1. © 2010 Anna E. Hiller
Department of Spanish and Portuguese
University of California, Berkeley
Spanish 25: Reading & Analysis of
Literary Texts
INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL
by Anna E. Hiller, Ph.D.
Lecturer in Spanish
1st Edition - Fall 2010

2. INTRODUCTION
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Welcome to the Spanish 25 Instructor’s Manual, 1st
Edition, Fall 2010. This document is intended for all
instructors of Spanish 25—from first-time instructors to seasoned veterans—and is intended to
familiarize you with the ongoing discussions pertaining to the nature and development of the course
that is titled Spanish 25: Reading and Analysis of Literary Texts.
Here you will find practical advice about how to build, refine, and administer your section of Spanish 25.
This is a continuously developing document, and will be revised periodically based on your feedback and
commentary as instructors of Spanish 25.
An online version will be made available on the Spanish 25 wiki. The address of the wiki is
http://spanish25ucb.pbworks.com. The Deputy Coordinator—a GSI designated by the Faculty Instructor
of Record—will grant access to the wiki to the current instructors at the beginning of each semester, or
you can go to the website and request access from the wiki administrator.
Thank you for your attention, and we hope you enjoy your experience teaching Spanish 25.

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1. Course Definition
1.1. The nature of the Spanish 25 prerequisite
1.1.1. Relationship with Lower-Division Courses
1.1.2. Relationship with Upper-Division Courses
1.2. The challenges of Spanish 25
1.2.1. Demographics
1.2.2. Content
1.3. Components of Spanish 25
1.3.1. Literary Analysis
1.3.2. Critical Thinking: Reading and Conversation
1.3.3. Written Work
1.4. Objectives of Spanish 25
1.4.1. For Students
1.4.2. For Instructors
2. Syllabus Design: Content, Policies, Procedures
2.1. Course Design and Curriculum
2.1.1. Stating course objectives
2.1.2. Using the textbook
2.1.2.1. The organization of the course: Order of presentation of genres
2.1.3. The use of a core curriculum
2.1.4. The importance of Writing Workshops
2.2. Course Procedures and Policies
2.2.1. Attendance
2.2.2. Initial Assessments: The Diagnostic and the Student Survey
2.2.3. Testing policies and procedures
2.2.4. Composition topics, procedures, and assessment
2.2.5. Rubrics for grading compositions and for giving feedback
2.2.6. Presentations
2.2.7. The Participation grade
2.3. Grading Procedures and Policies
2.3.1. Micrograde
2.3.2. Final Grades
3. In the Classroom
3.1. The First Day of Class
3.1.1. Reviewing the syllabus
3.1.2. Student placement in Spanish 25
3.2. Maximizing your Classroom Time

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3.2.1. Lesson Planning
3.3. Designing Meaningful Activities
3.3.1. Collaboration with colleagues
3.3.2. Variety in classroom activities
3.3.3. Skill development as an objective
3.4. Using Supplemental Materials in the Classroom
3.4.1. Outside readings
3.4.2. Criticism and/or theory
3.5. The Use of Technology in the Classroom
3.5.1. bSpace
3.5.2. YouTube
3.5.3. Film
3.5.4. Audio
3.5.5. Social bookmarking (delicious.com)
3.5.6. ETS (Educational Technology Services)
4. A Community of Instructors: An Essential Collaboration
4.1. Online Collaboration via the Wiki: Definition & Goals
4.1.1. Navigating the wiki
4.1.2. Making effective use of the wiki
4.2. Administration of the Wiki
4.3. Training on the Wiki
5. Resources for Instructors
5.1. ETS (Educational Technology Services)
5.2. BLC (Berkeley Language Center)
5.3. GSI & Teaching Resource Center
5.4. Recommended Bibliography
5.4.1. Books on the teaching of literature
5.4.2. Books on syllabus design
5.4.3. Books on general teaching methodologies
5.4.4. Web resources

5. 1. COURSE DEFINITION
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• 1. COURSE DEFINITION
Spanish 25 is the bridge course between lower- and upper-division courses in the Department of
Spanish & Portuguese at the University of California, Berkeley. All intended majors, minors, and
those wishing to take any upper division course must pass through Spanish 25 first unless they
present documentation that their preparation has included an adequate Spanish 25 equivalent.
o 1.1 The nature of the Spanish 25 prerequisite
Why the insistence on Spanish 25 for undergraduates, especially majors and minors? The
nature of the Spanish 25 prerequisite is to provide all undergraduates in the Department of
Spanish & Portuguese with a firm analytical framework and broad geographical, historical,
formal, generic, and stylistic foundation in Spanish and Spanish-American literature that will
prepare them for advanced study in their field of choice.
! 1.1.1 Relationship with Lower-Division courses
Spanish 25 leaves behind the explicit instruction of grammar that characterizes
Spanish 1 through 4. Spanish 25 is not a grammar course, and no time should be
spent on grammar instruction in the classroom. Vocabulary is taught, but it is the
vocabulary of literary analysis that is the object of study. Spanish 25, as a bridge
course, is meant to build on the skills taught in lower-division classes, so as to
continue to increase competence in all skills—spoken, written, reading, and
listening—for nonnative speakers; however, this competence is mainly achieved
through the active in-class discussion of literature and literary topics. This discussion
can be complemented using an online component, through websites such as bSpace
(See Section 3.5 on use of technology in the classroom). It should be noted that in
Spanish 25, the classroom demographic is comprised of nonnative, native, and
heritage speakers. More will be said about this in Section 1.2.
! 1.1.2 Relationship with Upper-Division courses
Spanish 25 is the first place that students will encounter the vocabulary and
concepts that they will need to successfully navigate upper-division courses at
Berkeley. As all students interested in pursuing further study in Spanish must pass
through Spanish 25, it thus presents the instructor with the unique opportunity to
encourage students to continue their work in Spanish. Instructors should be aware
that potential majors and minors are present in their classes, and aim at giving all
students as ample a literary foundation as possible—in other words, instructors
should focus on teaching this broad base of knowledge, and not focus on their own
specializations in the classroom. It is in the choice of upper-division courses and in
the declaration of the major or minor that students will make their decisions about
their own areas of interest. Instructors should be very cautious about imposing an
instructional bias in the classroom, because it is upon the exposure to a wide variety
of literature—genres, periods, and styles—in Spanish that students will base their
future decisions about which areas of Spanish and Spanish-American literature to

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study.
o 1.2 The Challenges of Spanish 25
! 1.2.1 Demographics
It is important to keep in mind some of the specific factors that make Spanish 25 an
unusual, difficult, and ultimately very rewarding course to teach. One of the
principal factors that distinguishes Spanish 25 from the other lower-division courses
is its demography. In Spanish 25, the Instructor is likely to have an array of students
from a wide variety of backgrounds: those who have come through Berkeley’s
Spanish 1-4 series; those who placed into the course with Advanced Placement (AP)
or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits; heritage speakers who may have taken
Spanish 21 and 22 at Berkeley; and native speakers from other countries. The
Instructor should be prepared to deal with various levels of language proficiency
and be aware that native, heritage, and nonnative speakers will present different
learning styles in the classroom, and exhibit different competencies in (especially)
their written work. It is up to the instructor to find a way to evaluate these students
democratically, so as not to privilege any one group over another; it is also the
Instructor’s responsibility to create a similarly democratic atmosphere in the
classroom, encouraging all students to speak. Many nonnative students feel
intimidated and overwhelmed in the Spanish 25 classroom, because it is their first
instance in which they have come into contact with native and/or heritage speakers
as their classmates. Conversely, many native and heritage speakers feel inhibited in
their written work because of their perceived lack of formal training in Spanish. The
Instructor, therefore, has the unique opportunity to create a classroom that allows
for students to be of mutual assistance to each other; creative group work, peer-
editing, and online contributions can be a means for creating equality and exchange
among students.
! 1.2.2 Content
Is Spanish 25 a literature course? Not exclusively. But, as previously mentioned in
section 1.1.1, nor is it a grammar course. What then are we teaching in Spanish 25?
Spanish 25 is a class whose goal is to teach language through literature, and
therefore aims at developing three areas: writing short papers, critical thinking, and
a broad knowledge of Spanish and Spanish-American literature. With that in mind,
the Instructor must take care not to bring in too much literary history or in-depth
analysis, which can overwhelm and frustrate students who may still be mastering
the language. While no time should be spent on discrete grammar, the Instructor
should always be aware that language and literature are intrinsically linked, and use
that knowledge when constructing activities, leading discussions, and evaluating
students’ work.

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o 1.3 Components of Spanish 25:
What are the active elements of Spanish 25? What skills should instructors develop over the
course of the semester?
! 1.3.1 Literary Analysis
While it would be inappropriate to the level of the class to begin teaching literary
theory, giving the students an introduction to key formal concepts in each genre is
imperative. In the textbook Aproximaciones, each section on the four genres
contains an introduction that points out the vocabulary and concepts that will be
necessary for the students to know and understand as they begin their study of
literature. It is recommended that Instructors spend at least one day on these
introductions to genre, or that their content be taught over the course of each
genre unit according to the content in their literary selections (i.e. using Gabriel
García Márquez’s La mujer que llegaba a las seis to teach different forms of
dialogue, or using Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’s poem “A su retrato” to discuss the
concept of gradación/climax, etc). This instruction of the vocabulary of literary
analysis must be made explicit in some way by the instructor. It is not enough to
hold students independently responsible for the content of the introductions, and
the unit exams should contain a portion that requires the students to be responsible
for this technical vocabulary.
! 1.3.2 Critical Thinking: Reading and Conversation
A certain amount of time should also be spent in the classroom on the acquisition of
specific skills such as reading strategies, and ways to discuss literature in a
productive manner. Structured discussions at the beginning of the course, in which
students are guided through a text (either through a handout, group work, or a
carefully balanced lecture by the instructor) can be very useful in training students
in Spanish 25 to read, write, and talk about literature. See appendices for prototype
handouts; also refer to section 5 for a list of references for reading which could also
be helpful.
! 1.3.3 Written work
Much of the direction of Spanish 25 is geared towards further developing students’
writing skills. Papers are usually short (3 to 5 pages), and are evaluated on three
criteria: grammar/vocabulary (30%), organization of ideas (30%), and
communication/coherence of content (40%). Because of the ongoing importance of
organization and the development of critical thinking through writing, it is
recommended that at the beginning of the course, the Instructor designate a class
to reviewing the concepts of structure and argument, with particular emphasis on
the importance of the coherent thesis statement. We will discuss the Writing
Workshop in section 2.1.4; more will be said about compositions, as well as the
procedures for their development and evaluation in sections 2.2.4 and 2.2.5.
o 1.4 Objectives of Spanish 25:
Spanish 25 is a course with multiple objectives for both student and instructor. These are

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listed below:
! 1.4.1 For Students
For students, Spanish 25 provides an invaluable foundation for further studies in
Spanish and Spanish-American literature, through an exposure to a wide selection of
literature in Spanish from many different regions, time periods, and genres. It is
also aimed at fostering the acquisition of a critical vocabulary for the analysis of
literature at higher levels of instruction. Spanish 25 has as one of its principal
objectives the active development towards an increased sophistication of argument
in the students’ written work, a skill that is absolutely essential in upper-division
courses in Spanish. Also, for non-native speakers, Spanish 25 has the benefit of
encouraging increased competence in Spanish (L2) through the methods of class
discussion, occasional lectures, and group work and/or discussions.
! 1.4.2 For Instructors
For instructors, Spanish 25 is a welcome review of the basic formal components of
literary analysis, and is a unique opportunity to develop a teaching style that goes
beyond language teaching alone. It is a critical step in the instructor’s overall
preparation to teach higher-level courses in literature. However, it must be noted
that it is indeed NOT an upper division course, and the challenge is for the instructor
to find and develop a method for the teaching of literature that is appropriate to the
level of the students in the classroom. The implications of this are: the Instructor
should employ only MINIMAL amounts of literary theory and historical context in his
or her classroom; the instructor should instead focus on the formal aspects of
literature; and, most importantly, the Instructor should bear in mind that while
many periods and genres are studied in Spanish 25, it is NOT A SURVEY COURSE.
Meaning: no special attention should be placed on one period or genre—an even
distribution between genres, historical periods, and geographical regions is
ABSOLUTELY required at all times. (Remember, the students who continue will have
ample opportunity to take the required survey courses: 104A and B, 107A and B,
etc.)
The Instructor must make it one of their own personal objectives to gain experience
teaching ALL FOUR GENRES—essay, narrative, poetry, and theater—and overcome
personal likes and dislikes so that the students achieve a very general, but solid,
foundation in the fundamentals of literature and literary analysis. At this point in
their learning, the students must be encouraged to acquire new skills in language
and literature; if this means sacrificing some of the details surrounding literature—
for example, detailed descriptions of works in their historical context(s)—then that
is what must be done. The acquisition of new skills and tools for further study in
literature is the overarching goal, and must be kept in mind at all times.

9. 2. SYLLABUS DESIGN: CONTENT,
POLICIES, PROCEDURES
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• 2. SYLLABUS DESIGN: CONTENT, POLICIES, PROCEDURES
Your syllabus is more than just an outline for the content of the course and its policies—it is rather
the first impression you will make on your students, and for that reason, the Instructor should pay
extra attention to designing a syllabus that not only describes the content of the course, but that
also explicitly explains your policies as an Instructor, describes your role in the classroom, and
specifies what you will be expecting of the students in your class not only in terms of graded
assignments, but also regarding things like classroom conduct, interaction, and participation. The
more information that the students have about you, your policies, and your expectations, the more
smoothly the course will run, especially in the first few weeks. Some pointers for constructing a
syllabus follow below. You are encouraged to design your own, but it is recommended that you get
feedback from the Deputy Coordinator before finalizing your syllabus. Also, all syllabi should be
uploaded to the wiki before the first day of instruction so that you and your colleagues can share
ideas before classes begin. The benefits of collaboration and mutual feedback in syllabus design
cannot be understated; meet with, email, or talk to your colleagues about your syllabi. Chances are
you will all have different ideas—sharing them can only make for a richer experience for both
students and Instructors.
o 2.1 COURSE DESIGN & CURRICULUM
! 2.1.1 Stating Course Objectives
Stating course objectives clearly and concisely is the foundation of a well-formed
syllabus. Students will refer to these course objectives throughout the class, and
you can use them as a guide to make sure your class is staying on-course (so to
speak). Course objectives acquaint the students with the learning outcomes that
they will be expected to achieve by the end of the course. They also serve to shape
the Instructor’s lesson plans and guide their overall approach to the course, when
these specific outcomes are kept explicitly in mind at every step of instruction. A
good model for how to construct clear and precise course objectives could be the
following:
EXAMPLE: At the end of Spanish 25, students will be able to…
… recognize and identify the four literary genres of the essay, narrative, poetry, and
drama.
...write a clearly formed and precise thesis statement
…write an original analysis of a literary text of their choosing
…etc…
Generally, with course objectives, you want to start the list with very general
objectives and work your way towards the more specific requirements of the
course. Instructors should not use objectives that are overly impressionistic or

10. 10
vague, such as objectives that involve words such as “the appreciation of literature”
or the “evaluation of literary content.” What do these activities of appreciation and
evaluation actually, concretely involve? What skills will students be acquiring as
they move towards a more thorough appreciation of the Spanish language and its
literature? When writing course objectives, be precise and product-oriented, but do
not overwhelm the student with too many of them. Choose five or six that you feel
are most important to your philosophy of teaching and list those on your syllabus.
! 2.1.2. Using the textbook
The current textbook for Spanish 25 is Aproximaciones, editors Friedman, Valdivieso
and Virgillo. While Aproximaciones is not a perfect book (some instructors have
expressed some frustration with it over the years), it is one of the better textbooks
of its kind that exists, providing as it does a wide, panoramic, and diverse view of
the richness of Spanish and Spanish-American literature. It is recommended that
instructors incorporate the introductory material that accompanies each of the four
genres. The introductions to the genres provide a thorough presentation of the
formal lexicon and analytic framework that students will be expected to learn and to
use during the entire course. How each instructor chooses to present this material
is up to him/her. It should also be noted that the introductions provide an easy
point of departure for assessment and evaluation. Exams should use the
introductions as the foundation for evaluative criteria, though it is up to the
instructor to design each of his/her exams individually, although collaboration is
also encouraged among instructors. (See Section 2.2.3 for more information on
testing policies and procedures, and Section 4.1.2 on how to effectively collaborate
on exams via the wiki.)
• 2.1.2.1 The organization of the course: order of presentation of genres
Traditionally, the course has been presented in the following order:
narrative, poetry, theater, (essay). It used to be that many instructors left
out the essay section, choosing to focus more on the other genres which
were felt to be more “pertinent” to literary study. However, considering the
importance of the essay in Spanish and Spanish-American cultural and
political development, in recent years, instructors have returned to the
essay in the classroom.
In the 2009-2010 academic year, a new order was instituted for the
presentation of genres. Instructors experimented with changing the order
to begin the course with the essay. Thus the order became: essay,
narrative, poetry, theater. Instructors generally found the new order to be
very useful; beginning with the essay allowed instructors to focus on the
intricacies of constructing an argument, and the various subtleties of
argumentation and structure, thus providing students with at the very least
two solid weeks of instruction on the formal aspects of argument. This

11. 11
proved to be very useful to the students in terms of their writing
assignments, as it provided them with sophisticated models for their own
writing. The success of this experiment with the order of genres leads us to
conclude that it is in the best interest of the student to begin with the essay,
and to use the first few weeks as an intensive writing workshop. (See
section 2.1.4 on the importance of Writing Workshops and how to employ
them in the classroom.)
N.B. regarding the essay: some students view this as the most boring of the
genres, therefore much weight is placed on the instructor to enliven the
text as much as possible. Helping each other with lesson plans and
classroom activities for the first few weeks of class is encouraged, so as to
learn new ways to keep the classroom lively.
! 2.1.3 The use of a core curriculum
In the past, there have been regular complaints about Spanish 25 being a totally
different course, depending on the interests of the individual GSI. Traditionally, GSIs
have taught according to their interests and their own comfort level. It cannot be
said enough: this is NOT FAIR TO THE STUDENTS OF SPANISH25. While complete
standardization is impossible, it is possible to institute certain elements that will
remain constant regardless of the instructor and his/her preferences. One way to
avoid a course that rests solely on the subjective preferences of the individual GSI is
to institute a core curriculum that is present across all sections of the course.
The core curriculum consists of approximately 12 texts from Aproximaciones that
ALL INSTRUCTORS will teach, without exception. During the first meeting of the
semester, before instruction begins, all Instructors agree on the 12 core texts that
will be commonly taught. The goal of using a core curriculum is to provide the
students of Spanish 25 with a common experience across sections, and to acquaint
instructors with texts that may be outside of their area of expertise. Working with
“uncomfortable texts” can increase an Instructor’s flexibility and range, and is a
positive asset when searching for a job. Therefore, the core curriculum benefits
both student and instructor, and it is in the Instructor’s best interest to adhere to
the texts agreed upon in that initial meeting.
! 2.1.4 The importance of Writing Workshops
Writing Workshops are intrinsic to the course in that they explicitly direct the
students’ attention to the importance of developing their writing skills. Instructors
should conduct at least one Writing Workshop over the course of the semester.
They may choose to do two workshops, or one workshop complemented later by an
individual meeting with students to discuss their progress.

12. 12
Writing workshops should focus on the most important components of composition
writing: the thesis statement, constructing an argument, organizing ideas,
introductions and conclusions. In essence, the Writing Workshop is a review of the
basic ideas taught in Spanish 4 and Spanish 22; for those coming into Spanish 25
from AP or IB placement, the Writing Workshop is one chance for them to receive a
modicum of information about the expectations, requirements, and standards of
the Department of Spanish & Portuguese.
Instructors should design their writing workshops the first week of class and be
ready to have the first workshop during the second week of instruction, before the
first draft of the first composition is due. Instructors should communicate with their
colleagues about their ideas for the writing workshop, and help each other to design
the most effective activities for teaching writing in class.
The Writing Workshop is a terrific way to get students to work collaboratively on
their writing skills, depending on the design of the lesson. It is also a chance for
instructors to share ideas among themselves, and learn from each other.
o 2.2 COURSE PROCEDURES & POLICIES
! 2.2. 1 Attendance
Traditionally, the attendance policy is that a point will be deducted from the final
grade for each undocumented absence after the allotted three unexcused absences.
It is entirely dependent on the Instructor to enforce this policy.
! 2.2.2 Initial Assessments: The importance of the Diagnostic and student academic
histories
The first day of class should be set aside for two things: explaining the syllabus
(briefly) and having students fill out an informational survey and/or academic
history. (An example of a student survey used in the 2009-2010 academic year can
be found on the wiki, and is easily modified.) The last half hour should be dedicated
to a diagnostic test. Past diagnostics have consisted of a short story by Marco
Denevi (“El dios de las moscas,” in Aproximaciones) which is no more than 200
words long, and a prompt asking students to analyze a particular thematic aspect of
that story. Instructors should feel free to develop their own diagnostic tests,
bearing in mind that they must address the following areas:
• 1. The student’s ability to read and understand an elevated level of Spanish
without aid from dictionaries.
• 2. The student’s ability to extend a viable thematic interpretation to the
short story.
• 3. The student’s ability to organize their thoughts into a coherent argument.
• 4. The ability of the student to express themselves adequately in Spanish:
grammar and style.

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All of these elements should be examined when reviewing the diagnostic tests after
class. Bear in mind, students cannot be automatically rejected from Spanish 25, but
they can be recommended to other levels. Some students may actually belong in
Spanish 4 or Spanish 21 or 22. The purpose of the diagnostic is to identify these
students and make sure they are placed in the correct class. Any questions or
doubts about a student’s readiness for Spanish 25 should be brought immediately to
the attention of the Course Coordinator, who will ensure that the appropriate
people are notified, and the student can find his or her way into the correct class.
! 2.2.3 Testing policies and procedures
It is customary to have 3 unit exams over the course of the semester: essay,
narrative, and poetry. The theater unit is included on the final exam. Quizzes can
be administered by Instructors as they see fit. Unit tests should comprise at least
25% of the final grade, and the final exam at least 20% of the final grade. NO MAKE
UP EXAMS ARE ALLOWED, except in the case of illness (student must present
documentation), a death in the family, or a conflicting sports schedule (in which
case, the student should inform the instructor during the first week of class of
his/her schedule and potential conflicts). If students see that they are not able to
take the final at its scheduled time—the information about the final exam should be
included on the syllabus and discussed on the first day of class—then that student
SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY IN THAT SECTION OF SPANISH 25. THERE IS NO
CONFLICT EXAM FOR SPANISH 25; THEREFORE, IF STUDENTS ARE UNABLE TO BE
PRESENT AT THE SCHEDULED FINAL EXAM, THEY SHOULD MOVE TO A SECTION
WHOSE FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE IS COMPATIBLE WITH THEIR OWN. THERE ARE NO
EXCEPTIONS TO THIS POLICY. Do not allow students to remain in the class if they
know they cannot be present at the final. Be clear and be strict on this point.
It should also be noted that INSTRUCTORS are not allowed to change or in any way
alter the time and date of their final exams. All exam schedules are FIXED AND
UNCHANGABLE under any circumstance.
! 2.2.4 Composition topics, procedures, and evaluation
For the first three compositions, students are given a prompt (or a selection of
prompts) around which they are asked to organize and argue their position. This
kind of argument requires the mastery of the well-structured argument and a well-
defined thesis statement.
Each of the first three compositions goes through three phases: the initial draft
and/or outline, revision, and the handing in of the final version. Instructors should
decide whether they want students to produce a complete outline for their first
draft, or whether they prefer to ask students to write a 2 – 2.5 page draft (with
Introduction and Conclusion) that the Instructor can correct for grammar, content,

14. 14
and organization. It should be clear from the beginning of the course, however,
which form the Instructor prefers, and that format should be maintained
throughout the duration of the course.
The final composition has no draft, and the topic is generally open for the student to
choose their own area of interest and therefore no prompt is given regarding a
specific topic; rather, students are asked to develop their own topic and thesis
statement. This independent project must be approved by the Instructor ahead of
time, but no draft or outline is required. It is recommended that the instructor
engage in a dialogue with the student via email or in person about how to make the
thesis statement as concrete, specific, and clear as possible. Students tend to feel
nervous about this last assignment, so the Instructor should make personalized
feedback a priority (to the extent that it is appropriate, of course.)
! 2.2.5 Rubrics for grading compositions and for giving feedback
It is customary to break down the composition grade into three components:
Grammar (30%), Organization (30%), and Content (40%). Comments should be
geared towards addressing problems in these three areas, so that students are able
to understand better why it is they received the grade they did, and then turn their
attentions towards improving the areas that are lacking. This is a very basic rubric,
but it allows students to see what components of their writing the Instructor values,
and highlights the need for a balanced, well-formulated, and polished essay.
! 2.2.6 Possible formats for student presentations
Students are required to give a presentation in Spanish 25; however, there are a
variety of ways by which to accomplish this task. Group presentations are one
option; individual presentations are another.
• 2.2.6.1 Group presentations
Group presentations are effective in fostering communication among
classmates, and in general have the capacity to communicate a wealth of
information to the student body. However, they can be difficult to manage
time-wise, and one must be sure to state limits, as well as expectations for
content and organization, quite clearly beforehand.
• 2.2.6.2 Individual presentations
It is more common to have students do individual presentations on a work
or an author of interest. These individual presentations must be decided
within the first two weeks of the course, as there are only so many class
periods to work with during the semester. The Instructor should pass
around a sign-up sheet on the third or fourth day of class with a list of their
options based on the syllabus. The Instructor should also distribute (or post
on bSpace) a handout with the concrete expectations for each presentation
in terms of length, content, and organization.

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• 2.2.6.3 Theater in the classroom
In recent years, many Instructors have chosen to use the last few classes to
allow students to perform scenes from La casa de Bernarda Alba. It is up to
the individual Instructor as to how s/he wishes to evaluate these
performances—typically they contribute towards the participation grade, a
description of which follows below.
! 2.2.7 The participation grade
The individual Instructor must decide which components s/he will include in the
participation grade. Attendance, contributions in class, homework, quizzes, online
forums and discussions—these are all elements that shape the student’s
participation grade. It is advisable to give the participation grade some thought
before the session begins, and perhaps even include a section on the syllabus that
explains what you, the Instructor, expect from the student in terms of his or her
participation in the class. Having a clear participation policy will help avoid potential
problems when computing final grade, discussed below.
o 2.3 GRADING PROCEDURES AND POLICIES
! 2.3.1 Micrograde
Currently there are no templates set up in Micrograde for Instructors of Spanish 25.
If you wish to use Micrograde for your course, you will have to set it up on your
own, after you determine your syllabus.
! 2.3.2 Final Grades
Instructors enter their grades using Bearfacts, as in Spanish 1-4. The Faculty
Instructor of Record must then approve the grades for them to be finalized. Please
see the Faculty Instructor of Record if you have any concerns or receive complaints
about a final grade that a student has received.

16. 3. IN THE CLASSROOM
16
• 3. IN THE CLASSROOM
The first time teaching Spanish 25 can be a little unnerving for the instructor. Worries about time
management, having enough material, and maintaining the interest of students often trouble first-
time instructors. This section of the Instructor’s Manual is geared towards helping instructors to
minimize those concerns and optimize their experience of teaching Spanish 25.
o 3.1 The first day of class
On the first day of class, the instructor’s main objectives are to 1) go over the syllabus in
detail and make sure that students’ questions about the course are answered without
ambiguity, and 2) to assess the individual student’s level. This is done via the use of the
diagnostic test and the Student Survey (discussed in section 2.2.2). These two things will
likely take up the whole class period.
! 3.1.1 Reviewing the syllabus
Current learner-centered teaching methodologies recommend that the review of
the syllabus on the first day of the class be a more active task for the student.
Breaking students up into groups and having them discuss the syllabus among
themselves and then having a class discussion to address their questions may be
something to try, rather than (or in addition to) simply reading/explaining it to the
class. The instructor should ask questions of the students to ascertain whether they
have understood what is expected of them in the course, and their responsibilities
as students and classmates.
! 3.1.2 Student placement in Spanish 25
Student Surveys and Diagnostics should be reviewed by the instructor before the
next class session, and the Course Coordinator should be notified if the Instructor
feels that a student may not be at the appropriate level or have adequate
preparation for the course. While it is not possible to remove a student from the
course if the instructor feels that s/he is not prepared for it, the instructor can
communicate to the student the concerns s/he has about admitting the student into
Spanish 25. The instructor should CC: the Course Coordinator on all
communications between student and instructor regarding their placement in
Spanish 25.
o 3.2 Maximizing your classroom time
Each instructor has to find his or her rhythm in the classroom independently and through
experiment. However, that said, there are ways to ensure that these experiments in
teaching style and content actually bear fruit, the most basic of which is to develop a
concrete lesson plan well before entering the classroom. In addition to helping with
maintaining classroom focus, the lesson plan also is advantageous if the instructor teaches
Spanish 25 more than once—each lesson plan serves as an immediate point of reference for
the next time s/he teaches the course. Making notes as to which activities worked and

17. 17
which did not, or about the length of activities, as well as the nature of discussions, will
prepare the instructor for teaching Spanish 25 again in the future.
! 3.2.1 Lesson Planning
Lesson planning is an effective tool both for organizing your thoughts ahead of class
and for keeping each class on track during class time. Every instructor has his or her
own style for lesson planning; however, there are certain elements that, if included
ahead of time, can enhance the usefulness of the lesson plan.
Designating pedagogical objectives before class is perhaps the most useful planning
activity that an instructor can do. Pedagogical objectives—the learner-centered
goals of each class—are bullet points that focus on what it is the students should be
taking away from class that day. Pedagogical objectives should be both specific and
achievable—not too broad, nor too vague—aimed at targeting the exact
knowledges on which the instructor intends to focus that day in class.
It may also be helpful for instructors to project how much time will be required for
each activity and/or discussion, bearing in mind that classroom time is limited, and
needs to be flexible.
While it is possible to over-plan, first-time instructors would be well-advised to
detail their lesson plans well, especially during the first few weeks of class. Sample
lesson plans can be found on the wiki, if a model is needed.
Lesson plans are for the instructor only, not to be shared with students, but can
always be submitted to the wiki if feedback is desired.
o 3.3 Designing meaningful activities
A few suggestions and guidelines follow below to help with the designing of meaningful
activities. The most important element to keep in mind when designing activities is to make
sure they are congruent with your pedagogical objectives.
! 3.3.1 Collaboration with colleagues
In the designing of activities and the direction of discussion, the best that can be
said is to talk to your colleagues and brainstorm with them about ways to make the
material reach the students.
! 3.3.2 Variety in classroom activities
A few things to take into account when designing a class: a mix of class discussion
and group work is always desirable. Students’ engagement with the course often
depends on keeping up a lively ambience in the classroom, and presenting them
with a variety of activities that work at developing different skills.
! 3.3.3 Skill development as objective

18. 18
Spanish 25 is still has at its heart the ongoing development of the four main skills:
listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Deciding which skills are going to be
targeted in each activity will help guide the instructor as s/he develops the activity.
o 3.4 Using supplemental materials in the classroom
Generally speaking, the textbook Aproximaciones should provide the instructor with enough
material to communicate the basics of literary analysis. The introductions to each genre are
particularly valuable and provide the basis for a common knowledge among students in
Spanish 25 when they go on to upper-division courses. However, at times it may be
appropriate to supplement the readings (both the literary texts and the introductions) with
additional readings. It should be stated clearly, though, that these readings should not take
the place of the information in Aproximaciones, nor should they overwhelm the student
with complex theories and arguments that are not essential to their academic development
at this level.
! 3.4.1 Outside Readings
After the core curriculum has been decided among the instructors, all instructors
are free to choose which other texts they will study in their class. These texts can
include readings outside of Aproximaciones. It is recommended, however, that the
instructor not use too many outside texts, as the selection tends to trend towards
personal preferences and also makes students question the reason for having spent
money on a textbook when the majority of the readings are from other sources.
! 3.4.2 Criticism and/or Theory
Occasionally, it may be appropriate to bring some critical readings into the
classroom. They should be kept short and succinct, and the reasoning for their
inclusion should be very clear to the student. In other words, theoretical/critical
selections must pertain directly to the text at hand, and the connection between the
main text and the critical text should be readily apparent to the student.
In general, heavily theoretical texts should be avoided, unless the instructor is
confident that the text contributes significantly to the discussion of a work of
literature.
o 3.5 The use of technology in the classroom
The 21st
century has seen technology in the classroom move from being an exciting curiosity
to an absolute requirement. Students have grown accustomed to the pervasiveness of
multi-media presentations in class, as well as being able to access the materials required for
their learning at any time during the 24-hour day. Technology is no longer merely an option
for teaching, it is a requirement. Instructors should actively cultivate their use of technology
in the classroom (without letting it become a crutch) in a way that complements their
teaching style and moves their pedagogical aims forward. Below are some common
resources that can (and should) be accessed and developed by instructors who are seeking

19. 19
to enhance their portfolio, as well as their presence in the classroom.
! 3.5.1 bSpace
bSpace is Berkeley’s content management system (CMS) that is widely used by all
branches of the university. It is an extremely flexible tool, and easy to set up. For
Spanish 25, each instructor will have to set up his or her own bSpace site. If the
instructor has never done this before, s/he should contact ETS and see if a tutorial
can be arranged, or, better, if the instructor can attend a workshop (for example, at
the beginning of every semester, they offer a workshop called “Getting Started in
bSpace”). More information can be found at http://ets.berkeley.edu/about-bspace.
bSpace is the most efficient way to communicate with your students and establish a
virtual space for your classroom.
! 3.5.2 YouTube
There is plenty to be had on YouTube in terms of complementary materials for your
readings in class. Choose carefully, and decide ahead of time whether it is best for
students to watch YouTube clips before coming to class or during class time. It is
probably a good idea, if you are going to show a YouTube clip in class, to make sure
that your computer is functional and compatible with the media outlets available in
the classrooms. (For example, Macs require a specific extension in order to be
hooked up to the video output.) Do a dry run before classes begin so that you don’t
lose class time to technological glitches. And always have an activity in reserve if it
so happens that the internet (or other technological components) prove to be
problematic that day.
! 3.5.3 Film
Spanish 25 is a dense course, and frequently it is difficult to find space to show an
entire film. Short films that take up part of a class period are more amenable to the
learning environment and objectives of the course, especially since film is not
currently included as a genre that Spanish 25 explores in depth.
! 3.5.4 Audio
Audio clips and music can be an effective facilitator of classroom discussions. Using
songs to teach poetry, in particular, can make the subject matter more accessible to
students. Highly recommended for use in the classroom: The Brazilian Girls’ musical
interpretation of Pablo Neruda’s “Me gustas cuando callas.”
! 3.5.5 Social bookmarking
If you haven’t yet learned about Delicious.com, now is the time. These days it is
very common for instructors to send their students links to important resources via
email. However, there is a way to store all those links in one place that students can
access at any time. One option is to list them in bSpace. Another is to create an
account with delicious.com (a Yahoo! service) and thereby create a single source
page with all the links (tagged and categorized) that students will need for the
duration of the course. Additionally, you can put a link to your delicious.com page
right on the menu bar of your bSpace site.

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! 3.5.6 ETS (Education Technology Services)
ETS, as previously mentioned, has ongoing workshops for developing the use of
technology in the classroom. Take advantage of their services. It will prepare you
better for your classes, and also prepare you for the job market.

21. 4. A COMMUNITY OF
INSTRUCTORS
21
• 4. A COMMUNITY OF COURSE INSTRUCTORS: AN ESSENTIAL COLLABORATION
Spanish 25 Instructors are encouraged to work with each other at developing their teaching
materials and skills in the classroom. In order to foster a sense of community and collaboration
among instructors, a wiki was established in 2007 to assist instructors in their collaborative efforts.
The wiki is maintained by the Course Coordinator who, at the beginning of the term, will grant all
new instructors access to the resources available online. The wiki can be found at
http://spanish25ucb.pbworks.com , and all are invited to contribute to the discussion. This is not a
website for students (at no time should Spanish 25 students be informed of its existence or granted
access) but rather an assembly of past course materials created by instructors of Spanish 25 for
instructors of Spanish 25.
o 4.1 Online collaboration via the wiki: Definition and Goals
The Spanish 25 Wiki is a collectively editable collection of web pages, organized around the
common goal of preparing and assisting instructors in developing all sorts of classroom
materials. A wiki consists of a homepage, sub-pages, and a navigable sidebar that links to
those sub-pages. Each subpage has a section for comments, the importance of which will be
discussed in section 4.1.2. Instructors can attach and link to files and other resources
through the wiki, and it that way it serves as an online, easily accessible compendium of the
efforts of present and past instructors.
Participation is voluntary, however it should be noted that the wiki was established because
of the long-standing issue that Spanish 25, if instructors do not work together to establish
common goals, can end up being five different courses, depending on the desires of any
given instructor. By communicating with fellow instructors via the wiki, by uploading and
commenting on course materials, instructors help to give some uniformity to the students’
experience of Spanish 25 and also are able to develop their own style and independence as
instructors, all the while gaining valuable feedback from their cohort.
The main goal of the wiki is this: to foster a productive, communicative, collaborative effort
between instructors that serves the purpose of better preparing the students in Spanish 25
to continue on in upper-division courses. A secondary goal, but no less important, is to
provide the instructor with a chance to develop materials and receive feedback on their
work, which—in the long run—may prove useful when developing a teaching portfolio for
the job market.
! 4.1.1 Navigating the wiki
All contents of the wiki are navigable through the SIDEBAR which appears on the
right-hand side of the page. All contents are grouped into significant categories.
Clicking on a category will take you to the relevant subpage where you will find the

22. 22
resources (documents, links, comments) that will help you to put together lessons,
quizzes, and exams. Any questions about the wiki should be directed to either the
Deputy Coordinator or the wiki administrator.
! 4.1.2 Making effective use of the wiki
The most important function of the wiki is the COMMENTS function. When you
post, for example, and exam that you have written to the wiki, you can ask your
fellow instructors for commentary on your exam. You can download past exams to
use as models as well.
It is important to post ALL exams to the wiki for commentary, and to look at each
other’s exams for the purposes of feedback, comparison, and input. Checking to see
what your fellow instructors are working on in class will help to keep the students’
experience of Spanish 25 within the same pedagogical range.
o 4.2 Administration of the wiki
The current administrator of the wiki is Anna E. Hiller (aenkh@berkeley.edu). However, in
the future, administrative duties will be turned over to the Deputy Coordinator, who will be
responsible for maintaining the wiki and checking to see that it is being used properly. The
Deputy Coordinator should contact the current administrator for training on how to do this
effectively at the beginning of every semester.
o 4.3 Training on the wiki
During the first week of instruction, all instructors should meet to have a training session on
how to use the wiki. PBWiki is very user-friendly, and the user interface is very
straightforward. The Deputy Coordinator will need to pay special attention to making sure
that all instructors understand how to upload documents and link them to a page, how to
add links to a page, and how to use the comment function.

23. 5. RESOURCES
23
• 5. RESOURCES FOR INSTRUCTORS: One of the greatest advantages Berkeley has to offer its graduate
students is a wealth of support when it comes to professional development. The Berkeley Language
Center and the GSI & Teaching Resource Center are two resources that can be accessed by GSIs as a
way of enhancing their classroom presence, techniques, and methodologies. Education Technology
Services (ETS) will help instructors to develop the technological skills required for the 21st
-century
classroom. ETS is especially useful for setting up bSpace course websites. (See Section 3.5.1 about
setting up and using bSpace.) Also included here is a short bibliography of books on teaching
methodologies geared towards the specific practices of teaching literature as opposed to language,
as well as syllabus design, and general classroom techniques and philosophies. These can be useful
in making the adjustment to the methods and materials required to teach Spanish 25.
o 5.1 Education Technology Services (for bSpace and technology in the classroom): (from
their website http://ets.berkeley.edu )
Educational Technology Services develops, promotes and supports the effective integration
of collaboration, learning, and communication technologies into the life and work of the UC
Berkeley community and beyond.
We are a world leading organization, bringing to the learning technology field a level of
intelligence, innovation, and effectiveness fitting for the world's foremost public University.
We at ETS feel we have a special responsibility for the dissemination of knowledge, for
advancing those frontiers and for enriching the human experience.
ETS Services
ETS staffs and supports the central technology services essential to teaching and learning.
We support faculty using technology tools to enhance learning. We provide AV support,
webcasting, and production services that help to share UC Berkeley's intellectual riches to
the campus and the world.
We invite you to explore our website and learn about our key services ~
! bSpace, UC Berkeley's implementation of the Sakai collaboration and learning
environment, which provides course sites for instruction and project sites for
collaboration.
! Technology Classrooms, providing AV, computer projection, and podcast
technology in over 165 General Assignment classrooms.
! webcast.Berkeley, disseminating Berkeley courses and special events to the public.
! Faculty development and support for all our instructional services.

24. 24
! Videoconferencing and AV Special Event services for faculty, staff, and
departments.
! AV Design & Engineering services, providing AV design for classrooms and
departmental spaces.
o 5.2 Berkeley Language Center (BLC) (from their website http://blc.berkeley.edu )
Founded in 1994, the Berkeley Language Center is a department in the Division of the Arts
and Humanities of the College of Letters and Sciences. The BLC’s mission is to support the
learning and teaching of heritage and foreign languages on the Berkeley campus and, where
appropriate, in the University of California system. To meet this overarching goal, the BLC
employs numerous strategies to improve teaching effectiveness and enhance the learning
environment:
→ Provide language instructors with opportunities to learn of new developments in the
fields of sociolinguistics, language pedagogy, and second language acquisition theory;
→ Support research by language instructors and its dissemination at professional meetings
and in professional journals;
→ Support faculty production of new language learning materials;
→ Provide faculty and students with state-of-the-art learning facilities and equipment;
→ Provide faculty and students with access to language learning materials;
→ Maintain a library and media archive of materials for language teaching and research.
o 5.3 GSI & Teaching Resource Center : (from their website http://gsi.berkeley.edu )
! The GSI Teaching & Resource Center is an academic unit of the Graduate Division
that provides resources and services for graduate students as they develop their
professional skills in teaching in higher education. We also work closely with faculty
and the departments to assist them in the mentoring and training they offer
graduate students in teaching.
We provide conferences, workshops, seminars, confidential consultations,
classroom observations (with or without videotaping), grants, awards, an online
teaching guide, and a robust web-based course on professional standards and ethics
in teaching. We also provide language testing and specialized courses for current
and prospective international GSIs at UC Berkeley. For advanced graduate students
we offer, in collaboration with the Graduate Division’s Academic Services unit, the

25. 25
Summer Institute for Preparing Future Faculty.
Graduate students are welcome to drop in or contact us by email
(gsi@berkeley.edu) to set up a consultation on their teaching or on teaching
materials they are preparing for the academic job search.
Please feel free to contact us by phone at 642-4456 or gsi@berkeley.edu with any
questions or suggestions about how we might assist you.
Graduate Student Instructor
Teaching & Resource Center
301 Sproul Hall - 5900
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-5900
Phone: 510-642-4456
Fax: 510-643-1524
Email: gsi@berkeley.edu
Language Proficiency Program Email: langpro@berkeley.edu
Hours:
9 to 12 and 1 to 4, Monday through Friday
For inquiries pertaining to tests and courses for international GSIs, please email our
Language Proficiency Program.
• 5.4 Recommended Bibliography
o 5.4.1 Books on the teaching of literature
Rosenblatt, Louise M. Literature as Exploration. 5th
Edition. Modern Language
Association of America, 1995.
Showalter, Elaine. Teaching Literature. Wiley-Blackwell, 2003.
o 5.4.2 Books on syllabus design
Grunert O’Brien, Judith et al. The Course Syllabus: A Learning-Centered Approach. 2nd
Edition. Jossey-Bass, 2008. (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!)
Nunan, David. Syllabus Design. Oxford University Press, 1988.
o 5.4.3 Books on general teaching methodologies

26. 26
Bain, Ken. What the Best College Teachers Do. Harvard University Press, 2004.
Bean, John C. Engaging Ideas. Jossey-Bass, 1996.
Filene, Peter. The Joy of Teaching: A Practical Guide for New College Instructors.
University of North Carolina Press, 2005.
Gross Davis, Barbara. Tools for Teaching. 2nd
Edition. Jossey-Bass, 2009.
o 5.4.4 Web Resources
http://tltc.la.utexas.edu/methods/