Students of the Month (April Edition)

Students of the Month!

So as I mentioned before every month I’ll highlight someone in each of the classes who is doing exceptionally well in Spanish! The first students I chose sort of encompass March and April, I guess March gave me the chance to get to know everyone and these are the students who really stuck out!

For the month of April it was:

Hummingbirds- Alex      

I chose Alex, because although he doesn’t talk much, he will make a lot of the hand gestures of the songs, and listens intently and will say a lot of the sound words, for example at the end of the araña arañita song… I always say “uh oh” like I am sad for the spider… and he gets excited to say it with me. Also instead of repeating he will point to things in the classroom like if I say “perro” he will say “woof” and point to a dog! It’s fun watching him grow and participate more and more each day.

Daisies- Olivia

Ha, Olivia is the toddler superstar! No doubt about it. It’s super evident the work that she is doing at home, but also she just genuinely gets excited about Spanish. Any time the daisies are walking down the hall… I’ll hear “baila baila baila” or if I walk  by “baila baila?” sort of like a question, like please Ms. Jessie sing it! Ha, she picks up on so much! She had food memorized in the first week. She is always the one to repeat back, and takes it a step further by picking up a horse and saying “Caballo.” She can name all of her body parts, a ton of food names, and she can have simple conversations. She is legitimately impressive… hopefully I’ll catch her showing off on video so I can share!

Caterpillars- Elliot

Elliot! He is a silent little killer. He might not repeat back too much but when it’s time to quiz him, that’s when he likes to shine. He likes to be the only voice talking, because he knows them all! I think he has a competitive side to him. I guess we’ll learn a bit more later on! I bet when he transitions he will thrive with the challenge!

Rainbows- Ginger

Ginger makes it look so easy, we’ll learn new words and the next day she’ll remember them all! Her accent, as well, is super impressive! Not everyone can do a good “perro,” but she sure does. She talks very clearly which is impressive for a two year old! She can easily answer questions like “¿Cómo estás? “¿Cómo te llamas?” There are a few kids in the Rainbow classroom that do a great job of setting the example and Ginger is definitely one of them.

Sunflowers- Langston

Langston is a ball of energía, he smiles a ton... a big huge smile (which I adore) and gets everyone else in class excited! He is always trying to sing along or when we read books he repeats what I’m saying. He also likes to translate to make sure everyone is on the same page! 

Butterflies- Aubrey
Aside from Aubrey's fantastic style (Toms Shoes!!!), she is such a smarty pants! I guess it would be safe to say that the Butterfly room lacks a little leadership, but during Spanish whether she realizes it or not... the kids wait to hear what Aubrey is going to say then they repeat what she says. She is a sweet heart and listens and always sets a great example for everyone else! 

Grasshoppers- Salvador

My favorite memory so far is from the very first day of Spanish class and the ginormous smile on Salvador's face when I began speaking in Spanish. He says "I know that!" I held up some cards and he was just beaming... I held up a milk card and he says in the sweetest tiniest voice..."lechita." Everyone else is like "Noooo! That's not it!!" Then I had to explain that, they are both right... it was a crash course in diminutives! But I think as everyone is learning Spanish they are getting the hang of knowing that there are many ways to say one thing!! 

Dragonflies- Olivia 
Olivia my first week teaching was like a phenom! (Don't worry she still continues to be, but am mildly scared I'm not challenging her enough!) She has the most authentic accent! She rolls her R's!!! Yayy she says the worlds so perfectly! It makes me envious I didn't start learning Spanish when I was her age. She has an uncanny ability to remember new vocab from day one to day two... When I review she is the only one talking!! She is awesome! I think it has a lot to do with her dad Speaking to her in Spanish saying whatever he knows, but even more so just encouraging her to use it!