For Carol...
Here is an abbreviated version of Carol's post:
Hi Laurie,
.. I have a question regarding my situation that may be similar to other teachers. ..
...I'm teaching ESL in High School for the first time. (I have already taught ESL in JHS using tprs for 2 years.) But my HS students have had 7-8 years of English. The level of my best class is B2-C1 in Europe, I guess Intermediate High or even Advanced Low.
I want to continue using tprs. I am finding some things fairly easy to adjust like circling .... Free writes work splendidly well, as well as class stories but I need to up the level....
Reading, however, is more difficult for me.... IN JHS, I used your embedded reading techniques and it's fantastic. But I'm finding it too time consuming since the readings MUCH longer... plus I have 6 new preps this year. I've been teaching backwards, finding vocab and having them use it first. But it's not falling into place like it should, there's no 'ahha' feeling. They are reading and understanding but it's flat....
Dear Carol,
First I want you to take a minute and focus on what is working well!
- You are in a new school with new students and they are responding !!!! Many teachers in this situation end up “treading water” for a long time. It takes a while for students to settle in and to trust us. It takes even longer at the high school level!! I can also imagine that your students have had several ESL teachers so their walls are up and functioning big time!!! The fact that you are winning them over is a fantastic and amazingly wonderful thing!!!!
- You wrote, “They are reading and understanding.” YES!!!!!
- You wrote, “I am finding some things fairly easy to adjust like circling (I repeat back what they say and what I say, and 'or' works well especially if done with silly funny things) “
- “Free writes work splendidly well, as well as class stories”
These are great accomplishments in a short period of time and with High School kids!!! Enjoy that a bit. Let your students know that these are successes and that you are impressed.
Next, there is a giant emotional chasm between the responses of middle school students and high school students. Middle schoolers are responsive, enthusiastic, energetic and passionate. High schoolers are (when in the presence of adults in authority) reserved, condescending, critical, apathetic and way too cool for school. (when they are only with their peers they are often vastly different than they are in class). It takes months to get them to commit to the “working together” concept, even with a teacher that they like. Truthfully, the good “meshing” doesn’t start until February…and in some classes I’ve seen it take until May. And sometimes the chemistry of the group doesn’t allow it to happen at all.
Third, their language abilities are much more advanced. You only need circling on structures that are new or that give them trouble and you can go deeper and “up the level” as your instincts suggest.
You were able to use the Embedded Readings successfully with the junior high kids because you knew them well and had readings that connected with their interests and their reading level. That is your goal now with the high schoolers. Also, in JH, your goal was comprehension….in HS we want to move it up Bloom’s Taxonomy: prediction, compare/contrast, prediction etc.
Lastly, your HS kids are ready to do more output. It’s time for discussions, debates, presentations, writing story books etc. Incorporating output with input at this level will get you more of that “aha” interaction that you are looking for.
What materials are you using? Is it all created from student/class stories? At this level, my suggestion is to use materials that you find on the internet. Find an article just above their comfortable reading level. Copy and paste it into Word. That is your final reading. Copy and paste it again….and take out words and phrases…about ¼-1/3 of them. Do that 2 more times and you have an embedded reading. Copy and paste and reduce….much easier than write and add for you when preparing for your more advanced readers!
Another time saver which is a language builder is to have a story that they adapt. Not all stories work well with this but many do. For example, we read The Aztec Legend of the Corn in Level 2 and then they adapted it to create their own Marcus Whitman (our district)’s Legend of the Corn. It required them to not only read and understand, but to read again, carefully, to determine which lines needed to stay, which needed to go and which needed to be changed.
Tie into music whenever you can. It's great input for high school kids. Duke's site has TONS of songs already worked for you and your kids here: www.escuelaschool.com
with love,
Thank you Laurie!!!!!!!! I have read your message so many times that I have lost count. It is so easy to forget the positive aspect of things! The battle is being won, but it is slow, a great class followed by disaster, but each time a few students may get won over.
You offered a perspective on HS students that I'm very familiar with. I do have one class where as you so brilliantly put it, their walls are up. Ironically, it is those who need tprs the most!
It's quite an adjustment where production is now so important. Add in HS mentality... I'm still processing everything you said. But you made me feel better and your observations are helping me soo much!! I will keep you updated on my progress thanks to your wonderful 'analysis' and suggestions... Yes Bloom.... I forgot about his progression as well...
A huge thank you Laurie from the bottom of my heart!!!
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PS correction, i do NOT know HS kids well at all! My oldest child is 22 but a parents perspective is not the same either!!!!
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and their behavior at home is very different from their behavior at school . ;o)
with love,
Laurie
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And they never act the same at home as they do in school!!!! :o)
with love,
Laurie
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Hi Laurie,
I'm having trouble finding Duke's site... don't know what is wrong.
You asked me about the materials I was using, for my best class, their textbook started with a unit on junkfood. I liked the theme but used the video clip (song parody) that Anita Renfroe did "Before I Eat". I first asked them to identify junk food, then talk about their eating habits introducing a fair amount of new vocab that they acquired very quickly with just a little bit of circling (gain weight, watch your figure, etc). Next,I asked them to write about whether they were a junk food junkie or not. Then used pragmatic 'formulas' to argue their point of view (ie It is better to, need to avoid, on the other hand, etc)Next we watched the video and commented on how good intentions give way to temptation and the result is having to work out and having health problems. I then did a written snipit from Bridget Jones diary and we compared the two. Their 'exam' was orally writing then presenting a dialogue to negotiate where to eat with a person conflicting tastes (junkie vs health food nut) and the written part will be commenting on an image of a fat person that is a couch potato. But I have spent hours and hours preparing, treading water in my preps...
My worst class is a 12th grade tech class and I picked a 'trouble' student and made him the star of a class story about going on a date with a new girl and being late. I desparately needed to work the past with them and so circled afterwards the result (I had imposed that the girl kissed him on the cheek at the end of the evening. did he kiss her? did she kiss him, and then personalized it, did you kiss your boy/girl friend, your mother etc. I took their story and added it to. But they balked, and the majority still read it. But they seemed blah! One lesson is great the next horrible.
Here I've seen that the teachers use a reading worksheet to work vocab, structures and comprehension. They like first identifying the type of text, the parties involved, plus using T/F with justification from the text, find all words associated with such and such theme, but to me, while it may be productive (I've not seen the results by doing this however so far) that's not giving them the desire to read or learn. It's supposed to help them comprehend... I think your idea is better and helps them gain in confidence...
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I am learning so much from this site. Thank you!
I am unable to open the Duke's site. Would you be so kind as to link it again or send me the URL?
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Sorry about that!!! I fixed it up above and you will find it at www.escuelaschool.com
with love,
Laurie
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Carol and Laurie,
I teach Jr High students and it is crazy to see the difference in attitude and willingness to participate and become engaged in stories and also to speak the target language. Even the time of the day effects my students participation. Some are still half asleep and are really hard to get motivated. Laurie you are a great mentor and I respect your focus on keeping positive
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Dear Brandon,
You would be surprised what sinks in and whom it sinks into!! Having taught in the same district for nearly 25 years I am constantly running into former students and it never fails to amaze me that I had no idea how much they absorb that we (and they!!!) are unaware of at the time. We teach on faith....so hang on to the thought that your love and knowledge touch your students in ways you may never see.
You are right...there are always kids who aren't receptive, and usually those kids have good reason. I always feel a little weird sending folks back to other posts but these two may help someone else reading that on any given day we can only do our best...the rest is up to the universe.
On kids who don't seem to care:
What Are They Going Home To? http://blog.heartsforteaching.com/2009/10/23/what-are-they-going-home-to.aspx?view=linear
and one that is pre-blog that is on Susie Gross' site:
http://susangrosstprs.com/wordpress/articles/
Scroll down until you find "Students With Attitude" Then go back and read all of the great stuff Susie has on there!!
with love,
Laurie
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Brandon's observations about student's receptiveness is very true. And yes, can we be wowed by students we thought weren't interested or paying attention. I gave a 'free write what happens next' from a class story we had done as a sommative 'exam'(my very weak votech senior class. One boy that gave me heck on the frist day of class had spent a good portion of the period just sitting there. When I checked to see how he was coming along, I about fell over, he only had 4 sentences but they were beautiful!!! I awarded him a big bravo with a huge smile. He was so pleased with himself. You were so right Laurie about how they build up walls from other teachers, but that day I finally saw a crack!! Students need to have good work recognized... it gives them back their self esteem!
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