Climbing the PQA Mountain
I have to confess.....I really had trouble with PQA (Personalized Questions and Answers). The idea behind PQA is to use a targeted, high-frequency phrase in conversation with students so that they hear (and comprehend it) many, many times.
At first, I didn't spend a lot of time nor energy analyzing my PQA resistance....I just avoided it whenever possible. (Fortunately now there is Ben Slavic's PQA in a Wink!! ...but pre-Ben all I could do was marvel at how Susie and others wove wonderful questions in workshops and wish that I could do the same.)
Then one day I had an epiphany! PQA is NOT about the focus structure. IT'S ABOUT THE STUDENTS! So.....instead of asking myself, what questions can I create using this phrase, I began to ask myself...
Can I get to know my students better using this phrase? If so, how?
This cleared away many of the thoughts and emotions that were holding me back. First...I realized that not all phrases are good PQA material. I was able to find other ways to get repetitions with those phrases. (Work smarter not harder Laurie Ann!!)
Second...when I started to think of questions in light of getting to know my students better, the questions became more interesting!!! I was more interested, the questions were more interesting, and so, of course, the students became more interested!!
The third piece that really helped me was incorporating other TPRS skills into my PQA forays. Combining PQA with teaching to the eyes, using signals, choral responses, and circling helped me to focus on my strengths rather than my weaknesses.
More later...
with love,
Laurie
At first, I didn't spend a lot of time nor energy analyzing my PQA resistance....I just avoided it whenever possible. (Fortunately now there is Ben Slavic's PQA in a Wink!! ...but pre-Ben all I could do was marvel at how Susie and others wove wonderful questions in workshops and wish that I could do the same.)
Then one day I had an epiphany! PQA is NOT about the focus structure. IT'S ABOUT THE STUDENTS! So.....instead of asking myself, what questions can I create using this phrase, I began to ask myself...
Can I get to know my students better using this phrase? If so, how?
This cleared away many of the thoughts and emotions that were holding me back. First...I realized that not all phrases are good PQA material. I was able to find other ways to get repetitions with those phrases. (Work smarter not harder Laurie Ann!!)
Second...when I started to think of questions in light of getting to know my students better, the questions became more interesting!!! I was more interested, the questions were more interesting, and so, of course, the students became more interested!!
The third piece that really helped me was incorporating other TPRS skills into my PQA forays. Combining PQA with teaching to the eyes, using signals, choral responses, and circling helped me to focus on my strengths rather than my weaknesses.
More later...
with love,
Laurie
I think I must just have a dull class...even with a great structure like: She put on makeup in a funny way....I couldn't get anything going yesterday. Tried to play with the 2 boys in the class...didn't generate interest.
Today I tried an embedded story starter technique..and at least generated some repetition of structurs.
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Hi Maria,
Lots of factors make PQA work...
A structure that elicts interesting information...
Students who are willing to engage...
Students willing to be the "audience" while another student is speaking...
And Mondays can render all of those inoperable lolol!!
There is an art to PQA and some have the gift of easy gab with it. I'm not one of them. I'm getting better but Mondays (and Tuesdays lol) are still REALLY HARD for me!
Lots of folks really love the Monday chats about the weekend. I think my problem with that is that I'm not patient enough. I forget that I am not only "teaching for June" with structures, I am also "teaching for June" with skills (mine and the students"). I need to start it again...and keep with it...not give up just because one Monday is tough or dull or falls flat. I really want to love Mondays. :o)
I'll keep you posted on how it's going for me!
Let me know how the story works out for you!
with love,
Laurie
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Thanks Laurie - I often beat myself up when I feel like I'm pulling teeth...have to let it go. This class is more often than not just disinterested...it's all about mesh of personalities... I'll continue to do my best and not worry about forcing the PQA one way or another....maybe if I step back and say, well - was I at least giving them CI AND showing interest in them.
Maria
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This is such a great explanation about how to use PQA, Laurie--rather than forcing the structures, you're using them to get to the kids. Maria, maybe the being boring was going around...On Monday I totally bombed in one class in particular (well, it WAS a Monday and I think a full moon!) because a set of HS kids wanted to go elsewhere with what I had planned, and I wanted to show a visitor how I was going to do a particular story. The kids refused to understand, because I wouldn't go with them. I only got that later. I was totally focused on my needs, rather than theirs. Then today, I didn't even have a phrase up on the board, but I did have a text that began with Pushkin's starting to write poetry at age 12, and ALL the kids wanted to tell me what they started to do at different ages...I am not sure that they ever noticed that I was trying to hurry past them--they were PQA-ing all on their own. It was SO funny. They just love to talk. But that's a group of middle schoolers, and dealing with HS kids is a lot different. You really have to be interested and keep digging for answers, being truly interested and fascinated, and sometimes being awestruck that they can contribute something, so that structure can't be your idea of what will work necessarily--I'm thinking that I might have to ask who puts on makeup, and who puts on too much, and then finally get to whether anyone puts it on in a funny way. The whole covering up of zits might come up--and there might be other things that come up too.
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Michele - thanks for your thoughts. I had a day off yesterday and had time to reflect. I realize that with my expectations of their response, I put ON THEM my self-worth as a good TPRS teacher. I like the idea of just relaxing, not needing their affirmation, and staying in CI, focusing on them. Thank you!
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Maria...I know that's what I do! I am WAY too focused on my own "performance"...it's very hard to break old habits. We need to give ourselves permission to do, instead of worrying about doing well...and the doing well will be the result.
Michele, you have very valuable insight for people who are learning the differences between middle schoolers and high schoolers. The few months in-between creates a different kind of individual and a different kind of student!!
Thanks to both of you!
with love,
Laurie
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Hi Laurie,
I have been rereading your blog and I just think it's great. I'm able to connect with what and how you describe things. Thanks!
Now for my question. I think you are so right about using the structure to get to know the students! Great idea. I ask students questions and they respond very well when they talk about themselves of course. When they have something interesting to say we can start a real conversation with follow-up questions from me or other students. If it's not that interesting and starts to 'wilt' I repeat the process with another student. I try to circle between each student but only 2-3 min is all they handle before starting to loose interest! (My students are 7th and 8th graders.)
This process of PQA/circle/PQA/circle works pretty well and keeps the class hooked for the most part but I feel the reps are too low. I do get reps later on with the mini stories and retells and readings. I imagine that my circling skills are not so hot that they loose interest...
But, how do I balance the personalization with circling to get more reps?
Thanks
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Hi Carol!
I'm no expert...like you I just keep trying every day! And believe me...some days are better than others lol. I think that some teachers, and some students, are happier with PQA than others. The hard part about PQA is remembering to repeat/rephrase. etc. It seems more natural in a story than in a conversation, but when I remember to do it, it helps! For example:
Teacher: Terrance, which t.v. show do you watch?
Terrance: Family Guy
Teacher: Ah..Class, Terrance says that he watches Family Guy. I don't watch Family Guy. It's new to me. Monica, Do you watch Family Guy?
Monica: No, I watch American Idol.
Teacher: Ah. Class, Monica doesn't watch Family Guy, and I don't watch Family Guy. I want to know, who watches Family Guy? Jurrell, which do you watch? Do you watch Family Guy or do you watch American Idol?
Jurrell: I watch Family Guy.
Teacher: Interesting! It's obvious! Other kids in the class watch Family Guy. Who else watches Family Guy?
(hands go up) Wow!! Lots of you watch Family Guy.
Martin, is Family Guy about a real family?
Martin: No.
Teacher: So when you watch Family Guy, you are watching an imaginary Family. Class, when Monica watches American Idol is she watching real singers or imaginary singers?
Does that help?
with love,
Laurie
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Yes this helps alot! Thank you. I can just in essence repeat what they say and redirect, add, repeat, modify, repeat. So simple and seems easy. I'll give it a go!
Thanks again!
Carol
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Hello...I just found your site and find it VERY useful. I'm fairly new to TPRS since I am a newly certified teacher but I find it AWESOME...and I was SO excited to begin using it and I still do here and there depending on the day....my issue is this - I found that in order for comprehensible input to happen the students have to be listening to you...when they are not....there is no comprehensible input...so they end up with no CI and no "handouts with grammar" to refer to EVER!...Ja ja Ja..I'm laughing while I write because what I go thru each day in the classroom is rather ridiculously hilarious. You see...I'm teaching French in Egypt...to all Egyptian students who have NO CONCEPT whatsoever of what listening is ...let alone how to be a "student". I vaguely remember reading a post from Karen Rowan, I think, on Yahoogroup about her class (or someone else's, don't remember really) describing how chaotic it was...well I laughed when I read that post because the students she described sounded like angels compared to mine. Bottom line...I quickly found out that I can story-ask all I want but only about 2 students in every class are even trying to listen...and even they don't get full CI because it is SO loud and there are SO MANY random side conversations and side things going on that they can't even HEAR what I am saying! BUT..in the past 2 months that I have been teaching them, I have been able to settle them down a bit...mostly because THEY HATE bookwork and what I have to offer is at least NOT THAT! But still, they are SO rowdy and SO not paying attention to what I am saying that Storyasking has become SO impossible...SO my solution (because I refuse to give up and go to the textbook), has been to put it all down in writing...they tend to focus more when they have something in front of them and ONE task to accomplish at a time. They seem to be able to do that in a 40 minute class....so I have been TPRSing through reading, really...but have been bummed that I am not really story asking...and have felt like a "horrible" teacher (even though I know it's Egyptian cultural why they are how they are and not ME)...now that I read your Blog...WOW....I feel so much more confidence in what I am doing...and you have given me NEW HOPE for CI'ing these students...BOY DO THEY NEED IT....thanks so much for sharing..I am definitely going to try out your format and steps..I really had no format, just kept giving them my made up stories to read and answer questions etc...Now, I feel excited about "embedded reading" and think that even my Egyptian kids will respond positively to this! Thanks!
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Dear Carolina,
Egypt? Egypt!! That is so incredibly amazing. I will try to contact you by email as well, but I really wanted to respond to your post today.
TPRS was orginally designed for American students in American schools. It is wonderful to see how, in the last decade, it has now become part of instruction in Egypt, the Netherlands, Japan, China, Argentina, Panama, Canada,Germany and who knows how many other places. Your reflections on Egyptian students and their approach to schooling are very wise. I think that each teacher must begin where her students are...and that is EXACTLY what you are seeking to do. I know that others using TPRS outside of the States are experiencing similar challenges.
I truly believe that all human beings acquire languages in a similar fashion, and that TPRS can be used anywhere. But you are right...we are in a classroom setting and the classroom "culture" is important.
You nailed it. In ordert to be "Comprehensible Input" it has to be input. In order to be "input" it has to get IN!! Without some kind of focused attention on the part of the student, our "input" is just like water off a duck's back. :o)
So I hope that the student-generated skeleton stories and the embedded readings help to pull their attention into the English!!
Thank you so much for writing. Keep in touch, we would love to know how it is going. Your students are lucky to have you.
with love,
Laurie
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