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Output Myth #1 Archived Post 5.5.10

(originally posted 5/5/10)

I normally do not “attack” any kind of language program. It’s not something I am usually comfortable with. However….one of the enormous frustrations of teachers is their students’ inability to speak and / or write with confidence and fluency. I do believe that traditional second-language instruction attitudes are to blame. This conversation on Ben’s blog got me thinking again…..I wrote a fairly long response there, but would like to rewrite and break it down here…I started with the first myth I think exist and I broke it down. In italics are the teacher’s words/thoughts/etc. when the myth starts to disintegrate into reality….

The Output Myths (and their implications) of a non-Comprehesion-based Program

A student learns to comprehend and to produce language at the same rate.

Students are given a list of targeted vocabulary and grammatical structures for each unit. The end-of-unit-evaluations will require students to comprehend written and spoken material using this vocabulary.

They’ve had this material for almost a month now! They knew that this would be on the test. They obviously didn’t study.

Students will also be expected to produce, with few to no errors, in speech and in writing, in contextually-appropriate, but contrived, situations.

Why do they have to stop and think about what to say? We wrote these in dialogues and practiced them in skits. Why can’t they just spit it out?They’ve had this material for almost a month now! They knew that this would be on the test. They obviously didn’t study.

Teachers know exactly how long it should take for students to master these items.

I have 9 units to complete in 10 months. If I subtract time for review, testing and vacations that comes down to three weeks per unit. They’ll have to study.

Teachers will plan instruction, practice and evaluation according to this knowledge.

If we can’t get to everything in class, then I’ll just have to assign it for homework. They’d better put in the time and study.

Students who do not succeed in mastering these items, in the alloted time frame, are considered responsible for their failure to do so.

They’ve had this material for almost a month now! They knew that this would be on the test. They obviously didn’t study.

Students will be expected to be able to recognize and to produce this list of items at all times once the unit is completed (even those who were unsuccessful during the unit.)

We studied this material for almost a month in ninth grade! They should know it by now!!

Sound familiar??????????? These italicized thoughts/comments are so much a part of the “My Kids Won’t Do Work” litany that they seem NORMAL for people to say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That’s just not right.

For those of you who are wondering……that is why I am so drawn to CI programs. There is no place for these complaints because the system is simply different. And it works.

with love,
Laurie

All content of this website © Hearts For Teaching 2009-present and/or original authors. Unauthorized use or distribution of materials without express and written consent of the owners/authors is strictly prohibited. Examples and links may be used as long as clear and direct reference to the site and original authors is clearly established.

Windows and Doors Archived Post 4.29.10

Posted by: lclarcq Posted on: November 30, 2014 Archived 2010 , Encouragement , Musings , Not So Good Days , Relationships , Tough Students

(originally posted 4/29/10)

At one point I considered naming this website “Wide Open Windows”. I love the idea of flinging the windows open and changing the view, the perspective, the very air inside of a room with one movement. In truth, there are many little steps that take place before windows, or doors, open….and we are often not aware of them at all. So, when the light and air come peeking, or rushing, in it truly takes us by surprise…..and oh did I see that happen this week!!

Earlier this week I wrote a blog about getting past adolescent armor. Here is a piece from it:

“I never really know what will be the key that opens a student up. Sometimes it is something that we do in class: a story, a poem, a movie, a song, a current event. Other times it is casual observance of a tshirt design, a new pair of shoes, a sketch on the front of a book cover. Occasionally it is an item in my classroom…this year the fans that I brought back from Spain have opened up many doors of conversation. Rarely, if ever, am I the one that opens the door. It is almost always the student who shows me, if only for a tiny instant, a glimpse beyond the armor. ”

Sure enough, since I wrote that two different students reached out and turned the handle on the door….even if just a bit. One of them is a young man who has planned all year to drop out at age 16. Unfortunately, he doesn’t turn 16 this year. So, for him, this year has been one long vacuum. He is one of those students who will literally just sit….and do absolutely nothing. His teachers, parents and counselors have been trying to sell him the merits of at least working for a GED….but he hasn’t shown much interest…only disdain. In Spanish 1 we have been watching Selena and for one period we did a webquest about the singer. I was surprised to see that he had logged in to a website and was reading. Halfway through the period he starts waving his hand wildly and called me over. “Hey Profe!” This in itself is unusual. :o) “Did you know that Selena got a GED diploma? That’s cool. There she was, getting rich and famous and all and she still decided to do it.” Oh yes, very cool.

The second student shouldn’t really be in my Spanish 1 class. He was only in the 8th grade program for a few months before he wa pulled out to prepare for the grade 8 ELA tests….so….he had about 10 weeks of Spanish while the rest of my students had 40 weeks before they started class with me this year. One of his best friends in class is another student like the one I described above. The other left the district about two months ago. This kid tries very hard to be invisible in my room. He doesn’t offer eyes to teach to, conversation to interact with or even a response some days. He also called me over to show me something during the webquest, however, it was not anything on the monitor. He pulled the barrel of a paintball gun out of his backpack. (It’s a plastic tube, but I have two paintball-playing sons so I recognized it) He wanted to show me how he had “painted” the piece with black and green Sharpies to make it look camouflaged. We chatted about paintball for a minute, then he got to work on the webquest.

Two students who prefer not to engage. Two students who try hard not to get involved. Two students offering me a connection. A few years ago I would have dismissed those moments as meaningless. A few years ago I didn’t understand the amount of work and effort (on their part) that it took to get to that tiny first step. A few years ago I had no idea of the power of an interaction initiated by a student. A few years ago I thought it was attitude rather than armor. A few years ago I would have missed two opportunities. Open doors. Open windows. I’ll take them. I’m glad that I had written about them earlier this week, or I might have missed these two moments.

with love,
Laurie

All content of this website © Hearts For Teaching 2009-present and/or original authors. Unauthorized use or distribution of materials without express and written consent of the owners/authors is strictly prohibited. Examples and links may be used as long as clear and direct reference to the site and original authors is clearly established.

What You See Part 2 …Archived Post 4.27.10

Posted by: lclarcq Posted on: November 30, 2014 Archived 2010 , Classroom Management , Encouragement , Musings , Not So Good Days , Relationships , Tough Students

(originally posted 4/27/10)

He was an athlete, a talented one. He had a wise-ass attitude towards most adults, particularly those in authority. He attended school often enough to stay eligible to play sports, but not any more than he needed to. He smoked a lot of pot. He didn’t hand work in on time…when he did it. He was not voted most likely to succeed.

He now owns a highly-successful construction firm. He bought his first house the summer he graduated from high school. He owns a number of rental properties. He stopped smoking pot when he saw how his pot-smoking employees made a mess of things. He often hires men that are on parole or probation and gives them a second chance at life. He is a devoted and responsible dad. I’d say he is a success.

She was the snottiest student most teachers had ever encountered. She had a small but very loyal group of friends. She absolutely refused to work with anyone else…ever. She was condescending. She had a look that could flatten you. She always gave the impression that she was smarter, prettier, better than everyone else….and that you had better treat her that way. She questioned every grade. She quietly insulted people. She was not voted most likely to succeed.

She is now pursuing a Ph.D at one of the most prestigious universities in America. She spends enormous amounts of her spare time advocating for the poor in Rwanda. She travels to Africa and back several times a year, even volunteering to live in huts and use outhouses. She raises money to help young men combat hunger and poor nutrition. She makes presentations in churches and schools about her mission. I’d say that she is a success.

He was a kid who made friends easily. Maybe too easily. It was often difficult for him to be quiet in class when the teacher was speaking. He spent a lot of time checking with his friends to make sure that they were getting the information. He hated to read….in fact, he didn’t really start reading until the summer between third and fourth grade. He got bored easily. He often got in trouble for defending a friend if a teacher was mean or sarcastic. He missed enormous amounts of school when he developed a severe anxiety disorder. He was not even considered likely to succeed.

He is now a prolific reader and owns a library’s worth of books. He’s won awards for playwriting. He’s a sophomore in college majoring in business and creative writing…but he really has the heart of a teacher. He has maintained his friends from high school and has added a new crew as well. He carries a B+ average and has helped several friends get enrolled at the local community college….kids who were told that they would never be “college material.” I’d say that he is a success.

She was raised by a dad who was a drug addict and left to fend for herself even as a preschooler. She was hospitalized for psychiatric treatment in her junior year of high school. She had to redo the entire year. She didn’t have running water. She rarely had new clothes, a real haircut or a vacation. She had few friends in school. She wore caution tape for a belt. She was considered far from likely to succeed.

She is graduating from a top-notch four year college with a double major in psychology and philosophy. She has worked with professors at Brown and Harvard. She works with young women who are trying to get off of the streets. She spent a summer as a camp counselor for young people with a myriad of social and psychological problems. She gave her brother a computer as a high school graduation present. She has been accepted by the University of Edinburgh (in Scotland, among other schools) for a Master’s program in Philosophy. She has an entire group of friends whom she will miss dearly….and will most certainly miss her. I’d say that she is a success.

I could go on and on. One has traveled the world, earned a Master’s degree in Biology, routinely supports family members in need and hopes someday to become an MD. One is working his way through college to earn a degree in Italian. One is a wonderful family man in South Dakota, an active and amazing part of his community. One is a gifted musician, producing her own CD’s, appearing in cafe’s around the city, working with the developmentally disabled and in a loving relationship with a dear man and two miniature dachsunds. One is a loving, hard-working single teen mom working her way through college…..without the help of her mother. One is a soldier stationed in Germany. None of them were considered “a success” in high school. They are all real, wonderful, amazing people.

Don’t let adolescent challenges, armor, attitudes and family situations fool you. What you see is rarely what you get.

with love,
Laurie

All content of this website © Hearts For Teaching 2009-present and/or original authors. Unauthorized use or distribution of materials without express and written consent of the owners/authors is strictly prohibited. Examples and links may be used as long as clear and direct reference to the site and original authors is clearly established.

What You See Part 1 Archived Post…4.26.10

Posted by: lclarcq Posted on: November 30, 2014 Archived 2010 , Classroom Management , Encouragement , Musings , Not So Good Days , Relationships , Tough Students

(originally posted 4/26/10)

(Please remember that I am working out my thoughts as I write…not necessarily preaching a sermon!!!)

A number of years ago I wrote a piece for the moretprs list about kids with “attitude.” Lots of things have changed in a decade, but the fact that adolescents often have “attitude” has not. This piece talks about what you see….so I will start with it:

******************************************************************************************************

UNDERSTANDING STUDENTS WITH “ATTITUDE”

Okay ladies and gentlemen…here it is..

We are a threat to hair flippers.

It is a well-developed protection mechanism designed to preserve a lifestyle which focuses on these young ladies’ social strengths…beauty and social position. Hair flipping is an art and a well-practiced communication device. It says:

DON’T THREATEN MY WORLD.

Other students have this protection mechanism as well. Each group has its own: The Swagger and Swearers, The Smell like Smoke Shufflers, The Eyebrow Raisers, The Can’t Stop Gigglingers, The Smart Remarkers,The Grunters, The I Still Love Last Year’s Teacherers, The Eye Rollers, The Incessant Whisperers, and among others..another one of our favorites…The Great Sarcastic Remarkers.

These devices are automatic…particularly at the beginning of the school year when you don’t know them, they don’t know you , and the class doesn’t know each other. The mechanism says clearly:

THIS IS WHAT I AM COMFORTABLE DOING AND BEING IN FRONT OF OTHERS. READ MY MECHANISM!!

In our position as language teachers we ask them almost immediately to do things WAY outside of their comfort zone. It is very very threatening.. It is threatening because:

THEY ARE AFRAID TO MAKE MISTAKES. (to them a mistake is NOT always doing something wrong..sometimes it is doing the wrong thing)

THEY DON’T KNOW THEY CAN TRUST US.

THEY WANT TO CONTROL WHAT OTHERS THINK OF THEM.

Deactivating these mechanisms takes love and time. Be yourself. Love them. Push gently. Be patient. Show them that you are proud of your weird and wonderful and individual self. They will see you as a role model…even if they have to be out of their teens before they begin to emulate you.

LOVE AND TIME.

Stuff we all need.

*********************************************************************

I wrote this just as I was beginning my TPRS journey and it resonates even more with me today. Personalization is so central to TPRS…yet our students often work very hard to cover and protect what is really important to them. How do we combat that?

First, we accept that they have reasons for their cover. It really doesn’t matter if we like those reasons or not…what matters is that we acknowledge who/what walks in our door. How? By treating them as real, regular people…regardless of their hair color, hair cut, number (or location) of piercings, choice of music, addiction to video games etc.

(now…that doesn’t mean that I am advocating the acceptance of foul language, degrading t shirts, pants on the ground et.al)

One of the requirements in my room is that we treat others AS IF they are intelligent, interesting, capable and important. It is as hard for me, some days, to remember that as it is for my students. Frankly, they don’t always act intelligent, interesting, capable and important. I have some students who make an extreme effort NOT to appear to be any of those things….

However, treating them AS IF they are really does work. In time, using patience, and understanding that they may ultimately work hardest to keep their “cover” in place…but it does work.

It has been much easier to do since I took Susie Gross’ advice to “teach to the eyes” to heart. It takes them a while to get used to being taught to that way…because it is harder to maintain a cover that way. But it works….and the cover starts to melt…or at the very least to transform so that it more closely resembles the heart of the adolescent within…and less like the suit of armor that protects it.

I’ve also learned to open my eyes outside of the classroom. It is amazing how different some students can be outside of my four walls. I’ve seen spiky-haired, black-rimmed-eyed giants play piggy-back with their younger siblings. I might see an exquisite water-color displayed that was created by a lineman. I have had extremely well-coiffed young ladies who can dismantle a four-wheeler…and reassemble it. I have seen tiny fairy-like creatures kick and run like wildfire on the playing field. I am constantly surprised by the many facets of students’ interests, abilities and personalities.

I never really know what will be the key that opens a student up. Sometimes it is something that we do in class: a story, a poem, a movie, a song, a current event. Other times it is casual observance of a tshirt design, a new pair of shoes, a sketch on the front of a book cover. Occasionally it is an item in my classroom…this year the fans that I brought back from Spain have opened up many doors of conversation. Rarely, if ever, am I the one that opens the door. It is almost always the student who shows me, if only for a tiny instant, a glimpse beyond the armor.

It is my job to be open, ready and PAYING ATTENTION…so that I do not miss it.

with love,
Laurie

All content of this website © Hearts For Teaching 2009-present and/or original authors. Unauthorized use or distribution of materials without express and written consent of the owners/authors is strictly prohibited. Examples and links may be used as long as clear and direct reference to the site and original authors is clearly established.

Soulmates Part 2 Archived Post …3.28.10

Posted by: lclarcq Posted on: November 30, 2014 Archived 2010 , Coaching , Encouragement , Musings , Not So Good Days , Relationships , Teacher Training

(originally posted 3/28/10)

Many times our Teaching Soulmates are not located in our own buildings or even in our own districts. In this day and age, there are so many ways to find and keep in touch with the people who will keep us going.

Locally, look towards your Language Teachers’ Associations. Several of my closest friends in the world, and my almas gemelas, came from WAFFLE (Wayne-Finger Lakes Foreign Language Educators) and our association with NYSAFLT (New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers). NYSAFLT conferences have connected me with other kindred souls.

If you haven’t yet been involved with a listserv, there is always FLTEACH and the moretprs list through Yahoo groups. At www.moretprs.net you can find a bulletin board-type of forum and all kinds of people to chat with about teaching and life. How do you find a teaching soulmate here? By reading posts. And no, you don’t have to have them all delivering messages to your inbox. They all allow you to join and read posts on the site itself…without ever having to open a message.

Many people have soulmates on these lists…and have never even communicated with them. Sometimes a frequent poster has a point of view or way of thinking that sparks your imagination. You will find yourself drawn to reading his/her posts whenever you need a boost.

Sometimes “lurkers” will send a message ‘offlist” directly to a poster’s email, and an electronic exchange begins. I have “met” several incredible individuals this way. Then, of course, sometimes a friendship is sparked by a good old exchange of ideas on the list. At the annual NYSAFLT, NECTFL, Central States, SWOCLT, ACTFL and other conferences, folks put dots or smileys on their nametags so that they can identify fellow listers (lurkers or not!!)

Some of the most powerful connections have come when someone writes to the group with a need, problem or concern and is rewarded with an outpouring messages, on and off-list, from other teachers. We are here for each other in a way that is sometimes not possible in our own buildings.

Recently, websites and blogs have created another way to build a family/support system for teaching. Check out the TPRS map for folks who have volunteered to be mentors!!

There has never been a better time to make a friend…

with love,
Laurie

All content of this website © Hearts For Teaching 2009-present and/or original authors. Unauthorized use or distribution of materials without express and written consent of the owners/authors is strictly prohibited. Examples and links may be used as long as clear and direct reference to the site and original authors is clearly established.

Soulmates Archived Post…3.28.10

Posted by: lclarcq Posted on: November 30, 2014 Archived 2010 , Coaching , Encouragement , Musings , Not So Good Days , Relationships

(originally posted 3/28/10)

Soulmates

Right now teachers are in a tough spot. We are being flattened by the expectations and criticism of administration, parents, the state, the government, the media and the public. What we really want to respond to is the needs of our students, but blindfolded, hand-tied and foot-bound by checklists and paperwork, we often feel trapped, immobilized, crushed. The image I carry around is that of a car crushed into a little cube in the junkyard and treated like scrap, yet being expected to function as a limousine carrying important dignitaries.

It is exhausting, demeaning, frustrating and frankly, impossible.

What will keep us afloat, or drag us down, in these difficult times is each other.

It may be time to approach our interactions at school like we do our Facebook pages. The folks that whine and complain, point out all of the difficulties and pull us down with them need a Delete button right now. Not an Erase button….they are still our colleagues. But a Delete button, that lets us go and visit them from time to time, when we want to……rather than listen to their obviously and continously negative status day after day.

What we need to do, and are rarely equipped to do, is to seek out our teaching soulmates.

We have to do it ourselves. Although most schools have mentor programs, they are designed to match subject area teachers to assist with curriculum and alignment. They are NOT designed to match teachers who will feed each other professionally with inspiration and a shared passion for teaching. How do we do we find those people?

1) Listen to the students. Whom do they talk about with respect? Are there teachers whose activities they are still talking about with enthusiasm when they get to your room? These are teachers that you may want to get to know better as educational partners.

2) Look around the building. Who is displaying student work? Who is inviting folks to observe student displays, inventions, competitions?

3) Listen in on classes as you walk by. I can promise you that incredible things are happening in your building. We just rarely have the time to notice. Pick one period a week where you take just 5 minutes and walk around the building and take it in.

4) Think about the club advisers. Who is doing cool stuff with the students? Activities that resonate with your approach to education?

5) When you are at a conference day at school, sit near people you think may think like you do in order to get to know them better.

In some buildings, it is actually AGAINST the school’s culture to display enthusiasm for learning new things and becoming a better teacher. If that is the case in your school, believe me, you are not alone. I have seen it in many places. I also know that within those schools are deep pockets of dedicated teachers who, in their own corners of the world, are reading journals, keeping blogs, joining professional organizations and changing the world.

There is someone in your building that you can connect with as an “alma gemela” (twin soul!). It may not be a teacher. It may be a guidance counselor, a secretary, a custodian, a cafeteria worker, an SRP. But I can promise you that fostering that professional friendship may keep you sane over the next few years….and be an incredible blessing in your life.

with love,
Laurie

All content of this website © Hearts For Teaching 2009-present and/or original authors. Unauthorized use or distribution of materials without express and written consent of the owners/authors is strictly prohibited. Examples and links may be used as long as clear and direct reference to the site and original authors is clearly established.

They Really Need Us…Archived Post 3.13.10

Posted by: lclarcq Posted on: November 30, 2014 Archived 2010 , Classroom Management , Encouragement , Not So Good Days , Personalization , Relationships , Tough Students

(Originally posted 3/13/10)

Warning: My personal opinion only. I know that some people will see this differently. That’s ok with me. :o) (I sent a version of this to the moretprs listserv in addition to posting it here.)

This is the time of year when some kids just push us over the edge. Maybe they are mouthy. Maybe they are combative. Maybe they are passive-aggressive. Maybe they try to be solid lumps of stone covered by a hoodie. On the listserv, in emails, on Facebook, in the faculty room….teachers are letting out their frustrations. I know that sometimes these kids seem incomprehensible….especially since many of us really enjoyed classes in high school. There may be a lot of reasons why they are in our classrooms and why it appears that they have no good reason to be there. Here are some possibilities…(warning…maybe too many of them!!):

* They did not choose their schedules. A parent, counselor, former teacher, administrator thought they should be in there…or even more likely has no idea that they are, much less whether or not they should be.

* Students often “get” that they have to “take” a class. They don’t always “get” that that means participating in and passing a class. Oh yes, I”m serious. What they are told is: You have to take such and such. Imagine that you have a very literal mind. What would that mean to you?

* Many of them have experienced classes where they COULD sit, not participate, and pass. Who knows how or why…but I’ve seen it happen. If they got through one, they may be fairly certain that they cdan do it in your room.

* Many of them are very very bright. They are used to absorbing enough material to get by without doing much else.

* They really don’t care if they get anything out of it. School is a place to escape home. That’s all that matters.

* They are suffering from depression and/or anxiety. Just being there takes all the effort they have. Participating is, truly, too much to expect.

* They are hurting. Bruised inside by someone’s abuse or a situation beyond their control. Their coping mechanism is an ugly whiplash response to anyone and anything.

* They feel inadequate. (even, well…especially…if they are very smart) This is a new venue, or one in which they feel smart enough in. They feel lost and respond by striking out or hiding.

* They are very intuitive. They recognize when we need to be liked and find it distasteful. (perhaps because that need is so great within themselves) So they throw it back in our faces by rejecting us and our class.

* They are over-exercising their newly-developed skills of analysis don’t know it. They have analyzed us and found us lacking. it’s a natural part of growing up and yes…it can be annoying and irritating and frankly, rude.

* They don’t know how to deal with us. We may be too loud or too silly or too whatever for their taste and comfort level. Language teachers are NOT like other teachers and while they have had many math and English teachers over the years, they haven’t had many of us to deal with….and especially not CI based language folks. We don’t stand up in the front and speak at them while they sit there and absorb it. Remember, kids are HIGHLY REWARDED for being silent in other classes.

* We are women. Sorry to say it, but it is true of many teachers in the profession. Many teens are reworking their relationships with the opposite sex. Or the same sex. Or someone who is parent-like.

* They trust us enough to not behave well. They know that we are not going to swear at them, write them up every day, call their parents and rant, be sarcastic in front of the entire class.

* They have an undiagnosed, or unaddressed learning issue. Many times they have learned how to fade into the background in other subjects. They haven’t figured out how to do it in a language. Every year we seem to uncover students with unrecognized issues.

It is probably very complicated. That is why we can rarely solve it. We can only do what we can. The hardest thing to do is to not take it personally. As I said before, when we were students, most of us would have done anything and everything necessary to do well and to learn the material.

THEY ARE NOT US. We cannot try to understand them from our own perspective. If we really want to understand them, we have to look at their world from their perspective.

If we want them to be us, well, frankly that ain’t gonna happen.

If we want to survive them, then we need to register them on our radar, but refrain from locking in on them as a target.

If we want to help them, then we need to first accept them as they are. We don’t have to like all of their behaviors, or even tolerate those behaviors in our classroom. But we do have to accept that they are their own quirky, complicated, adolescent beings. And that they have the right to be a student in our classroom….even if they don’t always act that way.

We will also have to bring in a support system. For us as much as for them.

This may seem very difficult. But I promise you…this is REAL teaching. The kids that smile and do all of their work and raise their hands and try really hard. They don’t need you. They will flourish with any teacher. But the tough nuts? They need you the most.

with love,
Laurie

All content of this website © Hearts For Teaching 2009-present and/or original authors. Unauthorized use or distribution of materials without express and written consent of the owners/authors is strictly prohibited. Examples and links may be used as long as clear and direct reference to the site and original authors is clearly established.

When We Are In It Together Archived Post 2.10.10

Posted by: lclarcq Posted on: November 29, 2014 Acquisition , Archived 2010 , Classroom Management , Engagement , Not So Good Days , TPRS techniques , Working with Novels

It Ain’t Easy…Bein’ Sick (this post originally posted 2/10/10)

For the last week and a half I’ve been fighting mano a mano with a sinus/double ear infection. Between the two days with subs and the fact that talking sends me into long-lasting coughing spasms, my students and I switched from our usual dose of verbal interaction to activities that are more reading-centered and group/pair-oriented.

I like all of the activities. I think that they are educationally sound. I think that my students are getting a lot of good, quality, written Comprehensible Input. But I am astounded at the difference in the classes.

First of all, discipline is off. I have to employ signals and silences more often. I really don’t enjoy that. Neither do the students. It isn’t a lot of extra tension…but it is enough to change the classroom atmosphere.

What is REALLY missing, however, is the strong sense of “being in this together.” When they work in pairs or groups, when they work at an individual pace, there is no sense of collegiality. There are no group “inside” jokes. The class feels very different without that!!!

When I am “conducting” the class, and everyone is working on the same story/idea/conversation/topic, it is like being on a family car trip. Sure, there is a little bickering. Yeah, it’s annoying when someone has to stop and go to the restroom. No, everyone does not like the radio station. But….. there are shared moments of hilarity and common experience that create an atmosphere like no other I’ve taught in.

I can’t wait to get back after a week of vacation (next week). Hopefully the coughing etc. will have subsided and we can get to work on using as much Spanish as possible hanging out together. The story of Ana and her adventures in Casi Se Muere are just more interesting when we read it, and talk about it, together. Not just at the same time in the same room. But really together. It goes from being Ana’s story to our story that we read about Ana.

Oh we’ll still do activities that allow students to work ‘out of the group”……but not as often. We need that together time. It’s who we are. We all miss it.

with love,
Laurie

All content of this website © Hearts For Teaching 2009-present and/or original authors. Unauthorized use or distribution of materials without express and written consent of the owners/authors is strictly prohibited. Examples and links may be used as long as clear and direct reference to the site and original authors is clearly established.