BRITTON SMITH SPANISH 6-12

989.464.0829 6710 THUNDER LANE LANSING, MI

BRITTONASMITH@GMAIL.COM

Please enjoy getting to know me as a teacher by viewing my online portfolio as well: brittonasmith.blogspot.com.

phone address email

In teaching in two different schools, as well as subbing and student-teaching in even more, I have found a few characteristics that I am seeking out in a school: a principal who is supportive and student-centered, a group of teachers who are dedicated to their craft, and a district that is moving students forward to becoming globally-engaged citizens.

What I am looking for:

Britt

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EXPERIENCES AND ABILITIES

989.464.0829 BRITTONASMITH@ GMAIL.COM

¿Cómo soy yo? Guillaume Appollinaire, a poet, wrote: “'Come to the edge', he said They said, 'We are afraid' 'Come to the edge', he said. They came. He pushed them... and they flew.”

I want to see my students fly, because I was given wings. My ninth grade Advanced English teacher, Mr. Kelly taught more than grammar, he taught his students to appreciate literature, to read for more than surface detail. He taught us

more than spelling, more than how to formulate interesting sentences, he taught us to live in the books we read and to look at life through the eyes of each author. His class was very difficult, and for a student who was accustomed to an easy A on nearly every essay, a B- after six revisions was disappointing. Yet if Mr. Kelly would

not have echoed that great poet in, “Come to the edge,” and if he did not push me off that very edge, I would not have flown. Students need a loving push and I want to be there to help them grow wings. My strongest personality trait is having an encouraging and uplifting spirit. Mark Twain said, “I was born excited.” I could say the same of myself. Each day is a beautiful opportunity to accomplish something wonderful and the most wonderful thing one can do it to uplift someone else.

Index: Timeline 2

Classroom Environment 2

Conjugating Verbs 3

What Others Are Saying 4

Sevilla, España- estudié allí cuatro meses

for more information:

brittonasmith.blogspot.com

timeline Abroad Indiana Michigan

06 Lived in Cuenca, Ecuador for a summer and took language classes as well as lived with a Spanish-speaking Family

08 Named Outstanding Future Educator by the Indiana Association for Teacher Education after student teaching

10-13 Pioneered a new Spanish program at the Middle School, teaching the equivalent of Spanish I over the course of 6-8th grades.

07 Semester in Seville, Spain studying art, culture, literature, and history all in Spanish

09 Long-term substitute teaching in an 8th grade English classroom in an inner-city school

13 Coached middle school club tennis and began a Spanish table on Thursdays during lunch

07 Tutored 3 elementary-aged students in English.

09-10 Spanish I and II at a small, rural high school (Blackford High School: Hartford City)

13-current Advocated for a Spanish Conversations class to accomidate all learners, including LD students

The Classroom Environment If you walked into my class you might

first hear music, laughter, and lots of language. I love to sing (and my students know it). I believe it is one of the most effective ways to learn authentically and to master vocabulary. Give me any grammar concept, vocabulary list, or cultural topic and if I don’t already have a song about it, I will find one or create one. Many people believe that students won’t sing or dance in front of their peers, but somehow when we are all silly together they forget their “too cool for school” attitude and sing along.

The second thing you might notice is the layer upon layer of procedure. I have taken Harry Wong to heart. Students always have a specific assigned seat from day one, students pass back papers, get out supplies, pick up papers on they need from their designated location, get absent work, complete intro “bell work,” keep track of their own grade, take attendance, and feel in control and valued as an essential part of the learning process. These procedures take about one week to establish, but are paid back by a classroom that flows.

The most important thing you will note is the respect and love that I give each of my students. I know that each has an individual set of talents, insecurities, and needs. I love that in learning a language students share so much about themselves, from what they like to

eat, to how they view themselves, to who makes up their family. In order to elicit responses from my students, in order for them to open up and share their thoughts, I must respect them and open up to them about my own weaknesses and strengths. I do this by having students write me a quick note on the back of their weekly quiz, by having them fill in surveys on their first day, and by sending each one a “happy gram” telling them what I appreciate about them.

I am a firm disciplinarian but I am thankful that I rarely need to raise my voice because of all of the procedures in place, the quick pace of my classroom activities, and the deep relationship I have with each of my students.

Communication As previously stated, I find it essential to

encourage students in such a difficult venture as learning a new language. When teaching MS Spanish, I sent each first year student a postcard home stating something positive they have accomplished within my classroom.

I also call home on any student with below a D+ in my class. I know parents have the online grade book, but many need and appreciate the personal contact of hearing directly from the teacher.

I also use remind.com to text homework and additional resources each night to students and to update parents.

Jokes: I have little ones like these all over my classroom, the students love them, and they learn a lot with minimal

effort.

Verb Tips

1. Begin with ser and emphasize pronouns. I use a pronoun song I learned at a conference, students draw pictures, do motions, and discover the organization of a verb chart

2. Transition to ar/er/ir verbs with a flip chart Students can create a flip chart (see picture depicting its use for ir) and turn over the window that coordinates with the correct form

3. Have students choose movable stem and correct ending I give students basic ar, er, ir verbs with the endings already removed, I call out a word, like “I dance,” they have to find “bail” (for bailar) and choose the o (for the ending that goes with yo) and place them together as one word.

4. Use conjugemos.com After teaching both ar and er/ir endings, have students use this web address to practice forming the verbs, allow them to use charts until they have 80 % or higher

5. Give a re-takeable quiz Give a quiz on conjugating (I do 20 combos in 4 mins) and insist students retake it until the receive an 80%, give extra practice to those who may not have passed/allow extra time before/after school for one on one attention.

Extra Verb Ideas Use “Conjugations Back” (a Justin Timberlake remix) by Sr. Mara: students love it!

Use conjugation eggs (see online portfolio)

Create conjugation sticks, pronouns and verbs on colored Popsicle sticks, for easy matching and practicing

Roll conjugation dice, one set has all pronoun forms, one verbs, roll and go!

Vocabulary Fun

1. Connect Four Students fill in a vocabulary sheet, if they get the word correct, they can place a chip on the playing board.

2. Sit and Spin Students complete various vocabulary tasks by spinning and testing their vocabulary knowledge.

3. Songs I find a song to go with each section and we play it at the start of the class, in the last trimester students make a music video using imovie with one of the songs they have learned.

4. The noodle game Hands down, everyone’s favorite! Students hold signs in English, have to say the word in Spanish, and use a pool noodle to tap the person isn’t paying attention and can’t get a word out quick enough. (see page 4)

5. Mata Moscas A classic, swat the vocabulary word on the screen that the teacher says in Spanish.

5. ¡Ay¡ or ¡Lastima! Students have various vocabulary words written piece of paper inside a container, they draw, say the word the pulled in Spanish. Then they choose to either draw again and risk the word(s) they have accumulated that round, or “bank them” to protect them from the dreaded “ay,” which if drawn erases all points from that turn.

Assessments : a.MS students took their

final exam using ipods, they record verbal answers to a list of questions. The students can replay and listen to their own test, they even are given the chance to rerecord and are asked to listen to their performance and mark their grade within a rubric. I like this because I can see what they think of their own performance and grade them after listening on my own time. It is also really neat to keep so they can hear themselves again the following trimesters.

b.When doing a unit on prepositions, I hid these items within the classroom. Each student had his/her own location to describe for their quiz.

c. Socrative is a great online source for students to take a test/survey/quick quiz, using their mobile device.

d.Students will do twice the work, twice as fast if they can just write it on a whiteboard. I use these mini whiteboards to quickly grade student work and double check that my students are “with me.”

Students raised $ for children with cancer

and I agreed to dress like Dora

What others are saying: The following quotes are taken from student notes, evaluations, and letters.

students administration

I really like Spanish, it’s fun to speak to other people especially if they don’t know what you’re saying!

Spanish has opened up great things for me. I thought that the test (HS placement) was easy, it was all because you helped la clase de español so much.

Thank you for offering a positive, energized classroom environment for students to experience a new learning opportunity. (David Nisbet -current principal)

Spanish is going really well for me because you help me remember what the words are by using the motions and saying the words so I can get them all stuck in my head.

My best memory from Spanish trimester III would be you! You always are having fun and into the lesson to help us learn! For that I thank you!

Mr. and Mrs. W approached me to simply say how very impressed they are with your teaching and all the excitement they saw in T during the first tri of Spanish. (Nisbet)

It helps to have an amazing teacher. You are very energetic, like me. I love español.

I never learned anything like this (flamenco/salsa) last year. I really enjoy cultures, especially when we learn by doing...I learned so much more than I ever could by just reading.

She has continued to support me and so many others here in her unassuming and sincere way. She is so intelligent and highly competent in everything... (Jill Palumbo-World Language Department head)

Thank you so much for taking the time to review my portfolio. I hope you find my enthusiasm and love for the field of education and the Spanish language shine through.

Things I like to do outside of school: a. snowshoe (I love being outside) b. paint c. travel (I’ve been to Spain, Ecuador,

Italy, Romania, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and hope to continue to add countries to my list)

d. read (anything and everything)

“the noodle game” (vocabulary practice)

the verb ir -helpful flip book“ojo de dios”