Hi Ben,
Below is a report as to how one of my French 2 classes is going. It was the disengaged class who is now wanting grammar.
Today, at my school, students were asking for grammar. Though they are few, they are very vocal. Someone complained, “I do not how to say “how are you”. While I took it personally I would like to bring the class back in. This class is quiet with only one leader that is on my side. The rest of the class is mostly quiet, reserved and shy.
What should I do? My school is a “gifted school” and this week they are taking the PSAT which is a “pre” SAT exam. Their desire for grammar and/or vocabulary to me is a desire to appear cool, to appease their egos, or an expression of their insecurity to other subject matter or other outside forces. Other language teachers mainly do a mix of “drill and kill” methods, memorization of expressions etc… While it may be fake, they may be the “cool” ones.
I do not want to give in. I have already done grammar twice to appease them. I tried doing some CI with targets that they requested but it’s all too fake for me. It also results in students talking over me. There is simply less control. These students have a hard time being human it seems since all their other classes demand memorization, left-brain thinking and homework.
I want to work on acquisition but amidst the school culture, I am stuck. This differs greatly with my first year classes, they have tons of suggestions and generally still have spark. Tons of it.
To me, my sanity demands less time preparing materials because I have two Heritage Spanish classes, two French 1 and two French 2 classes.
I am basically open this week to suggestions as eighth graders are going to take their PSAT and I have already been observed.