Frequently Asked Question's
   On this page you will find some answers to some of the questions that are asked concerning the Spanish courses that I teach.  If there is a question you have that was not answered here, please click on the Contact page and send me an email with your question or concern.  

What materials will be needed for class?

     It is recommended that students bring the customary writing utensils in order to function appropriately in class.  Though I use technology heavily in class, I am not paperless, more like "less paper."   If the students prefer to take notes on paper, I request that they have a notebook, or a section in a 3-ring binder designated for the course to allow them to more easily organize their information and be able to find it easily.  
   

How do I find out what I missed in class?

   Many students miss class because they are in sports, choir, sick, family related activities or any number of things.  Students are able to keep up with what is done in class by logging into Google Classroom and checking the announcements.  Every class day I will be posting what we are doing, along with any resources necessary for students to be successful in the course.  

Students should always check their email and Google Classroom before coming to me asking what they had missed.  It is all posted.  

What can I do to be successful in Spanish? 

  • Study every evening for 15-20 minutes, whether it be the vocabulary or the notes on the grammar.  
  • Make Flashcards of the Vocabulary.  IF you are one that needs to have the vocabulary in your hands to learn it, then I recommend this for you!  
  • Use Quizlet Flashcards/Games.  This is a great website to help aide you in the study of any language.  All vocabulary sets will be given to you on Quizlet.  
  • Be Positive and participate in class.  If you want to be successful in anything, you have to be willing to put yourself out there and be willing to make some mistakes. 
  • Get help early on if you find yourself struggling.  Ask questions in class when appropriate and get help after school if you find that you are struggling to understand any concepts.  

Can I retake an assessment?

There is certain criteria that a student has to meet in order be able to retake an assessment. 
  • Has to have given a TRUE ATTEMPT on the first assessment.  If an assessment is blank and they turn it in without truly trying, there is no retake. 
  • Student must notify the teacher of intention of retaking the assessment(s) within 2 days of receiving feedback, and make an appointment to come in and retake the assessment within 5 school days.   
  • Students will get 3 "Tickets" per term for retakes.  They may use them for any assessment they feel they would want to retake.  The "tickets" do NOT carry over to the next term or semester, they are simply reset each term. 
  • No retakes on term exams, finals or presentations.  

Students may NOT retake the assessment the same day that they have received feedback about the assessment.  

NOTE:  The score on the retake is the grade that will be posted in the gradebook.  If a student does better, that is the grade that gets recorded, or if he does worse, that is the grade that gets recorded.  

Cornell Style Note Taking

Many students struggle with organization, not only with scheduling and keeping track of time and class assignments, but also with how they manage the information they are being given from all their classes.   Cornell style note taking is method that was developed by a professor at Cornell University to help students organize information in a meaningful format.  A study was done to see how effective two note-taking methods were for students (click here to read the study).  The two methods being compared were the Guided notes method and the Cornell method.  Both serve different purposes, but both proved to be effective for students in learning new concepts or material.  The Cornell method is useful for students that need to synthesize and apply information, and the Guided notes method is more effective when information requires knowledge, recall or basic comprehension.  (Jacobs, 2008)  For these courses, students will begin with taking Cornell style notes to help them understand the grammar and how it applies to language.  


Below is a website that gives a breakdown of the Cornell note taking process.  Click here for the PDF explanation from Cornell University.