Get Out and Communicate

Moving past the grade and into the the real world.

“Is this graded? Do I have to? How much is this worth? Is this on the test? Is this optional? What if I don’t do it? What grade do I need in order for . . .?” As a classroom Spanish teacher, I struggle with hearing these questions.

When I create classroom activities to guide students to better communicate in Spanish, I envision them walking down the street and talking with native speakers. I envision them listening to an announcement in the airport or reading the local news while traveling. I envision them pen paling (does that still happen?) with new acquaintances that have become lifelong friends. I do not envision the letters A,B,C, D, and certainly not F chasing them down the street because of a subject-verb agreement error or missing pronoun. So what is happening? Why are my students strongly focused on grades instead of communication? Instead of patting themselves on the back for communication skills and acknowledging their abilities, they are checking online to see the most recent assignment, counting cum laude points, or stressing their GPA and AP classes. What happened to learning for the sake of learning and applying it to the real world? I believe that with support, students can move beyond the grade and get up and communicate.

I visualize all students . . .

• Connecting language and culture to their surroundings.
• Broadening their scope and partnering with the real world.
• Finding their big picture to make their mark on the world.

Instead of questions, I want to hear students state with confidence,

“I want to ___. Now I can ___. I do ___. I will ___. I get to ___.”