Faith Comes by Hearing

 Every month, our church members get a partner letter from the founder when he expounds a little bit more on what the Lord shares with him for the ministry and everyday life. For August, I'm not sure why it took me so long to open my mail (I'm not really a mail fan, ya'll, seriously - not paper snail mail or e-mail). But today, I woke up early for the weekend (7 a.m.) and wanted to get some reading done.

For whatever reason, my mind always takes a Biblical principle and relates it to the classroom - my classroom to be quite specific. I teach high schoolers to acquire Spanish and we use a ton of technology to excite and engage each other in the process. 

Believers talk a lot about faith but I'm not sure if we've learned how to really access it. You see, we all were not necessarily born with it, but we were given it once we popped out and figured out we had an imagination. We've each received a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3) That means we each can make it grow or not, depending on what we do with our faith, more specifically, according to Romans 10:17, we increase in faith by what we hear. 

How does this relate to my world language classroom and why did I revel in this Aha! moment earlier? It's because faith builds confidence! The more you hear it, see it, read it, witness it, experience it, the more you understand it, get it and naturally walk in it! This is what is considered acquisition (something happening subconsciously and without forced effort) versus learning (a conscious effort to pay attention to structures). And so, in an acquisition-driven language environment, the same principle holds true for our students. They must constantly hear (read, see, witness in context, experience culture comparisons and differences) in the target language in order to receive faith - the confidence to actually spit it back out in meaningful and understandable context! 

 

This morning's epiphany helped me better understand the purpose behind what we all want to happen in our classrooms: the engagement, the motivation, the understanding, the desire to openly share and communicate. It all comes and lines up when our students are confident about what they have acquired through your constant OUTpouring of INput! 

For this reason, we do storytelling, story listening, read alouds, music listening to lyrics, clip chats and/or movie talks. In order to maintain a 90% classroom in the target language, our students must interact daily with one or more of these tasks to continually receive input, so that when we do decide to have story asking (yes, it is different from story listening and I recently realized that too!) or after we just finished a special person interview, we don't get blank stares and glossy eyes, instead we get real words and gestures in return, smiling faces and the like. 

It's the FAITH for me! It's a confidence booster. It's a sentence starter, builder and completer! After I've done all I know to do with pouring the language into my students, all I'll have to do is sit back and watch them (hear them, see them) communicate with me everything their hearts can muster in the target language! 

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word! Be sure to jump into a scripture today. Hold on to it and watch your confidence sky rocket! 🤙🏾

#notjustaclassroomblog

Control Yourself. Boundaries.

 I was "today years old" when I learned that I decide my own boundaries. Jaw drop. 

This might be something already familiar to many of you, but to me, for the past month or so, I have been growing personally within myself. It's like God is revealing some serious stuff to me and I (insert claps) am (more claps) here (clap) for (one more clap) it! 👏 Not quite sure how to add brown skin claps on Blogger, so clearly, that's another post. LOL 

Anywho, this whole growth thing is freeing! Today marked the first of a five-day conference, of which I am too thrilled to have been given the opportunity to share (present) again. I'm a techie by nature, which is so different for so many; but basically, I get to use cool apps for teaching and I try to sike out my students and colleagues to love ALL the tech tools like me. 

This morning, I opened the conference schedule, which is beautimus! (No typo.) It is so neat and colorful with tons of links and access points for presenters and attendees. I pulled out my tablet to a fresh page and began mapping out which sessions I would check out all week: 
Beginner French (for teachers) at 8 a.m., debrief right after for 30 minutes. Zumba at 10 something for 45 minutes. Break, although "lunch and learn"-type meetings were open. Workshop number one at 12:30 p.m. Workshop number two at 2 p.m. Facebook posts. Padlet. All the social media sites. Happy Hour/ Meet and Greet with attendees and presenters at 6 p.m. 

Do you get it? Do you understand how I felt, why I felt that way? Does it seem like too much to you? What would you have done? I kind of mapped out my schedule, but I literally spent a good hour reading bios to determine which sessions I would choose over the other, and I felt myself getting anxious again when I couldn't pick just one. My chest started hurting - seriously. I stared at my computer screen and then I decided to take a walk. Figured I had time to clear my mind before Workshop #1. And here's the kicker: all of the sessions were being recorded and I'd have an entire six months to watch the ALL at my own leisure! So why was I freaking out?

Then, 12:30 p.m. came. I left my screen tabs open but I couldn't find the link into the Workshop #1 session! I searched Facebook, attempted to re-log back in on the web site, personal messaged a few people, but it was a hopeless attempt. By the time help came my way, about 20 minutes into the session, I was frazzled and kind of aggravated at my own self that I'd missed the intro and probably some great information. Then, my phone rang and a good friend called. I shared how I'd just logged in and was getting situated into Day 1 of the first workshop and he listened intently. And then I said, "... but I'm not even really paying attention." And that's when I realized it: I create my own boundaries, and I also get to determine how I feel and how I got that way. Being anxious and overwhelmed and frazzled and upset was NOT how I wanted to feel today or any day; and to change that narrative I had to make a decision, a choice to leave the meeting. There weren't really many options to weigh but in the moment it can be paralyzing. Sometimes the simplest of choices for one seem like life or death for others. 

With my friend patiently on standby, I clicked the red "Leave" button and exited the online meeting. I let out a deep breath of relief. That's it. He said he was proud of me, and I felt proud of myself too. "Do what is best for your mental well-being!" wrote one of my Twitter friends. "'No,' when used properly, is as beautiful as it is powerful! Good for you!" another Twitter peep posted. 

Lesson learned: You don't have to be everywhere or in all of the things all of the time. 

Can you relate? Are you a #conferencejunkie but secretly get worked up? Enneagram three living. 

Drop me a line below and let me know how you're creating your own self-control boundaries. 

#notjustaclassroomblog #enneagram3 #selfcontrol #boundaries #IamOK #IcansayNO

Twitter post: @ladylanguage411

Preparing for today's first class of beginner level French online, (from top journal to bottom layer) my bullet journal, my prayer/ devotional journal, the color-coded tablet for today's class and workshops.

How I felt - accomplished - after I closed the computer and took a walk in between classes. There were no weights lifted in this picture, but the smile and the sense of doing something for me is beaming. 

Snapchat filter for the win! #conferencejunkie My face once the final workshop of the day ended. 

Do What Is Pleasing

 Hey guys. I've been feeling a little overwhelmed. Today, I went to three webinars - on a Saturday! The first one started at 10AM EST but I missed it because I am in a different time zone. The second one was 30 minutes later, so I made it on time and got some cool pointers. And the third one was an hour after that on how to clean up my Gmail via settings. Anyone ever heard of Simplek12? I linked their information, so feel free to check them out at your convenience. 

Maybe I'm feeling a little tight wound because I stayed up to 5AM working on my bullet journal spread for July. Honestly, it's like my calming, quiet place. But then I get so analytical and meticulous about it that it turns into a must-do chore rather than a self-care relaxation activity. But I'll share the pics anyway so you can see. 

In about an hour I'll need to get up and out the door. I'm meeting a friend for lunch on this rainy afternoon but I know I need to do some intentional reading and praying first. Journaling is already done. So, here's what I wanted to share with you today: it doesn't matter how many times you start over, do what God told you to do. 

Last week Sunday, we had Pastor Keith Moore as a guest speaker, and the entire message was so simplistic to answer the age-old question: why are you here? What is your purpose? 
Wanna know the simplest answer? To please God. 

Shut the front door! Turn off the lights. Close the book. Next chapter! I said it. That's it. Well, technically he said it, and that should be a capital H! Our sole purpose on this earth is to please God. When I heard those words last Sunday, I don't even think I wrote them in my Bible journal until two sentences later. LOL It was so freeing, so weight lifting, such a burden removed to know that all I am here to do is please God. 

If we have anything in common, maybe you're a go getter who holds a hefty skill set. And sometimes with all those abilities and capabilities, you're wondering what you should do with all you've acquired. I am high school Spanish teacher (currently in transition for something else), a technology lead teacher, a Twitter chat moderator, a creative (dabbling now into building websites), a presenter/ speaker, a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Fellow ... those are just some of the professional things I do. I enjoy hand lettering. I translate and/or interpret at my church. I am a budding Polyglot with a 77-day streak so far on the DuoLingo app. So anyway, with all these "things" I wonder, what am I doing with them? Who am I reaching? Why do I like them all so much. And guess what last Sunday's message revealed through God's Word: He granted me the skillset to do all of these things - wait for it - to please Him! Bingo! 

So, even on today, I know why I'm feeling anxious and overwhelmed. It's because I haven't read my Bible or done my prayer journal. I started the day jumping onto the computer to login and now I'm writing to you one of my sporadic posts after watching a YouTuber explain why everyone needs a web site; and I know I need to go spend some quality time with my Father. 

Well, that's it. That's my time for today. I even created a content planner page in my bullet journal so I can determine when to post and about what - on all the pages I now have. You'll definitely be able to connect with me sooner than later EVERYWHERE! Hahahaha There are so many handles! I'm off to do what I know will please Him! Enjoy the rest of your Saturday, and be sure to do what is pleasing in the eyes of our Father. 

Blessings, 
Nelann

#notjustaclassroomblog

Now is the Time!

 

You want to know which #oneword I finally decided on? Look up. It's the English and Spanish version (pronounced lees-tah). In March 2020, our schools closed their buildings but our teacher hearts remained open. Throughout the summer of 2020, so many tech conferences were canceled and plans shifted as nations, vendors, gubernatorial forces figured out next steps. In August/September, the typical start of the majority's school year, virtual conferences were the new wave; and they were free! To close out the year of "Great Expectations Gets Great Results" (my church's 2020 theme), there was one virtual conference that captured my attention. 

#DitchSummit with J. Matt Miller. I actually met him in person, fan girling at #ISTE '18 or '19, I think! I met so many techie celebs that I grinned from ear to ear walking my 13 thousand daily steps around Philadelphia's Convention Center and downtown area! Big smiles for Flipgrid - I saw at least four green tents on the demo floor, and this rectangular screen where people were sharing mini videos of themselves and how their students' voices were being heard. Now, you can see my picture in the Discovery Library when you go to the page. I'm listed as an Inspiring Creator! I signed up to volunteer at the #ISTE conference and met the magic of the edu podcast for pre-service teachers with Dr. Samantha Fecich. We sat and talked for a bit at my little booth as she charged her phone to get to the next session. Then, there was #PassTheScopeEDU, a podcast crew out of  Texas led by Brian Romero Smith. He was already someone I followed on Twitter. I bumped into him walking down one of the many corridors at the mega fest, and told him I was interested in blogging; and then he invited me on his show! Man, I was walking into the light the entire conference! Anyway, let me come back to my original train of thought - Ditch Summit from the author of Ditch That Textbook. 

The very first session I watched was with a Spanish teacher, an award winner, a blogger, and just someone I related to instantly. A lot of times when I attend conferences, the connecting piece is technology integration; but to find another world language teacher with influence is always exciting. He had my attention at hello. He said (he'd heard from someone else year's ago), "Don't get ready, get started." I think that was even the name of the session - from 2004! The title jumped out at me. Not only was it catchy, the words were talking to me: Don't get ready. Get started. To me, it meant asking myself, how long before you launch? Go ahead and jump in. But if you know me, you'd realize that I was born a jumper. Not quite sure if it has anything to do with my enneagram (I'm a three with traits of a four); and I'm an Aries (we tend to be bull-headed leaders who go forth without seeing the full picture). The don't-get-ready part was already out the window because I lept last year! I finally started the blog. My work instagram page was already a networking factor. I began building in a new-to-me tool called Canva. My bullet journaling was coming along and helping me map out my time with intentionality; and I was creating more conference content to share globally. I'd already gotten started, but I still soaked up his words. 

Now, some virtual conferences later that I've shared at, I'll be presenting for the first time at Orange County Computer Using Educators Magical Mystery Fest Saturday, January 30. My presentation is about one of the engagement strategies I love creating - digital escape rooms with #MicrosoftEDU. And now, I've upped the ante and included digital escape scenes to my repertoire. I've seen the rave on YouTube with all my #GoogleEDU peeps and had to give it a go with the tools which I have access within the Microsoft platform - PowerPoint, OneNote notebook, Forms.

My friend told me, "Practice makes better" not perfect. All great things take time. The more time you put into your practice, the better the outcome. I am sharing as I go all the time that is spent on this blog, in my classroom, in building relationships, my brand. And I am READY to reap the benefits of all the time spent in practice. Have you started, and are you ready?

Terri Savelle Foy heard from the Lord years ago, "When I know you're ready, get ready." My motivational scripture to accompany my #oneword2021 is Genesis 27:40. The paraphrased version and interpreted revelation to me is, when you decide to move, nothing and no one will stop you! 

#notjustaclassroom 

Best Scene-ario So Far!

 

What does this look like? You've heard of the escape room, digital breakouts, and even the whole bitmoji classroom craze. Well, this is that, kind of, with a twist! 

This year I didn't want to give a long and drawn out escape room. I polled my students for feedback and they literally split the polls in half with their replies. Half wanted to complete an escape room for their final exam while the other half wanted a digital form or to take the exam on some interactive tool. I just wasn't up for putting all the brain power behind building something fancy this go around. So, in comes an escape scene. Instead of building a complete notebook in Microsoft OneNote, I decided to use a few tools for a scene in PowerPoint. 

I had to think of a scene, and to be totally honest, I just did a Google search for "town." Our most recent clip chat/ movie talk (when I find a YouTube video and pause it on main scenes to discuss in Spanish) was called, "The Wish Granter," so what better way to close out the exam than with some personalized scenario of getting out of town on a wish. 

I only recorded five questions! Seriously. Only five for the entire final exam. But the crazy part is students had to click all over town on the images to find my hidden videos with hints. In each video I asked a question from the content we'd covered. Students had to reply to the video and also uncover the hidden message. And to cross check myself for you know the slicksters, I even put a page in their class notebooks to answer a few questions of my own. Call me a fact checker! LOL 

Anywho, I'm attaching the link to the PDF for your viewing and clickable pleasure. I hope you enjoy the escape scene and get some ideas for what you could do! 

#notjustaclassroomblog

Join the Wakelet Wave!

 

As shared from my class Instagram page, iteachspanishatwsjh

Are you looking for resources? No specific kind, or maybe some of everything? Have you ever had a place where you could dump all your bookmarks?

Well, @wakelet is where it's at! Go to the website and look for me!😉 There, you'll see tons of resources - from Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, wherever! Saved items for classroom set up to music, inspirational messages and tech tools I absolutely love!

Join the #wakeletwave🌊 Let me know if you're having a tough time getting started. Like Instagram, there's an entire community of people ready and willing to help - including me, of course! 😁

A few tips on how to use Wakelet with students and staff: 

• Create a music playlist
• Build "Spaces" to better organize all your saved bookmarks
• Collaborate with peers
• Collaborate with students
• Group or individual class projects and/or portfolios
• School-wide presentations
• PLC  group chats
• One-stop-shop to save ALL the things

Recently (fast forward to April 2021), I tuned in to a YouTube webinar special and other community conversations  - in English and Spanish - that have been outstanding. The way our global PLN chimes in to help each other always amazes me! Find wakelet on YouTube and a few of the powerhouse Ambassadors I follow on Twitter: Leticia Citizen @CitiCoach, Tisha Poncio @TxTechChick and Amy Storer @techamys

Catch you out on the Wakelet waters! 

#notjustaclassroomblog

Finish the Course

Do you see this smile?! My favorite text message from Thursday came in hours after a normal school day's quitting time! A message from the school counselor at 4:32 p.m. read, "The last diploma drop off for the class of 2020!" There was a picture of the student attached to the text message. What an announcement; and the smile that glazed over my face just looking at a newly-named former student's picture was priceless! "Life starts now" is all I could think. He'd been in my class for Spanish 1 and 2 - in person and online, and after several rescheduled deadlines. But none of that mattered now because he finished the course. What a proud teacher moment!

Do you imagine yourself out of whatever situation you're in? Do you get so tired of the journey that you wished you'd reached the destination by now - whatever it may be? I think that is how my former student felt then; and honestly, it is me right now. I am taking this online course and I am so ready for it to be over already. Ugh! So much that I asked one of my teacher friends to hound me every day to guilt trip me into finishing. The crazy thing is my online course is no different than my former student completing his course online.

He started off with me in the classroom for Spanish 1, but that route was not easy. He barely showed up and so he failed it. Ended up taking it online. I still had to proctor it though. Made sure he was getting the assignments submitted, recorded, etc.  And then came Spanish 2. How did he move on? Well, he was a graduating senior, and in an effort to give him a second chance, the Administration allowed him to move through per my request. He just had to complete both courses, of course, by the end of the school year. Not that my heart is soft. It is just that if not now, then when? He bombed the online course again - in the beginning and through most of the remaining school year. The in-person class was pretty much a repeat too. Other teachers and myself included tried to infuse this young man with positive vibes, real-word anecdotes and "coming to Jesus moments." We tried to scare him onto the straight and narrow road.

The fact of the matter is that he had to realize all of our helpful hints on his own. One day he was fed up. I can only imagine this though. He texts to me only said, "Unlock my test please." I just know he wanted to be done, even if that meant skipping through half of the material and barely recording sounds in English for a Spanish module. But again, he is no different that me. The driving force is the desire to finish. I know in a previous post, I shared about enjoying the journey - but that was in reference to my daily workout routine and psyching myself up to be active every day. Finishing this online course is different. I do not want to do it. I can see the benefits of it but because it is forced and it is on deadline, it takes the desire away.

I often remember expressing to my students they did not have to have a love for Spanish like me. They do not have to want to study abroad or continue their learning with it in college; but they had to find a way to want to be in my classroom every day. They had to find their own way to want to learn it and in return to finish the course. The same holds true for me. I don't want to do those live workouts. Well, I kind of do because the energy is totally different and I feel good knowing I am loving on myself and taking care of my body. But the online class ... I have to find a way to want to finish it too. I have to psych myself up in thoughts and in daily affirmations to encourage myself. We need each other to do that, just like my student needed me and the village of teachers to encourage him with soft and not-so-soft words.

You want to know what he said when I told him I wanted to post this picture on my Instagram page: "I could have did it without you." Yeah, you read that right! But my teacher friend claims it's a typo, so I am going to just smile and nod and add the word "not" where it is intended (by me) to be. LOL [Insert shrugs.] Teachers are used to getting the short end of the stick in this delayed-gratification field.

"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us ..." Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV

"So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up." Galations 6:9 NLT

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