Holy Mackerel! This little blogcito turns two TODAY! I can’t even believe it. Exactly years ago today I published my very first blog post. And now here we are, 162 posts later, still chugging along.. This little blogcito has made it twice around the sun and in the meantime totally exceeded every one of my expectations! (Well to be fair, I started writing my musings without any expectations at all…so like my first 5 subscribers totally exceeded my wildest dreams. And now there are 675 of you! Wow, just wow!)
Since our last Blogday celebration, I launched a TPT Store, The Chase Place, focusing on giving you more tools to help you load up your Little Darlings with comprehensible input To celebrate and say Gracias for all the support, everything is 20% off until Monday! Check out these Soy Yo Lesson Plans that I just finished…I’m pretty proud of them AND the bundle has two brand new games that I just cooked up and can’t wait to play with my kiddos next week. And here’s a Free Download for Verb Ending Posters with a description on how I’m using them in class. They’re helping me stay comprehensible, draw my students’ attention to the meaning of the verb endings AND I’m noticing that they’re using them in their own writings! Win-Win-Win! Happy teacher dance!
This year I also penned (errr…typed actually) a devotional to encourage teachers. If you missed it and feel like you could use a little encouragement from above, you can catch it here:
This year I read a lot of Spanish, too. In preparation for teaching Spanish for Heritage Speakers, to muscle up my Spanish and expand my library for my new kiddos, I spent my summer devouring young adult fiction: La ciudad de la bestias, Yo no soy tu perfecta hija mexicana
, El libro de los americanos desconocidos , La Travesía de Enrique
and Charlie y la fábrica de chocolate (all Amazon associate links…if you purchase anything I’ll get a few cents commission and it won’t cost you anything!) And, I’ve been scooping up new CI readers just as fast as I can! What a time to be alive…there are just so many well written, compelling and comprehensible options for our Little Darlings to read!! So…to celebrate, I’d love to get some new books in your Little Darlings’ hands! I’ve got a $100 gift card to raffle off to a lucky reader… No strings attached…just comment below with where you’re reading from (State, City, Country…it’s up to you!) and the language you teach. I’ll select a random comment on January 17 and email the gift card to our lucky winner. I can’t think of a better party favor than books!
Update: Congratulations to Megan Patterson, winner of the $100 Fluency Matters Gift Card! And thanks to Fluency Matters, we have a bonus prize! FM generously donated an e-course subscription for up to 150 students for a novel of choice and that’s going to Megan M! Congratulations, ladies and check your emails for details!
This blogcito has also paved the way for some exciting opportunities to share my excitement for teaching Spanish with other teachers. I loved sharing with my paisanos at the PLAN conference in September. I am so excited for MittenCI in April and I’m hosting (my very first!) CI workshop in Reno on August 1! (Details to come, don’t you worry!)
And don’t forget…there are just a few days left to sign up for Comprehensible Online before the price goes up on January 15! (and my code AnneMarie20 expires which will get you $25 off the registration price!) I’ve been working my little tail off to get my videos edited and uploaded and I’m just about finished. Come join us and get some awesome Professional Development from your couch. (Or if you’re one of those highly motivated types, the gym! I’m more of the couch type…)
So, thank you. All of these opportunities and blessings are because there’s someone on the other side of this blogcito, reading it. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much! Thank you for joining me on this journey. Thank you for your your kind comments, thoughtful questions and encouraging emails. Merci, Danke, Obrigado, and ありがとうございました for your generous translation services, for translating my work into 9 different languages! That blows my mind and delights me to the core! Thank you!
Thank you for being here. Thank you for celebrating with me. Go eat some cake.
Feeling humbled and blessed,
AnneMarie
California-Spanish!
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Congratulations! I learn from these posts. Thank you so much.
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I cannot tell you how helpful you blogs have been this year. I have had quit a group of kiddos this year and after teaching 22 years I began to question whether I could keep going. Hearing you talk about your “trying” classes has helped me see that I am not alone—and given me new ideas to try and keep trying. Thank you so much!
Lincoln, Nebraska
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Hi AnnEMarie! Congratulations on all your achievements. I’m reading from Cherry Hill, NJ and I teach Italian & French
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Love your blog!!! And also love your TPT store!!! Reading from Prince George, BC (Canada)! 🙂
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South Carolina Spanish. I love your creative low prep games!!
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Been reading your blog from Cincinnati, Ohio! I teach Spanish to eighth graders here.
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Sra Green
Where in Cinci? We have a thriving CI group!
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I’m reading this from Fayetteville, Arkansas. Love your blog and your videos. I teach French to high school kids
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Colorado, Centennial, USA Spanish Two years! Congratulations!!
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I’m reading from Aurora, Colorado where I teach Spanish.
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Congratulations on 2 añitos of blogging success, querida amiga. ¡Que sigan los éxitos! It is such a blessing to be your colleague and to collaborate to change world language education here in northern Nevada.
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New Lenox, Illinois High School Spanish 2, 3 honors at Lincoln-Way West.
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Love your blog, ideas and honesty! Thanks for sharing.
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Love your blog!
Reading in Upstate New York! I teach 6th and 7th grade Spanish!
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Hola Sra! I am reading from Saratoga Springs, New York! And you inspire and encourage me with each one of your blogs! I love watching your classroom videos! They make me feel like I can do it! Meaning I can do more comprehensible input as we transition from the traditional way of teaching that my Middle School mostly does. I teach Spanish. Thank you for all of your great work!
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Hola Señora
Felicidades! I love your blogs. I have gotten many good ideas. I teach k-12 Spanish and live in Maineville, OH.
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I am a department of one… teaching high school level Spanish at Delton Kellogg HS. I live in Portage, Michigan and can’t wait to see you at Mitten CI in April! Super fan! 😀
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Fran Etter – Belleville, Illinois – Spanish. My 31st year of teaching! Been through about every wave of change in teaching World Languages, and I am so glad that we have gotten to the point where reading has caught on as one of the most important ways for students to acquire another language. Makes so much sense!
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Hello! This is Becky from West Seneca (near Buffalo) NY and I teach 7th grade Spanish
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Thank you from all of the awesome ideas and resources! I teach Spanish grades 5-8 in Rhode Island.
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I love your blog! Thanks for all the great ideas! I teach Spanish in CA.
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Pam from Texas! Your blogs inspire me to be a better teacher. Thank you!
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I am Kelly Ochoa from Fairhaven, MA. I now teach high school Spanish levels 1-4. I have also taught AP in the past as well as 15 years at the middle school level. I love your ideas. Thanks for sharing!
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¡Hola, Sra. Chase!
I reading this from Otis, Kansas. I’ve been teaching Spanish for 26 years! I currently teach levels 1 through 4. I’ve also taught out-reach classes at the college level. I love your ideas and especially passion for teaching. Keep doing what you’re doing. You inspire me as well as so many others, I am sure.
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I love your blogcito! Iowa, Spanish and GRACIAS for all you share!
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Teaching Spanish in Hallsville, Texas!
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Reading from Iowa. Thanks for all the great ideas!
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Congratulations on you and your followers!! You were the first person that I actually followed when I started looking into CI, so I love, love, LOVE your blog and you help me immensely! I am in Nebraska, town of 1650 Albion. Throwin my hands in the air for Spanish! Congrats on your hard work!
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I am from the state of Washington – love your blog! Thank you for all your ideas!
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Thanks so much for all you have shared. Your resources are a life-saver!!! Albert – Florida
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I’m reading from rural South Carolina, and I teach Spanish 1.
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I am reading from Circleville, OH!
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I’m reading from Springville, Iowa. I teach 7-12th grade Spanish!
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Thank you so much for this blog fabuloso. 🙂 Teaching Spanish and reading your blog from Central Texas!
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You’ve been SUCH an asset to our Spanish department during the last two years. We laugh more, play more, acquire more, and just have more fun in our classes because of you!!! (Your Magic Cards have also changed lives over here near Rochester, New York) Congratulations on your hard-earned successes – I can’t wait to see your Comprehensible Online videos again!! 🙂
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Buenos días from Berlin, Ohio, the heart of Amish country! I am a World Language Department of one at a small rural school where I teach Spanish 1, 2, and 3.
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I teach Spanish 1,2 at a Catholic High School in Newark Ohio and I use TONS of your ideas Sra Chase!
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Loooooooooove your little blogcito!!! Thank you for all of the wisdom and amazing resources you have shared over the years. I recommend this blog to all of my PLC peeps here in Dallas, TX. ¡Mil GRACIAS!
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Awww…. thank you, Andrea!!!
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I appreciate you so much! I am a department of one in IL. I teach 2nd-12th grade Spanish. I’ve leaned so many great ideas from your blog…you’re awesome! Congratulations on two years!!
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