The Engaged Spanish Classroom

End-of-the-Year Spanish Class Review Activities Students Actually Enjoy

Erin Coleman — Mon, 25 May 2026 22:46:58 +0000

You're in the home stretch!

By the end of the school year, everyone is tired. We’re tired of lesson-planning, and students of tired of focusing for 7 hours a day. They’re ready to REST and RELAX… and so are we! Review season does not have to mean packets, endless worksheets, or disengaged classes. Some of the best end-of-the-year review activities are the ones that feel collaborative, competitive, and low-stress while still reinforcing important language skills.

Over the years, I’ve found that students stay most engaged when review activities combine movement, interaction, and variety. If you’re looking for easy-to-use Spanish review activities that keep students participating until the very last day of school, here are some of my tried and true favorites.

Game-Based Review Activities

Nothing boosts energy levels like a little friendly competition.

Review games work especially well during the final weeks of school because students are already mentally transitioning into summer mode. Games provide structure while still keeping the atmosphere fun and relaxed.

One of my favorite options is using editable game templates that can be adapted for any level or topic. Whether you’re reviewing vocabulary, verb tenses, or conversational skills, editable activities save prep time while keeping review fresh.

My students especially love:

Taco Tuesday review games
Hot Seat (La Silla Caliente)
Puzzle challenges
Partner competitions

You can find several of these in my Teachers Pay Teachers store, including:

These activities are especially helpful because they can easily be reused year after year with different content! You can truly make them your own!

2. Create Stations for a Variety of Skills

Students tend to lose focus quickly during long whole-group review sessions. Instead, try setting up review stations around the room.

Each station can focus on a different skill:

Reading comprehension
Speaking prompts
Vocabulary review
Verb conjugation practice
Listening activities
Writing challenges

Stations keep students moving and allow you to differentiate more naturally.

One easy way to prepare station activities is by pulling sections from editable study guides.

Check out my examples here:

These all include a variety of review formats that work perfectly for stations, partner work, or independent review.

3. Let Students Teach Each Other

One of the most effective review strategies is student-led review.

Assign pairs or small groups a grammar topic, vocabulary theme, or verb tense. Then have students create:

Mini whiteboard lessons
Review posters
Quiz questions
Short speaking challenges
Classroom games

Students often explain concepts to one another in ways that feel more approachable and memorable.

This also gives students ownership over the review process while taking some pressure off you during a busy time of year!

4. Incorporate Movement Whenever Possible

End-of-year energy is real. Students struggle to sit still during long review sessions, so adding movement can make a huge difference.

Activities like:

Gallery walks
Around-the-room task cards
Relay races
Hot Seat games
Partner rotations

These all help maintain engagement while still reviewing important content. My students LOVE using this Preterite and Imperfect Hot Seat Game during review week because every student participates at the same time.

5. Make Review Collaborative Instead of Stressful

At the end of the year, students are often overwhelmed by finals, projects, and testing. Review activities do not need to feel high-pressure to be effective!!

Some of the best review days are the ones where students:

Work together
Laugh together
Speak more Spanish naturally
Build confidence before assessments

Collaborative review games and editable activities help create a positive classroom atmosphere while still reinforcing key concepts.

Final Thoughts

The final weeks of school can feel exhausting, but they can also be some of the most rewarding. Review activities that prioritize participation, movement, and interaction help students stay engaged while ending the year on a positive note.

If you are looking for ready-to-use Spanish review activities, editable games, and final exam study guides, you can browse all of my resources below.

Happy reviewing — and happy summer break profe! ☀️

The post End-of-the-Year Spanish Class Review Activities Students Actually Enjoy appeared first on The Engaged Spanish Classroom.

5 Engaging Activities for a Proficiency Focused Spanish Class

Erin Coleman — Mon, 14 Aug 2023 23:40:52 +0000

Getting started with "Proficiency"

Proficiency-focused, proficiency based, communicative: there are a lot of buzzwords that can sound intimidating even to us seasoned teachers. Honestly, sometimes they’re intimidating to us BECAUSE we are seasoned professionals. We have been down many roads and many different perspectives before, and so it can be hard to jump into something new (again.)

I dragged my feet for a few years before fully embracing the proficiency-focused approach, but never looked back once I took the leap. I want to share the baby steps that helped me!

I started by changing my gradebook (which you can read all about here) and then I slowly started updating my plans, assessments, and activities.

READY TO DIVE DEEPER?

My first interactive course is ready just for you!

ENROLL NOW

Today I want to share my 5 go-to activities 🙂 Now that I’ve tried out a BUNCH, I have my reliable favorites that I keep coming back to, time and again. Below you’ll find a quick intro to each, and links to tutorial blog posts where I have them!

#1 ¿Mano o Manos?

¿Mano o Manos? allows students to sit in their desks, and participate in almost the most passive way possible. All they need to do is read what’s on the screen, and then choose whether they will raise 1 hand or 2 to express their answer.

Students who are ready for the challenge of contributing an additional thought/idea to the class can show they’re ready by raising a fist instead.

It doesn’t get more low-pressure than that! This activity is a great way to gauge your students’ abilities at the start of the year or unit.

I have various sets available, or a set of 4 editable templates so you can make your own unit after unit and year after year!

#2 PASITOS

Pasitos is one level up from Manos, because students are standing UP (and therefore more likely to chat with one another about the content, which I LOVE!) Instead of raising their hands to express their response, they take one step to the left or one step to the right. That’s it!

You’ll notice I have my Pasitos and Manos resources grouped together on TPT, because they truly are similar.

One additional (great) difference for Pasitos is that ALL of my sets for this activity are editable. I hope this helps you! (Without the graphics involved in Manos, I was able to do that more easily for each and every set!)

#3 HEXÁGONOS

Hexágonos is one of my NEWEST activity lines. I am SO excited about it – you can read my blog post on the topic here!

In this activity, students work together in pairs to organize vocabulary words or phrases into groups. They then have the opportunity to explain/defend their groupings to the class.

Benefits of this activity:

Can be done digitally or print/hands-on

Promotes collaboration and critical thinking

Your students will ABSOLUTELY surprise you!

#4 CITAS CORTAS

Citas Cortas is my go-to when it comes to a low pressure speaking activity. I have a tutorial blog available here.

The structure of this activity allows students to participate without feeling like they’re put on the spot or embarrassed to speak.

It’s great at the start of the year in all levels, to set the tone of a growth mindset! 🙂

#5 SONIDOS SECRETOS

Sonidos Secretos is one of the activities my students ask for MOST throughout the year. I have a tutorial blog post for this activity here.

Students always say this activity has hidden benefits; they expect to just be silly and have fun, but they always tell me they’re surprised with how much it helps them!

Students have to THINK in the target language, which makes this activity unique from any others I’ve developed!

I hope you find something new to try! Cheers to a new and wonderful school year, Profe!

The post 5 Engaging Activities for a Proficiency Focused Spanish Class appeared first on The Engaged Spanish Classroom.

My 3 Favorite Reflection Strategies for Spanish Class

Erin Coleman — Wed, 24 May 2023 16:12:04 +0000

Student Reflections + Surveys in Spanish Class

Start the year off right

I always start the year with my editable Back to School Survey. I find that this preps my students to reflect on their goals and learning strategies right from the start!

During those first few days of school, we usually do a LOT of talking. I used to give this survey as my first homework assignment of the year, but realized that I didn’t get them all back or answers seemed rushed. (I’ve also stopped giving homework completely but that’s a different story!)

Now, I strategically use this survey during the first week and give students 15-20 minutes in class to complete it. I try to pick my busiest day, or a day when I know I could use a few minutes to just breathe.

By giving my students time in class, I get meaningful answers AND I can take a break from speaking for part of the class that day! I like to use this time to walk around from group to group and practice my student’s names 🙂

This survey helps me get to know my students, and gives my students the opportunity to reflect on why they are in my class, what they hope to learn, and what they need from me!

My editable resource includes both Google Doc and Google Form (TM) options. You can choose to edit either one, and use whichever is best for your students! I typically use the electronic copy/ Google Form so that I can track my students’ responses from year to year.

Looking for more ways to get to know your students at the start of the year? Be sure to check out the blog posts below!

Promote reflection throughout the year

A few years ago I made the switched to a proficiency-focused gradebook and teaching approach.

My gradebook is broken down as follows:

Interpretive: 30%

Interpersonal: 30%

Presentational: 30%

Participation: 10%

The final category can be used for homework, study habits, or anything your school has determined as the norm. Since I don’t give homework, it’s strictly participation. And to cut right to the chase, MY STUDENTS GRADE THEMSELVES. Yes, they determine that final 10% of their grade. Yes, they are in complete control. And yes, I trust them and have not had any real issues.

If you want to read more about how and why I developed this exact system of student reflection, you can read more details here.

Over the past few years, this reflection has evolved to cover more than just participation. I now provide areas for students to consider their strengths in different areas of the language as well as their overall proficiency. This reflection tool has become a staple of my approach in my classroom.

Students fill out this rubric EIGHT times per year for me. That may seem like a lot, but participation (and reflection) is something that matters every day of the year. So we take time to reflect on it at each midterm and report card.

Students read the 5 categories of the rubric, and decide which category fits them best. Not perfectly, but best. At the top of each category, there is a grade range. Students must choose an exact number from within the category where they have placed themselves.

There are reflection questions (with options included for use each quarter on the teacher page) and there are proficiency-focused goal setting areas as well.

By putting this emphasis on self-reflection, students see how important their participation is to our class success. By making space to reflect, discuss, and examine, we set the tone that goal-setting and personal growth are integral parts of our class.

Ready to dive in?

Get the rubrics and reflections mentioned here, and MORE!

PROFICIENCY IN PRACTICE COURSE

End the year with time for reflection

It is important for all of us – students AND teachers – that our students are given the opportunity to reflect at the end of the year. This is a wonderful opportunity to collect feedback from our students.

I am very mindful in my wording of this survey so that students have a chance to reflect on their progress and goals while ALSO providing me with meaningful and actionable feedback I can use to enhance my teaching practice.

That mindfulness looks something like this in a few of the questions:

What is one thing you suggest your teacher change next year? (This wording allows your students to provide honest feedback without just being flat out mean or grumpy. It also motivates them to choose the single most important thing, in their eyes. This avoids “Let us chat more in English!” etc.)

What is something you hope your teacher keeps the SAME next year? (This allows you to see what your students truly enjoyed!)

“How many opportunities did you have to participate each day” followed by “How many times did you choose to participate” gives you insight into whether your students were feeling timid, or if you truly need to provide more wait time, opportunities, etc.

I have included plenty of questions for students to reflect on their own learning, while also providing you actionable feedback to move forward.

I really look forward to reading these survey responses during finals week. It’s a nice way to wrap up the year with my high school students 🙂

Again, this survey is provided in both doc and form formats. You can print and have your students complete it on paper, OR have them complete it as the included Google Form. Both formats are editable 🙂 so you can truly customize the survey for your students.

Thanks for reading!

I hope you’re leaving with some new resources and strategies to provide your students with opportunities for meaningful reflection. If you’re reading this at the end of the year, YOU MADE IT, PROFE! I hope you have a wonderful summer!

The post My 3 Favorite Reflection Strategies for Spanish Class appeared first on The Engaged Spanish Classroom.

How to Incorporate Hexagon Grouping in Spanish Class

Erin Coleman — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 02:26:31 +0000

My sister Patti teaches science, and called me recently to give me this idea of a flexible grouping activity. She was begging me to make this for Spanish students, because she tried it in her science classes and her students LOVED it! Her exact words were “Please trust me, please try this. The kids will LOVE IT.”

I dragged my feet a bit, but a few weeks after talking to her this idea was stuck in my head. I designed Hexágonos to practice Hexagon Grouping in Spanish class. Hexagons work well for this activity because they fit well together to create groups of any size.

(Shown in images throughout this post – Hexágonos – Mis Vacaciones.)

SETUP

(Keep reading for a detailed walkthrough – this is the setup before the activity, when you open the document and get going with your students!)

Open your PDF download of Hexágonos. Inside, you will find a teacher page, visual examples, and a student support page to project while students are working.

You will also find a list of 33 vocabulary words. These are the key to this activity.

If your students will be completing the activity by hand, print and cut out one set of 33 hexagons per group. Students don’t need ANYTHING other than the hexagons! (Well, a flat workspace is a good idea.)

If your students are working digitally, share the PDF with them and instruct them to click the link that says “click here to make your own editable copy.” Students only need one copy per pair or small group.

To complete digitally, students use the digital workspace included in their editable copy. There is space provided for them to create 4 Hexagon groups, and they can easily copy and paste additional pages as needed. To create their groups, students are able to simply CUT/COPY and PASTE the digital hexagons from the starting place to the group they organize.

Differentiation: if using the digital version, you can allow students to repeat hexagons! Simply copy and paste the same vocabulary word in various groups, if it applies 🙂 Don’t like this option? Use the print and play option, OR play digitally and tell your students that each hexagon can only be used once.

Grouping: This can be done in pairs or small groups. I recommend 2-3 students per group.

Timing: I recommend giving students 10 minutes to organize their groups. From there, you have a few options. You can have a class discussion where students explain their groupings: OR — before a class discussion, challenge your students to take 5 additional minutes to try to completely mix up their groups! Then, during class discussion, they can describe their original grouping plan and explain their adjustments during round 2.

HOW IT WORKS

Each hexagon has one vocabulary term or phrase written on it. Students look at the 33 hexagons in front of them (whether digital or on paper) and think creatively to organize the vocabulary into groups.

There are no right answers, and there are no wrong answers! All student groups may come up with different combinations! Your students will surprise you with their thinking process.

Motivate students to discuss with their partners and try to think of groups that allow for the use of the most hexagons possible out of the 33.

I suggest giving students 10 minutes to separate their hexagons into groups, using as many of the hexagons as they can. They may separate them into 2 groups, 3 groups, or more! As students gain more confidence with this activity, they will routinely challenge themselves to think of 3+ groups instead of just A/B groupings. With that being said, it’s not a bad thing if students just use two groups! That’s still GREAT 🙂

After the ten minutes, ask students to describe their groups to the class. In classes that are hesitant to speak, students are usually VERY excited to share their thought process in this activity! This is a great way to help bring your quieter classes out of their shells. On the other hand, it’s a great way to organize your rowdier classes and get them focused and engaged in a collaborative activity.

Another small challenge I mentioned above as a differentiation option: after your students have their groups set, and before the class has any discussion, challenge your students to speak about alternative groups they could have made.

I can’t wait to hear how it goes! See all of my available (AND EDITABLE) sets below!!!

EXAMPLE

Let’s say two students (or pairs of students) were given the same list of words below.

Can you see how they chose to group them differently? Can you see how there are no right/wrong answers?

Can you think of other possible groupings? I’m sure you can!!!

This is a wonderful opportunity to motivate students to think critically!

AVAILABLE ACTIVITY SETS

Check out the first sets that are ready for you! Keep in mind, each set is EDITABLE so you can adjust to meet your class needs 🙂

Looking for free resources to try?

Thanks for reading!

I hope you found something new to try! Be sure to join my newsletter by signing up above – and as always, REPLY to any of my emails to let me know how you’re doing or to request a specific resource! Happy to help support you and your students! Reach me on Instagram @theengagedspanishclassroom, or email me erin@theengagedspanishclassroom.com

The post How to Incorporate Hexagon Grouping in Spanish Class appeared first on The Engaged Spanish Classroom.

Wordle for Spanish Class: Word Puzzle fun for any level!

Erin Coleman — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 00:37:20 +0000

How does it work?

Wordle is a daily digital word puzzle game that took the world by storm a little over a year ago, and is now hosted by the New York Times.

Here’s how it works: The NYT chooses a 5 letter word each day, and you have 6 guesses to discover the correct word. You do this by making guesses of COMPLETE words; not letter by letter, like some other word guessing games.

If you guess a word that has a correct letter in the correct place, that letter will appear as GREEN in your guess.

If you have a correct letter in an incorrect space, it will appear as YELLOW.

You then make your next guess, again of a complete word, using the knowledge you’ve gleaned and the letters you have remaining.

Letters you’ve already guessed appear as grayed out on your keyboard.

You have a total of 6 chances to get the correct word.

How can I play Wordle with my Spanish Class?

There are ways to play this game virtually in your language classes (even setting your own words!) below, and I really enjoyed using these digital options.

If you’d like to play the daily SPANISH Wordle, share this link with your students!

Just like the English version, there is a new word every day and you have 6 guesses to get it right. Only actual Spanish words are accepted as guesses.

Alternatively, if you’d like to design your OWN digital Wordle to use with your students (in any length, not just 5 letters) try this platform! You can even set the language at the top of your screen if you’re making one in Spanish or another language other than English. Setting the language is important as the platform only accepts guesses that are real words in the designated language.

Play Spanish Wordle In Person, too!

While my students and I had fun with the various digital options, my students were much more engaged with an in person version I decided to try with them.

To set up, I drew 6 rows of 5 boxes on the board. You could absolutely create puzzles with 4 or 6 boxes, however many letters you’d like!

I called my students to discuss aloud as a class, and make official guesses together with me running the game at the front. If you have a rambunctious class, you can designate one person to submit the official guesses for the class, but my students typically did a great job communicating and working together as a team on this!

I would use my differently colored whiteboard markers to provide hints about correct letters and placement.

In this example, I used the color green to show my students they had a correct letter and correct placement.

I used pink to tell them they had a correct letter, but incorrect placement.

They solved this puzzle in five guesses! The correct word was PERRO. My students were always so proud when they solved the puzzle!

This worked really well at the very start or very end of class for me. It also worked as a brain break or as a “reset” in between activities during the day. Often, students would ask for it when they realized we were transitioning between activities for the day. Students also often offered to be the one running the game! “Profe, can I do a quick Wordle for the class?”

During one of my final observations last year, a student did just that! He raised his hand as I was prepping for our next activity which was going to take place in small groups, so I had some instructions to pass out before setting up. He offered to run a Wordle, and the entire class participated with him while I made my way around setting up. My department head, who was observing me, loved it! She was so proud of him, and so I was I 🙂

I love this because it makes our students THINK and REFLECT on the Spanish words they already know! I loved changing the puzzles to be 4 letter words one day, and six letters the next. This really challenged my students.

I noticed engagement in ALL levels of Spanish that I taught, from Spanish 1 CP to Spanish 3 Honors! Don’t rule out your Spanish 1 students 🙂 They’ve got this!! Keep reading for WORD IDEAS by level!

Spanish Wordle Ideas by Level

Here are a few ideas for 5 letter puzzles for various levels of Spanish learners. I’m sure you can think of a zillion more, but wanted to give you a few suggestions to get started!

Remember, it doesn’t always have to be 5 letters! You make the rules, Profe. Just make sure you set up your whiteboard boxes accordingly if you choose to do a 4 or 6 letter word, etc.

Spanish 1:

COLOR

FELIZ

ANTES

LIBRO

CLASE

LAPIZ

RUBIO

AMIGO

MADRE

VERDE

Spanish 2:

GATOS

GORRA

LECHE

AGUAS

PERRO

PRIMO

LINDO

CARRO

NUBES

NOCHE

Spanish 3:

CELOS

RATON

LUCES

BRAZO

NARIZ

LLENO

CASCO

PRISA

HABIA

VECES

Want to hear more from me?

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Have fun, Profe! I hope you’re leaving with some new ideas to try! Thanks for reading 🙂

The post Wordle for Spanish Class: Word Puzzle fun for any level! appeared first on The Engaged Spanish Classroom.

4 Back to School Ideas to Engage and Get to Know Your Students

Erin Coleman — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 15:00:24 +0000

4 Back to School Resources for Spanish Class

These resources will help you get to know your students starting on day 1! My goal for the first days of school is always to involve my students as much as possible, rather than just speaking AT them about routines and procedures.

I of course cover routines and procedures… but not on the first day. On the first day, we have fun playing one of my back to school versions of Taco Tuesday, learn about culture using Calle 13’s Latinoamérica, and then a mix of the activities below!

The activities below help me get to know my students starting on the very first day. On the SECOND day of class, maybe I’ll start to review some routines, but I do that piece by piece over the first week.

Relationships come first. You matter, and your students matter. Everything else can wait.

When you’re done here:

Looking for more digital friendly ideas to start the year?

and even more ideas for the first week of school!

#1 Pasitos: Mis Fortalezas en Clase >> Interpretive ACtivity

This new interpretive activity is perfect for the first day of class in Spanish 2 and up. (Since it is completely editable, it could be adjusted to English for Spanish 1!)

It will give your students the opportunity for COMPREHENSIBLE and ACCESSIBLE input from the very first day, with low-pressure output from them which makes participation easy for all!

After reading the prompt on the screen, students take one step to the left or right to show their answer. Students who are willing can then participate aloud, if they’re ready!

This is a great way for you to get to know your different class blocks, AND to get them excited about the topics you may cover this year! It is also a great opportunity for students to reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement in Spanish class. It’s so important to have this growth mindset right from day 1. I know you and your students will love it, and again, it’s completely editable!

#2 Mano o Manos: Introducing Ourselves >> Interpretive Activity

This is another low-pressure activity that offers ALL students the opportunity and support to participate. Students again read the prompt on the screen, but instead of moving to the left or right, students are able to stay seated and raise one hand or both hands to represent their answer.

I often prompt students to hold up a fist if they have a comment to contribute (for example if they don’t agree with either answer, or if they’d like to add a third option!)

Meant for the first few days of school, great for Spanish 2 and up

Perfect for the start of the year in Spanish 3 and up, as preterite tense is used

YES, this is meant for the very start of the year in Spanish 1! Focus on COGNATES and common words 🙂

I love these activities because on the first days of school, students don’t know one another quite yet and are often a bit timid. These activities offer a lot of input and help build their CONFIDENCE in the language, so they know they will always be supported to participate without judgement in our class. If you’re interested in editable versions of this activity, you can see those here.

#3 Todo Sobre Mí >> EASILY ADAPTED AS A Start of Year Project

If your school embraces project based learning, this project is a great way to start the year in Spanish 2 or Spanish 3. Since the project is completely editable, you can adjust the requirements to cover what your students have learned in past years!

It is set up as a project for the end of the year in Spanish 1, but each year I tweak a few small things and use it with my upper level classes to get started and to get to know them 🙂

I love using this as a way to get my students involved and engaged with the language from the very first days of school. It also helps me gauge where each student is in regards to curriculum and communication expectations.

#4 Student Survey and Goal Setting

These last two activities are a MUST for me during the first week of school. They are both completely editable and can be adjusted to meet the needs of your unique classes.

I give this survey every year to get to know my students from the start. During a normal school year, I give this in between activities within the first few days to give students some quiet time during the overwhelming first week. I always give them time during class to complete this (and honestly I offer plenty of time, around 20 minutes) because I want them to know that I take their answers seriously. I value what they share with me during this first encounter. I used to give this as their first homework assignment, but I didn’t get detailed or thoughtful answers.

During a typical year, my students complete these self reflections 8 (!) times throughout the year.

At the very start of the year, it is a great way to set a baseline and expectation for students to consider their proficiency within the language as they grow throughout the year.

I also think it is a great reminder that there is no “end” goal – but that we are all learning and progressing in the language at different rates and in different ways!

Before you go…

Looking for more digital friendly ideas to start the year?

and even more ideas for the first week of school!

Have a GREAT start to the year, Profe!

The post 4 Back to School Ideas to Engage and Get to Know Your Students appeared first on The Engaged Spanish Classroom.

4 Templates to Support Proficiency Based Assessments in Spanish Class

Erin Coleman — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 18:56:11 +0000

Proficiency Based Grading in Spanish Class

Over the past few years I have worked really hard to shift my mindset from traditional teaching and assessing to a more proficiency based approach. I even offered a PD session this past summer through the World Language Teacher Summit on the topic – and this reinvigorated me to dive even deeper this year!

I truly feel that my lesson planning and teaching practices have improved greatly with this shift in approach to teaching the Spanish language. This year, it was time for me to focus on my assessments specifically. No more 4 page quizzes with verb conjugations, charts, and disjointed sections trying to hit all of the things.

Instead, I have broken down my assessments to match my grading categories. My grades are 30% interpretive, 30% interpersonal, and 30% presentational. The final 10% is self-graded by my students. You can see more about this approach in this blog post.

So, what do assessments look like now? Read on to see some examples, and my first editable set available on TPT!

You can see my first ready-to-go pack of proficiency based assessments right here!

This pack is focused on La Vida Escolar for a Spanish 1 class.

I have had a few teachers tell me they grabbed this resource even though they don’t teach Spanish 1- they plan to use the resource as a template for their own classes (and one department chair for her whole department,) thank you for sharing that excitement with me! I’m glad you’re finding lots of ways to use my resources, even if we teach different content! 🙂

Read below about each assessment and what I have included!

How are these assessments designed?

There are four pieces to this assessment, evaluating the three modes of communication.

Assessment #1 Interpretive Reading

Assessment #2 Interpersonal Writing (can be easily adjusted to be used for speaking instead)

Assessment #3 Interpretive Listening

Assessment #4 Presentational Writing

INTERPRETIVE READING AND LISTENING

There are two assessments for the interpretive mode included in this resource. The first is a reading passage followed by true/false questions and short response questions in English. Then, to get creative, there is a short drawing section. You can keep the drawing section simple (like I have) or you can challenge your students to draw a scene from the reading.

The interpretive listening assessment provides a script for the teacher followed by ten true/false questions in English. I personally record myself first, but it’s up to you! I have included a recording of myself if you’d like to use it with your students!

INTERPERSONAL WRITING

This is a new style of assessment I started giving this year. Students are directed to choose 5 out of 8 interpersonal questions.

This IS interpersonal because students are required to interpret the Spanish questions, then provide their answers (also in the target language.) If there is interpretation happening on both sides → it’s interpersonal!

Again, since everything is editable, you can make any adjustments you’d like! This can be completed ALOUD as well, for interpersonal speaking.

PRESENTATIONAL WRITING

This writing prompt offers student supports / helpful phrases to help them write as much as possible.

I didn’t used to give a lot of support during writing assignments, and expected my students to remember everything perfectly. This year, I’ve start offering support pages or just support phrases like I did here. What I’ve seen is a LARGE INCREASE in their output!

There is a simple grading rubric provided at the end as well, but you can always use your school’s performance rubric if you prefer. Just edit the document and make any change you’d like!

And the best part? It’s all EDITABLE!

Make any adjustments you need, and use it from unit to unit. I’ve already heard from one teacher (thank you!) that purchased my first set even though she doesn’t teach the school unit. She wanted to use my setup moving forward, and grabbed this as an example to get her started.

I will work on other units in the future, but wanted to share this layout and setup so that you know what to expect if you see any other proficiency assessment packs from me. Since having baby #2, I’ve been focusing on my own family and my own students, but hope to work on lots of resources to share with you this summer.

Before you go…

I want to support you making the leap to proficiency based planning and assessing!

I designed this editable checklist/assessment tracker to help you keep track of your planning and to help you assess the various modes equitably. This tracker will help you visually track your planning and your students’ progress in the interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes. Watch the walkthrough video below to take a closer look!

Want more proficiency based resources from me, including free resources in your inbox? Sign up below!

The post 4 Templates to Support Proficiency Based Assessments in Spanish Class appeared first on The Engaged Spanish Classroom.

Spanish Teacher Appreciation Week Giveaway

Erin Coleman — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 17:12:42 +0000

We are thrilled to celebrate Spanish Teachers!

It’s almost TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK 2022! 🥰

(lunes 2 mayo – viernes 6 mayo)

We know how hard you are working today and every day and we want to give back to our community in celebration of YOU and everything you do to help students learn world languages!

We have several gift cards to giveaway to help you choose just the right lessons for your classes from TeachersPayTeachers!

😄 $5 TpT gift card

😄 $10 TpT gift card

😁 $25 TpT gift card

🍀🍀 There are LOTS of ways to enter below!

⭐⭐ Some entries you can claim once a day, so be sure to come back again tomorrow to claim more entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway rules:

Giveaway runs from Sunday, April 24th to to midnight on Sunday, May 1st, 2022.

Open to World Language Teachers worldwide, must be at least 18.

Winners will be chosen on Monday, May 2nd, 2022 and contacted by email.

Giveaway not sponsored by nor endorsed by Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or TpT.

We 💜 saving money with BUNDLES of resources! Here are 2 of our FAVORITE bundles!

We wish you ¡BUENA SUERTE! in the giveaway! Thank you so much for stopping by!

The post Spanish Teacher Appreciation Week Giveaway appeared first on The Engaged Spanish Classroom.

Purposeful Spanish Teaching: Resources and Free Downloads for the Future and Conditional Tenses

Erin Coleman — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 20:20:48 +0000

The future and conditional tense units are some of my favorites in Spanish 3! At this point, my students have been exposed to a *lot* of the present, preterite, and imperfect tenses. They’ve learned how to talk about their past and their childhood. After the preterite, the imperfect tense usually seems a bit easier to use, and now enter: the future and the conditional. I LOVE these tenses, and my students do too!

We love setting goals for the future, and we love class discussions of ¿Qué preferirías? ¿Preferirías vivir en una isla sin personas, o sin technología? ¿Por qué? (The questions embedded in this activity are super fun year after year!)

I give two projects during these units, and my students always rock them both. After getting through the heavier parts of our curriculum, these units are fun, laid back, and engaging!

In this post you’ll find my favorite resources that I use year after year. You’ll also get access to various free resources to try! Happy planning!

Goals for EVERY SPANISH CLASS level

In Spanish 3 it is easy to forget that we still need to build our students’ confidence. I do my best to show that making mistakes is not only OK but actually a sign of strength and progress. In my teaching of all levels I do my best to provide lessons, activities, and assessments that offer the following:

various opportunities for input
movement and/or hands-on options
consistent opportunities for student choice
a balance of independent work and group work / collaboration
structured and supported opportunities for low-pressure output
engaging games / fun 🙂 that are still language-focused
clear expectations
varied and purposeful assessment styles
assessment options that offer student choice when possible

My favorite resources for the future and conditional tenses in Spanish class

Read further to see how I introduce, practice, and assess (and to snag some free reading materials), but I wanted to share my two favorite activities in case you need a quick pick-me-up for your classes! The activities below are my two most reliable activities over the past few years.

Sonidos Secretos is super fun, and hearing students make guesses in Spanish is INVIGORATING for my teacher soul. My students beg for this one almost as much as they ask for La Silla Caliente!

As for Panal de Preguntas, this year I decided to use it as a whole-class discussion instead of the digital partner game we usually play. I had students volunteer to choose a number; that student read the question aloud, and the entire class responded to the ¿Qué preferirías? question by holding up one finger or two (to represent the first or second option, accordingly.) We completed this as a warm-up all week, answering a few questions each day! I kept track of which questions we had answered by using the digital game pieces on the first page. Typically, it can be used as a partner game where students type directly into the editable document. Have fun!!

Each activity above is available in both the future and conditional tenses. I also have editable templates of both of these activities in case you’d like to design your own and use them with your classes again and again. Now, onto my full units!

Introducing the unit

I try to start each unit with various styles of INPUT that prove to students that A ) they understand more than they think and B ) they CAN learn new things! I love hearing, “Wow, I actually understand this!”

You *don’t* need to start new units the way our teachers used to, with notes, lecturing, and explaining from the start. You CAN give students the power to explore the language and make discoveries on their own.

One way I like to do this is with simple readings like this free download for the future tense. The reading is simple enough that students can work independently or in small groups to discover patterns and build confidence in their abilities. We then use their discoveries to guide our “notes” for the unit, when we come back to review as a whole class. An alternative activity that follows this same style, but is far more comprehensive, is my editable digital Semillas grammar notebooks.

I also love using puzzles and other hands-on activities right from the start of any unit.

This type of activity shows students that they can understand and explore the language based on their prior knowledge!

They know more than they think they do 🙂

For a more traditional approach, I use these future tense guided notes and practice pages.

I often offer these as extra practice for my students that enjoy traditional note-taking. They’re great for review after we have explored the tense in a more natural way.

Leerrores is an activity that offers a LOT of input and helps build student confidence even at the start of a unit! Students work together to find errors, and it really makes them feel like language experts!

For most activities you see above, I have an equivalent for the conditional tense. If you liked the free intro reading for the future tense, you’ll love this free download for the conditional as well! Have fun!

Supported practice For the future and conditional tenses

After introducing these tenses, (we utilize them separately but they fall close to one another in our curriculum) I always aim to offer various styles of supported practice for my students to work on their own or in small groups.

I use groups as much as possible; my students sit in groups of 4-5, so we are naturally in groups every day. The practice at this stage is still very input-centered, or is very structured and supported output. My goal is still to build confidence and allow my students to explore the language.

These are three examples that are very low-pressure for students, and offer various supports and differentiation opportunities.

Last year one of my goals was to offer more input for my students, both written and oral. These reading and review activities offer plenty of written input for my students, and help my students build confidence in their interpretive skills. Again, the reaction is usually “I actually understood that!!!”

We usually follow this activity up with these task cards for the future and conditional tenses.

¿Mano o Manos? is an activity that offers a LOT of input in a very low pressure setting!

My students love these activities because they can participate without feeling like all eyes are on them 🙂 It’s a great way to build confidence in a new unit!

The same goes for building student confidence with word races– I love using small white boards for these, so I can see how students are doing individually. I am able to reflect – How much review do we need? Does the class seem fairly balanced in their confidence? etc.

I also have a version available for the conditional tense.

review opportunities

This section is filled with my favorite things. My goals during review are to make sure my students are having fun, to get them interacting with the language in a way that is low-pressure and communication-focused, and to make sure every activity is valuable and engaging.

Taco Tuesday is a favorite every year. Best played in pairs or groups of 3 – you can read the tutorial here for in person play and here for digital play. Grab a free version to try here!

La Silla Caliente is my most competitive game – students love it! A new editable format as well as a digital score tracker designed by me make gameplay even easier on the teacher. Read the tutorial here and grab a free version for the present tense here!

Gallery Walks are great for motivating your students to communicate and construct output in the TL, while still providing a low pressure and supportive setting. You can read more about how I use them here!

These reading packets are my favorite way to move from input to structured output. They are also a great way to balance group work with independent work. We often move through the sections, switching up our work settings throughout.

Speaking fun FOR THE FUTURE AND CONDITIONAL IN SPANISH CLASS

Over the years, I have had no trouble offering a variety of opportunities for my students to practice their reading, writing, and listening skills. I am always confident my students get enough practice and exposure in these areas. Where I always double check myself to make sure I am offering enough? SPEAKING. So I found myself trying to develop various speaking activities with differing approaches and goals.

These are a few go-to speaking activities for this unit that always keep my students engaged and communicating in the target language. If you’d like to read more about my go-to speaking activities, check out this post before you leave!

Tiburones is a great way to get students speaking in small groups. Easy to differentiate, and play for any amount of time! 🙂

Sonidos Secretos is one of the most fun activities I have – and the fact that it’s for SPEAKING blows my mind! The room is always filled with giggles during this one – learn more from my tutorial here.

I like to offer Llama Mía as a stations activity or as a student-choice option during review. It’s another great low-pressure and adaptable option to promote speaking in the target language.

Café Charla is the perfect speaking option for fast finishers, or for the last 5 minutes of class if you need to conference with a few students but want to make sure your other students are on task.

One last speaking activity I always incorporate is Citas Cortas. My students *always* write on their reflections and goal setting pages that while they get nervous before this activity, they find it the most beneficial!

Assessment options

I recently adjusted my syllabus and grading practices to be more proficiency-focused, and I am never looking back! Instead of having grades that seem meaningless in language learning (40% quizzes, 40% tests, 10% homework and 10% participation,) my department has supported a move toward a more proficiency based approach. My students’ grades are now broken down as follows: 30% interpretive, 30% interpersonal, 30% presentational, and 10% study habits. (I personally stopped giving homework last year, and I don’t grade very much classwork, so the 10% study habits is heavily based on my students’ own reflections on their participation. You can read more about that approach here, at the bottom of the post.)

When I was a new teacher, I would give 4 page quizzes that included listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Honestly, I gave quizzes like this until very recently. After changing my approach to grading, I have worked to break it down for my students and allow them to practice one skill at a time.

With this new approach, I am forced to be more mindful about the why behind each of my assessments. I also have to work to be more balanced – it has made me offer more interpretive assessments, which my students of course LOVE. In general, I have moved away from the more traditional quizzes, and focus more on the styles below.

This is one of the projects my students love most! They get to use an app with an aging filter to “age” themselves, and describe their future lives. They dream about what their family, home, and overall life will look like! Students always impress me with this one!

In this project, students choose 4 “What if” situations, and present detailed opinions (5+ phrases) on each using the conditional tense. For example,: Si yo fuera un animal, yo sería un perro. Yo correría con mis amigos, y dormiría mucho 🙂

If you’d like to see a wider variety of my resources for these tenses all in one place, look no further! This bundle has notes, practice, games, assessments, projects, and writing prompts!

All of my projects are editable, and rubrics and drafting space are included for students. These can be completed digitally or on paper!

Again, these approaches are not meant to be used as a one-style-covers-all. They are appropriate with a balance of assessment styles, and some will work better with your teaching style than others! I encourage you to continue to think outside the box when it comes to “assessment,” and offer a variety of options for your students. They may surprise you with their strengths!

Thank you for reading!

I hope you are leaving with a few new ideas to try! Maybe you also found some inspiration to evaluate WHY you choose the activities you do, and how they (along with your grading and assessments) are purposeful!

If you have any questions or would like to see a post for a specific unit, please feel free to email me at erin@theengagedspanishclassroom.com! I’d love to hear from you.

The post Purposeful Spanish Teaching: Resources and Free Downloads for the Future and Conditional Tenses appeared first on The Engaged Spanish Classroom.

4 Simple Ways to Discuss and Express Gratitude in Spanish Class

Erin Coleman — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 21:01:44 +0000

Gratitude and Thanksgiving in Spanish class

Gratitude is a popular topic in November and December, but it’s applicable and important all year long! The following activities can be used with your students at any point in the year, during a unit on giving thanks OR simply as a morale boost for any level of Spanish class.

1. Culture + Gratitude

First, you could absolutely tweak this cultural lesson if you didn’t use it to start the year with your students (or even if you did!)

While this lesson isn’t designed to be specifically about gratitude, the discussions we have about this song often turn to the values we hear about most in the United States. Conversations pop up around placing value on money, a “desirable” career, and fame, rather than family, relationships, health, peace, etc. I always love hearing what my students share, and getting their insight. They always impress me.

This is completely editable so you can adjust the discussion questions as needed for your unit.

2. Get your students writing in Spanish

These Spanish class writing prompts double as classroom decor! I use them every year at this time and love to decorate our windows and doorway with my students’ creations.

They are purposefully very open ended so you can be flexible with scaffolding and supports for your students!

There are 8 writing prompts included. Each one is provided in color as well as in black and white so students can color the banners themselves!

3. Show gratitude with your students, or for them!

I love using these sweet notes for my students! You can give out a few at the door, or drop them subtly at a student desk if you notice someone is having a rough day. Just watch the difference it makes in someone’s day 🙂

Alternatively, you can print them and offer them at the front of the room if students would like to show gratitude to one another, or to someone else in their life! Teachers in my school often motivate students to write thank-you notes to former teachers at this point in the year. When I get a few in my mailbox, it REALLY lifts me up! They can even write in the target language if they are writing to a former Spanish teacher.

There are 10 small cards included. Each one is provided in color as well as in black and white so students can color the cards themselves!

4. Use Spanish Digital Stickers to make your students smile!

Show your students that you appreciate their efforts with these cute fall Spanish digital stickers!

My students often complete work in Google Slides, and it is super easy to drag and drop these sweet stickers onto their projects and other work! Sometimes, I also simply email a sticker to a student to let them know I appreciate them 🙂

There are 12 beautiful images included, as well as a tutorial video to help you store the stickers in Google Keep for easy access.

If you’d like more ideas for digital stickers, be sure to read this blog post on using digital stickers in Spanish class!

Looking for free resources?

I hope this post leaves you with new ideas and resources for your unit on gratitude, whether it be in November or any time your classes need a little boost!

Have fun and I hope you have a safe and healthy holiday season with your family, whether it be family by blood or chosen family!

The post 4 Simple Ways to Discuss and Express Gratitude in Spanish Class appeared first on The Engaged Spanish Classroom.

Professional Development Opportunities and Resources for World Language Teachers

Erin Coleman — Sun, 17 Oct 2021 18:37:03 +0000

Upcoming PD for World Language Teachers: World Language Teacher Summit 2021

I am so excited to present at the 2021 World Language Teacher Summit! This is an exciting virtual conference that will be coming to you for FREE from October 18th-22nd!

You will have access this week to 32 sessions from 35 World Language experts – how could it get better than that!?

I am grateful to have recorded my session on Purposeful Grading prior to the conference, as I am currently home with my three week old son 🙂 and I can’t wait to relax and soak in all of the great info from the sessions this week!

I know you will love what we have in store for you during this FREE professional development!

WLTS 2021: Sessions I am most excited about

My session on Purposeful Grading, which dives into my transition from a traditional grading style to a more proficiency based grading approach, will be available for FREE for 48 hours – October 21st and October 22nd!

If you liked this blog post, you won’t want to miss my session!

I am also VERY excited about these sessions, all by world language teachers that I admire!

Using Stories to Aid Language Acquisition by Carolina Gómez and Valentina Correa – Oct 18+19
Mix It Up With Music by Allison Wienhold – Oct 20 + 21
Teaching CI With a Textbook by Ashley Mikkelsen – Oct. 21 + 22
Valuing Every Student’s Participation by Diego Ojeda – Oct. 22 + 23

These are the MUST-sees for me, but there are so many more that I want to catch as well! Sign up for these free sessions today!

Resources:

Do you want access to the resources for my presentation TODAY?

Download your free playbook for the 2021 WLTS here, or get my presentation and resources in your inbox and from my member library by joining my newsletter below.

NOTE:

The WLTS links provided in this blog post are my affiliate links. If you later choose to make a purchase associated with this free conference, I will receive a portion of your purchase. I truly appreciate your support!

Have fun, Profe!

I hope you love these sessions – get in touch with me to tell me about your favorites!! You can find me on Instagram or Facebook @theengagedspanishclassroom, and on Twitter @engagedspanish !

The post Professional Development Opportunities and Resources for World Language Teachers appeared first on The Engaged Spanish Classroom.

15+ Resources to Support Proficiency Based Grading in Spanish Class

Erin Coleman — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 20:38:24 +0000

Two years ago, a few of my colleagues made the leap from traditional grading to a more proficiency-focused path in our Spanish and other world language classes. It was intimidating to make the change (and I know not all teachers have control over their grading policies) but it was an update that was WELL worth our efforts.

After reading this post you’ll know exactly how we break down our new grading categories, and the many ways this change benefits our students. You’ll also see how this new approach has led to more purposeful and effective planning for my own classes. You will leave with many new ideas and a variety of free resources to try with your students.

Ready to dive deeper?

Be sure to enroll in my Proficiency in Practice course for access to resources, assessments, rubrics, demo videos, infographics, and more!

ENROLL NOW

Traditional Grading In Spanish Classes

Example of a traditional grading breakdown for Spanish class:

40% Quizzes
40% Tests
10% Homework
10% Participation/Classwork

This is the type of grade breakdown I followed for my first seven years of teaching. I was hesitant to change because I thought, “This is how it has always been done!”

As I watched my colleagues make the change to more proficiency based grading, I began to notice the glaring drawbacks of the traditional breakdown I was using.

Drawbacks:

Feedback: My grades did not provide valuable feedback to my students. “You have a low quiz average.” What does this mean? What valuable guidance does this provide?
Planning: My class grades were not supportive of a reflective planning practice. “Wow, a class average of 70% on that quiz.” A quiz that likely had 3 pages assessing varying skills. So, what did we need to review? How did this help me be a reflective teacher?
Assessment: I noticed that I was assessing arbitrary skills on quizzes and tests. I had conjugation sections, fill-ins… typical grammar-focused assessments that don’t focus on communicative skills.
Meaning: Did my student’s grades accurately reflect their skills? I realized that many of my graded assessments were focused on output, which was not appropriate especially for my novice learners.

As hesitant as I was to make a change (especially as I was pregnant with my first son and I knew I would be out on maternity leave for a portion of the year) I knew it was the right thing to do. And I am SO GRATEFUL that my colleagues motivated me to do so. My students were happy, too!

Purposeful Grading in Spanish Classes: A Proficiency Based Approach

I followed the lead of my colleagues and implemented a more proficiency focused grading breakdown. To be honest, I changed my syllabus just a few days before school started. I wanted to commit to the change and now allow myself the chance to back out! (Want to see exactly what it looks like? You can grab an editable copy of my Spanish class syllabus!)

The new grade breakdown focuses on the modes of communication:

30% Interpretive
30% Interpersonal
30% Presentational
10% Study Habits

Right away, I noticed that the drawbacks of my previous grading practice had been turned into benefits that would support not only my students, but myself and my teaching practice.

Benefits:

Feedback: I can now say to a student, “You’re doing amazing with your interpretive skills, now let’s add some extra interpersonal practice!” This is directly connected to their language skills vs. the vague “You did well on that quiz.”
Planning: It is very easy for me to see the areas each class needs to work on! Low interpersonal grades? Let’s add in some Citas Cortas conversational activities this week.
Assessment: My assessments actually have a FOCUS and MEANING. Instead of conjugation quizzes, my assessments consist of more real-world communicative examples.
Meaning: When my students look at their grade, they can immediately invoke the meaning and value in their skills. Instead of arbitrary categories, they know the exact value and reason behind their grades and can more accurately monitor their own progress. These rubrics developed by my colleagues, the entire MHS world language department (adapted over years from various supports such as ACTFL) have truly helped guide us in this process. Please see the special notes at the bottom of this post for more info about these!

Now that you have seen the new grading breakdown and heard a little bit about the immediate benefits, I want to offer you some extra support, FREE RESOURCES, and ideas for each mode!

The Breakdown

So, now that we have our grading scale. What do we do with it? How do we plan to practice and assess each of the four categories?

1. Interpretive Mode: 30%

FOCUS:

Comprehension and appropriate cultural interpretation of written and spoken communication*

EXAMPLES:

Interpretation of texts, audio advertisements, infographics, music, movies, and more

RESOURCES/ACTIVITIES TO TRY:

Taco Tuesday — tutorial + free resource for Present Tense AR Spanish Verbs
Leerrores — All digital and editable! Available interpretive reading resources
Sonidos Secretos — tutorial + free sample for Present Tense AR Spanish Verbs
Reading Passages — free resource for the present tense, free resource for the conditional tense, free resource for the future tense + more ideas from me
Conversation Strips — available resources
Interpretive Assessment Examples — check these out to see how I format my assessments!
Listening/Reading Template (for practice or assessment) — Keep reading to get access to this set of editable templates and more additional free proficiency based resources from me!

Taco Tuesday is one of my favorite resources to use with my students to practice the interpretive mode of communication: I love how adaptable it is for any unit, and that it is ready for in person and digital game play! You can see all of my Taco Tuesday games as well as editable templates with five game board sizes!

Sonidos Secretos brings SO MUCH FUN into my class each time we play! And my students don’t even realize how much practice they’re actually getting with the target language! I have editable templates available for this activity as well.

Leerrores is a great confidence builder that offers a LOT of comprehensible input, as well as extention activities for students. Every set is digital and editable, with student and teacher copies included.

Conversation strips are a great way to practice interpretive skills even during a quick warm-up.

2. Interpersonal Mode: 30%

FOCUS:

Active negotiation of meaning, often including adjustments or clarification*

EXAMPLES:

Non-scripted conversations, open-ended class discussions

RESOURCES/ACTIVITIES TO TRY:

Citas Cortas speaking activity — tutorial + free resource for Spanish Introductions
Text Conversation template, and
Chispas speaking activity — Get access to these additional free proficiency based resources from me!

Want your own editable copies of these interpretive and interpersonal resources?

3. Presentational Mode: 30%

FOCUS:

Creation of message that stimulates interpretation without opportunity for negotiation of meaning*

EXAMPLES:

Written reports and presentations, rehearsed spoken presentations

RESOURCES/ACTIVITIES TO TRY:

Presentational Projects for Spanish Class
Structured Speaking Activities — Free Cacto Conversación for Spanish AR Verbs, Free Llama Mía Game for Preterite of Spanish AR Verbs
Open-Ended Writing — Free restaurant writing prompt
The Chispas speaking activity above can absolutely be adapted to work as a presentational speaking assessment, if students are able to prep their speeches/contributions ahead of time!

These Spanish class projects are my go-to assessments each year for the various levels of high school Spanish that I teach.

I have made sure that each resources is completely editable as well as digital-friendly, so that you can truly adjust to meet your unique class needs.

I hope you find some inspiration for your next presentational assessment!

I also have Spanish project templates available if you’d like to design your own, with all of the elements that I like to include (student drafting space, teacher example, student checklist, etc.)

4. Study Habits: 10%

This final category is where many teachers include homework, classwork, and participation. I honestly stopped giving homework last year and I don’t plan to begin again. I also do not grade much classwork; it is very rare that something would fall into this category rather than one of the 30% categories related to the communicative modes.

So for my students, this final 10% is based on their participation in class.

You may already know that my students assess themselves on their Spanish class participation. I was tired of trying to find an objective way to grade participation without feeling like the “good kids” always got the better grades automatically.

This (completely editable) student self assessment participation reflection / rubric has been my solution for the past 5 years or so, and I’ve never looked back!

Yes, this means that 10% of my students’ grades are in their hands. I have the final say in the grade, but I have found that my interference is very rarely needed.

We complete this reflection at the halfway point and end point of each quarter, which means we complete it 8x per year.

My students get used to this routine quickly, and I especially love that their reflections help me to consider adjustments to my own teaching practice. This is their opportunity to let me know what is working for them, and what isn’t!

I tell my students that if I agree with their self-given score within 5 points, I award them their grade. If I disagree with their score, we meet one on one to discuss our misunderstanding. I have only ever had to meet with TWO students about this.

Many students are harder on themselves than I would be! When this happens, we talk about self-advocacy and asking for what they deserve. “You gave yourself an 80, but I honestly would have given you closer to a 90. Next time, please consider giving yourself more credit for your hard work!”

I have had a lot of success with this practice, and I hope it inspires you to approach participation grades in a new way!

Why make the change to Proficiency Based Grading in Spanish Class?

PLANNING: My planning is more clear and purposeful
BUY-IN: There’s no more “why are we doin’g this activity?” from students! They KNOW why, because they are aware of the exact skills we are working on!
GROWTH: Students can observe their growth more clearly; and so can I!
AUTONOMY: Since there are no questions about students’ areas of strength and weakness, they are more able to take their learning and review into their own hands.
LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: I have noticed that increased buy-in from my students and better planning by ME has led to more engaged classes, and more long term benefits!

Special noteS

The focus of each mode that I describe above is interpreted from wording in ACTFL’s communication packet. I found this packet very helpful during my transition to a proficiency based approach!

When it comes to grading, my department worked year after year to develop a set of rubrics for our World Language classes to help guide us and our students throughout each year of their language learning. A few summers ago, I was asked to help format and streamline the scale on these rubrics for my department. I settled on a rubric for start of year, mid year, and end of year for each level, with a scale that adjusts as the year progresses. I received permission from my DH to share them with you, in case you’re wondering how we started! These rubrics are not my own, but from my wonderful department after years of collaboration and hard work.

Thank you for reading!

I hope you are leaving with new resources and ideas to support you in your proficiency-focused classroom this year. My planning is much more purposeful since leaving traditional grading categories behind, and I motivate you to take the leap! It’s worth it!

If you’re ready to diver deeper into ASSESSING for proficiency, be sure to check out this post before you go!

Do you have any ideas to share? Please comment below!

The post 15+ Resources to Support Proficiency Based Grading in Spanish Class appeared first on The Engaged Spanish Classroom.