Category: Culture
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
An Earth Day That Hits Different: Meaningful Lessons for Spanish Class
When Earth Day rolls around, I don’t just think about reusable bags and paper straws. I think about my daughter. She’s ten. Brilliant. Observant. Deeply thoughtful. And lately, she’s been asking me some questions that are hard to answer: 👧🏽 “Why do the cars that are better for the environment cost more than the ones…
-
What Does It Really Mean to Decolonize the Spanish Classroom? (And how can we actually do it?)
Decolonizing your Spanish classroom isn’t about being perfect or checking boxes. It’s about re-centering voices that have been historically left out and creating a space where students can connect more deeply—to themselves, each other, and the world. 💃🏽 Resources included. Here’s what that can look like in real life: 1. 🌍 Shift Away from the…
-
Why Afro-Latino Voices Belong in Black History Month
“You can’t have your fried chicken and tacos too.” That was a comment I once received on an Afro-Latino-themed ad I ran on Facebook…. …I deleted it… …But I haven’t forgotten it. Unfortunately, it lives rent-free in my head. Because it reminded me of a painful truth in the work that I do and the…
-
Bad Bunny & “DeBÍ TiRaR MáS FOtoS”: More Than Entertainment—A Cultural Statement That You Need To Teach
📸Ways that you can incorporate Bad Bunny’s new album into your Spanish class On January 5th, 2025, Bad Bunny dropped an exquisite love letter to Puerto Rico in the form of a musical album with “DeBÍ TiRaR MáS FOtoS”. Two days prior, he released a cortometraje that he directed to great acclaim. As of Jan…
