With Our Hearts
One of the biggest things that we miss in class, perhaps because we are teachers, is what the kids are seeing and experiencing as we focus on providing them with good comprehensible input. We have to be in control, yes,
Teachers’ Jobs
This is a repost to remind us that we do too much. A PLC member sent these and I can't remember who it was to credit you so thank you whoever you are. We may want to rethink some of
We Are Not Tired – We Are Blocked
I hear comments about how teaching using CI can be exhausting. I don't agree with that position. It's about FLOW. (Search that category for more articles on this important TPRS/CI concept.) Flow is one of Krashen's favorite words, judging by
Mission Statement
I think we should all write - and keep updating - a mission statement about why we do our work in the way we do. We should not write it because we have to, because someone forces us, but for
Every Day Feels Like a Job Interview
In this repost, John Piazza describes a largely ignored aspect of our job, but one we make a priority here on the PLC. Here is John's article on mental health: Recently, I was speaking with a friend, who described a marathon
Mental Health
The focus here has always been on good teaching. However, the protection of our mental health and our own personal happiness (so related to our jobs!) are of the greatest importance. Sometimes I teach old-style grammar. Some get it and some
Prayer That We Might Remember Our Real Purpose in the Language Classroom
I'm on a roll with the prayers: Dear God - Please help us understand that teaching is not a competition, and that whether or not our students achieve high test scores does not reflect on our value and our worth as teachers.
Becoming Whole – 1
In the first chapter of Le Petit Prince, there are these lines: J'ai ainsi eu, au cours de ma vie, des tas de contacts avec des tas de gens sérieux. J'ai beaucoup vécu chez les grandes personnes. Je les ai vues
We Can Get It If We Really Want
One of the things about this community that I appreciate and that people have commented on over the years is that dissenting points of view are accepted and welcomed as contributing to a growth mindset. For example, Diana's recent lashing
Can Do Statements – 2
A repost from 2014: What Angie wrote today about Can Do statements could apply to almost any aspect of traditional language education, I felt a deep connection to every word. If someone asked me why I am so opposed to the