Resharing this post (originally from 2023) after talking with Claudia Elliot:
I am starting at a new school this year and I am very excited!
I am thinking a lot about how to start the year off with my new students in a new setting that is pretty different from the one I have been at for the last 18 years.
These are some of my goals for the first few weeks (and beyond really):
I want my students to LIKE and ENJOY Spanish class.
I want to ENGAGE students.
I want to give students LOTS of INPUT.
I want students to feel SUCCESSFUL.
I want students to ACQUIRE some language.
I want to have JOY in the classroom.
I want to create COMMUNITY.
I want students to understand that the GOAL of the class is to improve their COMMUNICATION skills in another language and to develop INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE.
I want my students to see and hear some people/voices from the Spanish speaking world #authres!
So, in addition to Card Talk and Write and Discuss for the first couple of weeks, I think I am going to teach a story based on a music video/song. I will be teaching Spanish 1 and Spanish 3, so I started sifting through my song/story resources and thought, "Geez! I have created and shared A LOT over the years!"(see "Archivo del blog" to the right). I am not sure which stories/songs I am going to use, but I thought I would share some FREE resources for others to use for the same reasons that I stated above. Some of these I sell on TPT, but I am kinda done with that, so I am just sharing them for free here.
Join Kara Jacobs and AnneMarie Chase on a ten day Professional Development trip in Segovia, Spain from June 16 – June 25, 2026.
Workshops:
You will participate in six morning workshops designed to hone your Acquisition Driven Instruction skills, taught by Kara and AnneMarie. Topics range from Unit Design, Comprehensible Culture, Assessment and you’ll even experience acquiring a new language like our students do. Our small group (limited to 12 participants) will allow you plenty of time to dig in, ask loads of questions and process your learning along with other motivated, like-minded ADI Spanish teachers from all over the US and beyond. The cherry on top is the location of our workshops: overlooking the Plaza Mayor of Segovia, right next to the Cathedral! There’s no AC at our workshop location, but we’ll be comfortable with Segovia’s mild morning temperatures.
AnneMarie, doing her thing3 of these balconies are ours!Kara, doing her thing
Homestay:
You will spend 9 nights with a Spanish host family, right in the city of Segovia, within walking distance from our workshop location. You’ll enjoy a light breakfast, lunch and dinner with your new familia española who is excited to share their city and home with you! And just to put your mind at ease, our host families are carefully vetted and have been hosting students for years with Centro de Estudios Hispánicos de Segovia, our partner in this trip. Additionally, you’ll have your own bedroom during your homestay.
Keeping cool at “La granja”, 2025Sunset within the city walls, 2025Break between workshops, 2025
Cultural Activities:
Segovia has so much to offer and we will take advantage of it! You’ll spend most mornings in professional development workshops, but afternoons and evenings are dedicated to discovering Segovia and its culture. No visit would be complete without exploring the magnificent Alcázar de Segovia. We’ll also learn about the historic acueducto romano that towers over the city and wander through the walled casco histórico. In addition, we’ll take a day trip to the charming town of San Ildefonso to enjoy its magnificent gardens and tour the Palacio Real de La Granja. Saturday is yours to design—whether that means visiting Segovia’s many museums and cafés, strolling its picturesque plazas, or even taking a quick day trip to Madrid or Salamanca with your colegas. We also have a few cultural surprises planned along the way. By the end of the program, you’ll leave Segovia not only steeped in Spanish culture, but also inspired and ready to bring fresh ideas and experiences back to your classroom.
2025 participantsToasting with a tinto de verano, 2025
Who is this trip designed for?!
Spanish teachers who are interested in developing their Acquisition Driven Instruction/ Comprehensible Input Teaching skills alongside like minded teachers. An adventurous spirit is important too: if public transportation, staying with a Spanish family who won’t have air conditioning and lots of walking, a bit of hiking, climbing stairs and maybe even taking a dance lesson doesn’t sound like a good time, this isn’t the trip for you! If you have questions or concerns, please reach out; we’d love to chat with you!
Climbing the bell tower of the cathedralHiking from the Judería to the cemetery
Sound like the trip of a lifetime? We would love for you to join the adventure! Spots are limited to 12 participants, so don’t wait to sign up!
Total Cost: $2,700 USD
What’s included?
Included in the trip cost:
Homestay experience (private bedroom, shared bathroom) including a light breakfast, lunch and dinner each day
6 Professional Development Workshops (divided into 14 sessions) taught by Kara Jacobs and AnneMarie Chase
Cultural activities in the afternoons/evenings
Farewell dinner
Certificate of completion for 50 hours of Professional Development
What’s not included?
Flight to and from Madrid
Transportation to and from Segovia (Bus or Taxi, we will provide detailed recommendations)
Travel Insurance, optional but recommended
Snacks, souvenirs and spending money (our participants enjoy going out for a quick bite during our morning break, since Spanish breakfasts are much lighter than typical American ones.)
Optional graduate credits through Southern New Hampshire University, if this interests you, please inquire!
2025 participants enjoying a cafecito during our morning break on the Plaza mayor
Ready to join us?! Next steps and important dates:
ASAP: Sign up here and pay $700 deposit to reserve your spot, limited to the first 12 registrations!
Deposits can be paid by check, made out to “Spanish Teacher PD Abroad LLC” and mailed to: Kara Jacobs PO Box 500, Andover, NH 03216. Checks must be received within 10 days of completing the form to hold your space.
If you prefer to pay by credit card, you can pay via PayPal paypal.me/SegoviaADI, however PayPal charges a 3% processing fee so the deposit total is $721
TBD: Zoom meeting for participants, to learn more details regarding schedule, packing, etc.
A few more things:
We need a minimum of 12 participants for this trip to move forward. In addition, given current economic uncertainty and fluctuations in the USD-Euro exchange rate, we are monitoring costs closely to ensure the trip remains feasible. With this in mind, we ask that you wait until January 15th before purchasing plane tickets or making final travel arrangements. On that date, we will confirm whether the trip is officially on—at which point you can book your flights, start packing, and get excited! If we are unable to move forward with this trip, your $700 deposit will be fully refunded.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
We understand that plans can change, and we want to be as fair as possible while also ensuring that we can meet our commitments in Spain. Please review the following cancellation policy before reserving your spot:
Deposit ($700 / $721 via PayPal): Fully refundable (less PayPal fees if applicable) if the trip is canceled by organizers. If you withdraw, deposits are refundable until January 15, 2026. After January 15, the deposit is non-refundable, unless we can fill your spot.
Second Payment ($1000 / $1030 via PayPal, due January 31, 2026): Refundable (less PayPal fees if applicable) until March 1, 2026. After March 1st, this payment is non-refundable, unless we can fill your spot.
Final Payment ($1000 / $1030 via PayPal, due May 1, 2026): Refundable (less PayPal fees if applicable) until June 1, 2026. After June 1st, this payment is non-refundable, unless we can fill your spot.
If the trip is canceled by organizers (e.g., not reaching 12 participants, extreme circumstances): All payments, including deposits, will be refunded in full.
For a variety of reasons, I am so excited for this school year! It is my third year at my current year (after 18 years at the same school 💚 and 24 years in public) and I am excited to be teaching and creating a new course for our post-AP (or heritage speakers or native speakers or Intermediate High students). This is the description of the course:
This course is for students with an Intermediate High or above proficiency level in Spanish. Through authentic films, students will learn about a variety of cultural products, practices and perspectives from a variety of Spanish speaking countries. In addition, students will learn about the history, politics, arts, and music of a variety of Spanish speaking countries. This class will be conducted entirely in Spanish. Assessments will be widely varied and will be in the three modes of communication. Discussion based classes will be frequent and will be student-led.
I use lots of films in AP, but I have always wanted to develop this course. In particular because I won't have the pressure of test prep ---> writing argumentative essays, teaching multiple choice strategies, etc.
For the first unit, I am going to use a movie that I haven't used in years: Diarios de Motocicleta. When I was in Segovia on a fab PD experience, one of the teachers - Justine! - reminded me of it. While the film has a few issues and a couple of scenes that I will skip, I think it will be an excellent, nuanced film to start the course... and I LOVE Gael García Bernal (we will also be doing a unit with También la lluvia, an all time fave!).
I am sure I will add more for something after each part of the movie, like: put in order, who said it, who did it, questions and answers, etc. - stay tuned!
In the slideshow, I have also included a couple of ¿Héroe o villano? videos about Che.
