¡Hola! Welcome to the Spanish II PAP.

Students, please go over this information with a parent/guardian if possible, so that we’re all on the same page as to what is expected and required for your Spanish II PAP course.

Student Expectations

• Students are responsible for being in class every day, and participating. Students are also responsible for keeping current on assignment/project due dates and for printing replacement handouts, both of which can be found on our Edmodo or via this website.
• Much of the class will be based on stories we create together: I ask questions and you answer them. The whole class is expected to call out answers to questions in Spanish. This way, you practice speaking without feeling embarrassed (everyone will be practicing at the same time, too!) and I can monitor who understands and who needs extra help. We’re creating a type of immersion environment this way, where learning seems almost unconscious — where words are repeated often, and where you’re asked to suspend disbelief. To benefit from this kind of learning, you have to be here and you have to be alert, mentally present, and ready to participate!
• I am counting on YOU to help create the best environment possible for creativity! Respect others, respect the learning environment, and respect the short amount of time I’m able to have you here in class.

Participation

Your participation is extremely important and will be graded twice per quarter. Here are some tips for achieving a superb participation score:

• Be present in class and answer all class questions. It’s OK to make mistakes — guess if you are not sure!
• Be enthusiastic! React to statements during storytelling (Ooohhh!!), and try out some of your Spanish phrases in response.
• During storytelling, PRETEND! Think of crazy details to add! It makes class fun — we laugh, and learning becomes that much easier.
• Sit with your head up, hat off, awake, and with clear eyes. I am teaching to your eyes and am looking to see if you “get it.”
• Watch my body language, gestures, and visuals given during storytelling or presentations, and use them as comprehension cues.
• Listen to the feedback I give you. Listen to how I change the language when I repeat a phrase back to the class.
• Keep your desk clear of papers, books, purses, binders at all times. I will tell you when it’s time to take notes, etc.
• Use the class Twitter wall! Let me know if there’s anything you’d like to add.

EVERYONE begins the year with a 100% participation score. I will take note of your class participation EVERY SINGLE DAY. Listed below are situations that will negatively affect your score:

• Electronics visible (includes ear buds, Kindles/iPads, cellphones, devices of any kind)
• Negative attitude (affects the teaching/learning environment for us all)
• Absence
• Eating/drinking anything other than water
• Side conversations during instruction/while teacher is teaching
• Working on other classes’ homework during Spanish
• Reading a book during instruction/while teacher is teaching
• Using or blurting out in English
• Coming to class unprepared (without your binder, spiral notebook, writing utensil)
• Sleeping
• Use of a bathroom pass
• Tardiness
• Lining up at the door before teacher excuses the class

Here’s the Participation Rubric your grade will be based on:

Grading

Your overall grade will reflect how close you are to reaching your language proficiency goal. For Spanish II, our target proficiency goal is the Intermediate Level. In the Intermediate level, students can begin to:

• Use a variety of words and phrases on a range of familiar topics and begin to give more details / elaborate on a topic
• Use strings of simple sentences to express thoughts and combine words / phrases to create original sentences
• Be understood by someone accustomed to a language learner
• Understand questions and statements, though sometimes need to hear things again

Your reading/writing/speaking assignments and projects will be graded using the following chart:

What this means is that you WILL NOT be graded on

For more information about class requirements, expectations, and language proficiency, please review your course syllabus: