Craig reports from Los Angeles:
Well I was totally demoralized before thanksgiving break. We had just started a new trimester and they had given me a mixture of students who had taken my class and failed it, taken it and passed it, native speakers, and novices all in the same class of like 17 kids. It was really bothering me till I realized that this school isn’t about learning or teaching – really it’s just about assigning credits and passing kids through.
I feel liberated in my realization and now after all the struggle of the last 2 years to be authentic in my teaching I almost feel like it would be better for me to just go back to the book. It was a surprising turn around. But if they’re not going to consider screening students for FL I don’t know what else to do really.
Craig