This is from Anne Matava: Hi Ben – In my 2nd and 3rd year classes we have hit on something fun with Card Talk. I had them draw something they did over the summer on their cards. We have started talking about them in two ways. First, we talk about what really happened: the kid […]
For those doing the newest work (NTCI) this clarification might be helpful: Dear Ben, I recently purchased A Natural Approach to the Year and am giving it a try (and excited to do so). In reading the job descriptions in the HR Manual, it seems that the description for the Secondary Artist is missing. I
Here is the complete original thread, with comments, around the traditional attack on John Bracey. These are the comments that started the discussion on rigor, which we should revisit here as much as we can lest we forget that rigor is one of the most outstanding descriptors of our work with CI and that rigor
Sean I just want to say thank you for your contributions to the group over all the years. I really appreciate your insights because they are always filled with kindness, while your mind is like a beacon scanning a field. We are all better off because you are a member of the PLC.
This and a following post from the intense days here of 2014 will be of interest to any PLC member who is being attacked by high school grammar teachers: John Bracey was attacked by colleagues and we got a thread going about it last month. Among other things, for those who remember the original thread,
Steven has some nice riffs on the game. I really like #s 1 and 5: 1) After I am done saying my sentence, I count down 3,2,1,0 then ALL members of a group have to raise their hands. This is the huddle time and ALL students have to share out the answer. 2) I say
I wrote this to Jennifer in response to a question about how to test kids on speaking assessment, for those of us who must: Ah, the speaking assessment. I lobbied very heavily in Denver Public Schools to abolish it at level 1 and they did. It saved them a lot of money at the district
Jennifer Goldszmidt wrote in a comment here today: One of my Spanish 1 students from last year decided to take French 2 this year (he took French in middle school and now he’s in 10th grade)….The lesson today went pretty well. I asked my former and now current student on the way out if he
A repost: Here’s something I”m in the process of memorizing for the next time someone says to me that my class is not structured: “My class is structured in the same way that what I am saying right now is structured. What I am saying now is structured but you are not aware of it. You
Q. In your opinion, what is critical mass for the Word Chunk Team Game? I need 3 judges, right? Will the activity work if there are only 2 or 3 teams of 3? A. I like the big classes for the game. That way the teams don’t get in each others’ faces. I would say
My son takes French at Ken Caryl Middle School in Jefferson County, CO. We are sitting on the back porch of my house after school. I am writing this and he is doing his homework. He has to do four pages for French. Page 1 is a word search activity for colors. And there is
Do not bring work home. Life is short. You will regret it one day. You will want all that time with loved ones back one day after you have awakened to the fact that teachers have bought a bill of goods about time spent doing school work at home that is dangerous to them, to
