Email ljurski@sylvaniaschools.org:
CLASS Room F-9:
SCHOOL PHONE 419-824-8570 ext. 5190:
Thank you for your commitment to becoming a global citizen and understanding
the positive effects that your knowledge and understanding of at least one
other language and culture will have on society and your future.
My name is Lindsey Jurski and I embrace the National Standards for World
Language Education. These standards take us beyond the traditional classroom
of rote memorization and move into real communication, while using the target
language, with reading, writing, listening and speaking, comparing and
contrasting cultural similarities and differences in the target culture’s
country, connect the target language with other disciplines like literature,
mathematics, science, music, technology, etc. and most importantly motivate
students to explore how to use the second language outside of the classroom!
I began learning Spanish at Arbor Hills, continued at Northview High School
and began my secondary undergraduate and graduate education at The University
of Toledo. I continued my studies while traveling with students and living
with Spanish-speaking families to Spain, Costa Rica and The Dominican
Republic. I strongly believe that we are all life-long learners and thus
continue my studies with technology, Spanish classes, professional
development, as well as regularly meeting with a group of educators in order
to implement the most current world language initiatives in the classroom. I
have been honored to receive awards which recognize the need for classrooms
to prepare students to be productive citizens in the 21st century and I am
dedicated to the art of teaching. It is a privilege to be your Spanish
teacher this year!
In our classroom you can expect to be a part of new learning strategies and
technologies that will encourage you to broaden your horizons in Spanish. In
order to do this we must understand how learning occurs. “Learning is a
process of taking in sensory information (touching, seeing, feeling, tasting,
doing) and connecting it to other sensory information and memories (our past
knowledge and experiences) to form a declarative fact (or something we’ve
learned)” (How Does Learning Occur, 2007). The next trick, of course is
practice or rehearsal that will take this learned information in the short
term memory and help it attach to the long term memory. Thus, learning is a
process, an experience, and it doesn’t just happen – we have to be actively
engaged in what we are learning to make it “stick!”
It is my hope that by utilizing Ohio's 21st Century Skills, Total Physical
Response through Storytelling, Portfolio Reflections, Differentiated
Instruction and allowing for different learning styles all students will
leave my classroom appreciating others and their backgrounds and using
Spanish in a real-life way.
I believe teaching is an art in which the educator creates a planned journey
in which students will be guided to discovery. In other words, learners will
acquire the big picture or see the whole puzzle prior to taking the pieces
apart in order to have a true understanding of what the puzzle looks likes and
how it functions. This concept of learning asks students to be creative,
adapt to change, work well with others and be an active learner and leader, so
that they can take a concept learned and apply it to several different
functions in the world. The classroom environment will be like a community
where students feel safe to take risks and understand that we truly learn the
most when we take ourselves outside of our “comfort zones.”
Throughout the school year we will be working in cooperative learning groups,
with learning partners and individually while utilizing current technology.
We will compile a portfolio and continuously be self-reflecting on our
successes and areas of improvement. Students will be immersed in the language
and culture of Spanish everyday in order to truly discover the beauty of
understanding and accepting a different culture. Immersion in the second
language is the best way to truly communicate and create productive language
skills for the future.
Overall, it is my hope, that students understand the distinct differences and
the many similarities of the cultures and have the desire to communicate with
others.
Very importantly, it is my goal to provide consistent contact with students
and parents through the use of success cards, phone calls, weekly class email
updates and the class website. Please feel free to call or email me as
needed. Working together as student, parent/guardian, and teacher I am
confident that we will have a rewarding and successful year. I am committed to
being an excellent world language educator because I believe that each student
must acquire a high level of communicative and intercultural competence in
order to function in our multi-cultural society and become a productive
citizen.
Please utilize the classroom website at
http://teacherweb.com/OH/SylvaniaCitySchools/LJurski/ in order to be an
active part of your student's academic journey.