Frequently Asked Questions about Live Online Group Spanish classes

The interactive group Zoom classes meet twice per week together live on Zoom with the teacher leading the class.  We use best-practice teaching strategies: Teach, model, practice, or I do, we do, you do.  The lesson is taught using a curriculum & workbook that students have in front of them to write in while the teacher leads the class. After each lesson the teacher takes questions, models a conversation, models the language with students who volunteer, and then the class is divided up on Zoom into partners or small groups to continue practicing with each other privately. Student engage in role play, polling, interactive drawing on the screen, barrier games, card games, conversation wheels, or other oral language activities.  

After each lesson our class is divided up on Zoom into partners or small groups to practice the target language with each other doing role play, polling, interactive drawing on the screen, barrier games, card games, conversation wheels, or other oral language activities. Students enjoy the time with other students, and some students develop friendships or study buddies with others who don't live anywhere near them! 

YES!  That is a great way to change online classes into (almost) in person classes! Each semester there are groups of siblings, athletic teams, or friends who gather together at one location to participate in each lesson and to practice with each other during classes.  These students can choose to stay with their home group for classtime Spanish practice or take turns interacting with other students from around Alaska and beyond. 

In many online classes students have a teacher with whom they may or may not get to interact. However, there are no other students in class with whom to practice their Spanish and no one their own age they can get to know. Many online teachers do not have the experience or education to modify, adapt, accommodate for different learning styles, and understand learning disabilities. Our instructors are university-trained, have Bachelor's and/or Master's degrees, and are experienced in teaching online classes to students of all ages. We work together to develop the most effective and positive strategies to keep students engaged, encourage them to take risks in our safe environment, and we get them SPEAKING SPANISH with friends in class! 

Everyone is different.  Spanish Nuts and Bolts hires experienced teachers and we do professional development together to continue to learn new teaching methods and strategies to support our families. We also use best practice teaching methods for students who have dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, autism, developmental delays, hearing and speech difficulties, fine motor difficulties, or any other skill deficit that might cause them to lose confidence. We work extensively with children, teens, and adults,  always looking for ways to make learning easier for each student. 

Assignments include workbook pages, reading passages/text (novels for Spanish 3), listening exercises (videos and/or music), and focused grammar or vocabulary practice. Students have the option of recording skits, interviewing friends and family members, creating comic strips or slideshows, and (of course) asking for extra help via private meeting with the teacher.  Assignments have flexible due dates and can be modified by type, quantity, or modality with input from parents.  Our teachers are flexible and we can nearly always make it work. 

There are many different assignment options for all students. Assignments that are posted with with stars ⭐️ are basic assignments for everyone. However, there are additional options posted all semester long offering extra vocabulary and videos to explore, creative projects, games, and other enrichment opportunities for students who want to learn more and learn faster.  Some students choose to create Spanish skits together. Some students put together Spanish video interviews of family or friends, and some students have even used coding websites to create animated Spanish "shows!"  Moreover, some students choose to spend extra spend time practicing vocabulary, reading, and grammar skills through games on their Boom Learning account (included with tuition.)  Quizlet links are always assigned, as well. If your student has exhausted all of THOSE options and needs even MORE enrichment opportunities, we have created some simple cooking and art instructional videos (totally in Spanish!) to share with families who request them. 

Grading can be done by parents or the teacher, and the teacher is always available to parents via text, email, messaging, or phone call. This class works well for students of all learning styles because we can adapt, as necessary, while working as a student/parent/teacher team. 

Many lessons are available on video after the live instruction and will help students who miss class or need to hear the lesson again.  Live lessons are not recorded simply to protect student privacy, but the video lessons are complete and walk students through both the lesson material and the curriculum, while also reinforcing pronunciation so students can work on it in the privacy of their own homes.  If videos are not available, we can try to schedule a make up class to make sure your child has the  tools and information to be ready for the next lesson. 

Students who are not interested in being called on in class or who do not feel comfortable practicing Spanish with other students are not forced to interact. These students can work with me when I am not working with other students or they can practice with family or friends at home. Having this kind of flexibility is why many families have chosen to homeschool their children.

Yes, Spanish Nuts and Bolts/Forget-Me-Not Spanish is an approved vendor for the Anchorage School District.  So far, we have taught students from:

• Family Partnership
• Frontier Charter
• Iditarod
• Idea
• Raven
• Cyberlynx
• Denali
• Matsu Central

If your program is not listed, please ask! Direct billing can be arranged for many different programs. Alternatively, tuition can be paid out over the semester or upfront with a credit card.  Yes, you can get air miles! ✈️