Touchdown! Score Big with These 4 Super Bowl Activities for the ESL Classroom The 2019 Super Bowl will take place on Sunday, February 3, 2019. To be honest there are very few things in this life I care less about than American football… (Sorry not sorry?? 😏) I suppose that’s why I was banished to…
Tag: #Teaching English
8 Fun, No Prep Activities to Rock the New Year in the ESL Classroom
Coming back to school after the holidays is tough.
Realizing the day before that you haven’t planned anything is worse.
Lucky for you, I’ve stock piled a few simple no & low prep activities to get you through the first few days.
Teach English in Spain: BEDA Language Assistants
These days, learning English is all the rage in sunny Spain, and between the many English teaching programs out there, almost anyone can find a way in.
I’ve spent 4 years working as an English Language Assistant with BEDA (Bilingual English Development & Assessment).
Thanksgiving Activities for the ESL Classroom
There are few holidays that leave this expat soul feeling as sentimental as Thanksgiving, which is kinda peculiar since it never used to be a holiday I cared much about. Of course I’d get down on some sweet potatoes and stuffing, but even as a child I didn’t buy into the whole pilgrims and “Indians” holding hands and singing kumbaya.
ESL Activities: Native American History Month
Native American Heritage Month ESL Activities & Lesson Plans It all began when the English teacher I team-taught with insisted that I plan a “fun” activity for Columbus Day. After all, what’s more fun than genocide 🙄? Nope. This guy was already not on my list of favorite humans, so I wasn’t completely surprised with…
Day of the Dead Lesson Plans & Activities
As much as the littles (and even not-so-littles) love Halloween, it can get pretty tedious making the same old skele-pumpki-spiders every year.
Coming from Los Angeles, I’ve always been mesmerized by the colorful Día de los Muertos celebrations that are held all around the city and throughout SoCal. Especially when teaching in countries with less diversity, I think it’s imperative that we make an effort to showcase our rich cultural diversity.
11 Ways to Overcome Homesickness Abroad
After the anticipation and farewells back home and the buzz and stress of getting started in your new ‘home’, it finally hits you. You’re here alone. Maybe you won the roommate jackpot or were blessed with a coworker that’s taken you under their wing, but if you’re like many brand new expats, this is probably the time that loneliness and homesickness are starting to set in.
Halloween Fun in the ESL Classroom
Kid’s love Halloween, and I love to get them excited about learning. There are literally thousands of ways to bring spooky Halloween fun into the ESL classroom, combining culture, relevant vocabulary and even grammar into haunted activities that naturally spark interest and curiosity.
Back to School: Easy, No Prep Activities for Your First Week
Even experienced teacher’s get first day of school jitters when starting a new gig. Not only do you have to meet a dozen or more new colleagues (in your second language), you also have to introduce yourself to anywhere from 300 – 1,000 (not exaggerating) new students who may or may not understand anything you’re saying.
Packing Dos & Don’ts for a Year Abroad
My standard packing style usually starts the night before I leave, typically after my despedida (farewell) dinner, and almost always after one-too-many glasses of wine. It’s one thing to rock that laissez faire lifestyle when packing for a month or two, but a year of living abroad is definitely higher stakes, as I learned moving to Spain as an Auxiliar de Conversación.
No One Says Apartamento: A Piso Glossary for Spain
No One Says Apartamento: A Piso Glossary for Spain When I first moved to Madrid, I absolutely thought my Spanish was on point… until I started looking for apartments and had my potential compañeros de piso rambling on a mile a minute about fianzas, ascensores and gastos aparte. ¿Say what? For starters, you’re not looking…
Language Assistants in Spain: Getting Ready for the Big Move
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably received your regional placement as a Language Assistant in Spain… congrats! If you’re like most first-time auxiliares, this will be your first time living overseas for more than a just study abroad stint, and let’s just say… it’s different. Different in lots of good ways, and a few stressful ways, but absolutely different.
The truth is, there’s quite a bit that you won’t be able to do until you arrive – finding a piso (apartment) you love, setting up a bank account, securing a Spanish SIM card, etc. There are, however, a few things you can do now to make the transition a whole helluvalot easier when you arrive, and here are my top 3: consulates, cash & communication.
Get Up. Get Out. Get Lost. 