Private online course · 4 weeks · 20 hours

Maestro, MaestraSpanish for Teachers and Schools

Talk with the Spanish-speaking families at your school with confidence. Maestro, Maestra is a private online course for teachers, school staff and early-years workers in the US and Canada. In 20 one-on-one hours you practice classroom routines, praise, parent conferences, school forms, health notes and phone calls, ending with a 10 minute mock parent conference in Spanish, run by you.

  • Private 1-on-1
  • 20 hours in 4 weeks
  • Level A2 or higher
  • Certificate of completion
Book Maestro, MaestraDownload the student guide (PDF)
The course

Who it is for and what you will do

Who it is for

  • Classroom teachers, from pre-K to high school, who teach children from Spanish-speaking homes
  • Front office staff, school nurses, counselors, aides and bus coordinators
  • Early-years and daycare workers who greet families every morning and afternoon
  • Anyone at a school in the US or Canada who already has some Spanish (level A2 or higher) and wants it to work on the job

What you will be able to do

  • Give clear classroom instructions, praise and behaviour reminders in Spanish
  • Explain progress, grades and report cards to parents in polite, simple Spanish
  • Help families fill in common school forms and understand health notes
  • Talk about extra support using respectful, person-first language
  • Make a phone call to a family and run a 10 minute parent conference in Spanish

Maestro, Maestra teaches language only. It does not explain special education law, IEP or 504 procedures, health policy or immigration matters: your school and district set those.

4 weeks

The 4-week plan

  1. Week 1

    The classroom

    Routines, instructions, praise, behaviour

  2. Week 2

    Parents and conferences

    Progress reports, grades, concerns, scheduling

  3. Week 3

    Every child included

    School forms, health notes, support vocabulary, person-first language

  4. Week 4

    Calls and newsletters

    Phone calls, written notices, a mock parent conference

20 lessons

Full curriculum: 20 one-hour lessons

Register notes used all through the course:

  • With children: tú commands (most US and Canada families are of Mexican, Central American or Caribbean origin). Argentine vos forms are shown so the student recognizes them (sentate, escuchá, vení).
  • With parents: usted, always, unless the family asks for tú.
  • Regional labels: (Mex) Mexico and much of Central America, (Carib) Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, (Arg) Argentina.

Week 1: The classroom

Lesson 1 Buenos días, clase: greetings and routines
  • Goals: greet a class and take attendance; walk through the morning routine.
  • Vocabulary: el salón de clases (classroom; Arg: el aula), la rutina (routine), el horario (schedule), pasar lista (to take attendance), presente (here, present), faltar (to be absent), la asamblea / el círculo (morning meeting), la fecha (date), el calendario (calendar), el estado del tiempo (weather), el pupitre (desk; Arg: el banco), la mochila (backpack), el casillero (locker, cubby), el timbre (bell), la entrada / la salida (arrival / dismissal).
  • Structures: Es hora de + infinitive (Es hora de leer). Vamos a + infinitive. ¿Quién falta hoy? Hoy es lunes 3 de noviembre.
  • Speaking task: run a 3 minute morning meeting with the teacher playing the class: greeting, attendance, date, weather, plan for the day.
  • Homework: write your real daily class schedule in Spanish (8 lines) and record yourself reading it.
Lesson 2 Instructions and transitions
  • Goals: give one-step and two-step instructions; manage transitions.
  • Vocabulary: primero (first), después / luego (then), por último (finally), la actividad (activity), el centro (learning centre), el turno (turn), la fila (line), el compañero / la compañera (classmate, partner), en parejas (in pairs), en grupos (in groups), en silencio (silently), la mesa (table), ordenar (to tidy up; Arg also: juntar), el temporizador (timer), terminar (to finish).
  • Structures: affirmative tú and ustedes commands (Abre / Abran). Irregular tú commands: pon, ven, haz, sal, ten, di, ve. Cuando termines, ... Tienen dos minutos para + infinitive.
  • Regional note: vos commands move the stress to the end: abrí, vení, poné, hacé, tené, decí. Ve (go) becomes andá.
  • Speaking task: give the teacher a 5-step transition from reading to math using primero, después, luego, por último.
  • Homework: write 10 instructions you give every day, in tú and ustedes forms.
Lesson 3 Praise and encouragement
  • Goals: give specific praise; encourage effort.
  • Vocabulary: ¡Muy bien! (very good), ¡Bien hecho! (well done), ¡Sigue así! (keep it up), el esfuerzo (effort), mejorar (to improve), esforzarse (to try hard), orgulloso/a (proud), la paciencia (patience), amable (kind), responsable (responsible), ayudar (to help), la estrella (star), la calcomanía (sticker; Arg: el sticker / la figurita), el premio (prize, reward), todavía no (not yet).
  • Structures: Me gusta cómo + verb (Me gusta cómo compartiste). Gracias por + infinitive. Estoy orgulloso/a de ti. Todavía no, pero casi.
  • Regional note: children may say ¡Qué padre! (Mex), ¡Qué chévere! (Carib) or ¡Qué bueno! / ¡Genial! (Arg) for "cool". Recognize them; you do not need to use them.
  • Speaking task: praise 6 pictured children for 6 different things, each with a specific reason.
  • Homework: write 10 specific praise sentences for real situations in your classroom.
Lesson 4 Behaviour and expectations
  • Goals: state rules; redirect behaviour calmly and respectfully.
  • Vocabulary: las reglas (rules), el comportamiento / la conducta (behaviour), respetar (to respect), empujar (to push), pegar (to hit), gritar (to shout), interrumpir (to interrupt), lastimar (to hurt), la advertencia (warning), la consecuencia (consequence), el rincón de la calma (calm-down corner), elegir (to choose), compartir (to share), pedir perdón / pedir disculpas (to apologize), las manos quietas (hands to yourself).
  • Structures: negative commands (No corras. No empujes.). Recuerda que + present. Te doy dos opciones: ... o ... Necesito que + subjunctive (Necesito que te sientes).
  • Note: describe the behaviour, not the child. Say "Empujaste a Ana", not "Eres malo".
  • Speaking task: role-play 4 short redirections (running, shouting, not sharing, interrupting) with a choice and a calm close.
  • Homework: translate your classroom rules poster into Spanish (5 to 8 rules, positive wording).
Lesson 5 The early-years day, arrival and dismissal
  • Goals: talk with families at drop-off and pick-up; give a short end-of-day report.
  • Vocabulary: la guardería (daycare; Arg: el jardín maternal), el kínder (kindergarten; Arg: el jardín de infantes), la siesta (nap), el refrigerio (snack; US Mex often: el snack; Arg: la merienda / la colación), el recreo (recess), el patio (playground), ir al baño (to use the bathroom), el pañal (diaper), la muda de ropa (change of clothes), la lonchera (lunchbox; Arg: la vianda), recoger (to pick up; Arg: buscar / retirar), la persona autorizada (authorized person), lavarse las manos (to wash hands), el abrigo (coat; Mex: la chamarra; Arg: la campera).
  • Structures: preterite for daily reports (Comió bien. Durmió una hora. Jugó con sus amigos.). ¿Quién lo/la recoge hoy? Necesita traer + noun.
  • Regional note: avoid "coger" for "pick up" or "take". It is normal in the Caribbean but vulgar in Mexico and Argentina. Use recoger, agarrar or tomar.
  • Speaking task: give 3 parents (played by the teacher) a 1 minute end-of-day report, including one request (bring a change of clothes).
  • Homework: write 5 end-of-day reports for fictional children.

Week 2: Parents and conferences

Lesson 6 Meeting parents: usted and first impressions
  • Goals: introduce yourself formally; build trust in the first minute.
  • Vocabulary: los padres (parents), la familia (family), el tutor / la tutora (guardian), el abuelo / la abuela (grandparent), mucho gusto (nice to meet you), encantado/a (pleased to meet you), la reunión (meeting), la conferencia de padres y maestros (parent-teacher conference, US Spanish), el intérprete (interpreter), el grado (grade; Arg: grado or año), la clase (class), presentarse (to introduce oneself), el correo electrónico (e-mail), el número de teléfono (phone number), preferir (to prefer).
  • Structures: usted forms (¿Cómo está usted?). Soy el maestro / la maestra de su hijo/a. Le agradezco por venir. ¿Prefiere que hablemos en español o con un intérprete?
  • Regional note: many Mexican and Caribbean families use don / doña plus first name as a sign of respect (doña María). Señora plus surname is always safe. In Argentina, families may call a teacher "la seño" (early years) or "profe".
  • Speaking task: meet 3 different family members at back-to-school night: greet, introduce yourself, collect contact details.
  • Homework: write a 6-line self-introduction you could say at back-to-school night.
Lesson 7 Progress reports and school subjects
  • Goals: describe progress in each subject; name strengths and areas to work on.
  • Vocabulary: la materia (subject), la lectura (reading), la escritura (writing), las matemáticas (math), las ciencias (science), los estudios sociales (social studies), la educación física (PE), el progreso / el avance (progress), el nivel de grado (grade level), la meta (goal), la fortaleza (strength), mejorar (to improve), fortalecer (to strengthen), la comprensión (comprehension), la fluidez (fluency).
  • Structures: Está progresando en + noun. Le cuesta + infinitive / Se le dificulta + infinitive (She finds it hard to...). Lee a nivel de grado. Mejoró mucho en...
  • Regional note: Mexico and Argentina prefer the simple past (Mejoró mucho) where Spain uses Ha mejorado. Both are correct; the simple past sounds more natural to most families here.
  • Speaking task: explain a fictional progress report (4 subjects) to a parent.
  • Homework: write a 1-paragraph progress summary for a fictional student: 2 strengths, 1 goal.
Lesson 8 Grades and report cards
  • Goals: explain the grading system; answer questions about a report card.
  • Vocabulary: la boleta de calificaciones (report card, Mex; Arg: el boletín / la libreta), las calificaciones (grades; Arg, Carib: las notas), el promedio (average), aprobar (to pass), reprobar (to fail, Mex; Arg: desaprobar), la prueba (quiz, test), el examen (exam), la tarea (homework; Arg also: los deberes), entregar (to hand in), el proyecto (project), el trimestre (term, trimester), el periodo de calificaciones (grading period), el puntaje (score), la escala (scale), faltar tareas (to miss assignments).
  • Structures: Sacó una B en matemáticas. Tiene un promedio de 85. Si entrega las tareas que faltan, puede subir su calificación.
  • Cultural note: in Mexico grades usually run from 5 to 10, and in Argentina from 1 to 10. Letter grades or Canadian levels 1 to 4 may be new to families. Explain the scale before the grade.
  • Speaking task: explain a fictional report card, including the scale, one high grade and one low grade.
  • Homework: write a short "How grades work at our school" paragraph in Spanish.
Lesson 9 Sharing a concern kindly
  • Goals: raise a concern without blame; ask for the family's view.
  • Vocabulary: la preocupación (concern), preocupado/a (worried), notar (to notice), últimamente (lately), distraído/a (distracted), cansado/a (tired), triste (sad), el apoyo (support), apoyar (to support), trabajar juntos (to work together), en casa (at home), en la escuela (at school), sugerir (to suggest), la rutina (routine), cambiar (to change).
  • Structures: Noté que... / He notado que... Me gustaría saber su opinión. ¿Ha notado algo en casa? ¿Qué le parece si + present? Softeners: un poco, a veces, últimamente.
  • Speaking task: share a concern (tiredness in class) using the "notice, ask, plan" order.
  • Homework: write 2 short concern openers for your own real situations (no real student names).
Lesson 10 Scheduling and conference logistics
  • Goals: set, confirm and change a meeting time.
  • Vocabulary: la cita (appointment), agendar / programar (to schedule; Arg: coordinar, arreglar), disponible (available), por la mañana / por la tarde (in the morning / afternoon), después de clases (after school), cancelar (to cancel), cambiar la fecha / reprogramar (to reschedule), confirmar (to confirm), en persona (in person), por video (by video), por teléfono (by phone), la oficina principal (front office; Arg: la secretaría / la dirección), el estacionamiento (parking), el horario de trabajo (work schedule).
  • Structures: ¿Le queda bien el martes a las 3:30? ¿Qué día le conviene más? Vamos a reunirnos el jueves 5 de noviembre. ¿Puede llegar 5 minutos antes?
  • Note: Latin America writes dates day/month (5/11 = 5 November). Always say or write the date in words to avoid mistakes.
  • Speaking task: schedule a conference with a parent who works shifts; offer 3 options and confirm.
  • Homework: write a conference invitation message with 3 time options.

Week 3: Every child included

Lesson 11 School forms
  • Goals: guide a family through a form; ask for spelling and details.
  • Vocabulary: el formulario (form; US Spanish also: la forma), la inscripción / la matrícula (enrolment), llenar (to fill in; Arg: completar), firmar (to sign), la firma (signature), la fecha de nacimiento (date of birth), la dirección / el domicilio (address), el contacto de emergencia (emergency contact), el parentesco (relationship), el comprobante de domicilio (proof of address), el acta de nacimiento (birth certificate, Mex; Arg: la partida de nacimiento), la letra de molde (print letters; Arg: letra de imprenta), marcar la casilla (to tick the box), la fecha límite (deadline), entregar (to hand in).
  • Structures: Por favor, llene esta parte. Escriba con letra de molde. Hay que firmar aquí. ¿Me lo puede deletrear? Spanish alphabet for spelling names.
  • Note: many families use two surnames (paternal then maternal). Ask which surname goes on school records.
  • Speaking task: help a parent complete the sample enrolment form in the student guide.
  • Homework: practice spelling 5 names and 3 addresses aloud with the Spanish alphabet.
Lesson 12 Health notes and the nurse's office
  • Goals: understand and explain a simple health note; describe common symptoms.
  • Vocabulary: la enfermera escolar (school nurse), la oficina de salud / la enfermería (health office), la fiebre (fever), la tos (cough), el dolor de cabeza / de estómago / de oído (headache / stomachache / earache), vomitar (to vomit), la temperatura (temperature), el sarpullido (rash), los piojos (lice), contagioso/a (contagious), el medicamento (medication), la receta (prescription), la vacuna (vaccine), la cartilla de vacunación (vaccination record, Mex; Arg: el carnet de vacunación), quedarse en casa (to stay home).
  • Structures: Tuvo fiebre de 101 grados. Le duele + body part (Le duele la cabeza). Debe quedarse en casa hasta que + subjunctive (hasta que no tenga fiebre).
  • Note: US schools use Fahrenheit; families from Latin America think in Celsius (38 °C is about 100.4 °F). The course teaches language only; your school's health policy decides what is said and done.
  • Speaking task: explain a nurse visit note to a parent by phone.
  • Homework: write 3 short health notes from the guide templates with fictional details.
Lesson 13 Allergies, medication and emergency contacts
  • Goals: ask about allergies and medication; confirm emergency contacts.
  • Vocabulary: la alergia (allergy), ser alérgico/a a (to be allergic to), el cacahuate (peanut, Mex; Carib, Arg: el maní), los mariscos (shellfish), los lácteos (dairy), el asma (asthma), el inhalador (inhaler; some Caribbean families say la bombita), el autoinyector de epinefrina (epinephrine auto-injector), la reacción (reaction), la diabetes (diabetes), el azúcar en la sangre (blood sugar), la dieta especial (special diet), el plan de salud (health plan), avisar (to let know), la autorización (authorization).
  • Structures: ¿Su hijo/a tiene alguna alergia? ¿Toma algún medicamento en la escuela? Necesitamos que nos avise si cambia algo. ¿A quién llamamos si no lo/la encontramos a usted?
  • Speaking task: update a family's health and emergency contact information by phone.
  • Homework: list the allergy and health words you hear most at your school, with Spanish equivalents.
Lesson 14 Words for extra support (language only)
  • Goals: name the people, plans and services that support students; explain a meeting invitation.
  • Vocabulary: el apoyo educativo (learning support), las necesidades educativas especiales (special educational needs), el IEP / Programa de Educación Individualizado (IEP; many districts keep the English acronym), el plan 504 (504 plan, US only), la evaluación (evaluation), el/la especialista (specialist), el terapeuta del habla y lenguaje (speech-language therapist; Arg: fonoaudiólogo/a), el terapeuta ocupacional (occupational therapist), el psicólogo escolar (school psychologist), el consejero escolar (school counselor; also: orientador/a), las adaptaciones (accommodations), las modificaciones (modifications), el maestro de educación especial (special education teacher), la reunión del equipo (team meeting), el consentimiento (consent).
  • Structures: Lo/La invitamos a una reunión para hablar de... El equipo incluye a... ¿Tiene alguna pregunta sobre la reunión? Su opinión es muy importante.
  • Note: this lesson is vocabulary only. It does not explain rights, eligibility or procedures. Plan names vary by state and province (Ontario and other provinces also use IEP).
  • Speaking task: explain who will attend a support team meeting and why, using the vocabulary.
  • Homework: write a 5-line meeting invitation using the vocabulary (no procedures or promises).
Lesson 15 Respectful, person-first language
  • Goals: talk about disability and difference respectfully; follow the family's preferred words.
  • Vocabulary: un niño con discapacidad (a child with a disability), una estudiante con autismo / en el espectro autista (a student with autism / on the autism spectrum), usa silla de ruedas (uses a wheelchair), sordo/a, con pérdida auditiva (Deaf, with hearing loss), ciego/a, con discapacidad visual (blind, with a visual impairment), con TDAH (with ADHD), con síndrome de Down (with Down syndrome), aprender a su ritmo (to learn at their own pace), necesitar más tiempo (to need more time), la inclusión (inclusion), incluir (to include), la fortaleza (strength), el interés (interest), comunicarse (to communicate).
  • Words to avoid: discapacitado as a noun ("un discapacitado"), minusválido, retrasado, anormal, "sufre de", "está confinado a una silla de ruedas".
  • Structures: Tiene + condition (not "sufre de"). Aprende mejor cuando + present. ¿Qué palabras usan ustedes en casa para hablar de esto?
  • Note: some Deaf and autistic people prefer identity-first words (una persona sorda, una persona autista). The safest habit is to use the words the family uses.
  • Speaking task: describe a fictional student's strengths and support needs in a positive, person-first way.
  • Homework: rewrite 8 disrespectful or outdated sentences in respectful Spanish.

Week 4: Calls and newsletters

Lesson 16 Phone calls to families
  • Goals: open, run and close a phone call; handle not understanding.
  • Vocabulary: la llamada (call), llamar (to call), contestar (to answer), marcar (to dial), colgar (to hang up), el buzón de voz (voicemail; Arg: el contestador), devolver la llamada (to call back), ¿Bueno? (hello on the phone, Mex), ¿Aló? (hello, Carib and much of Latin America), ¿Hola? (Arg), ¿De parte de quién? (who is calling?), un momento (one moment), la señal (signal), más despacio (more slowly), comunicarse (to get in touch).
  • Structures: Le habla [nombre], maestra de [nombre del niño/de la niña]. Le llamo para + infinitive. ¿Es buen momento para hablar? ¿Me lo puede repetir más despacio, por favor?
  • Speaking task: make 3 calls: good news, a missing form, a sick child pick-up.
  • Homework: write and record a 30 second voicemail script.
Lesson 17 Messages, e-mails and texts
  • Goals: write short, polite messages to families.
  • Vocabulary: el mensaje de texto (text message), el correo electrónico (e-mail), el asunto (subject line), adjuntar (to attach), el archivo adjunto (attachment), responder (to reply), el aviso (notice), el recordatorio (reminder), el enlace (link), estimada familia (dear family), atentamente (sincerely), saludos cordiales (kind regards), quedo atento/a (I look forward to hearing from you), de antemano (in advance), la aplicación de la escuela (the school app).
  • Structures: Les escribo para + infinitive. Les recordamos que... Gracias de antemano. Quedo atento/a a su respuesta.
  • Note: many families prefer WhatsApp or text to e-mail. Follow your school's rules about which channels staff may use.
  • Speaking task: read 3 parent messages aloud and answer each in speech, then in writing.
  • Homework: write 3 messages: a reminder, a thank-you, a request.
Lesson 18 Newsletters and written notices
  • Goals: write a class newsletter and common school notices.
  • Vocabulary: el boletín informativo (newsletter), la circular (school notice), la salida temprano (early dismissal), el día sin clases (no-school day), la excursión (field trip; Mex: el paseo; Arg: la salida educativa), el día de fotos (picture day), la feria del libro (book fair), los útiles escolares (school supplies), el voluntario / la voluntaria (volunteer), la recaudación de fondos (fundraiser), el cierre por mal tiempo (weather closure), el costo (cost), devolver firmado (to return signed), la fecha límite (deadline), el aviso importante (important notice).
  • Structures: future tense (Habrá salida temprano. Tendremos una excursión.). Impersonal se (Se les recuerda...). Favor de + infinitive (Favor de devolver la hoja firmada), a typical Mexican written style.
  • Speaking task: read your newsletter draft aloud to the teacher and answer 3 parent questions about it.
  • Homework: write a full class newsletter using 3 templates from the guide.
Lesson 19 Conference rehearsal
  • Goals: put the conference structure together; summarize and agree next steps.
  • Vocabulary: para empezar (to start), la fortaleza (strength), la meta (goal), el siguiente paso (next step), el plan (plan), la sugerencia (suggestion), la duda (question; "¿Tiene alguna duda?" is the usual way to ask for questions in Mexico and Argentina), resumir (to summarize), en resumen (in short), estar de acuerdo (to agree), el seguimiento (follow-up), la próxima reunión (next meeting), comprometerse (to commit), en casa pueden (at home you can), quedar en (to agree on).
  • Structures: Para empezar, quiero contarle lo que va bien. Lo que funciona bien es... En casa pueden + infinitive. Entonces quedamos en que + present.
  • Speaking task: two 7 minute rehearsals (grades and behaviour scenarios) with feedback after each.
  • Homework: choose your scenario for Lesson 20 and prepare notes (key points only, not a full script).
Lesson 20 Mock parent conference and wrap-up
  • Goals: run a 10 minute parent conference in Spanish; plan continued practice.
  • Vocabulary: agradecer (to thank), la colaboración (cooperation), el equipo (team), el objetivo (objective), el logro (achievement), seguir practicando (to keep practicing), la comunicación (communication), mantenerse en contacto (to stay in touch), el certificado (certificate), la retroalimentación (feedback), el vocabulario (vocabulary), la confianza (confidence).
  • Structures: review of all conference structures; closing lines (Gracias por su tiempo y por su apoyo. Estamos en contacto.).
  • Speaking task: the student runs a 10 minute conference from the script bank scenarios, with the teacher as the parent (including one unexpected question). Then 10 minutes of feedback.
  • Homework: build your personal phrase bank (30 phrases you will really use) and a 4-week self-practice plan.
US$419

Format and price

FormatPrivate 1-on-1 classes, online
Length4 weeks, 20 hours (5 hours a week)
ScheduleYou choose your times, Monday to Friday, between 08:00 and 22:00 Argentina time
LevelA2 or higher. Take the free level test first
PriceUS$419 for the full course, all-in
DepositOptional: secure your place with a 30% deposit (US$125.70) when your course starts 10 or more days from today. The balance (US$293.30) is due 5 days before your start date.
IncludedStudent guide (PDF) and your teacher's course materials
CertificateVamos Academy certificate of completion

Student guide (PDF)

See the whole course before you book: how it works, the weekly plan and the practice materials you will use in class.

Download the student guide (PDF)

Certificate

When you finish the course you receive a Vamos Academy certificate of completion. It is a record of your course, not a licence or an official certification.

Questions

Questions about Maestro, Maestra

How long is the Maestro, Maestra course?

Maestro, Maestra: Spanish for Teachers and Schools runs for 4 weeks, with 20 hours of private online classes (5 hours a week). You choose your class times between 08:00 and 22:00 Argentina time.

What level of Spanish do I need for Spanish for Teachers and Schools?

You need level A2 or higher. That means you can handle simple everyday conversations. Vamos Academy offers a free level test at go.vamospanish.live/level-test so you can check before you book.

How much does the Vamos Academy Spanish for teachers course cost?

The course costs US$419 for 20 private hours. You can book with a 30% deposit of US$125.70 and pay the balance 5 days before your start date.

Do I get a certificate?

Yes. You receive a Vamos Academy certificate of completion at the end of the course. It is not a teaching licence, an interpreter credential or an official certification.

Does the course teach special education law or IEP procedures?

No. The course teaches language only: the Spanish words and phrases staff need to talk respectfully with families about school forms, health notes and extra support. Your school and district set the procedures and policies.

Ready to start Maestro, Maestra?

20 private hours in 4 weeks, at times you choose. US$419.

Book your courseTake the free level test

Questions? Write to us on WhatsApp (opens in a new tab), call 1-888-808-1242 or e-mail online@vamospanish.live

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