Brain Ninjas

Let us help you teach like a ninja!

FSL

How to Learn French With French Canadian Celebrations

by

You can excite your elementary students to learn French by teaching them all about French Canadian celebrations. We put together lessons and activities that can help inspire your students about French culture while you teach the basics of the French language. These lessons are designed for teachers who are not native speakers so come learn more.

Every year, Francophone communities across Canada celebrate their traditions and culture. People from around the world celebrate these events, too. There’s no better way to teach French as a Second Language than to connect to French Canadian celebrations and cultural events.

A large part of teaching French as a Second Language (FSL) is connecting students to the culture. Maybe even the most important part! This is an opportunity to learn about the culture of just over 20% of Canadians. That’s one in five Canadians who identify as French Canadians!

[Read more…] about How to Learn French With French Canadian Celebrations

Saved by the Bell Ringers in Upper Elementary

by

It can be difficult to use every momemt of your instructional time, but bell ringers might be the key in upper elementary. We use them in every subject area to make transitions smoother, keep behaviour on track and to ignite the learning for our students. Come read about how we use bell ringers in our classroom.

Your class trickles in as you watch the time tick away and the punctual crowd starts to get restless. A student hands in work, another tells you all about the taco salad they had for lunch, while two others argue over which of two seemingly identical chairs is theirs. Does this sound familiar to you? It sounds like bell ringers might be the solution!

Bell Ringers Can Take Back That Wasted Time

Silent reading is a great way to start the day or for use during transitions. But maybe you want to shake things up? Or you want to make every minute of the day count. Bell ringers help to get things rolling from bell to bell. Read on to find out how we use them in our classroom and all the different types of bell ringers that can work.

[Read more…] about Saved by the Bell Ringers in Upper Elementary

How to Teach French as a Second Language

by

Have you been asked to teach French as a Second Language to upper elementary students but you have no idea where to start? Do you speak some French, but have never formally taught it? Let us help you out. Our lessons are written by a native Francophone speaker who teaches French as a Second Language. Get some ideas to get you started or use our resources to get you through the year. Come see!

Have you been asked to teach French as a Second Language (FSL) or Core French but have absolutely no experience? Maybe you don’t even speak French fluently? Maybe you took French in High School (15 years ago) and you are considered the most qualified in your school. As crazy as that may sound to some…it happens…all the time!

Whether you’ve been asked to teach FSL for the first time or you’re a seasoned teacher who is looking for new ideas, this post is meant for you. These reading, writing, speaking and listening ideas could apply to the teaching of any second language.

[Read more…] about How to Teach French as a Second Language