7 Sprinkles of Advice for Novice Language Teachers

By Stacey Carter Lane, Spanish Teacher

Advice for teachers can be like food at a buffet. Sometimes, there are simply too many options! To get a few fresh perspectives, I interviewed educators in my school and personal learning network for their best advice. Here are seven pinches of digestible tips for new world language teachers from a handful of seasoned language educators.

Keep your skills up-to-date

“Make sure your own language skills are up-to-date. Pursue professional development to make sure your own skills are current,” says Tekyia Brower, a French teacher entering year twenty-one at Hammond High School in Howard County, Maryland.

“Language skills are evolving. Teachers who are stagnant are losing a group of kids,” Brower says.

Travel

One way to keep your skills crispy and fresh is to travel, says Kimberly Hall, a French and Spanish teacher at Hammond who is in her seventh year as an educator.

“Travel to wherever the target language that you’re teaching is spoken,” Hall says. “Then, you will bring that back to the classroom.”

But what if traveling abroad is not feasible? Family, health, and financial obligations often make travel look like caviar — a luxury for the average teacher.

“Find pockets where you live where people speak the target language,” Hall says. “Attend festivals and similar events.”

“It’s self-care,” Brower adds.

Build relationships with students

“Get to know your kids. That is so huge,” says Marguerite Hart, a twenty-two-year Spanish teacher and the World Language Team Leader at Hammond.

“The curriculum is not what they’re going to remember. They’re going to remember how they felt. Create an environment where they are comfortable speaking,” Hart advises.

“All the little things we do let kids know they’re supported,” she says. “Jump into their conversations. Wear something that supports them. Show vulnerability. It allows them to feel more comfortable about themselves.”

Set boundaries

“Don’t overshare,” Brower warns.

“Keep boundaries in general. During classroom interactions with students, remember that you’re not their friend,” Hart says. “For example, for years I would let kids eat lunch in the classroom. Then I realized that I need that time for myself.”

“Don’t bring it all home. Set a timer and stick to it,” she added.

Befriend other teachers

“Make friends in the building outside of your content area,” Hart says. “A lot of other people do a lot of cool stuff. Being able to steal it and modify it to suit your needs is really awesome.”

“So many people are scared to ask for help. So, they just sit there needing help. Beg, steal, and borrow,” Hart says.

“Don’t be afraid to reach out to your language colleagues,” says Nicole Duff, Instructional Leader (World Language and Fine Arts) at Columbia High School in DeKalb County, Georgia.

“Experience is a great teacher,” says the thirty-year educator.

“Your colleagues will have some of the best advice and ideas — both practical and trending. And they’ll have resources that are both current and tried-and-true,” Duff says.

Don’t grade everything

“You don’t have to grade every assignment. You don’t have time,” says Anna Burkett, a seven-year Spanish teacher at Hammond. “Think about what’s important to you to evaluate, and grade that.”

Sometimes a simple check mark on an assignment is sufficient, Hart says.

“If they ask if it’s going to be graded, and it’s not, just say, ‘It’s participation,’” Hall adds.

Another response Burkett recommends to the frequent “will this be graded” question is this: “You are being evaluated on this work.”

Search for students’ individual talents

I’ll give the last word to my brother, Wesley Carter, a thirty-year Spanish teacher at Pennsville Memorial High School in Salem County, New Jersey.

“Each student has a talent in Spanish — comprehension, speaking, writing, reading,” Carter says. “Work towards cultivating and expanding that talent.”

Stacey Carter-Lane teaches Spanish at Hammond High School in Columbia, MD. She also tutors Spanish.

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To be reminded why your work is so very important and for more stories and advice, visit our collection of teacher perspectives at The Art of Teaching.

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