What Skip said in a recent comment here prompted these thoughts on starting the year: We personalize our classroom to start the year. What does that mean? In my view, it means putting the kid in front of the instruction. Comprehensible input without the personalization piece is not nearly as effective as personalized comprehensible input. […]
We really need to cool it on the greetings at the beginning of the year. They are not so easy to learn, nor are their responses. In fact, they confuse the hell out of the kids. Here are two links supporting that idea: https://benslavic.com/blog/2010/08/12/you-lost-me-at-how-are-you/ https://benslavic.com/blog/2009/07/24/3647/
The following blog post was written in 2008. I don’t know if I still agree with it. Maybe I should make more of an effort next year to teach those first 100 words, as Diana suggests we do in our DPS TCI group. I present some of them, but not all, in the form of word lists. Here’s what
Kate’s post talks about the key role of formative assessment. Here is something from Michele to back that up: Ben, Kristy Placido posted an article on her page under the “Assessment” heading. Its writers demonstrate a real understanding of teachers, students and schools. There are many great quotes that I’m putting on my blog, but you’ll
I got a couple of emails this morning, one from Kate and one from Michele. I think both are very important in our ongoing discussion about assessment. I had said about three weeks ago that I no longer use the participation self evaluation rubrics (resources page of this site under posters) because some of the
Again, with Dr. Krashen’s permission, I am posting selected passages from Foreign Language Education, The Easy Way (out of print). This is the second such installment here, and it describes more theory about comprehensible input and the process of acquisition of a language: …given enough comprehensible input, structures students are “ready” to acquire are invariably present
I want to begin setting the table for next year for those newer people who are not completely confident about how to start the year. It is not too early to start really taking a close look at what we do in the first four to eight weeks of teaching using comprehensible input. One of the
Another one from the labyrinthe (January of 2009): Students don’t want to ponder over the structure of language, they want to know what it means. The structure of language is no more interesting to them than the bowl that holds the ice cream is interesting to the enjoyer of desserts. The kids can’t eat the
I believe that elves and magical fairylands are real, but forgotten by us, memories of things from a distant past. Our kids are closer to those memories than we are – especially middle schoolers and the younger ones. Don’t they suggest cute answers like unicorns and elves and things like that almost every day? I used
I teach in situations where I must apply TPRS within the parameters I am given (or else I find another job). I truly admire the main intent of the blog which is mostly for teachers on the secondary level who pretty much have free reign to totally implement TPRS as they see fit. [Ed. note
The blog posts are too long. I will do my best to cut them down a bit. Let’s all try to edit what we want to say, especially if you send it to me for publication as a post vs. a comment, to make the text as short as possible. Also please indicate your permission for
Somebody about two weeks ago asked about upper levels and TPRS. Carol had sent me this link in March, which I just found, and so I’ll post it here and thanks Carol: http://www.tprstories.com/ntprs/2008/handouts/half-day-upper-levels-presentation.ppt#1
