I could see it in their eyes. Confusion, boredom, and a slight hint of ‘when does this class end’. My heart beat a too-fast rhythm as I struggled to ask questions my students would understand about Thanksgiving foods and activities. How would I get through this?

My number one tip for teaching a WL during the holidays to save your sanity and go with the energy of your students.

What sounds better for Day of the Dead than a scavenger hunt, sugar skull reading project, and a bingo game - all in comprehensible language even level 1 students can find successful!

These spooky French culture lesson about the Catacombes and famous Francophones are perfect for October!

Somehow it’s October! I feel like the routines are just starting to feel tighter and things are picking up momentum. The first summative assessment of the year is coming up soon. But after that, what? Halloween, that’s what! Candy, costumes and chaos. Do I lose their attention and watch the routine crack and fall away, or lose my mind trying to hang on to those things? Nope - neither! Why, you ask?Because I use the #1 Best Movie Talk for October to keep them engaged and acquiring.

Since I started teaching Spanish, the focus each October was the Día de los Muertos celebrations and traditions from Mexico, but often the beautiful variations in traditions from other countries take a back seat. I wanted to draw light and attention to other cultural events, and chose to begin with Guatemala’s Barriletes Gigantes. I found an incredible authentic resource to help me teach my 8th graders to create their own Barriletes Gigantes, which we then hung up in the classroom.