Last April I attended a Bryce Hedstrom workshop and it was nothing short of mind-blowing, as he presented one amazing comprehensible input strategy after another. When the day ended, my mind was pulsating with new ideas for my classroom, but there was one idea in particular that screamed at me to give it a try: Free Voluntary Reading. For those of … [Read more...] about Experimenting with Free Voluntary Reading: First Semester Reflections
Lesson Plans
5 Great Reasons Why You Should Use Bell-Ringer Activities
During my twenty-four years of teaching, I had heard the term "bell-ringer" tossed around from time-to-time, but I had never really been compelled to learn more about it until last year, when I took a new job teaching at a public high school where bell-ringer activities were strongly encouraged, especially for those over achiever type teachers seeking a high … [Read more...] about 5 Great Reasons Why You Should Use Bell-Ringer Activities
Thirteen Noteworthy World Language Quotes
Several weeks ago, the headmaster of my school charged teachers with choosing subject-specific quotes that would be inscribed above the classroom doors of our new middle school building. What a great idea, I thought, until the moment arrived when I had to locate those inspirational words that would embody the essence of what it means to learn and know other … [Read more...] about Thirteen Noteworthy World Language Quotes
Origin of Puerto Ricans
Here is a neat graphic organizer that I received in one of my graduate classes sometime during the 1990s. It illustrates the ancestry of the three major blood lines which form the Puerto Rican race : Taino Indian, Spanish and Black. Origin of Puerto Ricans When Christopher Columbus reached Puerto Rico in 1493, he encountered and enslaved the Taino … [Read more...] about Origin of Puerto Ricans