Hi! I am Claudia Elliott

Hi! I'm Claudia Elliott

If you want ideas and inspiration to engage students and lead them to proficiency, you're in the right place.

I have taught Spanish since 2004, and it has been an incredible journey.  I started using a textbook as my only guide with tons of frustration and tears.  After tons of PD hours, books, and reading blogs, I finally have a clear understanding that comprehensible input is the key element for language acquisition, that communicative skills develop only when we engage in communicative tasks in class, and that it´s paramount that we create connections and community in the class. All those elements lead to proficiency which is our final goal.  

So, if you are looking for  inspiration, ideas, strategies,  and resources to support you, I can help.  Scroll down to find some ready to use resources that can help and also check out my blog. 

I know what it’s like to finally be able to use the target language in class to communicate, engage with your students, and have a real connection with them.

But it wasn't always this way...

After a year as a part time teacher, in 2005 I had my first full time position.  I was excited! It was an inner city school so I was aware of the challenge.  It was tough.  It was really tough.  At that time my best friend was my textbook.  It gave me a guide and tons of activities to keep students moving,  but it was dry, boring, and not conducive to acquisition.  It was crazy.  A lot of tears and disappointments.  Even though I was able to connect with my students, I had to use tons of English and just a few of my students developed some proficiency.  I kept saying “They have to study more”. Yep! I said that.  I thought it was my students’ fault.

At that point I had two little boys at home, and my youngest, Mateo, was having a hard time getting adjusted to daycare.  I could not focus at school.  My students did not make much progress and behavior was becoming an issue.   I always wondered how a teacher could stay in the target language for more than 2 minutes.  I thought it was impossible.   I cried a lot this last year at that school.  One day I decided to leave, and go to virtual school.  During virtual school, something changed.  I felt creative, and I saw that moving away from a textbook was fun and engaging for students.  I realized I did not have to use my textbook!  What?  Can I do this myself?  Can I create my own resources?  How?

I started to read tons about Second Language Acquisition.   I read Dr. Krashen, Dr. Bill Van Patten, Bryce Hendstrom, Scott Benedict, and many more later.  I was on fire.  It was liberating.  All that new knowledge informed my decisions in my class at my new school.  I was bold, and I wanted to create my own curriculum.  It did not happen in one day but little by little I was able to stay in Spanish so much longer, even with my level 1 students, and my kids were saying things in Spanish like never before.  After two years, I totally ditched my textbook, and finally I went desk-less.  I was convinced.  Comprehensible input, communicative tasks, proficiency, and connections become the center of my practice. The results were incredible.  My classes were full of engagement, and a lot of target language was used to truly communicate messages.  My students  did great in the End Of Course exams, IB exams and AP Exams also!

Is it easy?

Of course not! I hear you! You have so many students at different levels, so many preps, and tons of administrative tasks.  Also, there is a lack of interest for a lot of students when it comes to learn a second language, and a lot of administrations don´t understand Second Language Acquisition. 

It´s not easy and I don´t have a magic pill.  But I can share and give you support just like my great mentor Mrs. Morales did for me.  We also need to have grace and patience but it can be done.  

 

If you're anything like me, you want...

to be comprehensible and comprehended at all times.

  • to design communicative tasks so students can engage using the target language at their level.
  • to level up students to move to the next proficiency level with structured output activities.

  • to connect and build a supportive and caring community in your class.

I work every day in my class to achieve these goals.  It’s not perfect but I see progress. I have some pillars that help me make decisions and reset in my class so I don’t go back to my old textbook. 

The journey is never over but we can start today!

Is my journey over?  Not at all … but I feel I am on the right path.   I continue learning and adjusting every day with bad days just like you. But, I want to help.  When I started teaching, I found an angel.  Her name is Mrs. Morales.  She was a great mentor for me.  She helped me during my first year to stay positive and gave me so many tools.  I want to do the same thing for you.   I want to create a bigger impact outside my classroom’s walls, and support as many world language educators as I can. So let´s start today.   Check out this resource with my framework that guides me when I am creating a lesson plan, an unit, or just a simple resource.  I use this framework also when I am using resources created by other authors and even when I have to use a textbook.

Even though I would like to be more organic in my class, my district requires me to have a lesson plan and an unit plan.  I am also observed and evaluated every year with an instrument that requires me to set instructional outputs linked to different types of assessments, to have evidence of the use assessments in instruction, to create coherent instruction that engages student in high level cognitive activity, among others elements.  This framework helps me merge my pillars for Second Language Acquisition with my district requirements.  

If you have so much information, want to revamp your classes, but you don’t know how to structure your daily and unit lessons this resource will help you. 

 

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