Author: theculturalclassroom

  • Teach Cinco de Mayo Without Perpetuating Stereotypes: Meaningful Ideas for Spanish Class

    Discover authentic ways to teach Cinco de Mayo, focusing on respectful engagement and cultural understanding.

  • Selena in YOUR Spanish Class: 5 Meaningful Resources + Lesson Ideas

    Looking for meaningful ways to teach about the amazing Selena Quintanilla Pérez in Spanish class? In this post, I’m sharing some of my favorite resources, video clips, and lesson ideas to help Spanish teachers explore her life, music, bilingualism, and cultural legacy in engaging ways. Whether you teach novice learners or more advanced students, these…

  • Still thinking about Bad Bunny + the Halftime Show? Ideas for your Spanish classroom

    In this article, we will explore the cultural significance of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance for our Spanish classes. This blog piece will also discuss practical ways to incorporate elements of this groundbreaking performance into your classroom. *Image credit: Rolling Stone On January 10th, 2025, I wrote a blog post completely inspired by Bad Bunny’s…

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    Teaching Afro-Latino Culture Year-Round: My BHM Facebook Live Series (Now on YouTube)

    During the month of February 2026, I collaborated with the World Language Teacher Lounge’s Facebook Page to launch a series of Facebook Lives surrounding the intersection of Black History Month and Afro-Latinidad. We all know this: Black History is not limited to February. Every month, week, and day is a great opportunity to expose our…

  • Why Puerto Rico Is #1 On My Christmas Bucket List (And How I Bring It To My Classroom Now)

    I’m going to be honest: I have a very basic bucket list.Learn more. Spend time with family & friends. Sleep. Repeat. But there’s one dream that has lived rent-free in my heart for years: One day, I want to celebrate the entire Navidad season in Puerto Rico. 🌴✨ Not just a weekend trip. Not just…

  • Whole Brain, Whole Body, Whole Classroom: Teaching All Minds with Comprehensible Input

    Guest blog post by Jessica Charlton, Secondary Education World Language Teacher If you’ve ever taught a group of students with diverse learning needs, neurodivergent thinkers, anxious learners, gifted creatives, and everyone in between, you know there’s no such thing as a typical class! And as teachers, our classes (and class dynamics) change every semester or…

  • From Reggaetón to Representation: Teaching About Puerto Rico Through Bad Bunny’s Residency

    During the week of September 20th, 2025, Puerto Rico showed up and showed out. Here are just three ways: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dra. Irma Torres Rivera | Psicóloga & Speaker (@drairmatorres) 3. ➡️ Grito de Lares (Sept 23), which I’ve never seen get so much coverage before in my…

  • Everything you need to celebrate: ¡el mes de septiembre! 🎉

    Hola septiembre—how you doing, nena? 💃🏽 As teachers, we are so lucky because we get to celebrate two New Years: one at the start of the actual year (ex: 2026) and one at the start of the academic year (ex: 2025-2026)! Let’s see what September has to offer! Let’s Get The Party Started With Hispanic…

  • Starting the School Year by Creating Your Cultural Classroom

    Start the school year with ease and inspiration by creating a cultural classroom. In this post, discover three irresistible, low-prep ways to integrate authentic culture into your Spanish or world language lessons—plus research-backed reasons why cultural inclusion and representation matter for your students’ learning and sense of belonging. As world language teachers, our hearts are…

  • Tiny Tweaks, Big Impact: Actionable Social Justice Strategies Through Visuals For Your Spanish Class

    Everyone’s talking about “social justice” in the classroom—but what does that actually look like on Day One, especially when you’re juggling a hundred other priorities? If you’re short on time (aren’t we all!), you don’t need to overhaul your entire curriculum or spend evenings buried in academic journals. Instead, think of me as your magical…