8 Years Later: A Return to Blogging

I began this blog in 2015, but realized that no one was reading it so eventually quit. That could very well happen again, but here I go! It's my first time stepping out of the classroom in 17 years due to the birth of my daughter Autumn. My passion for teaching is still as strong as ever, so I've found a way to stay connected to teaching while being a stay at home mom via the conference circuit. I'll be presenting at RIFLA in Providence next weekend and will be in Chicago for ACTFL, which I'm excited about! In addition, I still contribute to Voces Digital, where I write curriculum and offer teacher trainings. Opening up this blog for the first time has caused me to reflect on changes that have happened between 2015 and 2023, both professional and personal.

THEN (2015)                       VS

• Twitter
• "Foreign" Language Department
• "Comprehensible Input" 
• ACTFL in San Diego
• iPads 
• Teaching 8th grade Spanish I
• Traditional textbook
• Drive 25 minutes to work
• In a new relationship (not my husband)
• No idea what "covid-19" meant

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Cinderblock basement classroom with lots of bugs

NOW (2023)

• X
• "World" Language Deptartment
• "Acquisition Driven Instruction" 
• ACTFL in Chicago
• Macbooks
• Teaching high school (all grades) Spanish III and IV
• Voces Digital's Nuestra Historia
• Walk 4 minutes to work -- now a SAHM
• Married with a kid
• Living through a pandemic

2nd level high school classroom with lots of light

One of the biggest changes in my teaching between 2015 and 2023 is the way I've found connection with my students. I started doing student interviews in 2019 and that was a real game changer in terms of classroom culture. Student interviews (inspired by Bryce Hedstrom's "Star of the Day" method) introduced more laughter, trust, connection, motivation, inside jokes, creativity, and true learning into my classroom than anything else I've ever done. It's also one of the things that motivated me to write my book, A Teacher's Guide to Our Story, and is the focus of Chapter 6.