Reading log freebie!

Teachers have two “New Year” celebrations: one in January and the other one in August. Start the year off right by establishing a routine for reading, even if your students are not able to read or write yet. 

This reading log is designed for beginner readers. It contains a parent letter (English/Spanish), and a reading log calendar (September-June). 

I hope you can use it in your class! Click on the picture to download. 

It is almost here!

Hi Everyone!

It is almost here!!! The day when we will get to meet our new "batch" of students is just a couple of days away for most of us.  It sure is exciting!!!

We teach a two way dual language model with a partner teacher. As we start gathering ideas of how we want our classrooms to look like,  we want to share with you a few tips that we have found to be key for our dual classes to run smoothly:

• In a co-teach situation, our goal is always to ensure that both classrooms mirror each other in order to make it easier for the students to learn academic content. Dual language classrooms that “mirror” each other are in fact classrooms where the lessons are carefully planned in a way that the content and skills acquired one day in one of the language classrooms enable students to build on and develop new skills in their other language classroom. 
• Plan with your partner teacher for similar routines and procedures so that your students feel more at ease switching back and forth between the two language classrooms every day. You don't want them to have to learn a new set of guidelines for each classroom. We actually have the same morning and afternoon procedures in both our classrooms.
• Always set aside a few minutes to meet with your partner teacher  at the end of every day. We meet to go over our lesson plan for that day and discuss how it went. Our meeting is short and sweet, but it helps us recap on what took place in both language settings and gives shape to the next day.

These are all simple tips, however they make a huge difference in helping our language learners experience success in a dual setting.

We hope you have an AMAZING school year! 

The Dual Trio

Uniting Bilingual Forces

Hello friends!
My name is Nancy Alvarez and I blog at www.teachingwithnancy.com.  I am very excited and honored to be part of this bilingual collaborative blog. I will be blogging here the 1st of every month. 

A Little About Me
I have a B.S. in Early Childhood Education, a M. Ed. in Educational Leadership and a Google Educator Certificate. I have taught in both private and public schools.  I also have experience with homeschooling, curriculum, professional development, instructional coaching, bilingual education, and instructional technology.

My specialty is in early childhood education.  I was a classroom teacher for 13 years.  I have taught prekindergarten and second grade and was an instructional coach on an early childhood campus for 3 years.  I am currently transitioning back in to the classroom to live our my true passion, 21st century teaching. I will be teaching 2nd grade in a two-way dual immersion program here in Texas. 

My vision is to create a classroom that inspires innovation, creativity and collaboration through the use of T.I.M.E. Technology Integration and Meaningful Engagement.

Why You Should Follow This Blog
I fully support and believe in the power of PLNs (Professional Learning Networks).  I encourage you to find and connect with teachers with similar interests and passions.  It was not until I took professional development into my own hands that I began to grow astronomically.  If you do not already have a PLN consider connecting with teachers in this group via Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and by following their blogs, your only regret will be not having done so sooner! 


Bilingual Teacher Twitter Chat Coming Soon!
These days there seems to be a Twitter chat about just about anything, but did you know there is NO official bilingual teacher Twitter chat!  Well guess what? There is one starting very soon.  

When: First Sunday of Each Month (July 6th)
Time: 8 PM CST, 6 PM PST
Where: Twitter
Who: Bilingual and Dual Language Teachers 

Topic: Our Bilingual Journey 

Moderators: Gisel Barret and Nancy Alvarez

Hashtag: #DualLangChat

Never Participated in a Twitter Chat? No Problem! 
We will use the Q1 and A1 format. Every month we will discuss different topics related to bilingual education. Our first chat will help us all get acquainted with one another and allow us to practice the Q and A format.

If you don't understand how a Twitter chat works, don't worry we are here to help and support you.  I recommend you download either Hootsuite or TweetDeck prior to the chat. These applications are free and will make following the chat and participating much easier than trying to follow it on your regular Twitter feed.

Don't miss our first chat and your opportunity to grow and strengthen your PLN.  You can begin helping us get the word out by Tweeting about it now. 

Please leave your ideas of topics you would like us to discuss in future Twitter Chats in the comments. 

4th of July Bilingual Blog Hop
Be sure to stop by my blog during the 4th of July weekend to participate in a Bilingual Blog Hop.  This is a wonderful opportunity to meet some new bilingual teachers and to grab some great freebies for your bilingual class next year. 

Most teachers participating in the Bilingual Blog Hop will also be having sales on their paid bilingual products, so be sure to take advantage of the low prices and grab those products you need to make your life easier next year. Like most bilingual teachers, I too know first hand how difficult it is to find quality bilingual materials.

 

I hope you are enjoying your summer!