Is Señor Wooly Pro Worth It?

Confession: I love Señor Wooly. You’ve probably heard of him, or heard of his site and videos. Maybe you’ve heard of him and thought, “So what?YouTube has a ton of videos. My textbook has videos and listening files. Why should I buy this program when I have those things free or paid for already?”

I know as a teacher, there are TONS of things you could spend your money on, but here’s some arguments as to why you should make Señor Wooly part of your department, building, or personal budget. Also, in case you’re wondering, this is not a sponsored post in any way. I really do love these materials, and so do my students.

First of all, I’m going to send you to Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell’s post on why you should consider paying for apps and services. It’s a great thing to consider, not just for Señor Wooly, but for teaching in general! When you pay for a service for your classroom you support a resource that is perfect (or nearly so!) for you and your students. And you support the people behind that resource who put in the time and effort, so you don’t have to!

Okay, I don’t want this to turn into a post about why spending money can be a good thing. We’re here for the Wooly, so let’s focus on that.

What do you get with Señor Wooly?

You probably know that Señor Wooly has videos and songs, but did you know that Señor Wooly pro includes tons of supplemental resources? Let’s look at that:

• Pre, during, and post viewing activities at various levels
• Embedded readings – several versions of each different level
• Puzzles
• Grammar worksheets
• Audio files
• Screenshots of video stills – great for movie talk!
• Student accounts (enrichment, homework, sub plans!)

There are pages upon pages upon pages of resources that go with EACH SONG. You could treat it as a story and talk it in your classes, movie talk it, or just watch the video and use the resources that come with it! If I didn’t love trees I would print out the resources that go with just one song and show you the MOUNTAIN of paper it would be – but just envision it. A STACK of paper, all filled with awesome Spanish resources you didn’t have to make yourself.

They have a few of their videos on Youtube that you could check out, but truly, those are just the tip of the iceberg. Check out this fun classic:

Why Señor Wooly is wonderful for your classroom:

1. Do you have a vocab list to cover? Chances are Señor Wooly has a song that will help students practice that list.
2. Want a fun story to talk about? Señor Wooly videos are interesting, relatable, and engaging.
3. Grammar? No problem. Direct object pronouns can be a PAIN, but watch “No lo tengo” a few times in your classroom and students will start to naturally use them! There are videos you can connect to almost any grammar point!
4. HILARIOUS. I laugh so hard watching these videos and I laugh watching the students’ reactions to them. Who doesn’t want to laugh at work?
5. Catchy! The students wind up singing along in Spanish without even realizing it.
6. Resources for days. DAYS. If you didn’t have a curriculum and were struggling with what to do on your own, this is where I would spend my budget. You could easily do a whole year of Wooly resources and not run out of engaging content.
7. Affordable! Señor Wooly pro is $85/year (that’s $7/month) – truly incredible!
8. Professional development – the Facebook group is full of great ideas, support, and even more resources. Wooly Week (a week of lesson plans created and designed by the team) last year included videos of activities, as well as all of the materials to do them, AND where it could go in the sequence of using a new video.
9. The nuggets! Students explore and do online assignments with the songs in digestible, comprehensible chunks called nuggets. You can assign them pieces, or you can open a few different songs and let them choose. Possibly the best part? Automatically graded. Time saving win!

How Señor Wooly Saves Your Sanity During Busy Weeks

Let’s be real. Some weeks you are crushing it with lesson plans, anchor charts, and perfectly timed brain breaks. And then there are the weeks where you are barely holding it together with a coffee and a hope. Señor Wooly is the secret weapon for those weeks. The materials are ready to go and you can literally plan days of engaging Spanish input without reinventing the wheel or staring at your screen hoping for a miracle.

You can pull in a video for a Monday pick-me-up, use the nugget system for easy sub plans on a Wednesday, and wrap the week with a game, puzzle, or student writing based on the story. It keeps your lessons consistent, your students engaged, and your energy intact. If you have ever wished for a resource that feels fun but does the heavy lifting for you, this is it. Wooly is not just fun. It is a full-on time-saving teaching win.

How to Get the Most Out of Señor Wooly

If you are jumping into Señor Wooly Pro, do not just hit play and call it a day. The videos are amazing on their own but the real magic is in everything that comes with them. Pick a student favorite like “Billy la Bufanda” or “¿Puedo ir al baño” and turn it into a full-blown mini unit. Start with the pre-viewing activities to build hype, then watch the video together and pause for some class discussion or wild predictions. Afterward, mix in a reading, a puzzle, or one of those hilarious printable worksheets that make students laugh and learn at the same time.

Want to take it up a notch? Use screenshots from the video for a picture talk or let students act out the story with a silly prop or two. If you are assigning nuggets, let students explore a few at their own pace and they will feel like they are in charge while secretly getting tons of input. The best part is that it all feels fun and fresh but it still checks every box for vocabulary, grammar, reading, listening and even speaking. Señor Wooly is not just a site with songs. It is a one-stop shop for high-impact Spanish teaching that does not feel like work. And yes, you can absolutely build a whole week or even a month of plans around one video. It is that good.

To me, it’s worth every penny. Here’s the link to check it out for yourself. I’m positive you will love it as much as I do!