I am convinced that the number of repetitions we get on target structures is never enough. Combine that with our habit of introducing too many unknown structures (no curriculum can help that), and we have a recipe for confusion in the kids’ minds. Some people say 50-70 reps is the magic number, but for me […]

I got this question: Q. I’m going to do the “Lazy” story this week (Matava SS Vol. 2). Any tips on PQAing ‘lazy’?  I’m thinking that ‘works’ and ‘the boss yells’ can easily be PQA’d to get a lot of reps, the ‘yells’ one can turn into ‘mom or dad yells’ as well and with

We had a bunch of good discussions going and then we took off, mid-week, on that tangent about that Spanish teachers group and, in doing so, we took our eyes off the ball. So then I started two new blog series, one from CA on conflict (Robert organized that series of articles), which seemed well

In introducing himself to the group, Jeffery wrote: …yesterday my story lesson bombed completely.  Wow, it was embarrassing!  However, I am undeterred in my resolve to continue.  Like everything else, it’ll take a while before I can learn this skill…. There is not one of us who hasn’t done that. I did it for years.

Look people. Next time we get bent out of shape about how hard stories are for us, and how challenging teaching is in general, we need to just relax. The following story says a million things: http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/first-grader-born-without-hands-wins-penmanship-award-180647263–abc-news-topstories.html

Today I received a bio from a Latin teacher in Cincinnati, Jeffery Bricker. Jeffery combines his personal interests in the method with where he is professionally and that is what we want to hear about each other. The tone of what he wrote is wonderful. It says, “O.K. that old stuff doesn’t work so come hell or

This is the first of four questions – a variety pack – that jen would like to discuss with the group: jen’s department head, who is new to TPRS, but using it in her classroom (Carol Gaab Cuentame book 1) told jen, who will teach this child in level 2 next year, that the child 

Waiting in the queue for a few weeks now has been a series of four articles on dealing with professional conflict that seems to segue well from the last few posts but that is just by accident. This next text on the theme of conflict and of keeping the professional peace is from Robert, describing some

Chris was on one of those language teachers sites* and just now sent me a link in which a teacher said: ….TPRS won’t even be around. Maybe silly stories and such work for your students, but definitely not mine…. *http://teachers.net/mentors/spanish/topic27773/4.16.12.08.53.23.html Here is my response to that: Whatever gave you the idea that TPRS is all

A very poignant story from Bob Patrick: I had one of those moments that, well, I simply needed in my life even though I didn’t know I needed it.  I was working at my desk after school a Monday or so ago, and there was a knock at the outside door of my classroom.  There,

This is a partial list. Please add more reasons below as comments if you think of any. 1. When we use English a lot, over the course of the year, the students’ minds get weak. They also get confused, because they don’t know what language they are in. 2. The proof is in the pudding.

I have been learning to erase the board after the PQA before starting the story, leaving only the three structures up there. It makes for a nice transition into the story, with a fresh slate like that, and it also signals the kids that a story is about to begin. Now if I can just