Teachers are always looking for new materials to use in class. The process of finding the right tools to help students improve never ends. Sometimes the school doesn’t provide the materials, but teachers are still willing to cover the expenses using their own money.
That is basically the story of my sister, who has been a middle school Spanish teacher for 8 years. I asked her what is her “wish list of Spanish teaching tools” that she has always wanted.
10 Gifts For Spanish Teachers They Can Use In Class
1. Cultural trinkets from Spanish-speaking countries
Every time Jared and I travel to Latin America we have our special assignment: bring back a small souvenir that represents that country. It has to be small so my sister can put everything on just one shelf to create what she calls “A Cultural Corner.” Some examples of the things we have brought back for her are:
• Mate cup from Argentina
• Chullo hat from Peru
• Sombrero Vueltiao magnet from Colombia
• Huaso spur keychain from Chile
So, if you happen to travel to a Spanish-speaking country, remember to bring a little something back for your Spanish teacher.
2. Realia from Spanish-speaking countries
When you travel, bring back magazines, flyers, the placemat or menu from a restaurant, and/or ad inserts from the newspaper. Teachers can use this for reading lessons or just to introduce vocabulary.
3. Colored cardstock
Language teachers color-code parts of speech when teaching sentence structure.
4. Cultural picture books
These books can be published in America or overseas. Picture books are usually brief so the students can get a quick glance at a cultural topic to expand upon later.
5. Story books in Spanish
Fairy tales or Disney books in Spanish. The teacher can use these stories that the students are familiar with to target specific reading skills. Here are some examples:
7. Subscription to classroom magazines
These are magazines made for learners for classroom use. For example, Scholastic has a series published by level.
All the periodicals that the teacher has collected needs to be preserved. Teachers also exercise their creative skills by designing their own posters and even class games. It is a very convenient tool to have in the classroom.
9. Cultural videos
In English or Spanish. Sometimes the teacher needs them to present cultural information that otherwise would be too time consuming or dense. A good example is the Discovery Atlas series.
10. Create a gift certificate to Teacher’s Discovery
Teacher’s Discovery has a website with tons of materials for Spanish teachers and other subjects. They sell great products for the classroom and offer instant video and resource downloads. The Teacher’s Discovery website doesn’t have its own gift certificate or gift card program, but you can create your own! Just buy a Visa or MasterCard gift card, along with a special note. You can also design your own certificate at home.
Another way to put Teacher’s Discovery products in your teacher’s hands is through buying an Amazon gift card. Amazon also carries many of their products and other Spanish materials from different brands.
More Spanish teacher gift ideas
Check out these other articles on Spanish.