An ekeko is a traditional good luck charm originating from the Aymara culture of several South American countries including Bolivia and Peru. It is believed to promote abundance and prosperity, and often takes the form of a small cloth figurine filled with items believed to bring luck like food, coins, coca leaves, cotton balls, and […]
Spanish Class Activities for Earth Week: Class Guide for Spanish Teachers
The Speaking Latinos’ Earth Week Class Guide helps middle and high school Spanish teachers discover the environment-themed activities and materials they can use in class prior to Earth Day (April 22nd). These ready-made materials reduce prep and planning time. Having a guide with Spanish class activities about Earth Day is important because it provides students […]
31 Outstanding Afro-latinos Your Students Should Know
February marks the celebration of Black History Month and this is a great opportunity to introduce your students to notable Afro-latinos in your Spanish classes. There are 54 million Hispanics in the United States, of whom 24% identify as Afro-Latino. Here’s our list of biographies in Spanish (and some in English) you can use in […]
36 Biographies of Notable Hispanics / Latinos in Music For Your Students
If your students love when you use music in class, they will love to learn about the life and achievements of their favorite Hispanic (or Hispanic heritage) signer. Here’s our list of biographies in Spanish (and some in English) you can use in class to introduce incredible and talented artists to your classes. Each Google […]
3 Websites to Learn and Practice Spanish Without Spending a Penny
A tight budget doesn’t need to be your reason for not learning Spanish. Luckily, there are some great free tools available to help you practice and hone your skills. Whether it’s learning a few words every day with an app that uses spaced repetition, picking up new phrases from an online community, or mastering your […]
Día de San Patricio: St. Patrick’s Day Spanish Vocabulary Printables
St. Patrick’s day is a great time for Spanish teachers to have some fun with their students. Here are 3 St. Patrick’s Day vocabulary activities that you can use in your classroom: a word list handout, a crossword puzzle, and a word search. The word list handout gives students lists of words related to St. […]
40 Biographies in Spanish of Notable Hispanic / Latino Women to Celebrate Women’s History
March is Women’s History Month and March 8th marks the celebration of International Women’s Day. Here’s a suggested list of biographies of notable Hispanic / Latino women your students will be amazed to learn about. Choose any of these ready-to-use presentations for them to discover their incredible lives and achievements. All Spanish Teachers Community members have access […]
How to use Exit Tickets
All the core lesson plans inside the Speaking Latino Spanish Teachers Community include an Activator (Warm-up) and an Exit Ticket. Let’s highlight some advantages of Exit Tickets. Exit Tickets are an optional part of each lesson, but it’s highly recommended that you use them as often as possible. Use exit tickets for daily assessments. This saves […]
5 Songs in Spanish for Valentine’s Day
For middle to high school Spanish teachers who wants to celebrate Valentine’s Day in class, here’s our suggestion of 4 songs in Spanish that your students will enjoy. Songs are a great way to teach new vocabulary because they can be fun and engaging. Songs typically have catchy melodies and rhymes that make them easier […]
2nd Annual Survey for World Language Teachers: Stop Wondering and Participate
Can you believe we have been teaching in the pandemic mode for a year now? Your challenges of teaching remote, hybrid, in-person, synchronous, asynchronous, and any combination of those mixed together have been going on for months and months. Can you believe your 2nd semester of teaching is almost halfway in? Or perhaps, can you […]
13 Afro-Latino Class Activities for Students: Scaffolded for Novice to Advanced
Use these scaffolded activities in any order during Black History Month or through the school year. Each activity includes 3 versions to use with novice, intermediate low-mid, and intermediate high-advanced students.
Elementary Spanish Curriculum Recommendations
We have been asked in the past if there is something similar to what we offer inside the Speaking Latino Spanish Teachers Community for elementary students. We reached out to elementary Spanish teachers in our Facebook group and these were their recommendations: 1. Rockalingua Rockalingua is an online resource to help children and beginners learn […]
I’m Quarantined! Sub-plans Ideas for Spanish Teachers
“I can’t be at my school, which is fully live, in school every day. I need lesson plans for non-Spanish-speaking substitute teachers. I need at least 2 weeks, probably more, I think. I found the 5 intermediate substitute lessons on your website. Any suggestions for how/where to go in your site to get more?” This […]
16 Fail-Proof Spanish Class Activities and Games
Speaking Latino followed up with 16 Spanish teacher experts that presented in the Spanish Teacher Success Academy online conference and asked them: What is your number one favorite activity you play in your classroom? They gave us awesome ideas that you can use any time in class. As an extra bonus, we have unlocked this […]
New Scaffolded Spanish Class Activities
In this video, Sheri Plath reveals her ideas and thoughts behind the weekly themed and scaffolded Spanish class activities we release inside the Spanish Teachers Community. An In-Depth Look Inside the New Themed Scaffolded Spanish Class Activities Here’s the complete video transcript: Jared Romey: Okay, we’re live. There you go. Hi, my name is Jared […]
The State of World Language Teaching: Results of the 2020 World Language Teacher Survey
This survey was created to give language teachers real answers they can use to make changes to their teaching, to provide comfort in knowing they’re not alone, and help make changes in their institutions and districts.
Professional Development Certificate from the World Language Teacher Summit
World language teachers looking for affordable professional development should check the training sessions provided by the World Language Teacher Summit. This online conference, featuring 45 language teacher experts, is now opening again for new members. By only watching a few sessions, many teachers have been able to improve, modify and change the way they teach. […]
National Read Across America Day: 2 Videos for Spanish Teachers to Help Students Read More in the Target Language
National Read Across America Day is celebrated every year on March 2nd. This day is also known as Dr. Seuss Day. Spanish teachers can always use these celebrations as opportunities to bring excitement to their class. If you need some activity ideas, check out the article 4 Read Across America Day Spanish Class Activities. To […]
Tips to Assess Comprehension in the Spanish Classroom
In summary, language comprehension is “understanding what other people say and write”. Spanish teachers (and any world language teacher) must make sure that their students are actually understanding. But, how do you know? How do Spanish teachers access comprehension every day? Here’s what speakers from the Spanish Teacher Success Academy online conference do… Sam Finneseth […]
Tips to Deal with Students Who Don’t Want to Learn Spanish
When teachers encounter one or more students who essentially don’t want to learn Spanish it can jeopardize the activities and class dynamics. Sometimes, teachers feel that they need to go back to the drawing board and re-think everything that they had planned. Fourteen speakers from the Spanish Teacher Success Academy online conference gave us some […]
How to Encourage Students Who are Struggling to Learn Spanish
Students that struggle to learn Spanish is something that any teacher encounters every school year. Here are some tips from Spanish Teacher Success Academy online conference speakers that can help you deal with this issue. Sam Finneseth “I high-five them every single chance I get.” Sam finds small but meaningful ways of connecting with her […]
15 Tricks to Save Time by Spanish Teachers
It’s not a secret that a teacher’s life inside the classroom can be complex and stressful. So we asked some of the Spanish Teacher Success Academy online conference speakers to tell us a trick they use to save time. Here’s a summary of what they revealed to us as part of the Mastermind Q&A sessions. […]
The Best Free Spanish Podcasts
The podcast was invented in 2004 by MTV video jockey Adam Curry, and years later, it has become a global phenomenon. Portable and often ad-free, podcasts have become an incredibly popular audio source of education, entertainment, and news. So, chances are, you probably already understand the undeniable appeal and the beauty of the podcast, but […]
Spanish Worksheets for Kids
The younger the age, the easier it is for us to acquire a new language. It is definitely a good practice to send a child to Spanish classes as young as kindergarten age (or even younger!). However, teachers may find it hard to catch the attention of such small students, so using absorbing teaching aids […]
When I First Started Teaching I Wish I Had Known…
We asked Spanish Teachers Success Academy presenters to name one thing they wish you had known when they started teaching. And here is an extract of their answers that collects their reflexions on their teaching careers. You can watch the full video interview and additional Q&A session bonuses inside the Spanish Teacher Success Academy. Allison […]
Back-To-School Checklist for Spanish Teachers
Here’s a quick list of easy things you can do over the summer to prepare for the next school year. Also, download the full Back-To-School Checklist to get organized prior to the beginning of the school year. Things to do over the summer for an awesome back-to-school Please note that some links included here take […]
The Spanish Teacher Success Academy Professional Development Certificate
When you first started out teaching Spanish, I bet you heard the same thing over and over again: grammar is the key, follow the textbook, drills, exercises, and tests are the best way to teach. You took that advice to heart, but it was hard to know where to start. As you kept on researching, […]
31 Terrific TpT Stores for Spanish Teachers and Why You Should Follow Them
Follow these Teachers Pay Teachers stores to get some inspiration for your Spanish class.
The Massive List Of Ideas To Engage And Motivate Your Students
This massive list of ideas to engage and motivate your students is organized in different sections: I. Take action now II. Rapport-building tips III. Tips regarding classroom/environment IV. Learning and outcome/lesson planning tips We can also send you the printable checklist version of this list to your email. I. Take Action Now Be enthusiastic. All […]
Spanish Lesson Plans and Activities for Earth Week
Earth Day lessons and activities are an important part of any Spanish classroom. Not only do they provide an engaging way to learn about environmental issues, but they can also help students build a deeper understanding of the complex global network that is today’s world. By providing lessons and activities related to environmental issues, Spanish […]