Pedagogical approach

I align my instruction with the Tennessee Foreign Language Standards, and follow the guidelines and requirements established countywide using the textbook 'Que Chevere'. However, as a native speaker, a learner of a second language myself, and a professional in the field of teaching Spanish, I know that the traditional approach to language teaching is simply not enough to empower students to be confident speakers of a foreign language.

Most likely, if you took a second language in school, you were in a traditional class: you memorized vocabulary lists and dialogues, filled in grammar worksheets, and practiced your verb conjugations. And if you are like most parents I talk to, you'll say, "I took high school French/ Spanish/ German/ etc. and I don't remember any of it." That's because humans don't learn language by memorizing vocabulary lists and filling out grammar worksheets! Your own children acquired their first language because they received "abundant, comprehensible input" (according to Dr. Krashen, linguist and researcher). Essentially, you spoke to them, read to them, and sang to them in their first language, and that is how they learned to speak.

The traditional foreign language teaching approach where students memorize words and conjugations out of context, teachers create non-communicative multiple-choice tests, complicated grammar rules are lectured quickly, and logical developing errors are punished, is simply not effective.

Here at Central Magnet, we do things differently. We believe that students acquire their second language the same way they acquired their first language.  That means that my job as their teacher is to load them full of abundant, personalized, comprehensible input, or in other words, Spanish that they can understand. This looks vastly different than a traditional Spanish classroom. In our classes, we tell stories, create stories, sing songs, discuss culture, and current events, talk about their lives and play games, all as vehicles to deliver Spanish that they understand.

Learning a foreign language is a skill. Learners have to practice and make mistakes before they master this very complicated art of expressing their thoughts, needs, feelings, ‘en español’. I value progress over perfection. I embrace student errors that show me that we are in the right path, and these are indeed an incredible valuable tool to provide me immediate feedback as for in which stage of the process the student is at. It is not about perfection, but about commitment and grit. Granted that with specific areas of content, when we have spent sufficient time on them, I expect students to have mastered that very specific learning essential, and they will certainly show mastery of them in assessments. However, conversational errors, and written errors in areas that are still developing are not only understandable but necessary. I use multiple resources that are tailored to the respective level of the course. I do not expect students to have perfect pronunciation and never make an error. I am still learning English myself daily. Your child will hopefully become a lifelong learner of Spanish (and any other languages that he chooses to communicate in). She/he will never stop learning. My expectations are very high, but also very realistic and in accordance with their previous knowledge and acknowledging that each student's timeline will be different and their time to be ready to produce the language will differ. It is my goal to create an environment where the student feels confident to engage in conversation (only when ready to do so), create, write, imagine, improvise, and express in Spanish. Goals and expectations will be clearly stated, and students will know exactly what will be included in their assessments so that they can prepare confidently. Learning a new language is not easy, but it will give your child a great sense of accomplishment and joy. I know that you will support, encourage, and celebrate her/him, and I thank you for that.