Ben Slavic

Becoming Whole – 4

Working with great teachers has kept me afloat in spite of taking some direct hits to the hull of my CI boat over the years, when I was made to feel crazy and weak by all sorts of odd battles that I ended up fighting against my will. Some remember the battle we had about

Becoming Whole – 4 Read More »

Becoming Whole – 3

The purpose of this post is to inform my readers that with the publication this summer of the two Invisibles books, with support videos to follow when they are ready, I can say with certainty that the long journey, the odyssey, really – that’s what it has been and nothing less – is over, with

Becoming Whole – 3 Read More »

Becoming Whole – 2

This internet space started as a public TPRS blog about 20 years ago and evolved into this private PLC 15 years ago. During those years, as those few who have been with us for all those years can attest, we have discussed mostly everything under the sun in comprehensible input instruction. There was a lengthy

Becoming Whole – 2 Read More »

Job Opening

Anticipated (highly likely) job opening in Bucksport, Maine! Spanish teacher for next year and beyond. Small classes, super supportive administraton and colleagues, TCI-friendly department (of two!) This is one sweet gig. 30 minutes to Belfast, one hour to Acadia National Park. FMI please email Anne at annematavaci@gmail.com.  

Job Opening Read More »

Question

We’ve been answering this recurring question for at least ten years now. It’s so common! My responses are in italics below. Hi Ben – Q. I am in a grammar-centric department and am required to give all the same tests and quizzes (dictated and provided by the department head for level 2) as the other

Question Read More »

The Artists – 9

This article completes the series on the student artists: Besides putting art on the back wall in the form of class galleries, another effective way to coax classes into performing at a higher level is to post lists of the names of all the characters that each class has produced up to that point in

The Artists – 9 Read More »

Story Scripts

For those of us who use Anne scripts, these are the official “best” ones, whatever that means. I think it means that Anne and I agree that over the almost 20 years now since we started using these scripts, these are the ones we feel get the most consistent results and do the best job

Story Scripts Read More »

The Artists – 8

The growing displays of artwork by individual classes take the form of “galleries.” Each class gets a section of the back wall in the classroom. Any other classes not yet doing stories of their own beg to get their own creative process going, and it is when the first gallery is posted that the interclass

The Artists – 8 Read More »

The Artists – 7

When drawing a One Word Image, the artists should fill the entire large page of chart paper or butcher paper with the image. As discussed earlier, beginning classes draw two panels above and below a black line dividing the chart paper in half. Second year classes draw four panels, third year classes six panels, and

The Artists – 7 Read More »

Write the Article – 3

Who writes? It should be the ones who want to write, because they feel so moved. That is why I keep writing. That is why Greg and other PLC members are writing and sharing and presenting, It’s time for that now. The strong pushback we have experienced over the past 25 years has really almost

Write the Article – 3 Read More »

Write the Article – 2

Yesterday I found an article that wasn’t about CI, because it was written on the general topic of education and not on world language teaching. But it spoke to me because I saw discussed in it the same vital elements that will bring about the change in WL education – compassion and inclusion.  The heart

Write the Article – 2 Read More »

New Workshop Format

I have decided on a new way of doing trainings. Feedback from the group is requested. I have been leaning in this direction for some time. Schools with whom Ben works are asked to do the following: 1)    The entire group being trained must be on board with CI, united in a common goal.  2) The

New Workshop Format Read More »