Progression and fun in Primary Languages

This was the final session that I attended at the Isle of Wight Conference and unfortnately I actually had to leave a little early so missed some of it. Nevertheless I gained a real insight into what I should be doing when I go to teach my Primary Spanish lessons every fortnight.
This, inspiring session, was lead by Jo Rys-Jones and Lisa Stevens, both Primary MFL teachers.
They used as their basis how to teach the book "Dear Zoo" (those with small children will probably be familiar with this pop up book about a small child who writes to the zoo for them to send a pet and they send various unsuitable animals until the perfect one arrives).
To me it was a revelation, I'd never have thought about doing that and also, they didn't even look at the book with pupils until well down the path of teaching animals, phonemes and having lots of cross-curricular links. The whole session made me re-evaluate what I am doing in my Primary school and also I felt sad that I am going to teach languages in Primary schools without knowing what being a Primary School teacher involves and therefore doesn't it mean that I'm "selling my Primary pupils short" by going in and teaching like Secondary school teachers? I feel it's a real shame that some Primary School pupils are being taught Languages by properly trained Primary teachers like Jo and Lisa while others are being taught by "any old" Secondary teacher (like me). It somehow doesn't seem fair.
Anyway now, maybe at least my Primary pupils might have a flavour of what their language teaching should really be like...it's also led me to attempt a brave move with my Yr 9 top set and use a topic on teaching household chores to work on the story of Cinderella..
You can find the slideshow and other resources on the Talkabout Primary MFL Ning here

First visit to Primary - I survived!

I was delighted at the end of the last academic year when I learnt that I was to be let loose on one of our feeder Primary schools. It's something I've always wanted to do but somehow, never managed to get the opportunity. All I knew was that I would be teaching Spanish (estupendo - one of my 2 words of praise in Spanish - fenominal being the other) to various year groups.
After a meeting with the MFL co-ordinator of the school I'm going to, I learned more details...25 mins to 2 Yr6 classes and 20 mins to 2 Yr4 classes, every fortnight - my colleague would be doing the other week. Oh my! 4 lessons in 2 hours, would I have the stamina?
Yesterday, I discovered whether I could handle the pressure! As the day approached I got more and more nervous, worried I'd be too boring/not game playing enough/just generally rubbish and by 12.30 was shaking as I left school to eat my lunch in the car since I had to be at the school to teach at 1.00. Well, I survived..just.
The main trauma was getting used to a new computer system and ActivPrimary rather than our ActivStudio 3 and finding my way around the school! I was very worried also that I might damage something with the throwing of my Haribo cuddly toy around the room. However, nothing too dreadful happened, I didn't make any small children cry (shame) and everyone seemed to enjoy my lessons.
My tasks for next time (which will be in about a month, as I'm going to the Netherlands in a little over a week) will be to not be as scared (!), to relax, to find out the names of the class teachers I'm working with and also to raise a smile from one of them!