"Chuck does a very good job of lesson planning. There is a good variety of activities that even a non-speaker can do. I find being a Teaching Partner an uplifting experience. I have enjoyed learning the language along with the kids. I also appreciate how quickly the SVS staff responds to questions."

Victoria Morris
Golden City H.S., MO

Teaching Partner Concept
The Teaching Partner is the key to the entire program, and serves as the catalyst for what happens (or doesn’t happen) in your school’s classroom.

Once you sign up for SVS, you’ll assign a certified classroom teacher for each section to be the Teaching Partner, working in partnership with the SVS course instructor. He or she is expected to direct classroom activities and participate in the course, with no other assigned duties during the scheduled class time. The Teaching Partner conducts the class each day your school is in session. On non-videolesson days, the Teaching Partner implements the activities and assignments in the lesson plans provided by the SVS course instructor. Teaching Partners have the authority and the autonomy to evaluate their own students. Assistance and advice is always available from the SVS course instructor and staff.

Spanish I Teaching Partner requirements:
	a certified instructor (in any discipline)
	a desire to learn along with your students
	a responsible, motivated classroom manager
Spanish II Teaching Partner requirements:
	Spanish I Teaching Partner with the program or must have had at least a year of college Spanish or 2 years of high school Spanish

Native speakers : Native Speakers of Spanish as Teaching Partners constitute a special situation; please contact the SVS staff at the ECC for further information.

Teaching Partners are just a toll-free phone call away from reaching their partner, the course instructor, or one of our Spanish-speaking assistants. On-going communication with the instructor and the support staff is essential to the success of a distance education program.

Teaching Partner Selection
The way your school selects the individual assigned to be the SVS Teaching Partner is vital to the ultimate success of the program. It is this person who “makes or breaks” the success of the program in the school.

Ask the following questions to help you identify a good Teaching Partner choice:
	Is the teacher a good motivator?
	Is he or she a good classroom manager?
	Does the individual have a personal desire to learn Spanish?
	Is he or she excited about this responsibility?
	Will this person participate in the class, learning along with the students?

Successful Teaching Partner traits include:
Skillful Classroom Management - probably the most important quality of a successful Teaching Partner. It is reasonable to expect an adult learner to be self-motivating in a distance education experience, but that is not the norm for adolescents in high school, who often believe the television medium is designed for only entertainment.

Motivation - is the keyword and is an important concept to consider in selecting a Teaching Partner.

Desire to learn - The Spanish I Teaching Partner does not need to know any Spanish, yet the desire to learn along with the students, even a page ahead of them, will make the critical difference. The learn-along-with-the-students responsibility allows the Teacher Partner to correct written student evaluations, using answer keys and consulting with the course instructor. This provides feedback to the student in a timely manner, which is necessary in any course. If at all possible, it’s best to NOT assign a first year teacher as your Teaching Partner. Our experience shows new teachers are taxed enough with first-year preparations, without the additional responsibility of managing a distance learning course.

Teaching Partner Training
Take Advantage of In-service Training
In-service for Teaching Partners takes place every program year via Teleconference Training and videotape formats:

1) Teleconference Training
The mandatory Teleconference Training provides an opportunity for all SVS Teaching Partners to interact. Previously, training was held in locations close to Kansas which wasn't practical for many of our partnering schools. By opening up the phone lines, Teaching Partners nationwide are able to exchange and learn with their SVS peers in one of three scheduled training sessions held in August (approximately one hour in length). Participation of Teaching Partners is mandatory as they will learn the vital role of their responsibilities with the course, along with the benefits of being able to:

	Become familiar with the course instructor and SVS staff
	Learn about the course syllabus, lesson plans, and scheduled phone lessons
	Network with other Teaching Partners in their state and area
	Participate from home or school in the morning, afternoon or evening phone training sessions at no expense to you or your school, and no travel
	Pick up tips & techniques for extra activities, projects, and resources

2) Training Videotape
A training videotape is sent to every new Teaching Partner. After he or she has viewed the videotape and participated in the teleconference training, the SVS staff is always available via telephone to answer any questions or concerns.

3) Training Reference Materials
Written by the SVS course instructor, these materials provide Teaching Partners with ideas and resources for classroom activities, and outlines their role and responsibilities.

4) On-going Contact
Continuous “training” occurs through frequent conversations between Teaching Partners and the Spanish via Satellite staff. A toll-free telephone number is provided for M-F, 8:00 am - 5:00 om CST support.