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Picture this: you're sitting at your teacher desk and you are EXHAUSTED. Out of ideas, out of patience and out of gas. And the worst part - it's only the second week of September!
But what if I told you that there was a way to help take some planning off of your plate, teach your curriculum AND have your students enjoying learning French?
Introducing... THEMED WEEKS!
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that during online learning themed weeks were the highlight of teaching during those times. Not only did I reduce the time I spent planning, but more importantly my students we ENGAGED & EXCITED.
WHAT ARE THEMED WEEKS? 🤔
A themed week is a fun way for you to engage your FSL students in learning either in person or online. The idea is that you pick a theme of your choice or that reflects your students’ interests, and then you create a series of activities that touch on the various curriculum strands for them to complete. The best part is you can create these themes based on what they are currently interested in or something you feel will spark their interest!
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THEMED WEEKS?
There are so many different benefits to implementing themed weeks in your French classroom, so let's look at a few together:
STUDENT INTEREST
When students are interested in the materials that they are learning, they are more likely to respond positively and have a more meaningful & authentic learning experience. Think about us as adults; we are more likely to engage in a conversation about something that interests us and we are more likely to pick up a book that grabs your attention. The same goes for our students - if create a themed week about sports and have them complete a research project on their favourite athlete, they are still learning and applying their knowledge but in a way that engages them. Sometimes all it takes is a bit of a twist and it can transform an entire lesson!
VARIETY & CURIOSITY
When our students are exposed to a variety of different topics, it provides them with exposure to subjects they may not have otherwise had the chance to learn about. Themed weeks keep things consistent but also introduce an element of mystery because they don’t know what the theme is until the week of! The variety keeps content exciting and each new week brings an engaging, new challenge for your students.
ENGAGEMENT
Engagement & participation are key components of teaching, especially when it comes to teaching a second language. Themed weeks are centred around this idea of student engagement, meaning that you won't have to struggle with students telling you, '"I'm bored!" anymore. With themed weeks, students are naturally curious about the different topics and often you'll find that they want to know more WELL AFTER the week is over!
TIME
I cannot stress this enough; your time matters. Incorporating themed weeks into your classroom takes something off of your plate and allows you the opportunity to use your time elsewhere (e.g. relaxing & sleeping!). You easily can create assignments, assign tasks and projects and hit your curriculum expectations all at once. Cut back on planning and reduce your stress throughout the school year while increasing student engagement at the same time.
Excited to plan a themed week for your French language students? Make sure you download these FREE themed week templates to get started!
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