As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am teaching heritage Spanish all day long this year in a new state. Connecting to my students has been a bit of a challenge, and although everyone tells me to give it time, it’s hard for me not to feel like a bit of a phony as a non-native speaker.
I have read lots of other blog articles about this, encouraging me that it gets better and telling me what to expect, but it still stings when you stand in front of a room, being your usual goofy self that has always charmed kids in the past, and now they just stare at you in creepy silence.
This past Friday, students had a project due and, let’s just say, they didn’t really take it seriously. This project is part of the department-wide curriculum, and they have had to do it every year. However, until this year, they were in regular Spanish classes, and the expectations were different. My mostly Mexican class had their mothers go buy Mexican food to share for a project about “new” cultural experiences. This wasn’t going to fly in my book. I said:
“Thank you for sharing and celebrating your culture with each other and me. How can we make this project more meaningful for you?”
I also asked them “As a new resident of California and a non-latina, what are some new experiences you recommend for me to better learn the area and community?”
I took their ideas and got straight to work, resulting in this website.
Visiting a restaurant recommended by a student. 
I used the new version of Google Sites, which is VERY intuitive and easy to use. Students laughed out loud when they watched the video of me eating at a local restaurant near school. I purposefully chose the suggestion of a student who was acting out a lot. The look on his face was priceless when he saw I used his suggestion first! Students had lots of follow up questions for me. My group of silent, seemingly unenthusiastic students were now engaged and willing to talk! It was magical!
I think my goal will be to do one suggestion each week and present it on Mondays to them during weekend chat. Hopefully this will help us connect more as a group and help the kids see that I care.
