Here is Shannon’s bio and with it the reminder that Dec. 1st is the deadline to submit them. It doesn’t have to be great. Just talk about how you came to be a CI person and what your strengths and weaknesses are. It’s just a way to get to know each other better and be able to keep track of each other, if you get my drift.
Ben,
Here’s my bio, finally. Thanks for forcing the issue. I love reading them. As for being one of the last to submit mine, I apologize. This Fall has been nuts, as it is for most people.
I came to teaching a language an a pretty straightforward way. I absolutely loved my French classes in junior high and high school. My teacher was wonderful; the kind we should all have (the kind that I try to be every day). I remember coming to class one day where she met us at the door of the classroom, dressed in a full nun habit, with lit candles throughout the room so that we could learn French history. Another day, her parents came to class to talk to us about their flight from France during World War II. I will never forget the impact she had on my life and future career. I added Spanish into my schedule once it was available. I continued with both languages at Concordia College, Moorhead Minnesota and Student Taught at the American School of Las Palmas, Canary Islands.
I taught for a few years in Northfield, Minnesota, using my TPR and immersion, CI knowledge that existed in the ’90s. Over the course of a few years of salary reductions, large classes and burnout, I decided to quit teaching. I went back to grad. school, but took a part-time Spanish job at to make ends meet. That’s where I learned to become a teacher and ask the next question. I quit grad. school began the 3-Summer M.A. Program through California State University, Sacramento.
I took a Spanish position at North High School in North St. Paul, Minnesota. While at North, I met my husband, got married, bought a house (or two) and had three children in twenty months. I kept traveling and focused on technology in the classroom. I got by and did the best I could, always thinking there had to be a better way to get students to actually understand and use their Spanish. About three years ago I couldn’t take it anymore. I decided that I had to either quit or figure something out. My students were learning more grammar and less actual language. So, with the encouragement of a colleague and friend, I stopped speaking English. It was drastic, but started my transformation in the classroom. It worked well and I had success with some kids, but completely lost others.
I looked into TPRS and realized the connection to my earlier methods training. I attended National TPRS in St. Louis this past July. As I told Blaine and Ben, I had found my people. I finally saw the connection between TPR, TPRS and mixing the tenses. I started this year out full-speed ahead, thanks to so many TPRS colleagues that literally handed over and either gave or sold me their templates, readings, stories. I will not look back.
Shannon Klint