Under the suggestion of many peers, I began reading Research Talks: Motivating Acquisition-Centered Classrooms by Eric Herman earlier this school year. Although organized to be read over the course of each week in a school year, my schedule didn't quite allow for that and so I read as I was able. I took time between … Continue reading Research Talks by Eric Herman, part one
Author: magistraberg
Laura Berg has taught Latin in secondary public schools (grades 6-12) since 2005. Beginning in 2017, she started looking deeper into the best practices of second language acquisition. She hasn't stopped looking or learning since. She currently teaches in Southwest Virginia.
Using the Teacher’s Guide
I began writing this post before schools closed for the school year due to COVID-19. Since more and more teachers are now considering and/or already using novellas with their students, I figured I would finish it. Maybe someone might find it useful. We are reading Rufus et arma atra in my first year Latin class. … Continue reading Using the Teacher’s Guide
Four Corners
Disclaimer: I still have targeted structures, thematic vocabulary lists, and specific verbs I need to teach to keep my students in line with the county curriculum. My goal is to do so while providing as much input comprehensibly. I saw this idea in passing on another blog and if I could remember where that was, … Continue reading Four Corners
Two Weeks in Lockdown
Monday, March 16th, my entire state's (Virginia) schools went on lockdown for two weeks. We were asked to begin virtual teaching on Tuesday. Locally, my school division asked us to provide educational opportunities for review, remediation, and spiraling, but not to begin teaching anything new. My best pieces of advice, so far, are: Ask your … Continue reading Two Weeks in Lockdown
Starting Class with Small Talk
This has been a work in progress. The original slide show was by Senora AnneMarie Chase for her Spanish classes. It can be found here. I have adapted it for a Latin class and then edited and/or added slides to fit my needs. I'm going to go slide by slide to explain how I use … Continue reading Starting Class with Small Talk
Content-Based Instruction
In an effort to teach the content of my Latin classes in Latin, following the advice of one of the best sessions I attended at ACTFL 2019: Building Better Courses: The Case for Content-Based Instruction by Kevin Ballestrini, Mark Pearsall, and Lindsay Sears, I have been creating One Page Wonders with my students, based on … Continue reading Content-Based Instruction
Those Middle Years in Language Class
I spend a lot of time on this blog talking about what my first year students and I are doing. Today's post is instead about my second and third year students. Those students are frequently the ones who end up forgotten as I plan activities and lessons. They are my "oh, darn" last-minute idea classes … Continue reading Those Middle Years in Language Class
Brain Breaks and Rejoinders: Taking Back the Class
The first part of this post is all about Brain Breaks. The second part of this post is part one of my follow-up to ACTFL 2019. Together, brain breaks specifically in the target language and rejoinders, are the perfect way for me to control the chaos of my first year Latin classes. I teach a … Continue reading Brain Breaks and Rejoinders: Taking Back the Class
Feliz Navidad! (a carol for Saturnalia)
My colleague and I have been trying for a number of years to get our students together during the last week of school before winter break and, since he's the band director, have our students perform a bit of caroling together. He'd teach his music theory students to play a simple carol on the guitar … Continue reading Feliz Navidad! (a carol for Saturnalia)
I’m begging…
UPDATE! I've been fully funded! I've created my first Donors Choose project. Check it out here: https://www.donorschoose.org/project/meet-the-ancient-romans-through-reading/4612046/ Meet the Ancient Romans Through Reading Help me give my students a class set of four Latin language novellas which introduce a variety of characters from different societal classes, genders, and ethnicity found in ancient Rome. Reading is … Continue reading I’m begging…
Dinosaurs Speak Latin 