Heritage Teacher Workshop JUNE 2024 by Adventures in Heritage Teaching

Adrienne and Mary Beth have put together two amazing days of learning and collaboration designed especially for new(ish) heritage teachers or heritage teachers that are looking to revamp or redesign their programs.

What: We focus on ensuring that our sessions are highly practical and relevant for classroom teachers. There will be a consistent theme of acknowledging, honoring, and validating identity and language practices in our students, as well as culturally sustaining pedagogies and antiracist, antibiased teaching in the heritage classroom. This year, we will offer sessions on: humanizing our heritage classes and not giving in to deficit frameworks or labels, prioritizing free choice reading as a matter of equity, how to teach reading and writing successfully to heritage speakers (including a session on how to fill in some of those foundational literacy skills that some students with interrupted formal education might be missing,) and units and themes that affirm the identities of our students. For a complete list of sessions and descriptions, please visit this link. We anticipate sharing many curriculum resources during this workshop; more info to come.

How: We highly recommend attending the sessions live because this will be designed as an synchronous workshop so we can make it as interactive and collaborative as possible. However, content portion of each session will be recorded and available for 14 days after the workshop ends.

Where: Virtual! This workshop will be held over Zoom and will use the Google Drive platform.

Who: This workshop will cater to teachers who teach (or will teach) classes for Spanish heritage speakers at the middle or high school level. This workshop is for both new and experienced teachers, especially those teachers interested in improving their literacy pedagogy and those teachers looking for ways to affirm and value student identities and language practices. Because it is interactive, it is especially valuable for teams to attend together. It is also valuable for curriculum specialists, teacher trainers, and curriculum developers who support heritage teachers.

Pricing info:

Early bird pricing (before May 1st): $299 + $21.89 in Eventbrite fees, total of $320.89

General admission pricing (after May 1st) : $349 + $25.25 in Eventbrite fees, total of $374.25

Purchase orders are accepted, please email [email protected].

Graduate credit:

All participants will receive a certificate for hours completed. We anticipate being able to offer 1 graduate credit through Colorado State University. The cost is $65; information will be provided here once available. Once you register, you cannot drop the credit; we recommend registering about a week before the workshop, but you must register by the last day of the workshop. All work will be due 2 weeks after the workshop.

Registering for someone else? You will need the following info:

• Their full name, email address, pronouns, and home address
• Their job title, their school name, their school/work address
• The grade level of their students
• If they have been teaching heritage students and for how long
• How they heard about the workshop
• Does your district have a set of standards that you are required to follow with your heritage class? If so, what are they?
• What type of students make up your heritage program? (Do you have newcomers who came from being in school in another country? Do you have newcomers with limited or interrupted formal education? Do you have students that have lived in the US their whole lives? )

Read some feedback from our previous participants:

"This workshop helped me see how I needed to be a different kind of teacher for my Heritage students. And, after nearly drowning last year in my first attempt teacher a Heritage class, I was very beaten down from that experience. But, this workshop has given me tons of hope. It was practical, easy to understand, and the demos were really, REALLY helpful. It was helpful to be in a student's shoes. I am thankful for Adrienne and Mary Beth being willing to share their work and knowledge--it truly has been a blessing and worth every darn penny. " -Amanda Benavidez-Williams

"This workshop provides a wonderful and supportive space for teachers of Heritage. The co-facilitators have years of experience, skills and resources to share. A must for anyone teaching Heritage." -Susanne Kissmann

“This workshop was worth it. It was interactive, personal, and gave me and my new colleague the confidence we needed to get our program under control. We left with great tools and ideas that we could immediately put into action.” –Meghan Loveless

"I have been teaching Heritage Speakers for 12 years and still felt that this workshop provided so much valuable information. I learned so many things to use in my classroom and really felt that Adrienne & Mary Beth know what they are talking about. They were informative and ready to answer questions that anyone had. We were able to practice what was taught and discuss with other teachers what we learned. I am hopeful that I can attend another workshop with both of them. " -Kate R

“As a teacher new to teaching native and heritage speakers of Spanish, I found this workshop invaluable. I left feeling energized, encouraged, and ready to implement all the new ideas and strategies I learned.” –Nina Hidalgo

"I have struggled for so long trying to figure out ways and developing strategies to support my student. I am the only Spanish teacher in my school and unfortunately do not get to collaborate with a team the way we did during the past two days. I am grateful for the opportunity you have provided for me to learn and collaborate during the workshop. More specifically I can begin the school year with a clear plan and structure." -2022 Participant

“I highly recommend the Heritage Teacher Workshop. Throughout the workshop, presenters shared valuable resources, provided access to curriculum and curriculum planning and modeled meaningful instructional strategies that were proven to engage heritage learners. Also, the opportunity to collaborate with heritage teachers from around the country was a welcomed opportunity to learn from each other. This workshop was just what our district team needed to move the process forward for our students.” –Toni Theisen, Thompson School District World Language and Dual Language TOSA, Loveland, CO; ACTFL President 2013; ACTFL Teacher of the Year 2009

"One of the most practical and hands on workshops that I have participated in for teaching Heritage Spanish. Actually doing the lessons as if we were students gives us an important perspective on how it feels. This will allow me to be a better teacher. Having the opportunity to network with other teachers of Heritage Spanish is so valuable. The presenters are very open about their journey as teachers and this allows those who attend to learn from their experiences instead of spending precious time learning on our own." -2022 Participant

"This workshop is good for teachers who have taught native speakers and for teachers who expect to teach native speakers. It has valuable materials for both types of educators." -DA

"My brain is super full (in a good way!) and I have so many ideas to work with. I have been building a literacy based program in my L2 classes for the last few years, and the strategies shown here reaffirmed what I know and do in my classroom, but have also taught me how to be the teacher my Heritage students need me to be. I was struggling making the switch from language teacher to language ARTS teacher, but I feel much more confident now after attending this workshop." - 2022 Participant

"I got many usable ideas (as opposed to a bunch of theory). The presenters were very approachable and knowledgeable. TY" - 2022 Participant

"I wish I had taken this workshop last summer BEFORE I began teaching the Heritage class at my school. I really struggled last year, and I was very heartbroken at the end of the year. I feel reinvigorated now." - 2022 Participant

Event Venue

Online