This month’s Teacher of the Month is long overdue to receive this award and many others. In the TPRS/CI worldwide community Laurie Clarcq is the rock that many of us have gone to for safe harbour over the years. One of the true superstars of bringing Krashen into school buildings, Laurie brings sparkle to this work. She sprinkles love into language teaching as no one else can.
Remarkably, Laurie has been doing this work up in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York for over twenty years essentially by herself. She is, however, along with Blaine Ray and just a few others, in that elite group of frequent flyers who seem to show up everywhere at any time on the national scene, ready to give and help others get better at this.
When Laurie offered to do the teacher talk part of some of my presentations at NTPRS in Saint Louis and also in Las Vegas in past years, all of a sudden presenting was easy! There is nothing quite as comforting when presenting (Michele Whaley can attest to that I am sure as well) than to have Laurie Clarcq there with you, explaining things in the clearest of ways.
Here is what another PLC Teacher of the Month, Mary Beth, told me about her own experience in being trained by our Queen of Hearts:
Laurie ALWAYS has great advice, new ideas, and she has such a loving way to impress on people the efficacy of TCI/TPRS. She is not heavy-handed, she doesn’t try to brow-beat folks; she very honestly lays it all out on the line with knowledge, proof and integrity. I personally have learned so much from Laurie. She also did a wonderful job in October up here in Maine by explaining the benefits of TPRS and sharing many strategies – to newbies and veterans. She succeeded in making many newbies think and open their minds and hearts to TCI. We need more gentle leaders like Laurie.
That about says it all. Laurie really does set the standard in so many ways and especially in teacher training. And don’t forget her blog at:
http://www.heartsforteaching.com/
Congratulations to you Laurie from all of us whom you have trained and to whom you have given not just knowledge but also confidence!