Jennifer sent this to add to the word list discussion:
Hi Ben,
I’m still trying to figure out how to teach in this new bureaucracy I find myself in. But, I’m getting ideas that are starting to gel together. Thank you so much for all the wonderful, thought-filled posts and conversations. Without them, I’d be quitting my job and changing professions right about now. As it is, I’m rolling up my sleeves and trying to stay in the fight 🙂
I’m thinking about making a vocabulary list for the beginning of the year with all the words they are expected to know, and all the high frequency words (all 10 million words give or take a thousand) and as we cover the words in our stories, have them write the definitions in their pre-made list. As the year goes on, they should have more and more of the packet filled out, then they can “see” that we are “learning” the same information as their peers in other classes, even if we are going “out of order.”
I discovered this year that words I thought were “throw away” words in my stories early on, ended up being vocabulary words in later chapters. And it was nice to be able to say, we already learned this. It took some of the stress off of me too, no need to defend why my kids knew “volcano.”
I will have to be super-organized and not as free-flowing in my stories as I’d like to be… but, I’ve given the exams now and I know what is emphasized and what is not. I can cut extraneous words from the program. I also know which lesser frequency words are vital to the exams… *rolling my eyes*
But next year will be easier on several fronts. The quarter exams are gone next year! So I have half a year to align my classes with the district, way less stressful. And there is talk about not switching teachers mid-year which would also be less stressful, I’d have a year to get the discrete grammar in.
I know you warned me last summer about how hard this would be. I had no idea how right you were.
I’m slowly winning converts though. Two of my colleagues want the frequency vocabulary list. My dictados are popular, even though I give the kids the answers before grading them.The upper level teachers love my FVR, they expect their students to be able to read fluently.The first year teacher has used some of the TPRS stories… I’m not expecting any out and out miracles, but there is head-way.
I’m also contemplating how to weave Krashen into a local presentation. He’s a big “buzz word” ie. Use the Monitor Theory! But nobody seems really to know what that means.
Anyway, your blog is as close I get to collaboration most days.