Materials & Prep
Prepare the board with the two opening sentences and the routine text below. Provide students with paper or notebooks. No special materials are needed beyond the usual classroom setup.
Opening: Commit to a choice
DisplayWhich sentence means “I wake up at 6:30”? Students silently choose A or B, then write one routine verb they remember from a previous lesson.
A. Yo despierto a las 6:30. B. Yo me despierto a las 6:30.
Have students show A or B with their fingers and briefly explain their choice to a partner. Confirm B for the intended meaning. Explain that “despierto” can mean “I wake someone,” as in “Despierto a mi hermano,” but “me despierto” means “I wake up.” The opening misconception is now visible: when the subject does the action to themself, the reflexive pronoun cannot be dropped.
ConnectAsk students to recall two other routine verbs and use one in a quick sentence beginning “Por la mañana, yo…” Accept vocabulary they already know, then tell students they will use the pronouns that make the meaning complete.
Notice and model: Keep the pronoun
DisplayPresent the routine as a sequence, not as an isolated verb list.
A las 6:30, me despierto. Después, me levanto. Luego, me ducho y me visto. Finalmente, me cepillo los dientes y me acuesto a las 10:30.
Think aloudIn “me despierto,” I first identify the subject, yo. Because I wake myself, I choose me. Then I conjugate despertar for yo: despierto. The complete meaning requires both parts: me despierto. A common error is to say “yo despierto” because the English sentence has only “I wake up.” Spanish marks the reflexive meaning with me.
ModelPoint to the pronoun and verb as you say each form: yo me levanto, tú te levantas, él or ella se levanta, nosotros nos levantamos, ellos se levantan. Emphasize that the pronoun changes with the subject. Students repeat the sequence once, then say it to a partner without reading.
ClarifyThe pronoun normally comes before a conjugated present-tense verb: “Me ducho,” not “Ducho me.” Do not translate word for word. Treat “me ducho” as the natural Spanish expression for “I shower.”
Guided reading and correction
Display
Entre semana, Ana vive en Bogotá y tiene una rutina ocupada. A las 5:45, se despierta. A las 6:00, se levanta y se viste. Después, desayuna con su familia. A las 6:45, sale para el colegio. Por la tarde, hace la tarea y se relaja. Antes de dormir, se cepilla los dientes y se acuesta a las 10:30.
AnnotateStudents underline every reflexive pronoun and circle the verb attached to it. They answer in Spanish: “¿A qué hora se despierta Ana?”, “¿Qué hace antes de dormir?”, and “¿Qué actividad no tiene pronombre reflexivo?”
DiscussStudents compare answers. Expected answers include “Se despierta a las 5:45,” “Se cepilla los dientes y se acuesta,” and “desayuna” or “sale para el colegio.” Note that not every daily-routine verb is reflexive. The pronoun is required when the meaning is reflexive, not automatically with every routine action.
Check for understandingStudents complete these three sentences on paper and hold them up: “Yo a las 6:30” (despertarse), “Nosotros después de la escuela” (relajarse), and “Ella a las 10:30” (acostarse). Expected answers are “me despierto,” “nos relajamos,” and “se acuesta.” If a student supplies only the conjugated verb, prompt, “¿Quién recibe la acción?” and have the student add the pronoun.
Communicative practice: Compare routines
ModelDemonstrate with a student or read the exchange: “¿A qué hora te levantas?” “Me levanto a las siete.” “¿Y después qué haces?” “Me ducho y me visto.” Point out that the question and answer use matching pronouns for tú and yo.
Have students interview a partner about four routine events: despertarse, levantarse, ducharse or vestirse, and acostarse. They ask “¿A qué hora te…?” and answer with a complete sentence. The listener records the partner’s times and checks each reflexive pronoun. Partners then state one similarity and one difference: “Los dos nos levantamos a las…” or “Mi compañero se acuesta…, pero yo me acuesto…”
ScaffoldPost this frame for students who need support: “Me a las . Después, me . Luego, me . Finalmente, me .” Also post the pronoun guide: yo, me; tú, te; él or ella, se; nosotros, nos. Students may first rehearse by reading the frame, then remove it for the second exchange.
CirculateListen specifically for omitted pronouns. When a student says “ducho,” pause and ask, “¿Quién se ducha?” Have the student repair the sentence aloud: “Me ducho.”
ExtensionStudents who are ready add a third-person report about their partner using at least three forms with se: “Mi compañero se despierta a las…, se levanta…, y se acuesta…” They include one connector such as antes de, después de, or luego.
Independent presentational task
WriteStudents write a six-sentence daily routine in Spanish with at least five different reflexive verbs, three time expressions, and two sequence words. They may use the routine vocabulary from the lesson, but they must describe their own routine rather than copy Ana’s. They underline each reflexive pronoun and circle its verb.
Look forA successful response contains matching forms such as “me levanto,” “me visto,” and “me acuesto,” not only “levanto,” “visto,” and “acuesto.” Students should also include at least one non-reflexive routine verb, such as desayuno, hago la tarea, or salgo, to show that they are choosing the pronoun according to meaning.
Closing check: Exit ticket
Exit ticketWrite three connected sentences describing the beginning, middle, and end of your daily routine. Include one sentence with me, one with another subject and the correct pronoun, and one non-reflexive routine verb. Underline each reflexive pronoun. For example, a student might write: “Me despierto a las seis. Mi hermana se levanta a las seis y media. Después, desayuno.” Collect the responses and check whether each reflexive verb includes the pronoun matching its subject.