I teach Spanish to about 150 7th graders in our middle school of over 1,200, and I teach English as Second Language to some of our most struggling readers and writers. Our school population has high rates of low income, but our students come ready and eager to learn everyday. They represent a huge variety of cultures and languages. They speak Chinese, Bengali, French, Arabic, Spanish, Urdu, Albanian, English, and more. My students are curious and hopeful, but they don't always have easy opportunities to broaden their horizons and learn about the world outside their own experience. I share my classroom with another Spanish teacher who has over 200 students in the 6th and 8th grade, and between both of our programs. I is rare to see the classroom without 28 to 30 students trying to improve their Spanish, English, or both. They crave creative and collaborative learning activities, and we strive to make that happen as often as we can, despite the inherent challenges.
About my class
I teach Spanish to about 150 7th graders in our middle school of over 1,200, and I teach English as Second Language to some of our most struggling readers and writers. Our school population has high rates of low income, but our students come ready and eager to learn everyday. They represent a huge variety of cultures and languages. They speak Chinese, Bengali, French, Arabic, Spanish, Urdu, Albanian, English, and more. My students are curious and hopeful, but they don't always have easy opportunities to broaden their horizons and learn about the world outside their own experience. I share my classroom with another Spanish teacher who has over 200 students in the 6th and 8th grade, and between both of our programs. I is rare to see the classroom without 28 to 30 students trying to improve their Spanish, English, or both. They crave creative and collaborative learning activities, and we strive to make that happen as often as we can, despite the inherent challenges.
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