We are all in this together!!!

Trabajos y responsabilidades en la clase de Español

Weather changer (First thing before class and only period 2)

Door/light person:  This person always turns light on and off when Profe asks.  He/she also closes/opens the door when needed. 

Artist-(On story days) This person gets a piece of white paper and illustrates the story so that Profe can use the drawings later for a quiz or to have someone retell the story by looking at the drawings.  This student must have good listening skills, be able to multi-task and not stop the acting to ask to have something repeated.  Must be good at paying attention and following class dialog in Spanish. 

Quiz writer- (On story days) This person creates a 5 question quiz based on the story.

Story details writer-(On story days) This person scripts the story.  Must be able to write story without having to stop the process to ask questions or have the actor repeat his/her line.

Camera person (On filming days) This happens once in a while.  Must have a steady hand.

Actor(s) - (On story days) These people will always act in our stories.  Must have a sense of humor and be ok with poking fun at oneself. They must be willing to use props when the story calls for it.  We need at least 6 actors from each class. 

Specialty actor(s) Students are experts at something.  Needed only on some story days. 

Student Aide-Responsible student who can run an errand when Profe needs it, passes out papers or materials and makes sure everything is picked up off the floor at the end of the period.

Sneeze Person- Gets the attention of the class when someone sneezes and says, “¡Clase! Uno, dos tres…” (Class! One, two three...), and then the whole class says ¡Salud! (Health!) which is the equivalent of Gesundheit, or God bless you in Spanish. We do this so that students do not break into English. The students also have to say a hearty ¡Salud!, like they mean it.  As with other class procedures, if we do not feel the love, we repeat the process until they get it right.  However, this should not turn into a free for all.  

Teacher English Police-Throws a soft object, like a sponge ball or stuffed animal (which ideally would be closely related to Spanish), at Profe when she speaks in English without permission.   (BTW, soft object is never thrown in face and not at the pants please. Instant firing by “The Boss” for this offense.

Student English Police-Figures out a signal to use with students who are speaking English to other students and not paying attention or using English without permission.  After the signal is figured out, the student will share with the class. This is student is a responsible student who will remind the students only once before she/he says, “págame”.  Must have self-control and not shout out.

The Boss / El Jefe(a) When a student fails to do his/her job well repeatedly, this person is called upon to make the decision to let him/her go or not. They need be able to read the mood of the class to aide in the decision. They say, “You’re fired!” in the target language: ¡Estás despedido/a!   

Timer   Uses a stop watch to keep track of continuous minutes that Spanish is used in class. In level I, every eight (8) continuous minutes in the target language is one party point.   1 minute=1 party point. Must be an honest person who can multi-task.

Rejoinders Counter-Rejoinders are short, common expressions that keep a conversation going at little linguistic cost.  Each class needs to say a certain number of rejoinders every day—and at appropriate times. This student keeps a tally with a mechanical clicker/counter and reports the number at the end of class. 

Hostess / Host-Helps to make new students, substitutes, observers, and other visitors in the classroom feel welcome and comfortable by caring for their physical needs— helping with belongings, finding a place to sit, showing them around the school, etc.

Prop Person-This person gets out the prop box when needed.

 Interpreter-Helps new students, observers, and other visitors understand what is happening by getting up and sitting beside them and quietly engaging with them. The Interpreter listens to Profe and speaks to the guests in English if they need help understanding Spanish.  He/She also gives observers and administrators a Checklist for Observing a Foreign Language Classroom so that they can have a context for what we are doing. The Interpreter also explains the activities that are going on in the class. This needs to be a student that understands Spanish, understands the classroom routines and can communicate well.

Dulcería=candy/goodie person:  Passes out candy or goodies to class when asked by Profe.

Scapegoat / The Guilty One / El Culpable This person gets blamed (lovingly—this is in good fun) for everything that goes wrong in class, whether someone blurts out in English or if something is dropped or someone can’t find their assignment. He apologizes for it or, conversely, makes excuses and says  “No es mi culpa!”.  Lo siento!”  “It’s not my fault! I’m sorry!”