Opener

• The vocabulary word of the day is “workshop”.

• Create an original sentence that incorporates the word of the day and makes a connection to what you will do at the MaFLA Conference.

• Please do this individually. Example: I am excited about the buffet luncheon, but before lunch, I will attend workshops.

Openers and Closers in the Foreign Language Classroom

By: Stephen McGunnigalAnd

Noah D. Roseman

Why Have An Opener?

1. Helps the class to focus2. Confidence building3. Teacher can use it as formative

assessment to determine strengths and weaknesses

Managing the Opener

1. Students should enter the room and start it immediately.

2. Instead of answering questions during the opener, encourage students to try their best and to ask questions after the opener.

3. The opener is sacred time. Only emergencies should ever interrupt.

Managing the Opener

4. Encourage the class to follow a system. Foldables and graphic organizers are helpful. Where should students record these each day?

5. Collect the openers and closers periodically, but don’t create a mountain of papers to correct. Release control, and don’t stress over grading the openers and closers.

Draw Example: When working on comparisons, a Spanish teacher might write a sentence on the board, and each student needs to draw it.

Mateo es mayor que Susana.

(Students draw Mateo as older and Susana as younger).

ArtHave students reflect on a piece of artwork or on a photograph.

Art

3 – 5 WordsFive Words has students, working on their own, to list five words that come to mind when they think of a particular topic.  Students then get into pairs, trios, or groups of four to share and discuss their words.  Finally each group selects three words to share and explain to the entire class.

Vine Videos!

1. Vine Videos are a new trend associated with Twitter.

2. 6 seconds only per video. 3. Students can predict what they will

watch by responding to a prompt. ¿Qué sabe hacer la muchacha? https://vine.co/v/bHt0inW7Hg5

Paired Verbal Fluency

1. The class should have adequate knowledge and practice with the material beforehand.

2. This is good for reviewing before a test or quiz.

3. Let’s try it out!

Wordsplash

Why Have a Closer?

1. Helps the students to remember the information for longer periods of time

2. Formative assessment3. Data collected from the closer

should help guide your next day’s opener.

Management of Closers

1. Never sacrifice it!2. Take from the middle, but never

sacrifice the closer. There is too much bang for the buck here.

3. It should be more rigorous than the opener.

4. Release control. You shouldn’t feel the need to grade these.

The Important Thing

1. This is a quick and easy closer.

2. It is interesting to hear what different students perceive to be most important from the lesson.

The Last Word

1. Don’t forget to ask the kids to share out.

2. It will be very interesting to see how each individual student tackled this.

3, 2, 1For a lesson on the subjunctive….

1. 3 recommendations for a friend2. 2 suggestions for a relative3. 1 hope for the world

Spontaneous Conversations

1. Not all closers must be written. 2. Give the class a rigorous prompt,

walk around with a clipboard, and grade participation.

3. Did you just do a lesson on saber and conocer? Have students talk about what they know and who they know. Don’t forget to have them share out with the class.

Ticket to Leave

CloserWe have seen many openers and closers today. Some openers could be used as closers. Some closers could be used as openers.

Do you see an opener that could be a closer? Do you see a closer that could be an opener?

Please be ready to share out!