Just some more ramblngs on what I learned from Carol this week about RT: Our biggest observation of the year in my district is always unannounced. So mine was today (Friday). I had just enough time to throw my bike into a closet and do the Superman clothes change thing and start class, of course […]
James Hosler has a question for our core group of Latinists: I feel I’m getting a hang on the ideas, if not the practice yet, of jGR, PQA, CWB, R&D and all the day-to-day stuff. The one thing I am looking nervously at is SSR. Texts just don’t exist in Latin. Especially not for level 1
Either we apply Krashen’s work or we don’t. Either we think that the unconscious natural process of just being exposed to the language is enough or we don’t. The desire for order in the form of lesson plans, all those meetings, all those implied threats that we won’t be approved of if we don’t do
This is a repost that I include here because it fits in with current threads: We have to turn in lesson plans. Many teachers in our building don’t. So we get notes from our administration teams like this one that say: …your weekly lesson briefs are very important to your continued planning for next year, to build
I was observed recently by the teacher who taught my current 3/4 class. I got this nice email from her after the visit: Ben, It was a great pleasure to see your class today. I just want to congratulate you on taking the students to that level. You don’t have the vision I have, seeing
There is a book by Alfie Kohn: The Homework Myth. Some takeaways (in italics) from Robert Harrell: 1. No homework should be the default setting.2. Whenever homework is given, it needs to be justified, i.e. it accomplishes something that cannot be done in class.3. “Homework” should be things that students are able to do on their own and
Jeff Brickler makes a great point that has never even come up in discussion in this community. Jeff writes: Hey guys, I have a question. One of my challenges is the fact that I have four different classes. I know that some of you may have this same experience. I was doing some thinking and I
Among the ongoing suggestions for the PLC Gold link, which James has suggested we place as a hard link on this page for ease of reference to the best stuff we have in this PLC, is chill’s suggestion that we include the weekly schedule as a golden idea. I have been thinking about this and
Carol came up from Phoenix today for a beginning workshop and then tomorrow will be the advanced one. I apologize to those in the Denver area for not mentioning it sooner but you can still come tomorrow, no matter what level you are at with CI. I think it’ll be worth it. Last year we
There is no such thing as early speech output of the Berlitz variety, where the teacher gets the speakers focused on how the language is produced. The mind should be allowed to do that infinitely complex work by itself. Indeed, the mind – the deeper mind and not the conscious mind – is the ONLY
Sharon sent me some questions about when kids are absent. Please add comments as you see fit: First question: We’ve been back to school for two weeks, and I have not given one quiz! Two things I’m wondering about… first, how do you quiz the new vocabulary presented in a given class? If you have
Chris departs Thursday and returns next Thursday on a field trip with his kids. He has this question for the group: So my exploratory kids will have me in my class for two days and then four days with a sub who is a retired Spanish teacher. Real bubbly personality, great person. Doesn’t know much about TPRS
