Eighth Grade Students Act as Principal for the Day

In language classes, “students learn better when they feel they can communicate in real situations, rather than in contexts that are not meaningful to them,” explains Spanish teacher Concha Grande. Because of this, eighth grade students in Ms. Grande’s class are each getting the opportunity to act as principal for a day. Each student presents to the student body the new rules for the school and explains about what is and is not allowed, based on the real needs of the students. “This activity allows students to use the new vocabulary they are learning and talk about something that is important to them,” adds Ms. Grande. “When I read the first draft of their presentations, I was amazed by the complexity of their sentences in Spanish, as well as their precise use of the vocabulary. Some of their rules even made me think and change some of my class expectations!” MORE PHOTOS