Nathaniel (Hardt) shares yet another blockbuster idea. Read and learn. You may want to try this excellent strategy:
I have the classroom rules in Spanish on the front wall above the white board and in English on both sidewalls. Certain rules are getting a lot of reps: #2 Una persona habla (one person speaks), #5 Enderécese (Sit up), #8 Nada en los pupitres (Nothing on the desks). As Ben advises we laser point and say the rule to the whole class. I then look for the “stop” sign and call on someone not signing to tell what it means in English. If no one knows, ask someone to read that number from the side. Then we circle the phrase:
¿Nada en los pupitres, clase? ¿Sí o no? (No)
¿Plumas en los pupitres? as I hold up a pen (No)
¿Lápices en los pupitres? as I hold up a pencil (No)
¿Manos en los pupitres? as I hold up my hand (No)
Sí, clase, manos en los pupitres. [Yes, class, hands [can be] on the desks]
Maybe it would be better just to have the rules in English. But some students are beginning to say them in Spanish. I see it as working toward our 90%+ goal.