— Classes of 8 or less
Join one of our LIVE small‑group classes to learn “Spanish The Story Way”!
We’ll “work” our way through a music-video curriculum so zany… you’ll forget you’re actually learning a language!
Spanish The Story Way is NOT “old school” language learning!
- We’re not inviting you to study Spanish with us.
- We’re asking you to experience Spanish with us!
You will NOT be wasting your time…
- Filling in endless conjugation charts
- Cramming huge lists of random vocab words into your head
- Never getting to actually speak Spanish out loud
Instead, we’ll be delving into…
- Some of the craziest stories you’ll ever come across
- Set to music videos that you’ll never forget
- Starring characters who will become part of your lives
¡Hola! 😃 I’m Miss Elisa!(I use my first name online and my middle name, Angela, in person.)
I am a passionate language educator, curriculum innovator, and creator of Spanish
The Story Way.
Early on in my first 12 years of teaching Spanish inside institutional systems, both
in-person and online, I realized something vital: forcing students to memorize dry grammar charts doesn’t create speakers — it creates bored teenagers.
So, I took a virtual journey of sorts, described on the Curriculum page, and ended up
with the only curriculum I would ever want to use to teach Spanish: “Señor Wooly” —
the ultimate master of Comprehensible Input (CI).
Now, when a student “steps into” my live synchronous sessions, they will see the Spanish language come to life with stories that stick — the catchy songs, the
wild ride of a Señor Wooly music video, the bizarre plots and characters of his videos and phenomenal digital graphic novels, or all of the above!
What comes next is even more powerful: taking the language of the songs and stories and using it in all sorts of creative ways, together. I’ll also give you hacks from Day One that can help you achieve native-like pronunciation. And, together, we’ll create authentic Spanish phrases for real-life usage.
I can’t wait to welcome you or your child into our next cohort, where you’ll discover just how fun it can be to learn a language! Let’s get this FIESTA started! 🥳
Curious what a Comprehensible Input lesson actually looks and sounds like? Here is one of my own videos that I made for my students back in my dark-hair days during the Covid quarantine.
Una siesta, un gato, y dos padres — a CI video by Miss ElisaWatch on YouTube
Comprehensible input + emotional engagement = real fluency
Language researchers agree: comprehensible input and emotional engagement are the fastest paths to real fluency. So why not use a curriculum that’s built around both?!
Our core curriculum is built around the world-renowned Señor Wooly platform — a collection of over 30 brilliantly-designed Spanish music videos created specifically for Spanish students.
Spanish The Story Way students experience these videos together via Google Meet during live classes, with Miss Elisa leading the way. Then, the real fun begins! Countless group activities pull the language from the videos into real-world scenarios for valuable practice using all four of the main language-learning skills:
Listening
Reading
Speaking
Writing
Here is a sampling of the 30+ Señor Wooly videos we are licensed to use:
Billy la bufanda
“Billy la bufanda” is the 1st music video that Jim Wooldridge (a.k.a. Señor Wooly) released to the public back in 2008, and it went viral in a hot second! It currently has almost 5 million views on YouTube. Mr. Wooldridge originally created the video for his Spanish students after enduring many painful years of plodding through the same incredibly boring textbooks that I was forced to use during my first year of teaching. He KNEW there had to be a better way, and he was not wrong! During my 10 years of teaching in a brick-and-mortar public school, the vast majority of my lessons revolved around the dozens of clever, compelling music videos that Sr. Wooly kept producing, much to my students’ delight!
For my Spanish The Story Way students, this is one of the first videos that we “work” our way through. It’s about a scarf (bufanda) who is said to have gone to many different places, but the narrator then keeps admitting that he couldn’t have done any of those things because he’s a scarf. Overall, Billy is probably the most beloved character in the Woolyverse and is the one who made Señor Wooly famous. Fans begged for more, so Billy experiences many ups and downs in his tragic life, chronicled in 5 different music videos. I love the Latin beat and typical Sr. Wooly quirkiness of this story.
¿Puedo ir al baño?
With 8½ million views, “¿Puedo ir al baño?” is perhaps Sr. Wooly’s most well-known song. It was released in 2009, a year after “Billy la bufanda,” but was not posted on YouTube until 2013. Keep in mind that most of the 35 or so videos produced by Jim Wooldridge are NOT available on YouTube. Several “remakes” can be found that students have created, but they can’t compete with the excellence of the Wooly team, which has grown and improved by leaps and bounds over the years. This particular video is another one that we use near the beginning of the language-learning journey, since it teaches some very valuable phrases. It’s about a boy who is trying to convince his teacher that he urgently needs to use the restroom…something many students can identify with. Don’t be fooled by the slow start. This song is kickin’ by the end! 😄
Billy y Las Botas
“Billy y las botas” is a tragic love story between a scarf and the pair of boots that he loves. By giving his character a pair of boots to love (which he assures us was in NO way meant to promote polygamy), Sr. Wooly was able to write lyrics for his students using the special plural forms of the various words in Spanish, which is an important language skill.
You’ll also notice a great amount of repetition in this song (and in ALL of his songs, for that matter). This is 100% intentional and effective, and the technique is very much backed up by science. For example, an extensive linguistic study conducted in 2019 by Uchihara, Webb, and Yanagisawa revealed that repeated, meaningful exposure is one of the strongest predictors of learning new words.
That’s easier said than done when you take into consideration how easily people lose interest and move on to something else these days. That’s why the VERY catchy tunes of Sr. Wooly’s songs are such a crucial element of their success in helping students acquire new vocab and grammar skills. Students can’t help but walk around singing many of the lyrics to themselves, over and over.
And, that’s why I say they can be learning the language while completely oblivious to the fact that they’re learning it. This is how it SHOULD be! And these few videos are just the tip of the iceberg! There’s a whole series of videos that are intertwined with each other in a complex, sinister plot full of intrigue that keeps students clamoring for more. As I have said for years, Jim Wooldridge is a bona fide genius in my book!
Sé chévere
As you will see, there is no such thing as a singular type of video produced by Sr. Wooly. Just when you think you have him figured out, he throws you a curve ball. In fact, that’s the only thing you can be sure of when viewing a new Wooly video — that you should expect the unexpected! He LOVES to use a lot of irony in his stories, as well as scenarios that will make students groan and/or gag, and sometimes even scream. “Sé chévere” means “Be cool,” and it’s a completely facetious song which Sr. Wooly wrote as a way of making fun of HIMSELF for often being too lenient with his students. Be sure to watch for the surprise visitor in the classroom at the end of the video. 😜
Student Account Walkthrough
Now that you’ve gotten a taste of Señor Wooly’s stories and music, here’s a peek at what the actual student dashboard looks like. This is what students use during the week, in between the live sessions, to lock in what they’re learning.
You’ll see how to navigate the videos and their corresponding interactive activities, called “Nuggets,” as well as how to access Wooly’s amazing digital graphic novels (based on the music videos), which include audio and many interactive tools.
Inside the student dashboard
IMPORTANT TO NOTE: As wonderful as this online Sr. Wooly material is, Jim Wooldridge himself asserts that a large part of the language-learning progress occurs as students discuss the music videos as a class and engage in corresponding activities together.
Languages are NOT best learned in isolation, but rather in community.
See what Miss Elisa’s past students have achieved!
Like most of the activities originally developed by Miss Elisa for in-person lessons — or like this puppet show written by the Wooly Team — there are countless ways she can modify them for online participation, enabling STSW students to enjoy fun, engaging interactions with the language for long-lasting, true learning.
🎭 Student puppet show — “Scene 3: Dragon”
(Shared with permission graciously given by Señor Wooly)
💃 Miss Elisa’s students spontaneously dancing to a Sr. Wooly song. (Used with permission.)
🎤 Miss Elisa’s class karaoke to Señor Wooly’s most famous song
🎨 Student digital artwork, inspired by a Señor Wooly story
These students were not WORKING to learn Spanish. They were ENJOYING themselves AS they learned Spanish organically.
With Señor Wooly becoming such a big part of their lives, Miss Elisa’s 2019 students were ECSTATIC when they learned that she would be meeting Jim Wooldridge in person! They sent her with a list of “pressing questions” about various mysteries from the videos, which he graciously answered. One class even begged for a personal video from him, which he happily went above and beyond to record!
Simple, predictable pricing
We keep it straightforward at STSW.
1 1/2 hr. sessions
- Eight LIVE 1 1/2 hr. Google Meet sessions with Miss Elisa and no more than 7 other students
- 24/7 access to Señor Wooly’s exclusive online interactive (fun!) enrichment activities to reinforce the weekly lesson
Discount Opportunities
Ways to save $20 off your STSW class!
- Enroll in two classes per week
- Enroll in two consecutive 8-wk. sessions
- Enroll as a group of 8 for the 8 weeks, all on the same day, and EACH of you will receive the discount.
- Receive $20 off for each additional family member enrolled.
Discounts cannot be combined. When more than one discount applies, the highest applicable discount or savings option will be used. For additional information, see our Policies page.
Jumpstart your learning with an original CI lesson by Miss Elisa.
Thank you so much for visiting Spanish The Story Way! We’d like to extend our gratitude with a free lesson you can download, complete with comprehension questions and a full glossary of every word in the story. Best of all, Miss Elisa will email you an audio version of the story with built-in pauses for you to repeat each phrase after her. It’s an excellent tool that will help prepare you to get even more out of your STSW class.
Frequently asked questions
Which levels can I join?
We provide classes for beginners through intermediate speakers, customized for your goals and current skill level.
What is the format like?
Lessons happen on Google Meet. You will enter a focused group setting where narratives drive the curriculum for better retention.
Do I need special equipment?
A solid internet connection plus a working webcam and mic are required. Finding a quiet room will help you (and us) stay fully immersed in class.
How do I enter the room?
Once you sign up, we email a recurring link for your group. We include a simple guide to help you log in for your very first session.
How many students attend?
We prioritize quality over quantity. Cohorts are capped at 8 students max to ensure high engagement and plenty of speaking practice.
Contact Spanish The Story Way
I’m here to help with enrollment, scheduling, level placement, and any questions you have. Parents and adult learners can reach out any time — whether you’re exploring classes, adjusting a schedule, or checking in on progress.
Send Miss Elisa a message
Help with Google Meet or curriculum access
If you have trouble joining class, reaching the curriculum, or navigating the digital materials, I’ll walk you through the fix step by step. Most issues are resolved in a few minutes.