Television and Film for the Spanish classroom:
La misma luna
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La misma luna is a critically-acclaimed Mexican film that follows the trials and tribulations of an immigrant living in Los Angles and her son's journey to join her there. I teach this film in the first semester of Spanish I, as students view the film without subtitles to enhance their listening skills. Click here to purchase.
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Sin nombre
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Sin nombre is a critically-acclaimed Mexican film that I screen for my Spanish II students in the second semester of in Spanish II. This film details the harrowing difficulties of the journey made by Latin American immigrants as they attempt to cross into the United States. It is an eye-opening example of the dangers that immigrants encounter on their journeys, and, when screened in Spanish with no subtitles, helps students to develop their listening skills. Click here to purchase.
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El Internado
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El Internado is a Spanish television drama that follows the lives of teenagers at a Boarding School in Spain. I begin screening this series for my Spanish II students in the second semester on Friday afternoons. It is a highlight that students look forward to each week! I find it dramatically improves student comprehension, as the dialogue is quick and engaging.
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Celia
Celia is a television drama from Telemundo that depicts the life of the queen of salsa, Celia Cruz, beginning from her time in Cuba as a young woman developing her talent for music. As a groundbreaking heroine and incredible force in the music world, Celia is a strong woman and musical superstar that you do not want to miss introducing your students to! (As always, please preview each episode before you show it in class. There may be a scene or two that you will want to skip!) See my resources for Celia here.
La novia
La novia is a Spanish film by Paula Ortiz that brilliantly portrays the passion, destruction and tragedy of Federico García Lorca's play Bodas de sangre (Blood weddings). Ortiz tells the story through the eyes of la Novia, the principal female character of Lorca's play. Although Bodas de sangre was written in 1932, the themes presented in the play and the film still connect with the modern reader and effectively highlight the restrictive rules that society places on women. See my post on La novia here.
Books for the Spanish classroom:
Esperanza
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Esperanza by Carol Gaab is my favorite book to teach to Spanish I or beginning Spanish II students. It details the harrowing story of an immigrant family traveling from war-torn Guatemala to the United States. I highly recommend the teacher's guide for this novel, which can be purchased at the official Fluency Matters website. Click here to purchase.
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Books on teaching techniques:
Teach Like a Champion
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Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov was the first book I bought as a new teacher. I read this book cover to cover and I found it to be an incredibly useful teaching tool. While at times the many concepts presented in the book seemed overwhelming, when taken one skill at a time, it provided invaluable teaching strategies that I still use daily in my classroom. Click here to purchase the 1st version, and click here to purchase the 2nd version.
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The First Day of School
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The First Days of School by Harry Wong is the best book I read before stepping into my classroom on my first day with my new students. Before my first year of teaching in the United States, I was quite nervous about starting my first week in the classroom, and=this book helped me to get over the nerves and make a solid plan for my first weeks of school. Not only does this resource help you to set up your classroom and your procedures for a successful academic year, but it also helps to structure your first week in a productive and efficient way. Click here to purchase.
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