This is for level 1 classes who are doing Circling with Balls right now: The quick quizzes on that information should never be complex. If, for example, during PQA, you and the students decide together via the (slow and bizarre) personalized questioning process that …Obed plays football in Wonderland in a hole next to a […]
There is a false impression about Circling in the minds of many who practice TPRS. They think that Circling is about following a pattern in order to get repetitions on a word/structure so that the student can, by hearing the word/structure repeated in that way, acquire it. This is false. That repetitive order of questioning
More Circling with Balls but only one new card today. Too busy reviewing and limiting to set up the first quiz on Monday, the quiz that we have gone over so many times (Jenna plays soccer in Wonderland – the yes/no stuff that is so easy) so that the kids will all EXPERIENCE SUCCESS on the
The constant use of English to explain how the class works should stop now, after about a week. We have had all the time we get for explaining how our class works – about a week. Close the doors to the English. Again – I have used all the English to explain the rules and
Today as we start to roll with Circling with Balls, I really got into chanting. It just felt right because the energy in the school on the fifth day of students dipped a bit as one might expect after the first few days of excitement. When I feel the energy dip, I sing or chant.
Don’t assume for one second that your students know how to interact with a teacher in a lighthearted and cooperative way with plenty of eye contact. It doesn’t seem to be the time in history for that. It is more of a dark time, when people of different races and ages and beliefs eye each
Actually Day 4: I had read here how Nathan Black allows the kids a short period of time at the beginning of the year to sit wherever they want so that he can spot problem kids, combinations of kids, etc. Then, as needed, we can fix those problems for the next day so that those
If you are a new teacher doing Circling with Balls right now, be careful. You may not be going SLOW-Li enough. You probably aren’t. You know that you are going too fast if even one single kid in your class doesn’t understand. It is your job to make sure that they all understand. Tell them
Just wanted to share an email conversation with a (university level) colleague from yesterday. What I responded is in italics: Hi Ben – Well, I’ve finished my first day at both schools. I’m exhausted, my feet hurt, my voice is a bit weak, but boy, this was more fun than I remember having at work
I got this from a colleague. I love the honesty. I am asking for the group to respond, especially Bryce and those experienced TPRSers who have taught at the upper levels, unlike me. My hunch is that this colleague, who really needs our help right now, can in fact make TPRS work at the upper
Today was the third day of class. The first day was when I did the Big Circle. The second was district pre-testing. Today I started in earnest with Circling with Balls. It was pretty cool. All the training this summer helped. I did the Circling with Balls and, since I went so much slower than every before
