| Syllabus | Schedule | Assignments | Links/Bibliography |
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A. General Information
By arrangement with the state, everyone in this class, unless they can show prior experience, must spend 4 hours teaching the language at the elementary level. I will be arranging an assignment with local teachers at the start of the term. Depending on where you are placed, you might be able to use as a model the lessons posted for the Elementary Spanish Curriculum Project (http://www.d.umn.edu/~ezeitz/Curriculum%20Project/Projectdescription.html).
Once you are assigned a teacher and class, you should contact that teacher immediately, before or after school, to introduce yourself and to get a list of students, and also to arrange specific days and times: 2x/week, 20 minutes/lesson, 6 weeks total. Use the list to prepare ahead of time name tags for the students. Prepare also a letter to the parents (see sample).
Some students in the past have worked together to create lessons, and observed one another. You are welcome to work together, and to observe if the teacher agrees. Always be over prepared; running short of material is not a pleasant experience. Remember to use the ideas from Languages and Children... (tactile, kinetic, song/art/game, TPR, stories, etc); to plan according to the time available; to recycle material; etc.
Please remember, you are in the buildings as a favor from local teachers. They receive no compensation for accepting you. So please, be polite and respectful (talk with the teachers as soon as you are assigned, and send a thank you note at the end), and show up for all scheduled classes, prepared to deliver a lesson. Ask the teacher if she is willing to discuss your lessons and/or teaching with you, and if so, take advantage of the opportunity.
You MUST have liability insurance for this. By joining the union, at the student rate, you will be covered. Check in Mon 120 for membership forms. If you are enrolled in Apprenticeship, you may already be covered. Ask in the Dept of Education (120 Mon H).
I have materials you may borrow from my office: children's readers, stuffed animals, color cubes, etc.
B. Assignments
You must turn in lesson plans for the lessons. Lesson plans should include: objectives, materials needed, outline or script of lesson*. Instruction must be in the target language.
In addition, you should keep a journal of the experience, in which you reflect upon the experience, the strong points of the lesson and changes you would make, and what you are learning. This reflective journal is essential to the learning experience. CHANGE (MARCH 7, 2007): THIS JOURNAL WILL BE DONE THROUGH WEBX, AT YOUR REQUEST. IT MUST SHOW SERIOUS REFLECTION, IN ADDITION TO A MERE COMMENTARY ABOUT WHAT TRANSPIRED. Go to http://www.d.umn.edu/webx and open the file within Methods for "Elementary Journal". Post a reflection after each teaching session, and then over the weekend (after each week), read your classmates' reflections and offer commentary to at least one other student. (As an alternative, if you could all agree on a timeframe to go on line, such as Sunday at 6:30 pm, you could engage in a freewheeling chat such as occurred in the discussion of the Elementary Spanish Curriculum Project.) You will be graded on the thought behind your description/reflection/reaction. [See * below.]
Teachers will be asked to fill out a short evaluation of your work.
Your grade will be based on your lesson plans, the journal* and the teacher's evaluation.
*[The scripts are intended to a) help you organize and focus instruction, b) highlight for you ahead of time unexpected language difficulties, and c) determine timing. They are helpful also in giving you a chance to develop your abilities with teacher chatter, TPR/TPRS, use of readers, etc. Students in 2006 had more experience than normal, and thus found the script irrelevant, unhelpful, tedious. If you are not finding value in this script writing, please discuss this with me.]