Brief Overview:
This year, Spanish will be fun and challenging. I plan to use the TPRS method – Total Physical Response Storytelling, along with the Avancemos textbook. The TPRS method combines Dr. James Asher's “Total Physical Response” with Dr. Stephen Krashen's language-acquisition strategies. The textbook will act as a guide and help the students learn the vocabulary with pictures and exercises.
Grading:
A large part of the overall grade is Classwork and Participation. Students will earn one point each day for participation by staying on task, working hard during class, and paying attention.
Homework is practice, not a test. Even if you aren't sure you're doing it right, do it! Students will receive credit for doing their homework. Most of the time, homework grades will be based on effort, not on perfect answers.
Notebooks: Students will keep a Spanish notebook, where they will take notes and complete much of their classwork and homework. The notebooks should be kept neat and organized. I will help the students structure their notebooks, and I will also have a class notebook that the students can use as a reference. I will be checking the notebooks regularly.
Quizzes are often unannounced, because cramming the night before does not produce long term memory. Quizzes will be frequent and cumulative throughout the year. If the majority of the class gets 80% or lower, I will reteach the material and we will redo the quiz.
Tests will be announced and we will do a lot of fun projects in addition to formal tests.