Category Archives: Winter 2026

Deborah Varga, OWLA President 2025-2026Spanish Teacher, McKinley Senior High School Warm greetings, fellow OWLA members! I cannot believe that the conference is just around the corner. We are preparing for an exciting time of not only professional development, but also … Continue reading →

Nicola Work, OWLA President-ElectAssociate Professor of French, University of Dayton  “Turns out the conversation partner my students would actually use was available 24/7 and never got tired of repeating the same question.” AI is everywhere—and it’s here to stay. Students … Continue reading →

Megan Brady, OWLA Immediate Past President and Awards ChairSpanish Teacher, Lake High School What if I told you that the activity packet you spent 90 minutes creating last week could have been done in 15 minutes? And what if that … Continue reading →

Teri Wiechart, OWLA Parliamentarian & Bylaws ChairRetired, Delphos Jefferson High School In a year when many educators feel stretched thin, it’s easy for the joy of teaching languages to get buried under paperwork, shifting district priorities, and the constant pressure … Continue reading →

Lauren Shaffer, OWLA Executive Recorder & Editor of The CardinalSpanish Teacher, Dalton High School High school language teachers: Are you interested in having your students participate in this program? Check the link at the end of the article. Last May, … Continue reading →

Perceptions of Linguistic Legitimacy Among Students Megan Frate, OWLA Membership ChairSpanish Teacher, Westerville City Schools Cat. Cow. Water.   These three words are all students hear before weighing in on the question, “Does this baby speak Spanish?” The hypothesis is that … Continue reading →

Kaleigh Baker, OWLA Editor for Electronic MediaSpanish Teacher, Covington High School In a perfect world, you do not have four (or more!) classes to prep for, and you can cycle between a couple of activities for the various celebrations that … Continue reading →

How I use ChatGPT to Build Proficiency (and Challenge Myself!) Alexis Blum, OWLA Professional Development ChairSpanish Teacher, Wapakoneta High School Two years ago, OWLA hosted a webinar on Artificial Intelligence and the new (and intimidating) tools that were rapidly becoming … Continue reading →

Lesley Chapman, OWLA Public Relations & Advocacy Chair French Teacher, Sycamore High School It’s that time of year again! Course optioning for next school year is upon us. We know the drill—you encourage your current students, tell them how great next … Continue reading →