Here is a question about the upper levels from Paul Seevinck:
Hi Ben,
I have (in my opinion) successfully implemented TPRS/TCI into my level one classes and I love it ( I still have a lot to learn). There is so much that I can do and I find myself excited to teach. Students are engaged and they are making huge gains. Thank you so much for your resources and leadership in helping teachers like me love their jobs and help students.
I also, have a Spanish 4H/AP mixed class. This is my first year teaching AP and it’s awful. The numbers are dismal and make teaching very difficult for me. I know most teachers would kill for a class of 7 kids, but there is so little life in that class that I find myself dreading it.
I feel like I have to teach to themes and students really don’t care to talk about the immigrants crossing the boarder. I know that maybe they should, but there is no possible way to get them to talk about these subjects in English and be interested. Having them try to do it in Spanish is even harder.
I have tried to do stories in that class, and they work, but I have 2 native speakers that find stories below them and try to push the level too high. I have one students in the class that struggles using the present tense first person (he is a product of grammar based instruction) and I feel like I leave him behind way to much if I cater to natives.
I have read so many of the posts about AP on the PLC and wish that AP just didn’t exist, but I have a year to stick with it and must make the best of it.
Do you have any suggestions? Like I said, I dread my A days because of this class.
Would you suggest structuring the class like my first years by teaching 3 structures through PQA and then stories?
Thanks,
Paul