Hi Ben –
Please feel free to post these two videos of my first 15 minutes of the first day of my Spanish 1 class this year, on 8/23/19. Part 1 is 5 minutes. Then there was an announcement by my principal. And Part 2 is 11 minutes. I realize many people have already started their school year, but perhaps we have some on the PLC that have not. Chicago Public School don’t start until next week, after Labor Day. I teach at a public charter high school in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago.
I share knowing the growing anxiety many teachers face as the school year approaches, especially for those starting out with CI. The anticipation can weigh heavy. My dreams were vivid and nightmarish during the first few days of school last week, and I’ve been doing this for awhile.
I also share these because it’s hard to find a video of a CI teacher on the first day of the year. I haven’t seen any. So, please enjoy. I felt mentally prepared for the class even if not prepared with my materials or visuals or posters and what not. My lesson plan? 1) Check In 2) Calendar Talk, 3) Card Talk. “Check In” is something I do for the first 5-10 minutes for the first semester, at least. It’s basically about helping students settle into their seats and settle into the norms of the classroom, done, as much as possible, in L2.