1. Organizing materials is one of the most difficult aspects of "traveling." The key, I feel, is a K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Sweetie). Simplify, simplify, simplify! Concentrate on using just a few props at a time.
2. Try to have sufficient planning time at the beginning of the day (best!) or at the end of the day to get your cart set up for the next day's journey.
3. Labeling articles, color coding with bits of colored masking tape, transparent storage boxes and bags, slash file folders, and 5-minute cassettes with one song recorded on it all help as the fatigue sets in as the day progresses.
4. Allowing at least five minutes between every class allows you to do a little housekeeping so that your cart is not a total mess by day's end.
5. Depending on how much permanent storage space you have for yourself at each school will determine whether you need to carry large Rubbermaid clear storage boxes in your trunk as you travel.
6.Your curriculum has a strong influence on your K.I.S.S. approach. As you add a grade each year, make sure that there are transitional links in content for each instructional unit across all grade levels. This common thread helps the FLES teacher organize both her materials and her mind much more easily.
7. Scheduling all classes of a particular grade level together in sequence helps so that the FLES teacher is not bouncing from one grade to the next. (This is a luxury I have yet to achieve in my schedule.)
8. Because my classes for grades 2, 3, & 4 are only 15 minutes long, I find it very difficult to have complete initiation and closure. I find that starting the class with a lively song for the first few minutes, related somehow to the content/major objective of the lesson, is a great way to begin. The children act out the song with props and really get their brains in gear for Spanish. Then I go into teaching the major objective. I finish with a short original chant of some sort to reinforce previously learned material or present something new (i.e. Adiós, adiós, Esta clase está bien. Vamos a contar hasta cien. [By tens, of course].
9. Purchase materials slowly and not spend all your budget in September. I find that the superior materials are those custom-made by teachers anyway. For essentials I would recommend:
*large sized sulphite construction paper in a large variety of colors (doesn't fade and is very durable for constructing props)
*large-sized heavy card stock for making signs
*CDs and tapes of authentic children's music (like José Luis Orozco and Francisco Aquino) See Music.
(Most of their songs have lots of TPR potential). Even if you feel you can't sing well, playing the tape over and over for the children will give you more confidence to belt it out, too.
*puppets either people or animals (Childcraft and Demco have excellent large mouth "human" puppets) Children respond extremely well to puppets and are eager to have conversations with him/her/it. See Puppets, Masks, and Toys.
*posters (instructional and tourist-type)
*homemade "bingo/lotería" games linked to class content (for fun) with little prizes or you can have winners but names in a bag and then pick out a winner for a bigger prize
*"Muzzy" video tapes (Volume One, only) are absolutely wonderful. I only show a short except (2 minutes or so) every week. The series last over three grade levels. Grade two sees part one, grade three part two, and grade four part three. The children look forward to going to the "movies". I follow the tape with role plays of the actual dialogues or other hands-on activities to reinforce the content presented. The content covers what most elementary programs emphasize. See
*simple map of the region/country you will cover
*realia from the country you will study (ask parents to contribute or loan you "souvenirs.")
