Bob’s report on a Thursday:
Today brought some administrative reality into my work. I had to take my Latin 2 students to a computer lab to get them signed up for a couple of online services that I use. I also had some really good, fun, online reading of a story about a character named “Gilbo” for them to read and enjoy. This story series, btw, is a product of what CI and TPRS is doing in the Latin teaching community: teachers are venturing to write stories that they think their students will really enjoy. This is the third year in a row that I’ve used my colleague’s, Anthony Gibbon’s, story series with my Latin 2 students at the very beginning of the year. The story series is easy, fun, and compelling. It convinces them, along with all that I do, that they still have their Latin from last year and that this year will work, too.
So, two observations from today:
1. Going to the lab changed everything. Even though I had something interesting for them to read, I was not directly interacting with all of them as we have been all week because I had to call each student up to my computer and log them into various accounts. Necessary stuff, but it changed everything. I became a moderator instead of someone with whom they were interacting in order to commune. Yes. Commune. When we are in CI work, in the core of it, getting lost in the story, the questions, the event, the laughter, we are communing with each other. Today, there was no communion. There was “next”. And there were students who needed to be “monitored”, and mostly I hated it. Some of them did, too. I am looking at it as a necessary evil until I figure out another way to take care of the flotsum and jetsum of tending the flock.
2. But, I also teach two sections of Latin 1 this year. Here’s what my day looks like with them this week: Word Wall, review the words from yesterday; cards on their desk so that I can circle with balls for 3-4 students; new TPR words to work with all focused on items and action in the classroom. (I’ve done TPR focused on classroom items and actions for the last 10 years for the first two weeks in Latin 1, and I am convinced that it’s a wonderful way to start). In both classes today, students began using their power! I’ve taught them “safety net words” (and they are large on the wall), words they can use to remain in the conversation regardless of what is going on. They include the Latin for
- a. yes and no
- b. I understand; I don’t understand
- c. what does _____ mean?
- d. how do you say _____?
- e. may I go to the bathroom (office, clinic, locker)?
Today, I was barraged with questions of “how do you say _____”. It was incredible fun, much laughter, and they are so totally into the behaviors required for TPRS that it’s not even funny. In one class, I had a student (who became quite a character the very first day) who spontaneously sneezed out a word when I was going over words from yesterday. I immediately assigned him the task of “stridor” the “screecher” who would screech out the English for any word that anyone seemed confused over. It was MARVELOUS.
In the second class, there was just this unexpected moment, this incredible gift that I could not have afforded if I had wanted to pay for it. The class was done. It had been just such fun for me and, I suspected, for them. I had given them the last 30 seconds to get their things together, and I sat down at my computer to make sure I had recorded attendance correctly. They were chatting, and I heard one boy say to another: Wouldn’t it be cool if we could just stay in here all day? Then, the bell rang.
Just frikkin made my day!
- Robert Patrick
- M.Div, PhD NBCT-Latin
- Metro-Atlanta, GA
Everything has its music. Everything has the genes of God inside.
Hafiz