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Liturgy
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9 thoughts on “Liturgy”
That was one of the developments that I saw last year with a switch in the coaching model. Teachers were developing their own style/approach from their own beliefs and their own strengths, rather than trying to be a copy of someone else.
I’m as idealistic as you are Ben, in many ways. I would like to see teachers returning to conferences in order to develop from within, based on what they see/hear/resonate with. I’m afraid that our current model of national conferences is based more on the business model of “Come here and be trained by those that know best.”
Not that trainers, presenters and coaches aren’t brilliant…..they are!!!! But I would like to find more ways for participants to do the internal work necessary to grow as a person and as a professional.
I love to hear them asking questions, challenging ideas, and moving beyond their present levels of understanding and application. I wince when I see participants simply collecting ideas, activities and worksheets to insert into lesson plans.
What I love about this entire teaching world is the community that has grown up around it. In the last three years, technology and more have helped us to reach a “tipping point” where we are growing more in numbers and acceptance at a faster rate than ever before.
What will turn us into that “religion” is if we sent teachers back with a few days of training and just the beginnings of an understanding of what needs to happen….and then abandon them…or let them isolate themselves. Alone, teachers revert to the “rules”, to the black and white of what they think must be and the inflexibility of what they believe must be done.
When we stay connected, via regional groups, Facebook, morelist, this blog and others, we can continue to feed, to nurture, to challenge and to deepen the understanding of this unique world of Comprehensible Input-based Interactive Education.
with love,
Laurie
Well said, Laurie!
I’ll be presenting a workshop at the regional Classics annual meeting (CANE) on how to continue a CI program (after those hour or weekend workshops). I’ve started outlining that presentation in a blog post series (magisterp.com) as a checklist. During the presentation I’ll demo one thing and mention another.
I really do hope to have the blessing of the PLC about what I’m prosthetizing. If you read something alarming or antithetical to CI principles, please shoot me an email. FYI, TPRS will appear as just one option in its category.
Ok, I’ll take a bit of a risk here. Below is from something I’ve been writing. Chinese education especially tends to promote the idea that you have to do things precisely in a certain way, so I’m trying to assure otherwise. I think that assurance has to be one kind, little bit at a time, again and again, or we tend to revert to (as Laurie said), “Oh no! I must be doing this wrong!”
“Deciding how long to spend on any activity is where teachers’ knowledge of their students and their own teaching style will affect instruction. Our goal is to provide lots of meaningful messages in Chinese and engage our students’ interest as we do so. If that is being accomplished, especially if we provide plenty of meaningful repetitions of new language, then we are successful. There are principles, but not strict rules to follow about how to proceed. Teachers need to observe their own students’ comprehension and responsiveness; the students themselves add interest to the lesson by contributing answers and furthering the conversation.”
Diane – Absolutely!
Seeing so many sections of the same grade in a row I have seen this phenomenon repeatedly over the decades – the same lesson or ‘what we’re going to to today’ pans out entirely differently from group to group, depending on the kids’ comprehension, responsiveness, group dynamics, creativity, etc. not to mention all the other variables (what time of day, proximity to lunch, gym, recess, etc.)
Yes, I hope the point isn’t controversial. The risk was, that was the first time sharing something out of a book I’m writing (and have been since summer 2014… at first more off than on, and this school year more on; likely to be a few more months). It felt like sharing a sonogram of an unborn baby or something. I’d like to start getting used to people knowing about the book. I think I have a few more months to go, no stress & a little bit at a time.
Good for you, Diane! I like your plan…no stress. The book sounds fabulous so far.
Love it! Thank you!
And isn’t it odd that what is natural is “controversial” in the system?
“Teachers need to observe their own students’ comprehension and responsiveness…”
How on earth is this controversial in any realm?
What makes Teaching through Comprehensible Input unique is that it taps directly into the needs of real students. Necessity is the mother of invention. The strokes of genius that surface here (most recently the Invisibles) come about because TCI teachers are always seeking what’s really useful, comprehensible, and meaningful for their students.
I too love Eric’s words because finding my own way has been a little scary lately. It’s the amazing innovation here that is giving me courage. You inspire me to try and see what works for me: invent, create, but always strive for comprehensible input in my own way.