course evaluaton - Spanish I

I was a bit
apprehensive about taking this class, as I had never taken Spanish before. However
I was eager to learn so that I would be able to communicate better with the
parents of my special needs students (or at least be able to communicate even a
little bit!). Sr. De Valoes emphasis on learning as part of a group, while
addressing individual needs and questions, made the class an effective and
enjoyable learning experience.  Sr. De
Valoes taught us about the culture and history of the language in addition to
learning useful Spanish communication skills.  I gained a great deal of knowledge about
Spanish culture in addition to learning the language. I also learned about some
of the challenges our students and parents have in learning to navigate our
language and culture, which I think will make me a better teacher and advocate
for our ESOL students and families.

Sr. De Valoes
emphasized speaking in learning Spanish, before tackling writing. We spoke a
lot in class, with each other as we practiced various words, phrases, and
sentences, as well as during whole class Promethean board activities where we
worked as a group to respond to the task. The atmosphere was one of camaraderie
and cooperative learning. I reached a level of comfort in speaking that I had
not thought possible at the beginning of the course. In fact, in a recent
meeting with a parent who spoke only Spanish, I was able to greet her and just
speak to her a little bit in Spanish.  I
think she felt more comfortable about the meeting as a result.

Thank you Sr.
De Valoes for a wonderful learning experience! I would highly recommend this
class and teacher for a very engaging and enjoyable way to learn to speak
Spanish.