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         ¡Hola! Hello!

         My name is Latrina Thompson, and I am the Spanish teacher at PB Ritch Middle School. I was born and raised in Nashville, TN. I have a big family there with my parents, my 5 siblings, and extended family.  I have been teaching in some form for over 14 years. I recieved both of my degrees from the University of Alabama (Roll Tide). I finished my Master's in 2007. My Bachelor's degree is in Spanish, and my Master's degree is in Secondary Education with a focus on Spanish (P-12). I completed my gifted endorsement for advanced classes during the 2017-2018 school year.

         My husband and I moved to Georgia in 2007, and I have been teaching in Paulding County ever since. I started out teaching Spanish at North Paulding High School where I helped open the school in 2007, and after eight years at North I came to PB Ritch. I taught Family Consumer Science my first year at Ritch. I missed Spanish so much that I switched back my second year. I have been teaching Spanish at PB Ritch going on six years now.  In addition to my Public School experience, I have also taught as an adjunct professor at Kennesaw State University, in private school, and to adults. As a professional, I am continually seeking to grow and improve.

         As a language teacher, I use various storytelling and reading techniques supported by supplementation strategies that make language comprehensible to help students acquire language in a natural way. I also enjoy incorporating music and videos to expose students to language and culture in an engaging manner, and use many online resources to enrich students' learning and language experience. I am very passionate about using practices that are supported by current research in my classroom. How I teach may be different than parents' experience when they were in school, but research has shown us that many of the ways that we learned in the past are just not that effective nor long lasting. To learn more about how I teach and why, please read the page The Comprehension Based Classroom. 

         It is my sincere desire that all my students are successful in their language learning journey. Studying a foreign language can be challenging, but I will guide and help students students every step of the way!

         I am excited to begin another school year and look forward to working with students and parents on the wonderful journey that is language learning!