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  • Universal Design for Learning and Comprehension-Based Teaching

    I used to think teaching with comprehensible input (CI) was inherently equitable. I’d argue, “it’s the only thing we KNOW students need to acquire language”. I still think that’s true. And while CI is still the first thing I consider when planning for student language acquisition, I have reflected and learned a lot about what…

  • A Unit Planning Framework for a Content-Based CI Unit

    Through a lot of trial, error, and student feedback, I think I have found the right combination of activities and pacing for my level 4 class. Hopefully, something that worked for me will work for you, as well. If you have a hard time wrapping your head around what a comprehension-based curriculum looks like in…

  • The name of the book about which this book report is about is…

    Anyone a fan of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown? I played Linus in a couple of Charlie Brown stage shows, and directed YaGMCB once too! The Book Report scene is still one of my favorite scenes. We just finished our Semester Finals, which this year (and last year) took the form of an End…

  • Is it Spanish class? Is it graphic design class? Or is it both?

    That’s right! Both! It’s both Spanish AND graphic design class. But, I’m only certified to teach one of those things, and without Canva, my graphic design skills are like… Thanks to my colleague Neysa for letting me bounce some ideas around, I started playing around with using infographics as a way to assess presentational and/or…

  • The GREAT Paragraph Experiment

    Problems: Students have a ton of language, but they need help organizing language and levelling up their writing. Students don’t feel as though they are “learning” in class. Solution: The GREAT Paragraph Project. Paragraph not paragraphs Last year, I did STAMP ADVANCE training and learned a lot about how to get students to level up…

  • Aggressively Supportive

    Everyone who can communicate in one language has the ability to learn to communicate in another. Last year, I reflected a lot on how to get students to let me know when they needed something clarified. I tried putting the onus on myself, “Let me know when I’m not clear”, “It’s my job to be…

  • Lit Hexagons Final

    Faced with a tricky exam schedule and end-of-year chaos, I needed a flexible, meaningful assessment. Inspired by Bertha Delgadillo’s Hexagonal Thinking, I swapped Lit Circles for Lit Hexagons—students created visual webs connecting characters, themes, and concepts from their novels, then used them to present and write about their book. Creative, engaging, and just the right…

  • My Favorite Listening Activities from Huellas

    In Spanish 4, we’ve been working through the Música Originaria unit from Huellas—and it’s been a total game-changer for how I use video in class. The activities are super easy to implement, but also incredibly effective. I’ve been rethinking old tools (like whiteboards!) and trying out new listening strategies like “7 of 10,” “Which Do…

  • Observers as Learners

    This year, I joined a Peer Observation and Coaching PLC—and even after just one meeting, I’m fired up about what’s possible. We’re exploring what it means to observe not to evaluate, but to learn. Inspired by models like Coaching Circles and guided by the mindset of “Observers as Learners,” our goal is to build trust,…

  • Reflecting on Fall Semester 2023

    This year, I’ve had one of the smoothest classes behavior-wise—and while there are lots of reasons for that, I’ve made some intentional changes that I think have helped. From clearer expectations and more structured accountability, to explaining why we do what we do in a comprehension-based classroom, I’m seeing students engage more thoughtfully. In this…