Binge-Worthy: Using a Target Language TV Series to Engage Language Learners Classroom ManagementLesson Planning

Binge-Worthy: Using a Target Language TV Series to Engage Language Learners

ACTFL 2024 was unforgettable for so many reasons. It was the perfect opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, learn from incredible educators and make meaningful connections…

Donna Tatum-JohnsJanuary 10, 2025

Toc Toc : A French Twist on an Engaging Classroom Game! Community BuildingLesson Planning

Toc Toc : A French Twist on an Engaging Classroom Game!

While browsing through Instagram recently, I stumbled upon an intriguing activity known as "Boom, Clap, Snatch." Though I regret not being able to credit the…

Donna Tatum-JohnsOctober 24, 2023

Teacher Trivia : Building Classroom Community with a Twist! Community BuildingLesson Planning

Teacher Trivia : Building Classroom Community with a Twist!

Navigating the start of the school year can feel a tad nerve-wracking, whether you're a first-time kindergartener or a seasoned high school senior. But what…

Donna Tatum-JohnsSeptember 4, 2023

Seven Community Building

Seven

At the start of the 2021-2022 school year, I did a community-building experiment that rocked my world and had a huge impact on my teaching.…

Donna Tatum-JohnsOctober 25, 2022

The Secret Number Classroom Management

The Secret Number

In an acquisition-driven classroom, everything we teach should be purposeful. But when teaching something like numbers, it can feel daunting & unnatural. That is where…

Donna Tatum-JohnsSeptember 27, 2022

Name Game & Pass the Chicken Community Building

Name Game & Pass the Chicken

Can we agree that knowing each other's names, correct pronunciation and all, is crucial in building a strong sense of community within any group?  Can…

Donna Tatum-JohnsSeptember 12, 2022

Part I – “Social” Scaries Meets an Experiment Classroom Management

Part I – “Social” Scaries Meets an Experiment

My dad, whose life was sadly cut short because of COVID in January of 2021, raised me with an appreciation for hard work, a job…

Donna Tatum-JohnsJuly 6, 2022

Part II: The Challenge Classroom Management

Part II: The Challenge

I had nothing to lose because everything was so blah. I have known Michele Whaley for years but had never had the good fortune to…

Donna Tatum-JohnsJuly 6, 2022

Part III: Magical Moments Classroom Management

Part III: Magical Moments

With the first six weeks under my belt, I took stock of where each class stood regarding community. The vibe was good… no, the vibe…

Donna Tatum-JohnsJuly 6, 2022

Remote Teaching

Creating Content During Remote Teaching

Two weeks after the start of remote teaching, my school’s scheduled spring break began. And it couldn’t have come at a better time. I was…

Donna Tatum-JohnsApril 22, 2020

Remote Teaching

Surviving Remote Teaching during COVID-19

One teacher’s tips for making the most of a tough situation I will be the first to say that the last two weeks have been…

Donna Tatum-JohnsMarch 31, 2020

Classroom Management

Only a Matter of Time: Using a timer to encourage students to stay in the target language

Within the first two days of the 2019-2020 school year, I knew that I was going to have a hard time getting the students in…

Donna Tatum-JohnsMarch 11, 2020

Classroom Management

Open Sesame – Using passwords to connect with students in the target language

When I first heard about classroom passwords from Bryce Hedstrom, I was skeptical but intrigued. How could requiring my students to tell me the ‘secret…

Donna Tatum-JohnsMarch 11, 2020

Lesson Planning

How do I know what to teach?

As I prepared to teach the language lab at iFLT 2019, I was faced with the question that many teachers have asked me over the…

Donna Tatum-JohnsMarch 11, 2020

WHAT IF? – part III Haiti

WHAT IF? – part III

PART III At our first CI workshop for Haitian English teachers, we did an 8 to 9 hour ELL demo over the course of three…

Donna Tatum-JohnsJuly 2, 2018

WHAT IF? – part II Haiti

WHAT IF? – part II

When we set foot in our first Haitian school, we were shocked and dismayed.  We saw dirt floors and a broken chalkboard leaning against the…

Donna Tatum-JohnsJuly 2, 2018

WHAT IF? – part I Haiti

WHAT IF? – part I

Our journey to bringing TCI/TPRS to Haiti What if you walked into school tomorrow to find that everything had drastically changed? Your whiteboard and SmartBoard…

Donna Tatum-JohnsJuly 2, 2018