Teenagers may want to be treated as adults…but they do not want to be THE adult. They want us to be the adult.
They will test us. They will push our buttons. They want to know exactly what the limits are and how far they can go…for reasons too numerous to mention here. That is how they are wired.
However, in the mind of a teen, a REAL adult,…..an adult they can count on, look up to, lean on and learn from…knows where the boundaries are and isn’t afraid to enforce them. They find it very hard to trust, or respect, someone who doesn’t.
If we know ourselves as adults, as teachers, we will know what our boundaries are. We will know what we will tolerate, what we will accept, what we will encourage….and what we won’t. Our students know that about us…even if we don’t. Remember the adage: What you allow, you encourage.
That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t strategically pick your battles. Drawing a line in the sand for everything will just leave you spinning around in circles erasing your own lines with your footprints.
Remember that students may have nine teachers, several coaches and a complicated assortment of parental figures ….each with his/her own set of boundaries to deal with.
So think about your boundaries. Figure out the essential ones. Communicate what is really important ahead of time. Communicate everything else as needed. Stand firmly when necessary.
PREDICTING THE FAST FOOD FUTURE
It has become a stock phrase in many American classrooms: “Do you want to end up flipping burgers for a living?!!” Used at just the right time, in the right place, with the right kids it seems very funny. It’s not. Ever.
Sarcasm is the tool of the weak folks. I can get away with saying this because, personally I am really good at sarcasm. I used it frequently, in my younger days, as a classroom management tool . It shuts kids up. It also gave me a way to be popular with kids who appreciated my witty ability to make other people look and feel like losers. Bottom line is….sarcasm produces shame.
That is why it works. I had to train myself to stop using it.Just because I think I am intelligent does NOT give me the right to make other people feel stupid.
Stopping sarcasm opened up many amazing doors for me with my students. Most importantly, I try to become a role model for other ways of handling frustration, communication problems, and basically BEING OUT OF CONTROL OF A SITUATION. You see, Sarcasm is a bright person’s way of taking control of a possible out-of-control situation. But that is another blog….
The reality of the Fast Food Future is that it isn’t the worst thing that can happen to folks. In many families, an adult working in fast food is what puts food on the table and health insurance within reach. Do we really have the right to insult that?
In some families, working in fast food is a far better alternative to what is presently going on….especially in this economy. Let’s face it: working in fast food is WORKING. It’s showing up every day, leaving smelling like French fries, putting up with uppity know-it-all fast food eaters, and getting a paycheck. There is nothing wrong with doing a day’s work. Anywhere.I know, I know….that isn’t what you mean when you say it. You want kids to realize their potential.
You want kids to aspire to wearing a necktie or a stethoscope or at the very least, not smelling like French fries at the end of a long day. But frankly, what you mean when you say it doesn’t really matter. It’s what THEY HEAR when we say it that matters.
What they hear is:
Teachers are smart and you kids are stupid. (and they all know that folks with the same degrees we have are making much more money somewhere else so they don’t quite buy that)
Teachers have the power to insult and students have to take it. (and they WILL find ways to get their power back, trust me on this….)
Teachers are completely disconnected from reality and shouldn’t be taken seriously. (ouch)
Sarcasm is allowed, accepted and encouraged when you are in charge or more educated. (and they will take advantage of that and spread their own sarcasm on the less fortunate whenever the opportunity arises.)
Teachers have a dim view of people who are lower-income and less-educated than they are. (and Teachers think that they have the right to be that way)
Now I know that many of us use those phrases with love and humor. We truly believe that the kids “get” what we mean and that they know that we aren’t putting anyone down. I’m going to challenge you on that. I think that they get the message loud and clear….no matter what kind of we put on it…and that it is the wrong message to be giving our kids.
We MAY think that fast food is a great place for teens but not a future to aspire to. There is nothing wrong with that. But using Fast Food Future sarcasm and insults to control classroom behavior or motivate our students will destroy any chance that we have to create strong relationships in our classrooms. We need to drop that line and find other ways to open doors for kids.
This is a tough one. Nearly every teacher I know SWEARS that they don’t have favorites. And nearly every teacher I know has them…..and the kids know it. Kids are not only perceptive, they are smart. They not only observe, they watch, and they see.
Which students are our favorites?
The students that make us feel like good teachers. (they do the homework, ace the tests, produce amazing projects, sit in the front row….you get the idea.)
The students that think like we do. (they like the same sports, the same teams, the same t.v. shows, the same jokes, the same colors…..you get the idea.)The students that suck up. (they notice when we get a haircut, offer to get papers from the office, answer the phone, pick up books…whatever makes our lives just a little bit easier)
The students that like us. (they laugh at our jokes, say hi in the hall, wish us happy birthday, tell their parents they like our class…whatever makes our lives just a little more pleasant)
The kids don’t mind so much that we HAVE favorites. That is life. They get that. What they mind is when we PLAY favorites. When we show by our actions and our words that some students matter more than others. It may be natural, and it may be human, but it is (although I put it #2 on the list) the number one way to alienate students and destroy any chance of building strong relationships in the classroom.
When we have “relaxed” conversations before class with the kids we “like” and not with everyone….we are playing favorites.
When we allow some kids to “get away with” smart remarks, sarcasm, eye-rolling etc…but reprimand others for putting their heads down or using headphones….we are playing favorites.
When we go to football games and don’t go to see the musical….we are playing favorites.
When we have a participation point system that rewards the hand-raisers….we are playing favorites.When some students are allowed to come in late without a pass and others are not…we are playing favorites.
When we only get physically near some students when they are disrupting class…we are playing favorites.
When we allow students who are “unpopular” to hide in the back corner of the room….we are playing favorites.
When we reward our friendly students with smiles and wait for our quieter students to smile first…we are playing favorites.
The best way to see how teachers play favorites is to watch another teacher teach. You will notice it as easily as the students do when you are on ‘the other side of the desk.” The best way to see if you play favorites is to videotape yourself and watch…..your tone of voice, your facial expression, your body movements will tell you a great deal.
We all have students who warm the cockles of our heart…kids we would adopt in a heartbeat or let date our daughters. We also have students who, if truth be told, make us grit our teeth or make our hair stand on end. If we work hard, our students will never know the difference. It might actually be the hardest part of the job…it might also be the most important.
(Originally posted 8/11/10) DONT’ MAKE PROMISES THAT YOU CANNOT KEEP.
Carla asked me a fantastic question….What keeps trust from growing in a classroom? Wow. There are probably many things that can be “trust-stoppers” as Carla calls them….but this is the first thing that came to mind…..
One of the most powerful things that I have learned as a teacher and as a mother is that kids will take you at your word. If you can’t live up to that word, you are not only a disappointment, you are a liar. This is a heavy burden to bear. So I have learned to think carefully before saying, “I promise…” or even “I will….”.We are only human and there are times when we meant to keep a promise, we did everything we could to keep a promise and yet…were unable to see it to fruition. Truth be told, the world is not under our control. So we must be careful about the promises that we make.
Here are some promises that I have learned not to make:
I’ll have those papers corrected by ________________.
I’ll have your grades done by _____________________.
Since I rarely, if ever, get things done by the time I plan to….or if I do have them done I get distracted and forget to give them back….I have stopped making these statements. And those are easy ones…..
Other little promises slip out way too easily when I am not paying attention like….
We’ll watch a movie on Friday……
I’ll bring in cupcakes for the class…..
I’ll come watch your soccer game tomorrow….
A letter of recommendation by 8th period? Sure!
The list goes on and on…
Sometimes my promises are just “good ideas” without brakes. Other times they are my ego without brakes. Then there are the times that the kids catch me at a weak moment….
It happens to all of us.
But it destroys our credibility. Quickly.
There is nothing wrong with promises. I believe in the power of a promise….a promise kept. So before we make any promises…even what we may think are “little” ones in order to get on a kid’s good side or motivate a class to behave…we need to be very careful.
This will be my twenty-eighth year in the classroom, and I still look forward to September with a mixture of joy and trepidation. (Oh yes…the school nightmares have started lol) The conferences that I attended this summer fired me up….but how do I bring that to my students, my colleagues, my student teacher? How do I plan for this year?!!
My focus has changed over the years and while I may have once arranged my classroom activities around a curriculum, I now arrange my curriculum around one theme: Building Strong Relationships.
So here I sit, pondering my plans, aware of this significant paradigm shift. What do I want to do in my classroom/program this year?
Build strong relationships………….using the language whenever possible.
Create a safe and trusting environment…….. using the language whenever possible.
Define roles and expectations ………..using the language whenever possible.
Establish routines…………… using the language whenever possible.
Interact with each student…………. using the language whenever possible.
Plan for success for each student………….. using the language whenever possible.
Recognize and honor the needs, emotions, wants, hopes, dreams, struggles, strengths, thoughts,weaknesses, fears, and accomplishments of others…… using the language whenever possible.
Model desired behaviors.…… using the language whenever possible.
Create shared experiences……… using the language whenever possible.
I’m going to start with this framework and choose high-frequency language structures for my classes that will allow me to reach these goals AND promote language acquisition and increased levels of fluency in my students. I’ll let you know what I come up with!!
One of the amazing things that I observed at NTPRS 10 and IFLT 1 was how certain parts of a sentence or a story carry more power than others. Ben Slavic calls it part of the “flow” and when you are watching a lesson, and the teacher taps into it, you can actually SEE the power enter the lesson. It’s incredible.
Let me start with a sentence. As Susie Gross has pointed out to me many times, the brain goes where there is meaning and stays where there is interest.
So…..if you want students to stay focused on what you are saying long enough to get those reps in….there has to be some power added in the sentence. Let’s face it …not every phrase we teach is all that interesting!!!
Where does the power come from? Here are some things that I observed and that presenters and teachers modeled: Power words/phrases:
1. can be clearly gestured.
2. represent or are connected to movement or action.
3. represent or are connected to sound.
4. represent or are connected to emotion.
5. represent or are connected to taste, touch, scent.
6. create an immediate and powerful visual reaction in the listener.
7. tap into memory.
8. tap into a shared experience.
9. tap into humor.
10. are unique.These are all ways to offer the students a way to connect with the language!!!!
Take the target phrase: Jose sleeps. Not all that exciting except that Jose, my Chihuahua is a cute little guy…but…using the ideas above we can more interest…more POWER. If I talk with my students about Jose I can say…
1. Jose sleeps.(and throw a stuffed Chihuahua onto a pillow. I could ask a student to curl up like a dog and snore.)
2. Jose sleeps all day (make ASL sign for day) and Jose sleeps all night (make ASL sign for night)
3. Jose sleeps loudly. (SNORE!)
4. Jose sleeps like a baby. (AWWWW)
5. Jose sleeps on people. (put stuffed animal on students’ shoulders)
6. Jose sleeps on top of the tv. (or in the oven, or in front of the Principal’s office, or on the back of a motorcycle)
7. Jose sleeps with a blanky. (we all have a memory of our blanky or someone else’s…)
8. Jose sleeps during the math class. (oh how language people love math lol)
9. Jose sleeps in footie pajamas. (see how one sentence can tap into several possibilities?)
10. Jose sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeps. (if the word itself isn’t unique or fun, use your voice to make it unique!)As I go through these different reps with the students I can pay attention to which sentence elicits a natural, powerful reaction. What kind of reaction? A visual, audible, or physical response to what I’ve said like….
Smiles
Laughter
Denial/Rejection (No!!!! Not footie pajamas!)
Interest (I want Jose to sleep on my shoulder!)
Interaction (super loud snoring)
Verbal Response (I sleep with my blanky!)
When your students “click” with something….jump on that baby and ride it. We practiced recognizing, and responding to, strong student reactions and I saw it transform the teacher, the students and the interactions.
Sometimes it’s hard to know where to go with a sentence or a story. We are afraid of standing up in front of the class rambling on and on about one thing. It feels like pressure to us and that trickles immediately into a message for our students. They read us quickly and soak up every message we give them.
So this year I am going to try to think of the scripting or listing ideas (like I did above) as a way to look for solid ice. When I find a sentence or word that elicits a stronger response…I’ve found the power….and the place to go deeper. A trail to follow. How cool is that?!!
(originally posted 8/5/10)
In case you’ve never seen it….
If you weren’t watching tv in the 80’s (or if you just want a good laugh), check out the youtube link for the (in)famous “Where’s the beef?” commercial. It’s a classic.
Not only do I love the commercial…I love the message: Hey …where is the stuff that REALLY matters?
That is a great question. That is why CI-based methods rock. If you are looking to “beef” up language acquisition, right now, CI is the best way to go!!
Last week in Los Alamitos, a group of people got together to support each other and develop skills. It was not a formal session organized by the conference. It was a group that gravitated together around a desire to really dig into the ‘meat” of the issue: How can I be a better teacher?
Becoming a better CI-based teacher is so very much like becoming more fluent in a new language (or even in a first language!) We have to be surrounded by the method, immersed in the teaching moment, and gently directed by a focused structure.
When we work with students to provide an environment that supports acquisition, we MUST INTERACT with the students USING THE LANGUAGE. When we are working to acquire teaching skills we must do the same. We need to teach…with a goal in mind..to increase COMPREHENSIBLE INTERACTION with our students. This is how we a) build relationships and b) provide language acquisition opportunities.Learning ABOUT CI teaching is beautiful, fascinating, interesting. But it’s just the bun people.
Whenever possible, take the opportunity to teach, in front of a supportive friend, using the skills you will need in the classroom. That is where you will find the beef!!Yeah I know, easier said than done….but the pieces are in place:
1. Scripting. It’s long been a part of CI-based teacher prep…and you can share scripts with other teachers as a non-threatening way to get started. How does this look? Do you think that this is where the questioning should go? Can you think of other questions that I could ask? If you are already a scripter,then all you need to do is find the email address of a willing conspirator and you have begun your journey.
2. Skype. Wow. Teach in front of the camera….and your audience can be there without being there!!!! We can practice teach any skill…with or without students and get feedback.
3. Blogs/Listservs. Find a partner. Ask and ye shall receive. Folks are out there…I promise! Check out the map at www.tprstorytelling.com Pick a moment that went well or that didn’t . Write about it. Get feedback.
4. Invite someone in. Someone in your department. Someone in your area. A student from another class. A coach. Many of the folks who coached at NTPRS or IFLT are available to come to your school and work right with you in your classroom!! How cool is that?!!
5. Attend a coaching workshop. Whenever, wherever you see one. Ask for one if you don’t . Organize one. Not sure how? Contact me ([email protected]) and I’ll put you in touch with all of the information that you need.
6. Watch. Sometimes it is outside our comfort zone to get up and share our teaching selves with other teachers. Wayyyyyyyyyyyyy outside. So take the opportunity to be a student or an observer in a coaching situation. There is so much to learn there.
Where’s the beef? In the teaching. In the moment. In the opportunity to stand up, get into it, talk about it, break it down, try it again. I saw it over and over and over and over again. I promise you. If you find the right people to work with…it will change your teaching…and your life.
So…I have to constantly ask myself: What is the goal of this activity? For my STUDENTS? (and their brains of course!) I want my students to interact with me in the target language in a way that will allow them to acquire as much language as possible. Students must be doing ALL THREE of these things during an activity in order for me to reach my goal.
Interact
In the target language
In order to
Acquire language
Period.
As I listen to the ideas and suggestions about shower curtains offered by all of these passionate and experienced teachers, it is so easy for me to forget about my goal. The teacher in me gets a “pedagogical high” from thinking about all of the other exciting possibilities and I forget the goal!
My teacher brain is just a’rockin’!! It’s a game? Ooooooo!! Kids love competition! ( teacher-brain starts tracking all of the articles/presentations about involving boys in competition in the classroom…..). It’s visual? Oooooo!! It’s right-brained! It’s multi-modal!! (teacher-brain scans all previously-stored info on teaching/learning styles and brain research……). And it a micro-millisecond I am off on my own teacher-track…having totally forgotten about my REAL goal: to provide activities so that my students will INTERACT with me in the TARGET LANGUAGE so that
they will ACQUIRE LANGUAGE. So what do I REALLY have to have in an activity in order for that to happen?
A) Repeated, Interesting, ComprehendED, Heart-connected language and…..
A situation where we interact using it.
-or-
1. A situation where we interact…
2. Using Repeated, Interesting, ComprehendED, Heart-connected language.
Okaaaaaaaaaaaaay So, what all of these teachers didn’t tell me is what I really need to know.
HOW do they interact with their students in the target language so that the language is useable enough, compelling enough, personal enough, repeated enough, understandable enough for my students to acquire language as a result of that interaction?
THAT is what I need to know.
Don’t get me wrong…the activities are PHENOMENAL!!!! But as you read them, remember that it is HOW these teachers interact with student during the activities that facilitates the language acquisition….not the activities themselves.
It is why watching other teachers is so powerful. It isn’t the shower curtain that is enthralling.
It’s THE TEACHER. It is why mastering skills is so important. It is why going back to basics, taking the chance to be coached, and learning to teach in the moment are so vital. It is the relationships developed during the activity that matter. The activity is not the vehicle that carries our students to proficiency. Compelling and Comprehended language is the vehicle. Games and projects, songs and stories, conversations and TPR are the roads we can explore with that vehicle.As teachers, we sometimes think that the trip gets a little boring….so we are constantly looking for new roads to take. What we need….is to upgrade the vehicle our students are riding in. Would you rather ride to proficiency in a broken-down jalopy or in a well-tuned “luxury” vehicle?
CI-based instruction is even better than a luxury vehicle. It won’t break down. It isn’t uncomfortable. It’s energy efficient. It feels good to be in AND it does the job…very very well.
What are your best CI teaching skills? Do the activities that you use make the most of them? Do the activities that you invest your time and energy in utilize those skills? How can you adapt an activity so that your skills create a luxury vehicle that carry your students closer to proficiency?
These are the things that I invite you to think about as you peruse these suggestions. If you don’t know…ask the person who has successfully used the activity to offer suggestions, not only about the steps involved in the activity, but about the TEACHING SKILLS utilized during the activity so that ALL ROADS LEAD TO PROFICIENCY.
I do love ideas. But I have to make sure to start paying more attention to the skills required by the
teacher and the actions required by the students once these ideas become classroom activities. It can be tough when being a teacher gets in the way of well….being a teacher!!
It was a lot of fun. :o) A little background…this is the week that our seniors finish a year-long endeavor known as THE SENIOR PROJECT. It culminates in all 120+ kids arranged with display boards explaining their research and results to the general public. They are “on” for six hours, talking to strangers about their research and conclusions. There are a lot of steps involved in being prepared and they are all about to tear their hair out before it’s done.
So yesterday, the day before the BIG EVENT, we had a Whiner Day to kick off Whiner Week. I put about twenty-five “whining/complaining expressions” on the SmartBoard. They each had about five minutes to create a mini-graffiti wall about the topic of their choice. As seniors, they had a number of topics to choose from! (I played some edgy rock in the background while they created)
Round one:
Each senior found a partner and stood face to face. They showed their Whiner Wall to their partner. Each student got sixty seconds to whine. The partner had to respond to each complaint in Spanish with an “I know” “Oh yeah” “I agree” “What a shame” etc.
Round two: (you can change partners but my kids were just warming up so I let them keep their original partner)
Each senior took one giant step backwards. They held up their Whiner Walls and had 45 seconds to whine again. (of course, it had to be louder since now they were farther apart!) They alternated with their partner using responses.
Round three:
Each senior took another giant step backwards. This time they had 30 seconds to whine/complain…again…upping the volume.They alternated with their partner using responses.
Round four:
Each senior took another giant step backwards and AT THE SAME TIME whined and complained. for twenty seconds. By this time, they were really comfortable and pretending to be really mad/upset…it got very very funny!
Round five:
Each senior chose a new partner and sat at at desk…face to face with the partner. They alternated complaints……First one partner would whine one statement and the partner would respond. Then the partner would whine one complaint and get a response. They each complained 7 times.
Round six:
We repeated round five….except…..each time a student complained s/he would pound the desk with both fists. Five complaints each.
Round seven:
We repeated round six…except…each time a student complained AND each time his/her partner responded, they would pound the desk with both hands.
By the end we were hysterical! It was a great tension reliever for all of us. :o)
Output? Oh yes. But sometimes you just have to let it out!!
The rate at which students begin to comprehend and produce a second language is totally dependent on teacher-controlled issues save three: student motivation, student work, student “ability”-level.
Therefore:
If all of the students in the class are equally motivated,
(and teachers assume that they should be)
If all of the students in the class complete the same work,
(and teachers assume that they should have)
and
If all of the students in the class are perceived to have the same academic skill level,
(and teachers assume that students are either “teachable” or “not teachable”.)
then they will all accomplish/learn the same material at the same rate.
Therefore:
those who do as requested/planned will earn A’s and those who do not will earn F’s.
and
those who do as requested/planned and do NOT earn A’s are less intelligent than those who receive A’s,
and
students who have earned A’s will know more and be able to produce better language than students who have earned F’s.
Although I thought so for many years………………none of the above is true.
Myth #3:
Saying a word or phrase over and over and over again is the surest way to learn it.
I’d like to share a story from 2000 ( I think….) when I attended my first workshop with Susie Gross. It was the end of day two and we had been working with a select group of words for about 16 hours. For whatever reason, the group could NOT produce the phrase le vert d’eau (the glass of water …please excuse any sp/agreement errors…I haven’t used the phrase since…).
How hard could it be???????!!!!!!!!!!! We were ALL experienced language teachers. We had heard Susie use it over and over and over and over again. Someone suggested that we had not “acquired” the word because we really hadn’t had to use it. We needed to say it. Over and over and over and over.
Susie said, “NO.” The room got very quiet. “I don’t believe in that any longer. I haven’t used it often enough, comprehensibly enough for you all. That’s all.” I didn’t believe her. I don’t know if anyone in the room believed her.
And she began another story…which I don’t remember at all…except that I do remember her somehow inserting “le vert d’eau” in there a bazillion times. Finally…….it clicked. And le vert d’eau was in our lexicon. Just like that. And it was still there the next morning. And it’s still there a decade later. And I definitely don’t go around saying it out loud. At all.
Then there is the word “escaparate” (shop window). I learned it in grade 9. I never said it out loud once in high school (although I really wanted to tee hee it’s a fun word…escaparate! like pamplemousse!! ). I never used it in college. Then, when I was in Spain for a semester….there it was..in my brain…totally ready to use!!! Too bad I couldn’t remember a single one of the question words…..which I KNOW I had to use over and over again in high school and college. In context. Still couldn’t remember them….
Still….I spent many years creating activities which gave students plenty of opportunities to say things in Spanish. Games and role-plays and projects and skits and all kinds of well-conceived, well-written, well-rubricked, totally ineffective activities…..that did not help students to acquire any kind of language for the long run.with love,