My philosophy of education has changed over the last eight years, but one thing has remained constant throughout my education career: I believe that every student who comes into my classroom is capable of learning language. As a world language teacher, I have spent many hours reading into language acquisition, and firmly believe that anyone is capable of learning a second language. The most important thing about learning and teaching is making connections. I believe that every student wants to belong in the classroom and wants to feel a part of the group in some capacity. As the teacher, it is my primary goal to include every student in every lesson. While students may struggle to grow at the same rate as others in the class, that should not be the marker for how well that student is doing in my class. I believe in praising effort and putting in the hard work. Language learning is fluid and spiral. It is not marked by distinct points, but rather how well you are able to communicate something to students. I believe that as the world language teacher, it is my job to introduce new perspectives and ideas to students and to foster an environment where all are welcome and all feel seen and heard. I believe that education is not just about learning, but about growing and challenging yourself to be better.
Over the last 8 years, I have grown so much as a teacher. In my first few years of teaching, my practice was very methodical and predictable. I introduced a vocabulary list to students, often based around some type of theme, and we practiced that vocabulary for a few days before I introduced a grammar point. After a few days of practicing, I would talk to my students about some type of cultural point before giving them a big test to see what they had memorized. I use “memorized” because I noticed that students weren’t really retaining any language skills and were only trying to pass my tests. This became very frustrating to me because my ultimate goal was to have students who could speak Spanish. My students knew a few words and phrases, but really had very little communicative skills and we all felt frustrated. My class was great if you were a good studier and really difficult if you struggled to recall any words or phrases. After three years of this, I felt fed up with what was going on and sought out a different route. I started to read more about how the brain learns a second language, and I took a few workshops on comprehensible input. I was learning about the ways that students learn language and could have real skill in the world language class, not just pass a test. It was completely transformational in my teaching and in my own beliefs about language learning. Instead of teaching long vocabulary lists and grammar notes, I started focusing on smaller amounts of content in a more comprehensible way. We talked about things that students cared about and maintained Spanish throughout. I stopped teaching grammar where it wasn’t necessary. We talked about culture as it was relevant and applicable, and made connections that mattered to students. I slowly started to implement these new practices and after two years, I was teaching in a totally new way. But my results were outstanding. My students were invested in my class. They wanted to learn, they were interested, and they embraced their mistakes. More students were finding success in my classroom, even students who struggled to find success elsewhere. I haven’t looked back since. My students are able to connect with the content in ways I never imagined, and they feel successful because they are. Each task they are able to do is celebrated and is seen as a success in my classroom. We take each day at a pace that is comfortable for my students and for me. We create an environment together that is a place we all want to be. Sometimes I say “This is where the magic happens.” And some days, it feels like magic. What we create in my classroom is special and is an environment where true learning happens. I am so proud of my students and of myself.