Deborah Varga, OFLA Executive Vice-President 
Spanish Teacher, Canton City Schools

When I reflect on multitasking in my classroom, it has taken on a whole new dimension for me that extends beyond just differentiating my lesson activities. I have decided to focus this new school year on three Rs: Relationship-building, Routines, and Resilience. These are nothing new to us as educators, but I have been able to reorganize my priorities so that they match the needs of my students. I will be referencing topics from the program Focus 3 (https://focus3.com/) and encourage you to explore this site for guidance.  We have been receiving professional development in our district from this program and my hope is that some of the strategies that I have chosen to focus on will provide inspiration for your world language classroom. 

The front-loading of relationship-building has been vital in the building of trust with my students in my classroom this year. By focusing on the “20 feet of control” that I have in my classroom, I am able to create an environment that is a safe place for students to grow in their language proficiency and “fail forward” as well.  For example, I always emphasize that novice low, or any of the “low” sublevels in the proficiency levels, is just the beginning stage and not a bad thing (as many students may equate it as a low grade). I have also become more conscientious of my reaction to events in my classroom through the use of E+R=O (Event + Response = Outcome). Building trust that I am there to help them learn a new language and not call-out their mistakes in front of their peers is also essential, and creating alternative speaking opportunities is crucial for equitable learning (recording the in hall, at home, or another safe location/time).  

Routines have always been a priority, and thinking about how comfortable a space a classroom can be is an important element.  I always try to let my students know if something is going to be different in the classroom for the next class period, especially if there is a change in physical set-up. This helps relieve any anxiety about why something is different in their environment, such as an upcoming station day where the seats may be reorganized. As it is not always possible to alert students ahead of time, I will also greet students and explain what is happening as they enter the room. 

Teaching students to be resilient world language learners aligns perfectly with proficiency-based instruction. As I have heard multiple times, the focus on proficiency is not what the students cannot do with the target language but what they CAN do.  I also remind them about how they learned their first language, or if they have observed younger relatives, and how errors are made even in those beginning stages.  

I hope to continue to add more strategies that will address the needs of my students. Truly being a positive presence in their lives and modeling lifelong learning is a beneficial step in the right direction.