Inside: What to do in the 1st week of Spanish class. The first day of Spanish class plans, the first day of French class plans, and ideas for getting organized for the first week of school. Everything you need for the first weeks of Spanish (& French) class activities. The first week of class activities for Spanish & French class.
Author – Allison Wienhold
The first week of class activities for Spanish
Back to school is always a time of so many emotions. It means a fresh start to a new school year as a teacher. This might mean new students, a new teaching assignment, or even a new school. Teachers always want to “get it right” in the first weeks of school to set a positive tone for the school year.
Every year, I would overhaul my first day and the first week of Spanish class activities, trying to find the perfect back-to-school formula.
Well, what I have realized is that the ideal back-to-school plans for Spanish classes vary depending on your specific situation. So, in this back-to-school Spanish class round-up, I have put together all of my back-to-school blog posts and resources to save your precious time with your first week of class activities. If you are still in the middle of your break, bookmark this post & get back to reading for fun by the pool!
Traditional In-Person 1st Week of Spanish Class Activities
1st Day Name Game Speedball
My #1 activity for the 1st day with new students of all ages is the name game speedball. This blog post now includes a free slideshow to introduce the game in both Spanish & French. If I could only pick one first week of class activity, I would pick the name game Speedball! Learn names, build a positive class community & communicate in the target language.
First 2 Weeks of Spanish 1 – Super 7 Unit
My #1 suggestion for a 1st unit for Spanish 1/Exploratory Spanish, &/or as a review to start Spanish 2 is my present tense Super 7 unit. This is my absolute favorite unit I have created. I have personally used it a dozen times. *You can now also get the same Super 7 unit in my website store. Students get a solid foundation on high-frequency verbs & learn about each other.
1st Day of Spanish 2,3 & 4 activities
This blog post has my go-to plans for the 1st day of Spanish 2, Spanish 3 & Spanish 4. It started with just my very popular Mi Verano Find Someone Who. But now I have so many variations to mix it up & go beyond day one as well with the first week of class activities for Spanish. I also created more supportive options for Spanish 2 who are just starting with the preterite tense.
FRENCH CLASS 1st Week Plans
Let your French teacher friends know if they need the first week of class activities!
More General 1st Week of Spanish Class Plans
- Spanish Class – Unit 1 & Daily Plans, 1st Week Logistics – Created for the 1st week with proficiency focus at a new school.
1st Week of Spanish class Using Distance/Hybrid Learning
- How to Start Spanish Class with Distance Learning – blog
- Super 7 Bundle or CI High Frequency Verbs MEGA BUNDLE (every unit for any situation!)
- 1st 2 Weeks of School Plans Hybrid – Blog post
1st Week of Spanish Class Ready to Go Resources
Top BTS Resources for Spanish Teachers with many preps
Back to School MEGA BUNDLE (My #1 suggestion!)
Resources for every level you teach for the 1st month of school using comprehensible input. The ultimate time-saving bundle for teachers who have many levels of Spanish is the BTS Mega Bundle.**Update now has the option to get the same BTS Mega Bundle in my website store as well.
Para Empezar Bundle 2024 – Class Starters for a year
New bell ringers for every single day of the school year in Spanish class. This is my newest set of Para Empezar which includes the newest songs including the fall HHM9 Bracket. Classroom routines that will save your sanity this year. **Update you can get this same Para Empezar 2024 for a year bundle in my TPT as well.
Top BTS Resource for 1st Week of Spanish 1
Spanish 1 Unit 1- Super 7 Unit
If you want to start Spanish 1 with comprehensible input and acquisition of the Spanish Super 7, this unit is for you. ( *You can now also get the same Super 7 unit in my website store too). Even better, get the Present tense Super 7 bundle for a month’s worth of activities focusing on these foundational verbs in Spanish. Or the same Super 7 Present Tense Spanish BUNDLE from my website store.
Original Back to School Bundle – 1st Week of Spanish Class Plans
The Spanish Back to School Bundle in my store OR the same BTS Bundle on TPT is the perfect resource for a new teacher. It has classroom forms including the syllabus, proficiency puzzle, newsletter, lesson plan templates, and more. At a new school, I started every single level with the resources in this back-to-school bundle. In later years, I used versions of these forms in all levels, but the 1st-week plans here are for just new to my class level 1 students.
Top BTS Resource for 1st week of Spanish 2
For the first day of Spanish 2, I would now use this fue Find Someone Who. It only has one verb, went (fue), so it would be much better for a group with an interesting Spanish 1 last year. All you need to introduce or review is fui, fuiste and fue. Instead of or in addition you can use the same questions again in small groups using the fue Question Cards for more repetitions.
*Update you can get the same 1st day of Spanish 2 activities in my website store as well. First Day of Spanish 2 Activity ¿Fuiste? Find Someone Who & 1st Day of Spanish 2 Conversation Cards.
Top BTS Resource for Upper-Level Spanish Teachers
My Go-To 1st Day of Upper-Level Spanish FSW!
Thousands of teachers have adapted this differentiated Mi Verano activity for a successful first day of Spanish class in Spanish 3 & 4. See below how you build and expand this activity to be a mini mi verano unit over a few days. Update you now can get First day of Spanish Class Mi Verano Find Someone Who in my website store as well.
Mix up 1st Day of Upper-Level with Question Cards
Extend the preterite review of mi Verano with similar questions but in printable task cards. There are differentiated versions of multiple sizes to meet every student where they are at and to get many repetitions. Update you can now get Spanish Conversation Cards Mi Verano 1st Day of School in my website store as well.
Mi Verano Bundle
If you want to have every preterite tense Mi Verano resource I have the Mi verano bundle is perfect for upper-level Spanish. There is a mix of digital editable Google Slides, as well as print Find Someone Who and Question cards, to be able to do something new each day the first week with repeated preterite review and practice.
Resources for any World Language Teachers
Parent Newsletter
Communicate with parents about the importance of learning a language, as well as get a student/parent contract and video permission slip. All new & now completely editable in Google Slides.
Syllabus from my store or the same Syllabus on TPT
Newly updated and fully editable for Spanish 1-4. Learn more in the syllabus blog post.
Proficiency Puzzle from my store or the same Proficiency Puzzle on TPT
Students learn to distinguish proficiency levels & set realistic language goals. Learn more in the proficiency puzzle blog post.
Spanish Classroom Set-Up
Posters with a Purpose
Classroom Tour
Spanish Classroom Library Tour
- Year 4 Classroom Tour (from year 4)
- Classroom Tour (from year 2)
- Classroom Set Up Ideas
- Library Tour 2015
- Word Wall
- Charging Station
- Interpersonal Communication Skills Free posters for classroom expectations in a deskless classroom
- Quick Tip: I CAN statements for Spanish class
1st Week of Spanish Class – Instagram Photo Booth
Planning for the Year
Updated Curriculum
How I Create a CI Curriculum for Spanish 1-4
All the info about how I use digital lesson templates to plan for the year, month and week in every single level of Spanish.
Sustainable Spanish Lesson Planning
- Curriculum Year 6
- Curriculum planning for upper levels
- Standards Based Grading
- 100 Resources for World Language Teachers
- How to Movie Talk in Spanish class
- How to use High-Frequency Verb Units
- Classroom Routines in Spanish class
- Organization Tip – Lesson Binders
- Teaching a Novel 101
Advice for New Teachers
Sub Plans
Getting to Know Your Students
Ice Breakers
I hope there is something here that you can find useful as you plan for the 1st week of Spanish class and the new school year!
Grab a free 1st day of Spanish class activity below!
The first Week of Spanish class activities was originally posted 7.30.18 by Allison Wienhold, and most recently updated 8.2.24
