Flight School Training in English

Sample Class

45-Minute Interactive Agenda

Now you will go through a Sample Class. This interactive agenda will help you learn specific techniques for each part of the class, as well as when and how to incorporate the curriculum unit content during the Themed Section. Songs that repeat each class are called “Ritual Songs.” We will be using Agenda 1 from the Fruits unit (which you will also teach as your first unit) for this sample class. Download and follow along with the Video Rubric and Transitions.

(Fruits) Agenda 1

CLASS KEYWORDS: strawberries, I’m hungry, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, go, stop, apple, avocado, orange, pear, plum, banana, lemon, eat

Flight School Training


icon FIRST DAY OF CLASS ANNOUNCEMENT

WHY THIS WORKS

It’s really important to set the expectations for the class and mention any ground rules before you begin teaching to ensure the best class experience.

An example of what to say before you begin is: “Welcome to Bilingual Birdies in Spanish! We’re going to have a lot of fun today and before we begin I want to share a few ways that can ensure we’ll have the best class ever. Adults, please clap your hands and shake your maracas, repeat the words, and dance along with the children. This will encourage the children to join in and it makes for a more warm and inviting learning environment. I also want to point out that learning a language is a process which takes time. If it feels like a lot of words today, don’t worry. Our curriculum changes themes monthly and we repeat many of the ritual songs each week since repetition is key. After a few weeks, you’ll be familiar with the songs. We also have beautiful digital materials for all families which you can access online such as our original music songs, bilingual e-books and vocabulary sheets to help you keep learning at home, Finally, if any of the children feel they need to take a break for a moment you’re welcome to take a walk and return when they are ready to come back. Ok, let’s get started!!”.

WHY THIS WORKS

This marks the beginning of the class. It brings everyone together and sets the tone for the next 45-minutes of time you’ll be spending together. It’s the ice breaker that gives everyone an easy movement and the most basic word hello in the second language that they can easily repeat in a fun, exciting way.

Keywords: hello

PREPARE:

  • Explain to the class that it’s time to begin.
  • Invite the class to sit on the ground in a circle.
  • Say, “Friends, today we are going to learn some English”.
  • Say, “Let’s start by saying hello” and wave you hand to the children sitting in the circle.

PERFORM

  • Invite the class to stretch their arms up into the sky, wave them from side to side while saying hello three times.
  • Encourage the class to do this two more times with you.
  • Each time you invite them to wave their arms in the air and repeat hello, add a slight variation such as saying it a little faster, in a higher register in your voice, or making a funny face.


icon HELLO WAVE VIDEO





icon TRANSITION
Hello Wave to Good Morning Chant

If it’s the very first class, then right after the Hello Wave say, “Now we’re going to say good morning to everyone, but first I need to know your names.” Then ask each of them their names and write them down on a piece of paper. Once you have all their names, start teaching the keywords for the Good Morning Chant. Feel free to adapt the keywords to good afternoon if the class takes place in the afternoon.



WHY THIS WORKS

This is your first opportunity to connect with each child individually which is very empowering for them. Also, drumming has been used across cultures and time to bring people together, so be sure to use the hand drum. Invite everyone to repeat the keyword good morning using this simple, catchy rhythm. They’ll remember it for years to come!

Keywords: good morning

PREPARE:

  • Be sure that you have a list of everyone’s names in the class in front of you if you do not have the names memorized yet.
  • Say “Good morning!”.
  • Say to the class, “Ok class, repeat after me, good (pause for them to repeat), morning (pause for them to repeat)”. Repeat three times. When you leave space for the children to respond you should also say the keyword silently as a prompt.
  • Start patting your lap. Instruct everyone to imitate you patting their laps and wait until there is a unison rhythm.
  • Once there is a rhythm instruct the class to repeat after you, “Good, good, good, good morning” and pause to let the children respond.

PERFORM

  • Chant “Good, good, good, good morning” two to four times and begin with your name. Say, “Good morning (your name), good morning (your name)”.
  • If the children are seated in a circle, call a child’s name, followed by the child seated next to them.
  • After chanting for three names in the class, modulate your voice up a half step and repeat “Good, good, good, good morning” twice before going on to three more names.
  • Once all the names have been called, accelerate the rhythm and say, “Let’s do it clapping”. Repeat all names starting with yours but this time do it clapping.

icon GOOD MORNING CHANT VIDEO

icon GOOD MORNING CHANT SHEET MUSIC





icon TRANSITION
Good Morning Chant to Puppet Section

For the end of the Good Morning Chant lead everyone in a celebratory applause. Immediately turn your head to the side and make a bird sound as if a special birdie guest is chirping from behind you and is about to join you.



WHY THIS WORKS

All the puppet routines have been designed to foster social emotional development in young children. Each week the puppet shares emotions that mirror what children experience. The puppets create a safe space for the children to begin to identify their feelings and approach sensitive subject matters.

Keywords: I’m hungry, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten

PREPARE:

  • Be sure that you can easily access Myla in your bag. Check before class to make sure the puppet is clean and review what you’ll be teaching.

PERFORM:

  • Make a sound like a bird.
  • Ask the class, “Did you hear something? I think I heard Myla! Can we call her out?”.
  • Instruct the class to repeat Myla Birdie with a fun rhythm as you prepare your hand in the puppet inside of the Bilingual Birdies bag.
  • Myla enters with an exciting melody or gesture.
  • Instruct the children to repeat “Hello, Myla!”.
  • Looking at the Myla, say, “Myla, how are you?”.
  • Myla responds, “I am hungry!”.
  • Invite the children to repeat I am hungry with Myla three times.
  • Explain that the class is going to get some apples for Myla to eat. Look up and pretend to see an apple tree.
  • Instruct the children to reach their hands up and repeat after you as you pick ten apples for Myla to eat.
  • Count to ten in English saying each number twice and encouraging the children to count with you. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten”.
  • Invite children to hold out their hand and pretend to feed Myla.
  • Go up to each child and have Myla eat apples out of their hands.
  • Explain that Myla is so full from all of the yummy apples she ate and she is going to take a nap now.
  • Encourage the children to repeat “See you later, Myla!”.
  • Myla exits with the same melody or gesture.

CHALLENGE:

  • Once the children are confident counting to ten, have them count to twenty.

icon PUPPETRY VIDEO




icon TRANSITION
Puppet Section to Hello Song

Encourage the class to tell the puppet that they’ll see them later. Put the puppet back in the bag, get the shakers, and pass them out. Invite the class to “wake up the shakers” by shaking them up high and down low together so that the children have a moment to play with the new instrument you just gave them.


WHY THIS WORKS

Children learn the most important words in any language with this song. And they get to repeat them every single week so that by the end of a semester, they are able to greet someone else in another language!

Keywords: hola (hello), ¿cómo estás? (how are you?), muy bien (very well), gracias (thank you), cantar (to sing)

PREPARE:

  • Begin by passing out shakers and instructing everyone to repeat after you as you say, “Hello, hello, how are you?”. Ask them to repeat it with the melody of the song.
  • Say “Everytime I ask you, how are you? You have to say very well, very well”. Repeat it three times with the melody of the song.
  • Explain that there will be a part of the song where you will ask, “Are you well?” and they should respond “Well” by raising up their hands and shaking their shakers.
  • Explain that you are doing well too so you will then say, “I am well. And they should then raise their hands again and say “Well”.
  • Ask the class, “Who likes to sing? Everyone say, sing la la la”. Explain that at the end of the song everyone will sing together in the melody of the song.
  • Practice singing the la la la’s in the melody of the song.

PERFORM:

  • Pause for their part and be especially animated when singing it with them.
  • Use dynamics to keep the song compelling.
  • Cue students for “Very well”.
  • Teach thank you and encourage children to shout that out at the correct part of the song.

CHALLENGE:

  • Challenge kids to be leaders and sing the song for you to follow.



icon TRANSITION
Hello Song to Magic Words

Slow down your singing for the last line of the song, so they sense the end is approaching. Encourage everyone to applaud and praise the children (for singing beautifully, or shaking their shakers so well) and at the end of the Hello Song and immediately say, “I have two magic words,” then start teaching the first keyword.



WHY THIS WORKS

Magic words set up the upcoming themed unit songs. Also, most of the magic words are easily adaptable into a movement game so that the children have a chance to stand up and move for a couple minutes if they are fidgety.

Keywords: go, stop

PREPARE:

  • Explain you have two magic words to teach everyone..
  • Instruct the children to repeat the word go using a melody, or a rhythm.
  • Instruct the children to repeat stop using call and response.
  • Encourage the children to grab their instruments.
  • Explain when you say go they will make as much noise as they can with their instruments.
  • Explain when you say stop they must not make a sound.

PERFORM:

  • With an enthusiastic tone you can say, “Okay class, when I say go you’re going to repeat go and shake your instruments and you can make as much noise as you can. But when you hear me say stop, you are going to stop playing your shakers and not make a sound”.
  • Say, go and repeat go with them while you begin shaking your shakers.
  • Say, stop, and freeze. Remind the class that when you say stop they must freeze and not make a sound, they could also make a funny face.
  • Be sure to always repeat their part with them as well.
  • Interchange words and alter your speed when commanding them.



icon TRANSITION
Magic Words to a Themed Song

After you finish with the Magic Words announce the theme of the day in an exciting way. Then, if the themed song uses props bring them out in a fun and suspenseful way perhaps using some engaging funny sound effects. If not, begin teaching the key words to the next song in a fun, lively way.











WHY THIS WORKS

The lullaby is meant to bring the energy of the class back down and get the children settled so they can engage again with the puppet and review what they have learned in the class.

Keywords: listen

PREPARE:

  • Say, “Listen, shh.”
  • Explain that you’re going to dim the lights and sing a lullaby because it’s time to listen and calm down. Repeat, “Listen, shh” three times.
  • Pass out some scarves for them to use as blankets.
  • Say “Shh” and lower your voice as you sit down and prepare to sing for the class, you can also play the audio Listen.

PERFORM:

  • In a soft and gentle tone begin the song.
  • At the conclusion of the song softly tell the children it’s time to very slowly wake up on the count of ten.
  • Count to ten in English in a suspenseful way by strumming the guitar or tapping the drum in between each number.
  • When you get to ten, instruct the class to stretch their arms above their head, and yawn to wake up.

CHALLENGE:

  • Have the class make sounds for wind, rain, and sea, AFTER the lullaby section.



icon TRANSITION
Lullaby to Puppet Review

Explain that on the count of ten, everyone is going to wake up. Then make the sound of a bird and invite the class to call out the puppet. You can use hand percussion to help you so you have tapping sound as you do the countdown. When you reach ten, turn on the lights if they were previously turned off at the start of the lullaby.






WHY THIS WORKS

This is meant to bring the energy of the class back up so that everyone leaves feeling happy. It gives everyone a chance to celebrate the learning for the day and grow the joy that comes with singing and dancing together. The Dance Party should leave every child and adult with fond memories and a heartfelt wish to share their experience with others.

Keywords: the party

PREPARE:

  • Explain that this is a dancing song. You can say, “We are going to a party”. Ask the class to repeat the party three times with you.
  • Teach three easy dance moves to the class so they can participate in the party. This is important because often times people will not easily dance on their own if they do not have an easy motion to do.
  • Instruct the class to stand up with you and begin playing or clapping in a rhythm. Say, “Let’s make a rhythm,” clap your hands or make a rhythm with the instruments and then say, “Let’s go to the party!”.

PERFORM:

  • Sing once with class using instruments.
  • Make a conga line. Have the kids line up behind you while you continue playing and singing the song. Dance around the room in a line and eventually end up where you started as you finish the song.

CHALLENGE:

  • Pause before saying the party and have the class sing it each time.


icon TRANSITION
Dance Party to Goodbye Song

Invite everyone to clap their hands and celebrate the activity they’ve just completed. Announce it’s time to say goodbye. Start teaching the keywords for the Goodbye Song. If it’s a caregiver-and-child class, invite the families to stand up and start marching while clapping. Prepare them for a very lively Goodbye. If the class is being taught in a school then bring the children down to sit on the floor and be sure to doa calm Goodbye Song so that they can transition to their next activity efficiently and are not left too hyper.









WHY THIS WORKS

Saying goodbye is super important in any language. This song will be the last impression for the parents and children so it should leave them feeling accomplished and empowered to go out and start saying a few words in the second language!

Keywords: goodbye, friends

PREPARE:

  • Instruct everyone to remain standing in order to keep a festive vibe after the dance party.
  • Announce, “The time has come to say goodbye”. Encourage the class to say goodbye three times while waving their hands.
  • Say, “We are all friends”. Encourage the class to say friends three times in a fun way.
  • Use the melody of the song to sing, “Goodbye my friends, goodbye my friends” and encourage the class to repeat singing that line with you.
  • Now explain you will teach one more line from the song that is their part which goes, “Goodbye my friends, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye my friends, goodbye my friends, goodbye, goodbye!”. Encourage the class to repeat with you.
  • Instruct everyone to begin clapping their hands in a more accelerated rhythm than usual.

PERFORM:

  • Begin singing Goodbye Friends.
  • Accelerate rhythm using your drum or guitar.
  • Sing the song one time through waving, jumping, or snapping.

icon GOODBYE FRIENDS VIDEO

icon GOODBYE FRIENDS SHEET MUSIC