Here are some scribblings from my classes today: I’ve Never Felt Like This Knowing that I am retiring in 4 months has made me very free. I only have one big observation coming up Feb. 4 for Diana and district teachers, I truly don’t care what anybody thinks, I just go into the CI with […]

I like to scribble down thoughts that occur to me in class. I just call a time out, and write things down. Yesterday was one of the truly insightful days of my teaching life as I worked with a few Matava stories, and I learned so much by teaching the kids yesterday. If you are

January is full blown story time in the TPRS/CI community for many of us. We spent the fall getting to know the kids, norming the class, using the Anne Matava questionnaire, doing CWB and OWI and all that other “getting to know you” type of CI, having tiptoed into stories in November or thereabouts (and

This is an updated repost: Andrew asked a very important question that we all run into at some point. How we react could determine our success with the questioning aspects of CI instruction. Andrew says: I am struggling with the D part of R & D. I can’t seem to come up with very many

A few R and D questions from Polly. Varied comments are welcome so that she can get a variety of opinions. It is very important that we remember that there is no one way to do this stuff: Ben, I would like to get your advice and advice from other members as to the best

It’s happened again. If you have ever been in tough conflict with a parent and her wonderful (not) kid, you may want to offer Potter Slatin some suggestions to this post I pulled over from the Forum: Here is Potter’s situation: I have a student who refuses to play along in class and, by her

An excellent instructional coach, Amy Thomton, at Lincoln High School has asked me to present to our faculty, or part of it in a PD group that meets about once a month, on jGR (she saw the poster in my room). By the way, the chart is more often starting to be called – in

Skip Crosby is the Teacher of the Month for January. Like Laurie Clarcq’s award, it is long overdue, as skip has been a major force in promoting CI/TPRS for years now. I first met skip in 2009 when I went up to talk to his group in Maine. Pure honesty and oneness of purpose. He

Here is a new job from James Hosler to help us teach the weather. Get a flashlight for “it’s sunny” a little fan for “it’s windy” a little spray bottle for “it’s raining” etc., all controlled by the Weather Man/Woman and blamo! Instant weather effects for any story.

A good question from a teacher brand new to the method in Detroit. What Brian describes below is common – he just more precisely puts it into words. He thus speaks clearly for others. Your responses will help him: Hey Ben – It’s my prep period and I’ve decided to give an update because I

There is a topic that hasn’t been discussed here for years but it bears looking at by some of us who are still in districts that test in the old ways of the last century, i.e. – and I know this sounds funny – teaching connected to a textbook (sic). What happens is that TPRS/CI

Angie had an idea that it would be helpful if people shared successful examples of PQA of certain power verbs as per the last two articles on Eric Herman’s original idea. Here is what she said: I was thinking that a really helpful use of the blog could be for people to do … actually