Ya sabes

Dear educators,

It's National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 - Oct 15)!

"Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana" is a period for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the US. We have some great resources to help celebrate!

• Cook along with Wayside's very own Eduardo and Maurice
• Read two well-timed blog posts - Beyond the piñatas, and We all speak a dialect 
• Download our effective strategies for engaging heritage learners

¡Felicidades!
The Wayside Publishing Team

New! La Casa de Eduardo

MMmmm –MOFONGO!

Need to disconnect after a long day at school? Our team recommends cooking therapy, and just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month. Wayside is proud to launch a new cooking series, La Casa de Eduardo.

In this first episode, Eduardo – a former teacher turned Wayside Account Representative, teaches his remote colleague Maurice how to cook making the famous Mofongo de Puerto Rico (a popular side dish). Enjoy this step-by-step guide punctuated by plenty of banter. (Language: Spanish)

Want to cook along with the video at home? Grab the ingredients in advance!

Mofongo de Puerto Rico Ingredients:

• 2 cups of vegetable oil for frying the plantain
• 3 green plantains
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Optional garnish: Cilantro

Beyond the Piñatas

Renowned Spanish teacher and cofounder of #langchat on twitter, Diego Ojeda takes a hard look at Hispanic Heritage Month and encourages us to do better and move beyond the tacos and fiestas. 

We All Speak a Dialect

As learners listen to authentic resources or interact in the real world, they’re bound to hear different dialects. As Curriculum Coordinator Jennifer Carson notes in her most recent blog post, “Just as it is important to respect students’ accents, so it is equally important to recognize and demonstrate respect for different dialects, including students’ home dialects.” Read more about her philosophy, and the research she bases it on, in this timely post.

Strategies for Engaging Heritage Learners

Wayside recognizes that students in North American classrooms come from increasingly diverse backgrounds, and that a growing number of them are heritage learners. These students may have varying levels of exposure to the target language and/or its cultures in their homes or communities. We can help! Be sure to download these effective strategies for engaging heritage learners.

Ya sabes

Bold ideas and practical resources for your classroom

Welcome to the latest issue of Ya sabes, your go-to source for everything you need to take your Spanish instruction to the next level. In this issue: 

• How to get started with proficiency-based grading
• Take a look inside creating a truly diverse language program
• Support all students in your classroom with our free downloads

Do you enjoy receiving Ya sabes? Tell a colleague to subscribe! 

¡Felicidades!

Getting started with proficiency-based grading

In our three-part series on the Proficiency Talks blog, Instructional Strategist Cristin Bleess takes a look at the nuts and bolts of transforming your grade book.

In Part I she explores the shift in her thinking from a number-based grade book to one that truly captures her students' abilities. In Part II she gives practical advice for making the switch. And in the last installment she shares the 6 dos and don'ts of a proficiency-driven grade book.

'Inclusion is not just checking off boxes' 

What makes a language program truly inclusive? How can we ensure that all students feel represented? How do we keep an open conversation with teachers to learn about the ever-shifting landscapes of their classroom? These are some of the questions we wrestle with in a recent Proficiency Talks blog post.  We give you an insider's look at what goes into making sure that our world language programs represent and speak to all students in your classroom.

Free downloads to support all students 

Take a peek at some of the free proficiency-driven supporting materials we offer to make your life in the classroom easier. 

• Classroom expressions handout in Spanish and French to help keep your students in the target language
• Free lesson plans (in Spanish and French)
• 5 reasons to teach for proficiency—a free download to make the case for proficiency-driven instruction.
• Strategies for supporting heritage learners
• Tips on integrating differentiated instruction
• How to cultivate interculturality in your classroom

The first steps to becoming a language advocate

Hi educators,

We are excited to once again sponsor Language Advocacy Day 2020. Organized by the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL), Language Advocacy Day (LAD) is part "lobby-day" and part full-day policy forum that brings together national representatives concerned about the state of language learning in the U.S.

Want to get involved? Watch this brief video with JNCL Managing Director Trey Calvin on how to take the first steps towards becoming a language advocate. Then download our handy guide to some of the easy things you can do right now to advocate for access to language education.

Can't make it to LAD this year? Follow us on Twitter February 6-7 to get an insider's look at the events of the day and to see how teachers across the country #speakupforlanguages.

Show your advocacy colors

Show your commitment to language advocacy by adding a Speak Up badge to your Facebook profile. Visit the Wayside page or search for Speak Up for Languages here.

'Inclusion is not just checking off boxes'

What makes a language program truly inclusive? How can we ensure that all students feel represented? How do we keep an open conversation with teachers to learn about the ever-shifting landscapes of their classroom? These are some of the questions we wrestle with in our latest Proficiency Talks blog post and we give you an insider's look at what goes into making sure that our world language programs represent and speak to all students in your classroom.