Samantha Decker

I am a big fan of Nearpod. I have been using it for years. One feature that I never used before now is drag & drog. It allows you to give students words to drag & drop into categories, & you can arrange it to be self grading. The one thing I didn't like was that it didn't show students their score.

Creating a Diverse and Inclusive Classroom Environment and Curriculum - The French Corner Last weekend, I presented at the New York State Association for Language Teachers Annual Conference. It was a great opportunity to connect with other language […] Read More

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(2/2) The group figures out where it goes and writes the letter in the appropriate spot. Then they crumple it back up and throw it on the floor and repeat until finished.

(1/2) Here's a fun no-tech, out of your seat activity. Students work in groups. The questions and answers in these dialogues are scattered all over the floor on crumpled up pieces of paper. One at a time, a group member grabs one piece of paper and brings it back to the group.

Just ran through my presentation for the @nysaflt.bsky.social Annual Conference! Just need to make a few tweaks this week. I'll be presenting on Friday at 1 PM! #nysaflt25

YouTube video by Samantha Decker Les expressions nécessaires

I made this video in Adobe Express using the AI animated voiceover character feature. It was fun to play around with and I liked the diverse options for characters. That said, I'm not sure if I'd have students make them as it takes a lot of time to create.

Every year I show my students an illustration I made in
@procreate.com about myself. I updated it this year to reflect my current interests.

Debuting a new design for my Canvas page this year. I designed this in Canva and I also ordered a poster of it to hang outside my door.

La rentrée 2021: The First Week of School - The French Corner All teachers know that the first week of school is crucial for setting the tone for the year and establish relationships. That is why I, […] Read More

While many of you are starting school this week, in my neck of the woods we don't start until next week. This is the week that I start to think about getting things in place for the beginning of the school year. Here's an article I wrote in 2021 about la rentrée & much of it is still relevant today.

One Simple Way I Improved Rapport With My Students and Expanded Their Vocabulary This Year - The French Corner This year I tried something so simple, so basic, I am asking myself why I didn’t do this sooner. What was it? Asking my students […] Read More

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Making the Most of a Short Cultural Video - The French Corner It can be hard to incorporate authentic resources into novice level lessons, given students’ limited vocabulary. Sometimes we have to get creative and think outside […] Read More

New post on the blog! ⬇️

2 Truths and a Lie is one of my favorite community building activities. It's a great review of the vocabulary we learned all year and reinforces writing and listening skills. Read more about this and my other favorite community building activities: thefrenchcorner.net/2022/03/acti...

7 Ways to Use Emojis in the World Language Classroom - The French Corner Emojis can be useful visuals to use in the language classroom. They are also appealing to kids because they use them themselves. Here are some […] Read More

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My students recently wrote poems about themselves and about others. Read my 2023 post about it for more info: thefrenchcorner.net/2023/06/they...

Introducing My Students to the Music of Angélique Kidjo (Plus, Other Ways to Introduce Authentic Music) - The French Corner Back in March, I introduced my students to the music of Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo. Kidjo is a multilingual, multiple Grammy winning musician and a […] Read More

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Some teachers think of a crossword puzzle as busy work, but they can be useful learning tools. The boxes help students know the right number of letters and the shared letters help them with spelling. I made this crossword puzzle using Discovery Education's puzzle maker.

Mardi Gras and Carnaval in French Class - The French Corner This isn’t the first time I’ve blogged about Mardi Gras. Back in 2015, I shared My Favorite #Authres (and More!) for Mardi Gras & Carnaval. […] Read More

New post on the blog, just in time for Mardi Gras!

Picture of Youtube playlist for Black History Month.

Picture of Youtube playlist for Black History Month.

Picture of Youtube playlist for Black History Month.

Picture of Youtube playlist for Black History Month.

Février, c’est le Mois de l’Histoire des Noir.e.s!
The AATF has curated videos, websites, & pedagogical materials from across the Francophone world to support lessons & activities.
YouTube: youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Pinterest: pin.it/4AaOzPcYk
Wakelet: wakelet.com/wake/J4bqFLg...

Resources for Time, Day and Date - The French Corner Note: This is an update of a post I wrote back in 2016. Outdated resources have been removed and new ones have been added. Time, […] Read More

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Fans of Angélique Kidjo: Can anyone tell me what language her song "Bomba" is sung in?

20 of My Favorite Low-Tech Activities - The French Corner Back in 2014, I wrote a post entitled The Value of Low-Tech in a High-Tech World. It’s over 10 years old at this point, but […] Read More

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This is the first time I incorporated the exercise but I have used others of their videos. They are great! The subtitles in French help students a lot.

Une journée ! | Apprendre le français avec TV5MONDE On fait quoi aujourd'hui ? Parlez des activités du quotidien et de l'heure avec 4 exercices #FLE A1

I recently used this video and exercises with my students. It's great for working with time and days of the week!

Learning About Notre Dame Cathedral and Making Scratch Art Stained-Glass Windows with My French Club Students - The French Corner With the recent reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris after its devastating fire in 2019, I thought this might be a great topic for […] Read More

In my latest blog post, I share an activity I recently did with my French Club.

How We Celebrate Chandeleur with Crêpes - The French Corner Note: If you are an email subscriber, I recommend viewing this post in your browser, as there are videos and other content which will not […] Read More

With Chandeleur just around the corner, here is a look at how I introduce the holiday to my students, complete with crêpes to eat in class! ⬇️

9 Activities or Resources I Tried or Brought Back in 2024 - The French Corner At the end of the calendar year, I do a retrospective on my favorite activities and resources I used for the first time or brought […] Read More

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I tell my students that a bûche de Noël is a work of art. No two are alike. This year the students were really creative with their interpretations of this traditional French dessert!

My Favorite Cultural Resources for Food and Meal-Taking - The French Corner It seems I have an abundance of cultural resources that I use when introducing my students to food and meal-taking in French. In this post, […] Read More

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I haven't been as active on X in recent years, and I'm hoping to interact more with other language educators here on Bluesky!