Readings are of a much higher quality when they are made from stories about Invisibles. In fact, the readings are so compelling that I now believe that in first-year classes, we should stop our forced marches, stop plowing through leveled readers, or novels, or knocking ourselves out trying to make whole-class novels comprehensible and fun, […]

Hi Ben, I was asked about assessment by my beginning teacher supervisor/coach. He suggested having students write and apply 3 or four language structures about the story. Then take data how many students “Got it” and how many “didn’t.” Below is my email response. Hi Chris, I had the long weekend to contemplate the role

This is from Robert as promised. He is in Boston as I would assume others in our group are. Anyone wanting to rendez-vous with him he is at this email address: harrellrl@aol.com Here is the article which is now a Primer article as well: a-short-history-of-grades-1 Here is an example of one of Robert’s educational products being

Tina and I were talking this morning and she told me about this story below. I publish it here because it shows just how cool these kids can get with their creativity: …there was a killer story that French One had made, about a ghost who is in a haunted Goodwill with this floating nose

So when I woke up I was having this illusive dream state idea that we really have screwed it up for about 20 years by shifting Blaine’s original focus (as per Russ Albright’s post here last week). And then I go and read this response to Steve by Tina in the Ryan McArthur thread on

Ryan McArthur has an excellent question: Ben, I’m facing a dilemma that maybe you can guide or give me advice (or others of the forum). I am doing weekly Interpersonal oral skill assessments (once a week) with my Invisibles (I totally love the concept and practice; they are invaluable!) and I have some students coming

Elena said this yesterday here on the PLC: …just add a few characteristics at a time – maybe 1 or 2 or 3. No need to get a ton of details. I saw an OWI demo in Korean. We added very few details but the presenter went slowly and recycled…. Then she added: …it was

Angie wrote this here awhile back. Here it is again: …yes, we understand how analytically-oriented high schoolers can be, but does that mean we play to that tendency in language class?  Or is this where we encourage the aspect of ourselves that learns through a unique kind of paying attention…not taking apart and analyzing, but

A teacher in our PLC lost a student on Saturday. We cannot bring back that quiet, intelligent girl, but we can get better at this work. We may never know how one little acknowledgement that they are important and belong to a group of people who actually interact in real ways in class, how one

Elena is a second year teacher in an urban school in Portland: Ben, have I not told you my mentor story? Well, last year I’m not sure if you know this but I was really, really depressed. I came home from work every day with a mountain of work to do. I was tired and

Beniko Mason is a strong proponent of simply telling kids stories in the TL. Tina Hargaden, who spends a lot of time talking shop with Beniko these days, in a comment here yesterday, gives us an excellent description of story listening. This is brand new stuff and belongs as a part of, as Russ Albright

…creativity is a platform for one to express what is inside. For some, it is a personal depiction of their reality, and for many, often times the goal is to share an important message and point of view about the collective reality we all live in. Creativity is a platform for connection. We want to