La Maestra’s Corner

  As I continue to navigate the waters of ‘Dual Immersion,’ I learn more about what happens with students in this type of program as they get older. And as many may suspect, it becomes a ‘battle’ between having them keep up with both languages at a somehow equal (close) pace. However, I do not mean battle in a terrible way, just that children will try to constantly shift to the language they feel more comfortable with and here inRead More ...

I am amazed at how many children have a deep love for writing. They are the ones who take their writing journals to recess, lunch, and even home to record their experiences – they want to make sure they ‘capture’ that special moment that will inspire them to write even more. However, we all know that NOT all children have an innate passion for the written word. After years of trying strategy after strategy, I believe I have compiled aRead More ...

  As another great week of school is near its end, I sit down and reflect on all the amazing things my students have taught me. Yes, I am the teacher, but they teach me new things everyday as well. This may not be news for many out there, but it was just so amazing that I had to share it with all of you, especially if you are raising bilingual and bicultural children.   “My class was listening toRead More ...

  There is nothing that makes a teacher happier than really involved parents and I have to say that I feel really lucky to have parents that are not only involved, but also really supportive. I am confident to say that many teachers feel the same way. Having parents that are well informed about their child’s academics and day-to-day schooling is crucial in order to have a successful school year. This week, I held my back-to-school night at the dualRead More ...

A few weeks ago I received an email from a ‘Spanglish mami’ asking me a great question I thought I would address on a specific post. The question had to do with Spanish ‘outside’ school hours – specifically playgroups designed to help children continue developing their Spanish-speaking skills. She was wondering if I knew of any particular playgroups she could reach out to. At the time I not only thought it was a great question, but it also sparked myRead More ...

  As the school year progresses and students get used to the new classroom routines, there is something children and parents know will come sooner or later….homework. While my personal view on homework has changed and evolved over time (I have written about it in detail on my blog), I know that ‘in general’ homework, at one point or another, is part of every student’s schooling years. Late last week, as my dual immersion fourth graders where getting ready toRead More ...

You are probably wondering what happens inside a dual-language classroom and how similar or different it is from an all-English classroom. In every school that I have had the pleasure of working at, the first few days go in a predictable manner: excited and nervous students walking through the doors of new classrooms, parents worried about what the new school year may bring, and teachers wondering what his/her new class will be like. Teachers prepare for weeks by brainstorming waysRead More ...

    When it comes to helping my dual language immersion students make sense of a topic in Spanish (besides using teaching resources purchased by the school), the Internet is my first ‘go to’ place. While there are thousands of resources out there, one is often left wondering which ones are worth spending money on (if purchase is required) and which ones one could access for free and use without compromising quality. I have come to narrow down a fewRead More ...