you have not heard any music by the talented boriqua Raquel Sofia, you are missing out. She has toured as a backup singer to Colombians Juanes and Shakira and is now breaking out onto the scene as a solo … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Why I hate Pobre Ana

Posted on December 9, 2014

Ok, this post may be a bit controversial. But I’m hoping we can have an honest and open discussion here about a very popular teaching resource. I know many schools use the Pobre Ana series (Patricia va a California, Ana … Continue reading →

Posted in Discussion/Methodology | Tagged , | 11 Comments

Colombian School

Posted on December 8, 2014

I’ve been volunteering at a Colombian school since August and over the months I’ve compiled several notes on the differences between my school in Chicago and the school here in Colombia. The following are a few of my observations. It … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , | 12 Comments