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 post, I share how refining my classroom norms, adding content-based assessments (and rethinking them), and breaking down how acquisition works has made my Spanish 4 class feel more focused, more collaborative, and more like school—in the best way.

The 2022 ACTFL Convention in Boston was a whirlwind of ideas, inspiration, and connecting with teacher friends—old, new, and formerly-only-online. From unpacking Task-Based Language Teaching with Claudia Fernández to diving into the “why” behind Comprehension-Based Communicative Language Teaching in our SIG meeting, I walked away with more than a few aha moments. This post recaps the sessions that sparked my thinking and the practical takeaways I’m bringing back to my classroom—and maybe yours too.

Classroom management has always been one of my bigger challenges—not because I don’t care, but because I wasn’t taught how to do it well. At ACTFL, Jon Cowart’s session was exactly the perspective shift I needed. He reminded us that student behavior is often shaped by things we don’t see, and that strong, clear routines and positive narration can change everything. I left with practical tools like using SOC directions, narrating observable behaviors in the target language, and setting time aside to build relationships through short student conferences. It’s not about controlling students—it’s about connecting with them.