I am so excited! It has become clear lately that students are taking Spanish class away with them. Not just the teacher pleasers. And not just the 4 percent-ers, either. Lots of kids are interacting with my classroom content in ways I never imagined. I blame March Music Madness.
This year we used the March Madness lesson from SpanishPlans.org. I almost eliminated one music video due to the deep, violent content: Tú Foto.
This video goes deep into the realities of urban life including drugs, an alcoholic mother, and gangs – a life that is very far removed from my rural, southern Indiana, farming community. I decided to show it only after discussing the fact that while very different from ours, these lives do indeed exist. And you know what? This song finished second only to Robarte un Beso. Students appreciated that the video told a story and had a serious meaning.
Last night I was able to see evidence of the impact of this video in a surprising way. While my school is small, we have a wide variety of activities and sports, including a super awesome theatre department. Each spring, the theatre classes produce Young Playwrights where students write, cast, direct, and perform short 10-minute plays. And guess what? One of my students wrote a play that was inspired by one of the characters in Tú Foto. I recognized it immediately and the author confirmed it with me after the show.
Another Young Playwright asked if I noticed the influence of El Internado (available on Netflix) on her play. We have been watching that this year in Spanish 3 using Michael Peto’s materials (sorry, they are no longer available on TPT) and stories. Highly compelling. They enjoy it so much, that many go home and watch ahead.
The third way I know that my Spanish class has had lasting effects, is the fact that my students are singing and dancing to Latino music everywhere! Before track meets, at dress rehearsals, cast parties, and at baseball and tennis practices. They even play it on the jukebox at Applebee’s!
TPRS/CI for the win!!
