Classroom Management for Spanish Teachers

In order to optimize the learning time we have with our students, we have to have a classroom management system. Classroom management for Spanish teachers, in specific at the high school levels, can take many forms. Here are some of the most basic things that work for me, and I hope that some will help you too!

Know What You Value

Whole books have been written on classroom management for Spanish teachers, but I’m trying to be brief and give actionable strategies. The most important thing you can do, before school starts, is to clarify for yourself what your rules are. What are your triggers?

For me, a trigger used to be when a student would get up and sharpen a pencil while I was giving instructions or while an audio was playing. Of course, that’s a small thing. But I realized that to avoid getting frustrated, I had to teach students when was a good time to sharpen!

Make a short list of rules and procedures, and teach them to your students right away- during the first week of school. Students must know what is important to you in order for them to begin to trust you.

Be Fair

Once you have chosen your rules and what behaviors are important and which will not be acceptable, you must enforce them fairly. No one likes to be the “bad guy”. But I have been the “good guy” and spent whole school years frustrated by behaviors that I have allowed. Classroom management means you have to actively manage what’s going on.

I find that when I explain my expectations early on, and tell students that I WILL enforce them right away, so they should expect it, and then follow through, they respect me. When I have to follow through with a consequence, I do so calmly. I talk to the student and re-explain that if I do not follow through with what I said I would do, no one will respect me or trust me. They usually understand!

LIFE LESSON! The more fairly you do this right away, the less time you will spend for the rest of the year managing unwanted behaviors.

Personalize Learning

Once you are on your way with knowing your rules and being fair, classroom management for Spanish teachers becomes fun! Now we get to personalize learning for students!

This can take many forms. Do you students love games? Build at least one game a week into your plans! Do they love to try new activities? How about using white boards or markers/crayons? Do they like to see their names used in your class activities? There are so many ways to take what you know about your students and incorporate those things into your class activities!

As a Spanish teacher, I have accepted that not all of my students love to learn Spanish. But I can almost always find a way to make class fun for students, and one that goes by fast or at least isn’t boring! And all you have to do is ask your students what they like and dislike! They’re happy to tell us!

Get Parents/Guardians to Work With You

As I said earlier on, whole books can be written about classroom management for Spanish teachers. But one important strategy that cannot be overlooked is to get the adults in your students’ lives on your side.

As an elective, and as a subject that many people did not master themselves when they were in school, Spanish can seem anywhere from scary to impossible to not that important to unnecessary for some adults.

Find ways to welcome parents/guardians into a partnership with you and the student. Start by sending home a letter to parents introducing yourself. Ask them for their help! I ask for class supplies, for information about their children and for potential class guests!

When you have a problem with a student, call or email, and explain that you are “worried” about something and wonder if they can help. I’ve learned that it is very important that you word things in a way that does not feel like an insult, a threat or a judgement. When you tell the parent/guardian that you are concerned and want to help fix the problem, they are ready to work with you!

Please let me know if you need more strategies for classroom management for Spanish teachers! I have tons, but teachers are busy! I didn’t want to make this post too long!