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Frequently asked questions for Spanish class: 1. Who are you? Excellent question. My name is Richard Tate. I have been speaking Spanish since 1984 and formally teaching it since 1993. My most recent assignment was at Churchill Jr. High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, where I taught for 8 years. I graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, with a Bachelor's degree in Music composition and Spanish teaching and a Masters degree in Spanish teaching. Additionally, I have lived and/or worked in Mexico, Spain, Chile, Panama, Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador and Peru as a volunteer, translator, musician, teacher and tour guide. My family and I moved to Joplin, Missouri in 2006 to teach at Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School. My wife, Kimberly, also teaches Spanish, French and voice and we have two children, Joseph and Juliana. Prior to teaching Spanish full-time, I worked as a professional musician (trumpet player). My other hobbies include music, cinematography, science fiction, Star Wars and playing games. For more details on experience, awards received, presentations, etc. you are welcome to visit my online curriculum vitae (resumè). 2. How do I get a good grade in your class? I have set up my grading scale to the advantage of the conscientious student. You have control over 70% of your grade if you will simply turn in required assignments on their due dates, finish Mastery points and speak only Spanish in class. Additionally, remember that you can do bonus points if needed to make up for poor quiz scores, late assignments or missed in-class work. Just remember to get it in before the test date. With all of this in mind, you will be prepared for tests, but you can still score a "C" average on tests and earn an "A" in the class. 3. I have a question about class. How can I get in touch with you? My preferred method of communication is e-mail (rtate@tjeffschool.org) as it is more accessible while at school. If you wish to speak to me by phone, please call the office and leave a message; I will return the call as soon as I am able. 4. Why do we need to speak Spanish in class? This may seem obvious, but the only way to get better at speaking is to practice speaking. "A" and "B" students will recognize this and make every effort to speak only Spanish in the class, maximizing their practice time. 5. What are Mastery Points? I believe that the most important skill you will take from this class is the ability to use the language outside of the class. Mastery points help you to do so. They are any activity which uses Spanish outside of the classroom that has nothing to do with assigned work. Studying for a test, for example, does not count towards Mastery points, because you were doing things that were required (or associated) with assigned work. Going to a concert of Enrique Iglesias however would count. For a list of ideas to do for mastery points, visit this page. 6. Why do you rely so heavily on the Internet? The Internet provides an opportunity for real-time communication (I can provide information instantaneously to all of my students) as well as self-correcting exercises. When I went to school, we completed worksheets that were then returned to school for correction. Many students didn't pay attention during the correction phase and thus learned nothing from the worksheet. However, when completing an assignment online at studyspanish.com, conjuguemos.com or others, you immediately know when you have missed something and are able to correct it before "learning" it incorrectly. In my opinion, the Internet has and will continue to change how information is relayed. 7. We don't have Internet at home. What can we do? With the new technology initiative, there are plenty of computers available for student use at school. Additionally, public libraries all have free Internet access, as do many of your neighbors and friends. If you can't figure out a solution, please come speak with me personally and we will develop a plan together. 8. Why do you teach Spanish? To answer this question, I invite you to read my personal statement on teaching. 8. I have another question. (E-mail me and I will post those that apply to all students.)
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¡Bienvenidos! Hoy es Anuncios Importantes: Remember, each individual unit has a specific help page for that unit.I have another question.
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All information on these pages is protected under copyright © 2006-2011 by Richard Tate (http://www.tatespanish.com).
Permission is granted to print or use these materials as long as they are used without profit and this notice is attached to each page. All rights reserved.
