The Cardinal

Exciting Things Ahead for OFLA!

Kaleigh Baker, OFLA President

Hello! I know the school year is well underway, but I wanted to take a moment to welcome everyone back and update you all on some exciting things happening with OFLA for our members!

This year, we held our annual board retreat at the end of July, and it was so nice to meet in person and work on some amazing goal-setting areas. Keep checking our website and social media for exciting updates.

We followed our board retreat with a Summer Mini-Conference! The Back to School Splash was a success with over a dozen presenters and so many great ideas shared. We are eager to continue to offer either a Summer or Fall Mini-Conference opportunity for all of you in the years to come.

Getting Involved with OFLA has been a Career-Changer

Megan Brady, OFLA President Elect
Spanish Teacher, Northwest High School 

As a recent college grad with a degree in Spanish, I had big plans to go on to become a bilingual counselor and move to Chicago to help the Chicano population. However, it turns out that wasn’t what was in the cards for my future. A good friend and mentor to me asked me to fulfill a long term sub position at an all-girls school in Toledo while working on my masters degree and that was a life-changer. I realized how much I love teaching, and I’ve never looked back. The thing that got me to take that sub position is the same thing that has helped shape me into the successful teacher I am today.  That “thing” is OFLA. As a camp counselor during the first year of Camp OFLA, I never envisioned myself working with OFLA for more than camp, because of my plans to move away and do other things. However, the bonds I made with the teachers and directors there were so strong that they are still, 19 years later, a big part of my life. They have encouraged me during every stage of my career, and I am eternally grateful for those mentors. 

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. 

Nominations for OFLA Awards

Mark W. Himmelein, OFLA Immediate Past President
Professor of German, University of Mount Union

The Ohio Foreign Language Association’s (OFLA) Awards Committee is accepting nominations for awards in the categories described below.  Completed nominations, including a nomination letter, curriculum vitae or resume, letters of support, and additional support documentation, are due by December 15, 2023.  Nominations must be submitted online here: https://forms.gle/BA55gwnkvdD8PLZt8

Only complete nominations will be reviewed. Questions regarding OFLA awards and the nomination process should be directed to Mark Himmelein at himmelm@mountunion.edu.

General Award Requirements:

Nominees must be current OFLA members, although administrator and friend of world language awards do not require OFLA membership. OFLA recommends that the nominator obtain the individual’s agreement to be nominated and confirm their OFLA membership. A complete nomination requires completion of the electronic nomination form, the nominee’s curriculum vitae or resume, three letters of support, and documentation to support the nomination.

Starting the Year with Upper Level Students

Beth Hanlon, OFLA Executive Recorder and Editor of The Cardinal
Spanish Teacher, Oberlin High School

I hope your year has started off well!  

I just started year 21, and deciding how to start it was no less stressful than previous years!  I always wonder: should I go over the whole syllabus the first day, or break it up throughout the week? What kind of “get to know you” activities should I do?  I agonize over how to set the right tone for the year during those important first days.

Upper levels, though, do not make me agonize as much because I already know most of the students.  They understand how my class operates and we know each other.  They also have a solid language base that I can tap into more quickly.  I would like to share an activity I created to get them reading, writing, and speaking Spanish during week 1!

What Is It and What Does It Offer Me?

Cheryl Johnson, OFLA Parliamentarian and Bylaws
Instructional Technologist for the Dept of Modern Languages, Denison University (Retired)

The Language Connects Foundation (LCF) is a national non-profit conceived in partnership with its parent organization ACTFL. Since the foundation is relatively new, launching in November of 2022, I hope to make the reader aware of its existence.