Here is a sneak peak into my Spanish classroom! I am loving the cactus theme classroom decor that has become super popular this year as a form, and I was really excited to implement it into my Spanish classroom. I started with one bulletin board and then realized that I could take this cactus theme to a whole new level.
Cactus Theme Bulletin Board
This cactus theme bulletin board doubles as comprehensible input and as positive thinking or social emotional learning for my students.
The title of the bulletin board is “Consejos para la vida de un cacto” or “Life Tips from a Cactus.” It is inspired by a cactus’ life. The cactus is a tough, strong, beautiful plant that has very unique characteristics. Due to its living conditions and its exotic composition, it is very different from other plants. It even offers us quite a few life lessons!
These life lessons are very applicable to students. For example: “Be a survivor” and “Have thorns.” Students must be able to persevere through any problems and they must learn to stand up for themselves and fight for what they believe in.
On my bulletin board, I put the 6 general life lessons with descriptions in Spanish. I also made my own mini cacti to decorate the board. Download the bulletin board materials here and create your own! The download comes with the title and six life lessons (in 2 different sizes) AND 4 mini cacti templates with potted plant template.
Check out my bulletin board below, and you can get the Spanish or English version in my TpT store!
Calendar Talk
Do you have a routine for when the bell rings? What is the first thing you do with your students? Some teachers begin with Calendar Talk. Your students get into the habit of saying the day, date, weather, etc. at the beginning of every class. I recommend switching it up a bit each day so students are not bored with the same questions and responses. Some days, you can focus on upcoming holidays. For example, in the target language, you would ask and answer these typical questions “What day is Wednesday?” “Yes, Valentine’s Day!” “How many more days until Valentine’s Day?” “How do we celebrate?” “What colors are associated with this day?” Other days, you may focus on the weather, the temperature, and the season. Show a weather forecast for an authentic task, and compare it to the weather in a Spanish-speaking country!
Now, let’s get back to the cactus theme. With all this calendar talk, you really do need a… calendar!! Keep your cactus theme going with this cactus wall calendar that is perfect for any classroom.
If you’re looking to add even MORE cactus themed goodness into your decor this year, check out my line of cactus theme downloads.
Your Classroom Walls are Resources
During a post-observation discussion with my supervisor, she gave me some of the best teaching advice. At this point in my career, I was only in my 3rd year of teaching and loved decorating my classroom with cultural elements and brightly colored posters. But, I didn’t take advantage of my classroom walls in the way that my students could truly benefit from. Learn how I turned my walls into resources that aid in proficiency growth. It can be as simple as providing sentence starters, essential vocab, transition words, and word walls in the target language. You want your students to be immersed in the language and be able to look around themselves for support.
You can do the same by hanging useful posters like Classroom Expressions or Question Words or Classroom Supplies Labels. So rather than asking where the stapler is, your students will look around the classroom to find the vocab in the TL to ask the question. Tie these posters into your cactus theme, with these fun sets!
A Whole Bundle of Cactus Theme Resources
If you want all of these materials and MORE pre-made, then check out this money saving bundle here. You get 7 resources to decorate your classroom for one low price. See what is included:
- Spanish Calendar – Cactus Theme (months, days, numbers)
- Spanish Group Cards – Cactus Theme (12 cards)
- Spanish Classroom Expressions – Cactus Theme (10 expressions)
- Spanish Question Words – Cactus Theme (12 question words)
- Spanish Hall Passes – Cactus Theme (6 passes)
- Spanish Classroom Supplies Labels – Cactus Theme (36 labels)
- Get ALL 7 of these downloads (bulletin board included) with a BUNDLE!
The cactus has a lot to teach us about life. Let’s take a lesson from this prickly, yet remarkable plant! Share the life lessons and beautiful cactus classroom decor with your students this year!
