The Ann Arbor Languages Partnership (A2LP) offers an opportunity to University of Michigan students and Ann Arbor community members to teach Spanish to 3rd and 4th graders in Ann Arbor Public Schools.
about
Who Are We, Where We're Going
An innovative partnership with Ann Arbor Public Schools provides Spanish language instruction
A2LP teaches undergraduates how to teach Spanish to 3rd and 4th graders in Ann Arbor Public Schools. We’re a big program! We teach nearly 2,000 students per week, and we’re in more than 75 classrooms and 19 schools. Each year we have about 75 undergraduate students, whom we call Language Teaching Assistants (LTAs), teaching those 3rd and 4th graders. Our undergraduates develop amazing skills in instruction, group facilitation and management, learning design,and assessment; in addition, they also develop significant leadership skills. These students emerge from A2LP with a sense of confidence and purpose that few other course experiences can provide.
Our work is founded on a commitment to promote learning, for our LTAs and for the wonderful kids in elementary classrooms. It is also based on a strong sense of collaboration between all the members of our community. Although we provide detailed lesson plans for each lesson, we support the collaboration between LTAs to enhance and adapt the lessons to the learning needs of the different classrooms in which they teach.
We also maintain close connection with what is happening in the elementary classrooms, by observing LTAs frequently and by supporting their teaching with feedback targeted to address the specific characteristics of each classroom. The Seminar experience every week allows us to integrate teaching principles with the experiences that our LTAs create every week in their teaching placements.
INTENSIVE PREPARATION
in teaching Spanish at the elementary level
EXTENSIVE CLINICAL PLACEMENTS
through collaboration with the Ann Arbor Public Schools
19 SCHOOLS, 75 CLASSROOMS
In 2014, we taught introductory Spanish to more than 1700 children in the Ann Public Schools
A2LP ALUMNI
A2LP alumni are currently working in multiple industries across the U.S. including business, communications, medicine, and teaching.
OUR PARTNERS
I am a junior majoring in Spanish and Linguistics. I have been studying Spanish since 8th grade and I have loved every minute of it! This past summer, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Peru. I am so excited to share my passion for language learning and my love of Spanish with the students!
I am a native Spanish speaker and I decided to be in A2LP because I wanted to expose myself to the world of teaching. I wanted to see what it takes to go from a student to a professional teacher and there is definitely a huge difference especially behind the scenes. There are many factors that one must put into consideration when teaching students and making adult decisions to improve a student’s ability to learn is very exciting.
OUR TEAM
Maria Coolican’s interests and expertise include second language acquisition theory and practices, student teacher learning and development, and the role and phenomenon of failure in preservice teacher education. She has extensive experience as a high school teacher, assistant principal, and principal.
MARIA J. COOLICAN
Director
Claudia Cameratti-Baeza is a post doctoral fellow at the University of Michigan School of Education. She has been a passionate teacher educator and researcher for 15 years both in Chile, her home country, and in the United States working at the Ann Arbor Languages Partnership. Her work in A2LP focuses on documenting and organizing programmatic data, as well as managing research initiatives that promote the continuous improvement of the program.
Claudia Cameratti-Baeza, PHD
Research Manager and Curriculum Associate
Ann Crowley taught Spanish for 31 years at Chelsea High School and is now retired. She attended Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, and earned a master’s degree in Spanish from Michigan State University. She has lived and studied in Spain. Ann truly enjoyed working with the A2LP program last year. She is interested in helping the teaching interns do their very best by offering feedback and suggestions in a non-threatening, professional manner.
Ann Crowley
Observation Instructor
As program manager, Diane’s role involves recruiting and admitting students, and maintaining communication among students, the A2LP Teaching Team and our partners in Ann Arbor Public Schools. As an experienced language teacher, Diane is passionate about working with Language Teaching Assistants to help them have a wonderful, meaningful experience becoming effective teachers.
Diane Aretz
Program Manager
Tiffany is currently a Senior studying Spanish and Neuroscience. Last year, she was a LTA and loved the experience working with the kids. She is passionate about helping these kids discover and find a passion for learning languages, especially Spanish. This year, she is a social media assistant and works on the blog and the social media accounts!
Tiffany Chen
Program Assistant
I am a graduate student at the University of Michigan School of Education. Prior to coming to Michigan, I served as a public school teacher. I am the current research fellow for A2LP and being a native Spanish speaker enjoy helping others learn the language!
SASHA MEJIA
Teaching Fellow
Hola! My name is Nikole Racicot and I am one of the teaching fellows of A2LP. I am originally from Boston, Massachusetts but moved to Michigan to study Educational Leadership and Policy with an Administration Certification. For the past four years, I have been a teacher in different bilingual settings and am extremely passionate about learning languages. I chose to do A2LP because I love to inspire others to recognize the value in languages. A2LP has allowed me the opportunity to share my excitement and love for both Spanish and teaching.
Nikole Racicot
Teaching Fellow
My name is Jacqueline Caserio. I’m a senior double majoring in Political Science and International Studies with a minor in Spanish. I love working with children, and joining A2LP last year was a wonderful decision. This past summer I studied abroad in Spain where I improved my Spanish. I subsequently feel more confident in front of my students now, and they always put me in such a good mood!
Jacqueline Caserio
Advanced Language Teaching Assistant
Hola! My name is Kalen, and I am a senior studying Spanish with plans to attend law school. I joined A2LP because I love working with kids and helping them learn. This is now my third year as a teaching assistant in A2LP, and every year is a new and exciting challenge. Over the summer, I studied abroad in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and learned all about the Spanish language and culture. It has been a joy to see how knowing the Spanish language has given me so many opportunities, both professional and personal, and I use all of these experiences to help my students in A2LP understand the immense value of learning ESPAÑOL!
Kalen Church
Advanced Language Teaching Assistant
Hola! My name is Natalia Cuevas and I am a senior at the University of Michigan! I am pursuing a BFA with a minor in Latino Studies and am especially interested in photography, sculpture, and traditional piñata-making. I was born and raised in the city of Chicago and grew up in a Spanish speaking household, which means I am a native Spanish speaker with roots in Mexico. I have been teaching with A2LP for the past three years and am eager to continue spreading my love of the language to others by promoting cultural awareness and multi cultural celebration within the classroom. Fun fact: I am on the University of Michigan Boxing team and am currently attempting to learn how to play banjo.
Natalia Cuevas
Advanced Language Teaching Assistant
I joined A2LP having no prior teaching experience. I am hoping to improve my Spanish and public speaking skills this year!
Olivia Sciore
Language Teaching Assistant
Hello! My name is Annie Pellegrini, and I am a sophomore here at the University of Michigan, majoring in English and on the Pre-Medical track. I joined A2LP because I have always been passionate about working with children, and believe that learning a second language is crucial in building bridges between different people and cultures. I hope that my aid in teaching kids another language will help them to expand the boundaries of their world!
Annie Pellegrini
Language Teaching Assistant
I am a native Spanish speaker and I decided to be in A2LP because I wanted to expose myself to the world of teaching. I wanted to see what it takes to go from a student to a professional teacher and there is definitely a huge difference especially behind the scenes. There are many factors that one must put into consideration when teaching students and making adult decisions to improve a student’s ability to learn is very exciting.
Rigo Orozco Diaz
Language Teaching Assistant
My name is Heather Foxworthy and I am applying to transfer to the School of Kinesiology in order to major in Movement Science with either a double major or minor in Spanish. I have taken Spanish since 7th grade and was even able to spend a week on a high school trip to Costa Rica, where I stayed with a host family from the area. I have some experience volunteering in a preschool classroom, but A2LP offers an amazing opportunity to share my love of the Spanish language with the Ann Arbor community!
Heather Foxworthy
Language Teaching Assistant
I am pre-law junior from Grand Rapids, Michigan and am studying Political Science, Spanish and History. Off campus I spend my time coaching rowing for Ann Arbor Pioneer, and I absolutely love it! I joined A2LP with the hope of mixing my love of coaching/teaching with my love of Spanish.
Shelby Benham
Language Teaching Assistant
Kathleen is a sophomore from Troy, Michigan studying Political Science and Spanish. She took Spanish classes throughout high school and is now taking multiple at the University of Michigan. She has travelled to many Spanish-speaking nations for volunteering and study abroad experiences. Kathleen has also volunteered at Ypsilanti Community High School, tutoring Spanish-speaking immigrants but this is her first classroom experience with elementary-aged students! She also enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.
Kathleen Sharkey
Language Teaching Assistant
I’m a Chicago native studying Political Science at the University of Michigan. I joined A2LP because it combined my love for children and my appreciation for the Spanish language.
Tyler Bentley
Language Teaching Assistant
Lanie is a sophomore majoring in Spanish and BCN (Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience). She has been studying Spanish for seven years and fell in love with the language during her first ever Spanish class in eighth grade. She joined the A2LP team so she could have the chance to make Spanish learning gratifying and impactful for young students.
Lanie Essex
Language Teaching Assistant
Hi! My name is Maansi and I’m a sophomore in Ross with a Spanish minor. I’ve been learning Spanish for 7 years now and love everything about this language. I’m hoping to study abroad in Spain for a semester next winter and can’t wait to get fully immersed into the culture. Because of my love for the language, I joined A2LP to spark an interest in Spanish in our elementary schoolers and to give back to my community.
Maansi Dalmia
Language Teaching Assistant
I am a junior studying International Studies and Spanish. I started learning Spanish 8 years ago and I absolutely love it. I joined A2LP to teach 4th graders how fun it is to learn a new language! This past summer I had the opportunity to study abroad in Santiago de Compostela, Spain and live with a host family. This awesome experience not only improved my speaking skills but also allowed me to experience the amazing Spanish culture.
Audrey Orwin
Language Teaching Assistant
I decided to participate in A2LP because I wanted to expand my skillset. As a student, I typically get wrapped up in my own learning, but I rarely focus on teaching others. A2LP gives me the opportunity to not only practice my Spanish but also to give children the tools to keep learning and sharing knowledge with others.
Bridgette Pollaski
Language Teaching Assistant
I’m David and I’m a senior majoring in Spanish. While I’ve had Spanish classes for the majority of my life, I finally started to like/love it in college. Studying in Spain for 9 months helped my learning the most. I joined A2LP to better my speaking skills and for the teaching experience.
David Devries
Language Teaching Assistant
I joined A2LP because as a Spanish student myself, I have had many amazing experiences while learning Spanish and would love to be able to create memorable experiences for other students as well. I believe that bilingualism has many benefits and I love being able to provide opportunities for young students to be able to learn Spanish and hopefully develop their own passion to continue learning it in their future! One of my most memorable experiences with speaking Spanish was being able to travel to Mexico to provide basic medical care while also being able to use my Spanish to build connections with patients and citizens to learn about their lives. For me, learning Spanish is much more than simply learning a language, as it has allowed me to learning about many amazing cultures and to be able to give back to communities in need.
Jasneet Aulakh
Language Teaching Assistant
I was raised under a bilingual household, learning both Romanian and English. By knowing two languages and being fascinated by the idea of multiple languages and cultures existing throughout the world, I made it my life’s goal to learn as many as I could. I began learning Spanish approximately seven years ago and I have had a love for this language ever since, and I often wish I could have started learning it earlier, in elementary school. When I heard about this program, I was automatically excited to apply because I love Spanish and really wanted to teach it to the future generation, since I believe knowing multiple languages is extremely important in today’s society. By being bilingual or multilingual, people are already expanding their intelligence and prompting their future success through this knowledge.
Casandra Pitu
Language Teaching Assistant
My name’s Kei (like the letter!) and am a sophomore from Madison, WI! As someone who moved to America at a young age, I know what it feels like to be learning a new language. I’m hoping to make that fun! Outside of A2LP, I enjoy playing trumpet and ultimate frisbee.
Kei Kohmoto
Language Teaching Assistant
I joined A2LP because I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to practice my Spanish skills in a real world setting. I also have a passion for teaching. I am starting the Teacher Certification program this winter through the School of Education. I am extremely excited to bring that knowledge into my fourth grade classroom.
Nicole Mucha
Language Teaching Assistant
I joined A2LP to become a part of the Ann Arbor community. Coming from out of state I felt a need to integrate myself further into the town that I go to college in. A2LP gives me the perfect opportunity to give back to my “new” community. I am also pursuing a double major in Spanish and Political Science, so having the opportunity to practice my Spanish speaking skills to children is a great learning experience for me as well.
Olivia Jones
Language Teaching Assistant
I joined A2LP because I fell in love with working with kids on my service learning trip to Peru this past year and wanted to spread my knowledge and love for Spanish with a younger generation. I have been learning Spanish all throughout high school, but I have never applied it in this environment so I thought that this would be a wonderful opportunity to extend my knowledge and learning of Spanish.
Maya Sankaran
Language Teaching Assistant
I am a sophomore from Bloomfield Hills, MI studying both Math and Spanish. I have been studying Spanish since middle school and have loved the connections it has provided me and plan on continuing this by studying abroad next year. I am very excited to be a part of A2LP and share my passion for Spanish and work with young kids!
Theo Pistner
Language Teaching Assistant
I am a junior majoring in Spanish and Linguistics. I have been studying Spanish since 8th grade and I have loved every minute of it! This past summer, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Peru. I am so excited to share my passion for language learning and my love of Spanish with the students!
Annika Topelian
Language Teaching Assistant
I am a junior from Rochester, MI pursuing a major in Anthropology and a minor in Spanish. I began studying the language in middle school and have loved it ever since! I have experience working with kids through various other student organizations, but have never taught in a classroom. I am excited to share my love of Spanish while also getting the opportunity to teach!
Renee Salem
Language Teaching Assistant
Marcus Hall is originally from Northern Virginia/D.C. He moved back to the U.S. in 2016, after working in Spain for four years as an English and science teacher. He’s currently doing a dual-masters in public policy and information science, to pursue a career in international education policy and education technology. His goal is to fuel research and collaboration with stakeholders to expand global education opportunities to disadvantaged youth and improve systems of education worldwide.
Marcus Hall
Language Teaching Assistant
Hi everyone! My name is Briayna Jordan and I am a sophomore at the University of Michigan. I’m from Southfield Michigan, where I started learning Spanish 7 years ago. I joined A2LP because I believe that knowledge of a second language is highly beneficial in today’s society. I love working with kids and wanted to help get them as excited about learning another language as I am! I am learning so much from this program and am gaining valuable leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills.
Briayna Jordan
Language Teaching Assistant
I am an Education of Spanish major at the University of Michigan. I started learning Spanish in my Freshman year of college and I loved it. This past summer I spent three months on a missions trip in Mexico in the town of Torreón. I lived with a Spanish speaking family and I was blessed to have the opportunity to do a lot of public speaking in Spanish while I was there which pushed me to grow in my Spanish speaking ability. A2LP is a perfect opportunity for me to grow as a teacher and share my love for Spanish.
Leah Pearl Burmeister
Language Teaching Assistant
Hi my name is Brad Hall and I’m a sophomore studying Sports Management with a Spanish minor. I started studying Spanish in 9th grade and have continued with it ever since, so I figured A2LP would be a manageable challenge. Specifically, I joined A2LP for the opportunity to better my teaching/facilitating skills, my Spanish skills, and lastly to try and show to some extent the importance of learning a second language to students. I thought this would be a fun, worthwhile program that forces me to put myself out there in front of a class and learn how to articulate myself in Spanish in order to teach others that same language.
Bradley Hall
Language Teaching Assistant
I joined A2LP to give back to Ann Arbor, my hometown. Learned Spanish at Oyster Adams Bilingual School in Washington, D.C. Teaching expresses faith in the future.
Seamus G. Lynch
Language Teaching Assistant
I joined A2LP because I am a Spanish major and wanted more exposure to the language outside of the classroom. I also spend my summers leading kids ages 8-14 on overnight to three-week canoe trips in the Canadian wilderness. I wish I’d had the opportunity to start learning Spanish in elementary school so I’m excited to be a part of exposing students to the language.
Lily Montgomery
Language Teaching Assistant
I’m a Junior who is studying Cognitive Science with a minor in Spanish. I had such an enjoyable experience learning Spanish in school when I was younger and I’m so excited to be able to be a part of that for other students now. Having grown up in Ann Arbor, this experience is extra special for me because I can give back to the same community that helped me have such a great experience learning Spanish.
Madeline Poterala
Language Teaching Assistant
Testimonials
I feel that everyone has that “Aha!” moment in college when they finally find their passion and they feel like they belong somewhere. I feel as though A2LP has done that for me. I found a deeper passion for teaching and for language in general. I found a best friend in my teaching partner, who is now my roommate. So, I guess I had my “Aha!” moment during my senior year. Which shows it’s never too late to start a new adventure.
Lauren
Participating in the A2LP program as a returning Spanish teacher has taught me a lot myself. Before working with this program, I always worked independently and was just responsible for just myself and my own work. A2LP has changed my perspective and work ethic, as I am now responsible for entire classrooms and my personal successes as a teacher depend on my interactions with my students and their cooperation. Now I collaborate with three wonderful and diverse groups of students to get things done.
Sarah
I had a very touching moment last week as I wrapped up the “describing myself” unit with my students. I asked the students to pick a person– themselves, a family member, or a friend– to draw a picture of and describe in Spanish. When I walked around the room to check the students’ work, I saw that a couple of the students had decided to draw and describe me! They all said that I was “amistosa,” which means friendly. I am so happy and touched that my students feel like I have good, friendly relationships with them!
Julia
A2LP has given me the amazing experience to improve upon my Spanish while teaching children and giving back to the community. Both in seminar and in my fourth grade classes, there is an incredible sense of community that is really comforting going to school so far away from home. It is such a unique opportunity at Michigan and I’m so lucky I was able to participate in it.
Leslie
A2LP is not like any other ‘class’ I’ve taken at the University of Michigan, and for all the right reasons. Teaching students at the Elementary Schools is more of a stress-relief for me, rather than a job to attend. I think one of the best aspects about A2LP is that it benefits me as much as the students we teach: conversational skills, teaching techniques, and happiness each day from the endless energy of those kids.
Efrain
My experience in A2LP has helped me to learn what it means to be an educator. It is about so much more than teaching Spanish language skills in a classroom. Being an educator means always supporting students on their educational journey, but also it means being flexible and taking every opportunity to learn and grow. I’ve loved my time in A2LP and I will always look back on it fondly.
Meagan
I think most people can agree that knowing a foreign language is not only fun, but also a desirable skill applicable across the entire world. An advantage that A2LP gives students is a way to stand out in the global job market; we aren’t only proficient in Spanish, but we teach it too. At an internship interview for a healthcare company recently, the interviewer was fascinated by the work A2LP allows students to do. He loved the idea that we were being taught how to teach, and that we were actually able to apply those skills to the real world. He joked about how he didn’t think he could ever do it, but he continuously commented on how impressive it was that I was teaching a foreign language to other students. Needless to say, being able to speak to how A2LP teaches you management, responsibility, leadership, and creative education strategies, truly helped me stand out in a pool of outstanding applicants.
Kasey
The ability to keep up my Spanish and teach a 4th grade classroom has been one of the most amazing opportunities I have had at Michigan. A2LP has motivated me to keep Spanish an active part of my life and has given me countless opportunities to develop and grow as a leader.
Jenna
I love being able to see the change in the students as their interest in Spanish increases throughout the year. The best part of A2LP is seeing students who are actually SO excited about learning. Learning about their individual personalities is pretty awesome too!
Haley
If someone asked me, “What has been your most valuable experience at U of M so far?”, I would say A2LP with no hesitation. As an aspiring Elementary School teacher, A2LP has given me the incredibly unique opportunity of already being an educator. I am so grateful for the experiences and memories I have gained through A2LP.
Maddie
A2LP has afforded me the opportunity to combine my love for Spanish with my love for working with children. It gives me a chance to get away from the pressures of school and work to hang out with some really awesome kids. I would highly recommend the program to anyone interested.
Erin
Making a Difference:When you do something everyday, it’s easy to forget what it really means. It’s like when you hear the same word over and over again and it becomes a collection of phonemes that no longer carries meaning. In my experience, if I forget to reflect on what I do, I get lost. Sometimes, teaching can be like this. When I feel discouraged by lengthy lesson plans or unresponsive students, I only need to step back and reflect. Working with children, I feel responsible for fostering the socially conscious attitude and independent thinking skills of the next generation. I remember that I am an active collaborator in the lives of my students, helping them to be able to navigate the world that awaits them. Suddenly, everything becomes crystal-clear and my inspiration is renewed.
Kyle
A2LP has been the best student organization I could have been involved in at Michigan. All of the students and classes I have taught have pushed me to be a better teacher, and have offered me a diverse set of experiences. I love getting to know all my students and watching them learn and grow in the finite amount of time we have for World Languages. Overall, A2LP has given me a great set of opportunities and skills and I will always be grateful for having the opportunity to teach Spanish to all of my students.
Anisha
Last week I played Jeopardy in my classes. I was so worried that the questions I had created were too hard for them and I debated revising them. However, I wanted to challenge my students. So, I kept the questions the same. After the first team chose a 500 point (the highest point amount) question the whole class complained that the questions were “too easy”. This lasted the entire game. I wasn’t sure if I should be happy I taught them so well, or upset I didn’t challenge them enough. Either way, I was so proud.
Laauren
As we are well into the second semester, the relationship that I have developed with my students throughout participation in A2LP has not only grown, but is also a source of inspiration and encouragement as I prepare bi-weekly lessons for my students. I can tell that my kiddos are absolutely loving our time together in Spanish class, and in turn, I have a blast teaching them each and every lesson. They truly brighten my day and I have come to a point where I look forward to our time together with great confidence and enthusiasm!
Sarah
A2LP is an amazing program that has allowed me to connect with the Ann Arbor community in a way that I never thought I would before! I’ve grown very close with my mentor teachers and the students that I meet with every Tuesdayand Thursday! Occasionally, I will run into a student of mine at the grocery store and the excitement on their faces when they see that I am a person outside of the classroom is awesome. I would have never been able to have such a great impact on my surrounding Ann Arbor community without A2LP! There are not enough good things that I can say about this program and its impact on all the lives of the children in the elementary schools! A2LP is much more than teaching Spanish. It’s about growing with and creating a safer environment for the Ann Arbor community!
Isabella
I am very happy that I had the opportunity to be a part of A2LP for three semesters. As a senior, I look back on the skills I have gained from this opportunity, such as leadership, organization, and teamwork. Other than the incredible skills I have gained from this position, I have had such a rewarding experience as a teacher. It is a great feeling being able to connect with the students and help them learn a new language.
Marisa
Keeping it fun with Nuestras Frases – My teaching partner and I thought we weren’t sharing enough about ourselves so we decided to change this up. At the end of each lesson, we started sharing fun stories about ourselves, our families, and our experiences with Spanish. We included vocabulary from different units to tell them about our siblings, favorite foods, favorite video games etc. It’s also a great way to have fun. One week, our phrase was that we learned Spanish in Spain together and we included a picture of ourselves from Spain. When we were learning about pets, my phrase was that I wanted to have a lot of cats when I am older which got a laugh from many of the students.
Kyle
A2LP has been such an integral part of my collegiate career. Even though I am not pursuing a degree or a career in education, the preparation and execution of lesson plans in the classrooms have given me professional skills that other experiences have not. I learned to communicate with individuals of all ages and all language backgrounds. Not only that, I learned how to be professional, instructive, and approachable all at once. Aside from all of that, I have a lot of fun teaching and working with my students but also other university students who are teaching too!
Alex
Not only did A2LP bring me so much joy as an undergrad, I have the program to thank for my future plans as well! Next year I will be moving to Mexico on a Fulbright Fellowship to teach English, and I know that the skills I learned from teaching Spanish to my students over the last two years both inspired me to apply for the program and made me a competitive applicant. I can’t wait to bring some of my favorite A2LP games and strategies over to a new classroom and a new country! Thank you, A2LP!
Emily