What One Teacher Did When He Realized His Kids Weren’t Learning

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When he started teaching, high school Spanish teacher, Matt Miller had a dirty secret: His students couldn’t speak Spanish. He didn’t want anyone to know. But he came to a breaking point. Learn what Matt did in a fit of frustration and the incredible results his students achieved.

Matt says teachers shouldn’t mindlessly run through the curriculum but should have a method. His method includes less textbook and other types of resources.

Matt tells his secret for getting students really engaged and excited about Spanish or any second language. We also discuss Kristy Cooper‘s mixed methods study, Eliciting Engagement in the High School Classroom, and how these principles explain why Matt seems to engage students so much.

Who is Matt Miller?

Matt Miller@jmattmiller is a Spanish teacher at Turkey Run High School. He has infused technology and innovative teaching methods in his classes for more than 10 years. Matt is a Google Certified Teacher, PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator and Bammy! Awards nominee. He writes at the Ditch That Textbook blog about using technology and creative ideas in teaching. Pick up Matt’s book Ditch that Textbook: Free Your Teaching and Revolutionize Your Classroom or listen to his show Hooked!

[callout]Listen on: BAM Radio Network | iTunes | Stitcher[/callout]

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Vicki Davis

Vicki Davis has been an educator and IT director in Georgia since 2002. Today, she also works as an instructional technology coach, staying side-by-side with active teachers and students so her work stays grounded in real classrooms.

She's a mom of three, wife of one, and loves talking about the wise, transformational use of technology for teaching and doing good in the world.

She has blogged at the Cool Cat Teacher Blog since 2005 and hosts the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast and Cool Cat Teacher Talk (radio, public access TV, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms), interviewing remarkable educators around the world. Vicki focuses on what unites us — a quest for truly remarkable, life-changing teaching and learning. The goal of her work is to provide actionable, encouraging, relevant ideas for teachers, grounded in truth and shared with love.

If you talk to Vicki for long, she'll encourage you to "Relate to Educate," to "innovate like a turtle," or to be "a remarkable teacher." She loves homemade sourdough bread and cinnamon rolls and runs half marathons with her sisters. You can usually find her laughing with her students or digging into a book.

Thank you for reading, sharing, and telling your friends about the work we do here! - Vicki

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2 comments

Cynthia Alvarado March 25, 2016 - 1:10 pm

I think language learning is the first place where you should ditch the text book. A book will never teach anyone to speak. The Grammar Translation method was official discredited long ago. We have so many opportunities for students to actually communicate with native speakers, using technology as the tool.

Matt Cornwall April 5, 2016 - 11:20 pm

Facinating Stuff. As A preservice teacher, I am very interested in how to keep my students interested. I remember as a student I had a hard time maintaining my interest in a foreign language. I wish that my teacher had followed some of this advice