Inside: 1st Week of Spanish Class daily plans. Daily lesson plans for the first week of Spanish class. Back to school Spanish class plans for Spanish 1, or every level of Spanish at a new school.
Author: Allison Wienhold – Original idea & blog post published 6.20.15 & most recently updated 7.25.24.
UPDATE – This post was created the summer before starting at a new school in 2015. I was preparing to start all levels of Spanish. This was when I was starting with acquisition-driven instruction and comprehensible input.
It is a follow-up post to the overview of my first unit of the year focused on Procedures, Proficiency & Positive People. It would be helpful to read the Unit 1 overview blog post 1st. This specific unit would be great for a 1st year teacher, or your 1st year at a new school, where students do not know much about proficiency levels.
If you are looking for more acquisition-driven instruction and comprehensible input plans for week 1, I have a few more options.
- 1st Day of Spanish 1 – Name Game Speedball – tons of input day 1
- High-Frequency Verb Unit to Start Spanish 1 – a great CI unit to start levels 1 & 2
- 1st Day of Spanish 2, 3, 4 Plans
- Tons of 1st week Plans here all together here
- First Week of French Class
- 1st Day of Spanish Class (my original post)
Original 1st Week of Spanish Daily Plans Blog Post
1st Week Tentative Plan
Day 1 – I can introduce and state the names of my classmates.
BEFORE CLASS – A Spanish Pandora Station will be playing, all desks will have these seating cards, paper & markers, there will be an “Instagram Photo Booth” set up (more info soon!) and the following instructions will be posted on the board
- Take a photo in the photo booth if you want to
- Find your matching seating card
- Make a nameplate with your name & one items that represents you
GREET – Greet all students at the door in Spanish with a smile, handshake and a seating card. I will ask their name in Spanish, modeling “Me llamo Señora Wienhold” “¿Cómo te llamas?”
INTRO MYSELF – I will introduce myself using this Prezi in Spanish with a lot of actions, movement and enthusiasm.
NAME GAME – We will play name games standing in a circle. I will once again model “Me llamo Senora Wienhold” “¿Cómo te llamas?” and then pass a ball to another student, the first time next to them. Once everyone has been introduced, then in the second round the ball will be tossed to another student across the way until everyone has gotten it, and they will need to remember the order. We will then add in “se llama” to tell the name of who the ball came from and where it is going. This can keep going as long as there is high interest. Some classes want to be timed play speed ball style and beat a score, others tire of it quickly. The key is to end on a high note and keep them wanting more.
CIRCLING WITH BALLS – We will start this Ben Slavic activity to continue to get to know each other.
PASS OUT MINI SUPPLY LIST – As students leave they will receive a mini supply list, so they know what to get for class. (Binder, loose leaf paper, 8 tab dividers & writing utensil)
Day 2 – I can state the names and something about each of my classmates.
GREET – Greet all students at the door in Spanish
ATTENDANCE WITH A BALL
CIRCLING WITH BALLS – We will continue to get to know each other.
SPEEDBALL or ICE BREAKER – As a brain & stretch break
*If have technology ready, we may start the following items
- *Fill out info form & self assessment
- *Make Spanish Twitter Account
Day 3 – I can investigate class procedures & proficiency
GREET – Have a conversation with all students at the door in Spanish.
ATTENDANCE WITH A BALL
MÚSICA MIÉRCOLES
PARENT NEWSLETTER – hand out new newsletter to all students to have signed (it will also be emailed to all parents)
EXPLAIN 1st WEEK STATIONS
- Syllabus – explore & write down questions
- Info Form – Fill out Google Form with information & Self Assessment so I can get to know all students.
- Proficiency Levels – I plan to create an activity to go along with working to put these proficiency posters in order & will post once it is complete! **Update: see post about proficiency puzzle here!
- Spanish Twitter Account – Create a Twitter account to just use for Spanish class where all tweets will be in Spanish.
Day 4 – I can investigate class procedures & proficiency
GREET – Have a conversation with all students at the door in Spanish.
ATTENDANCE WITH A BALL
1st WEEK STATIONS – continue & complete secondary Twitter tasks
- Syllabus
- Info Form
- Proficiency Levels – proficiency puzzle
- Spanish Twitter Account **Once the other tasks are finished work on these secondary tasks
- Twitter Bio in Spanish
- Follow class account, Spanish speakers & classmates
- Post “Shelfies” with Spanish library
- Post Spanish music ideas for música miércoles & baile viernes
- Read & comment on classmate’s Spanish posts (Spanish 2 & above)
SPEEDBALL or ICE BREAKER – As a brain & stretch break
QUESTIONS – As an exit ticket write down questions about the infograph syllabus, class expectations, and proficiency to discuss the next day.
Day 5+ – I can explain class procedures and proficiency. I can introduce my classmates.
GREET – Have a conversation with all students at the door in Spanish.
BAILE VIERNES
ATTENDANCE WITH A BALL
VIERNES CHANT
STATIONS – finish if needed & students turn in signed Parent Newsletter
QUESTIONS – Discuss as a class questions syllabus, class expectations, and proficiency.
PERFORMANCE TASKS
- Presentational Speaking – names
- In a circle, students introduce classmates to each other.
- Interpersonal – procedures
- Discuss with classmate the expectations, rules and procedures of Spanish class.
- Presentational Writing – proficiency
- Students write about proficiency goal and what strategies and performance tools they will use to reach that goal.
UPDATE
Editable version of the unit plan, please click here.
Make your own Instagram Photo Booth, please click here.
Download the Proficiency Puzzle activity, please click here.
All of my back to school products together, you can find them here.
I hope that someone finds this useful, as I know my first year teaching I scored everywhere to try and find the perfect plan for the first week. Also here is what I planned last year for the 1st Day of Spanish Class. Just know that the first week there is a lot of business that usually needs to be taken care of, so try not to do anything too heavy, as it will end up getting interrupted by handing out locker combinations and setting up new computers. A couple items of business I will NOT be doing this year are checking out & covering textbooks #ditchbook. Please let me know if you have suggestions, ideas for improvement or questions!
