1. Fun “tricks of the trade” I’ve picked up over the years…and sometimes, cut and pasted….

2. Primero, en español…. Teaching Ser and Estar Here’s a useful rhyme:
“How you feel, or where you are, always use the verb estar.”
Do the “Mexican hat dance” for the verb.
STOP vs. Health or “Stop the Elf”
(One colleague does “TOPIC”)

3. STOP and HEALTH? Ser Time: ¿Qué hora es? Son las once.
Origins: ¿De dónde eres? Soy de Rochester.
Permanent/personality: Marcos es alto, simpático, etc.
Health: Marta está enferma
Estar:
Attitude: Estoy contento(a) hoy
Location: Mi casa está en la ciudad de Rochester
Temporary Conditions: Pedro está cansado
Happening Now: Estamos hablando, estoy comiendo, etc.

4. How do you teach verbs? Do you do a chant, a cheer?
Do you have any fun songs from youtube you recommend, such as “bringing conjugation back?”
How about the joke about Simón Bolívar?
(Telling the students about “El Libertador de América,” Bolívar, but one kid is asleep. You wake him and ask him about Bolivar. He says, “bolivo, bolivas, boliva, bolivamos….”)

5. How do you teach the preterit vs. the imperfect?
I tell my students how, when I was a kid, in that long ago era (get it? Era?), I used to sing and dance to songs by ABBA. Yo cantaba, yo bailaba, etc…..
I also used to go to Los Vegas.
“Iba a Los Vegas….” (like Elvis…. “Viva Las Vegas…”)
Also, a fun word: “trabajábamos.”

6. How do you teach the subjunctive?
*Subjunctive= Clause 1 (WEIRDOS) + que +CLAUSE 2 (Yo-o-drop-flip) or DISHES
Subjunctive: Wishes, Emotions, Imp. expressions, Requests, Doubts (desires, denial) Ojalá, Suggestions Spells WEIRDOS
I also have a song and use some TPR:
“Yo-o-drop-flip”

7. The subjunctive song The Spanish Subjunctive Song by Steve Farrington
(to the tune of YMCA)
If you have a “clause-one” that shows
Emotion, well, then everyone knows,
There’s a thing you gotta do after “que”
But you’ve got to form it this way!
No verb does it all by itself,
The subjunctive can’t just sit on the shelf!
You can use it, flip that E to an A,
But you’ve got to form it this way:
You’ve got to do the “yo-o-drop-flip” you gotta the do the “yo-o-drop-flip”
Now you can do that new flip, even use it today!
You can use it after the que…..
Yo-o-drop-flip, you can do the yo-o-drop-flip!
You got everything in this one simple rule,
You can use it for españ-ool!
Yo-o-drop-flip!
(For example, take salir: Salgo, salg, e to a, salga)

8. How do you do the imperfect subjunctive?
For the imperfect subjunctive, use the “ellos” preterite, drop “RON” and then add:
ra, ras, ra, ‘ramos, ran. (I always explain here that they did something, they dropped off Ron, who is annoying , and then they cheered! “Ra, ras, ra, ‘ramos, ran!” (AKA the Lady Gaga tense)

9. How about the 8 irregular commands?
Did you hear about how Vin Diesel showed up at a movie premier (un gran estreno) in Berlin, Germany?

10. Everyone was surprised, he was carrying ten guns and knives….
Vin Di
Sal
Haz
Ten Ve
Pon Sé

11. How about those compound tenses?
For Spanish compound-tense work:
For any compound tenses, anything with “haber,” you will always end your past-participles with “o.”
Therefore, think of this: “Ho, ho, ho!”
(If you are starting with “h” of haber, end in “o.”)
Also, here is a an acronym for the irregular past-participles:
REVVMACPHD
Romper-roto
Escribir- escrito
Volver- vuelto (also devolver-devuelto, etc.)
Ver- visto
Morir-muerto
Abrir- abierto
Cubrir- cubierto
Poner- puesto
Hacer-hecho
Devolver= devuelto

12. What are some other sites or resources you use for verbs?
I am a fan of Duolingo and youtube. I want to get more into kahoot, quizlet, and have used conjuguemos.com for extra credit. I’ve heard good things about “Verbarrator” as well.
Here are some favorite websites from my friend, Liz Solis, a teacher at Brockport Central Schools:
Quizlet.com (quizlet.live)  (elizabethsolis0623)
getkahoot.it (elizabethsolis0623)
conjugemos.org
studystack.com
verb2verbe.com
in progress always!)
Also, from Liz Solis:
 Schoology.com is free Learning management system
castlelearning.com - subscription paid by school
padlet.com - exit ticket - thoughts on post -its
canvo.com - on line poster type stuff

13. Now, for French:
Here’s a new one I just learned from a teacher in Hilton, Amy Gallton:
PPAWS, a nice acronym.
“Past participle agrees with the subject.”
As in, “Elle est arrivée.”
(This also holds true for Italian)

14. Want a song for the passé composé être verbs
Want a song for the passé composé être verbs? Sick of the “house of être” or DRMRSVANDERTRAMP?
La chanson: (set to the tune of “Allouette”)
“Aller, monter, arriver, retourner
Entrer, rentrer, tomber et descendre,
Revenir et devenir
Sortir, partir, et mourir
Venir, naȋtre (voice up) venir, naȋtre (voice down)
Avec ȇtre (voice up), avec ȇtre (voice down)
Aaaaahhhhhhhhh……………..(can you pick the missing verb? Hint: to stay. 

15. How do you teach Prenominal Adjectives?
For prenominal adjectives: “BAGSO” or “Beauty Age Goodness Size Order” for those that go before. (Some prefer “BANGS”)
I use “BAGSO the Clown.”
He’s the first of his kind, a beautiful, old clown, he’s very tall, and he’s a good clown.”

16. Other resources to get students excited about LOTE?
Nice websites: Quizlet, conjuguemos.com, duolingo.com, or go to and find the show “Destinos” under For. Languages for episodes
Here are some fun favorite videos on Youtube:
1) For basic Spanish classes, check out these videos: ¿Qué hora es? (A spoof of the telenovela genre, very funny)
2) ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy? (check this out for teaching weather and ser/estar, a nice song and lots of fun videos made of this)
3) The “One semester of Spanish Love Song” is corny, but fun, and a good review of some basic phrases.
4) Conjugation Back! A video about conjugating “ar” verbs.

17. And some more…. On youtube: Videos that you can show most groups
French:
“Extra” in French (or “extra en español”) (corny but useful!)
French in Action (a classic)
Catherine (the show from Quebec) or “les Gignols”
Gad Elmaleh (this French comedian is making a “go” in the USA. Watch his comedy in French and in English, have students compare/contrast them?
Spanish: (search these title and “capítulos completos”)
Destinos (a corny show to help learn Spanish)
Extra en español, a corny sitcom for students
Telenovelas: Lo que la vida me robó, Yo soy Betty la Fea, or Maria la del Barrio, but preview any clips
My favorite: Aquí No Hay Quien Viva, a nice sitcom from Spain

18. Random stuff….
Also, put in youtube, “jack & the beanstalk” with “être” or “passe compose with wrecking ball” song
¿Qué tiempo hace hoy?
¿Qué hay en la clase?
John Conner is amazing, tons of great ideas. Bring him in for a training? We did at MCC.
French stuff:
Here’s a nice site for grammar resources:
or google “tex French grammar” (a nice grammer clearinghouse)
FluentU

19. Open discussion? What works best for you in your practice?
1) TPR tips?
2) Songs?
3) Youtube clips?
4) Rhymes or acronyms that your colleagues can steal/share with others?
5) Other?
6) Please ideas to me at or me for a copy of this.