Srta M.

Kasparian
Spanish 1-4
mikkaspa@umich.edu-Email me to ask questions, talk, or share a (school
appropriate) meme or article

Office Hours: XX-XXX on X day- please come see me for any help or just to
chat!

I am a Spanish and ESL educator who

studied Spanish and Political Science at
the University of Michigan (Go Blue)
and then pursued my Masters in
Education. I spent two years teaching
middle schoolers in Walled Lake,
Michigan, and student taught 9-12th
grade in Ypsilanti. In my free time I
enjoy all kinds of crafts, snuggling with
my dog, listening to audiobooks,
traveling, and karaoke! I chose to teach
so I can share my passion for language
and learn from my students as well as
teaching them.

Course Goals
Bienvenidos a la clase de español! This year, you will be using Spanish to build
the foundation for future fluency. You will also develop cultural awareness
through discussions of cultural traditions and behaviors, as well as through
authentic Spanish materials written by Spanish Speakers, for Spanish
Speakers.

Communication: You will develop all modes and skills of language

communication - listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It’s all about
communication, not perfection!

Culture: There’s a lot going on out there in the world! You will learn about the
products, practices, and perspectives from different Spanish speaking cultures.
This will allow you to make comparisons and reflect on your own culture.

Communities: Spanish is being used all around us in our community! We

will be making connections to the world, using Spanish.
 - What We’ll Do -
We’ll be using as much Spanish as possible from the first day of class.

Readings/Songs/Videos: Challenge yourself to decode what you’re reading or

hearing- what looks familiar? We like to rely on what we do know, not what we
don’t yet.

Speaking/Writing: Remember, it’s about communication, not being perfect.

Try to express yourself to the best of your ability!

Participation: Coming to class prepared, with your materials for Spanish ready
to use, is a great start! Participating in a positive way will be expected. Always
remember that I want you to be successful, and I am here to support you

- Expectations -
In addition to the rules of the school, students are expected to follow these
classroom rules- we will also establish group norms, but these are my
expectations.

1. Be RESPECTFUL and CARING- we will define what this looks like as a

class within the first week of school, but bullying of any kind will not be
tolerated. All identities are protected in my classroom.
2. Participate in Spanish , even when it scares you- your classmates and I
will be here to catch you if you fall
3. Communicate with me about any issues or concerns, inside or outside of
the classroom.
4. Students should give their best effort- there will be times to goof off,
sing songs, talk to your friends and be silly, but in order to have these
breaks, we need to focus at all other times!
5. I don’t want to have to take your phones- there will be times when we
can use them and times where they need to be put away- respect that. I
will follow the same rule and not use my cell phone while I am teaching.
a. This includes headphones- I don’t talk for no reason. There will be
times when it’s okay to listen to music, just ask first!
b. Laptops will be used in class, and I trust you to stay on task when
we use them. This means no gaming, online shopping, or scrolling.
I am more than happy to print out assignments for those who may
have trouble focusing while using a laptop.
 - Grading Policy -
Formative Assessments (homework, classwork, quizzes) are worth 10% of the
grade.

Summative Assessments (Projects and Tests) are worth 90% of the grade.

Late assignments will be accepted so long as you email me to let me know the
assignment will be late. If this becomes a pattern, we will have a one on one
meeting to discuss what we can do to get your assignments in on time

Retakes will be offered for assessments, however all formative assessments

must be completed before the retake and the retake will take place outside of
class times.

- Academic Honesty -
In addition to all school rules on academic honesty, I have one more. I want to
see your work- not the internet’s. I promise I will know if you are using an
online translator. I would rather see work that has errors, but is genuinely your
own than work that is perfect but not honest. You may use wordreference.com
to translate single words, but if at any point you are translating full sentences,
stop and ask yourself- Do I need help with this concept? Am I trying to take a
shortcut? If you need help- TALK TO ME.

I am so excited to get to know each of you and go on this incredible language

discovery journey together. I promise to hold you accountable, teach you cool
stuff, and bring joy to our classroom. In return, I hope you guys come to class
with an open mind, a positive attitude, and the knowledge that you are in
charge of your own learning- I am only here to help!

Señorita Kasparian