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Checklist to Begin the Year
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8 thoughts on “Checklist to Begin the Year”
I still don’t get why anybody would wait on this stuff. I’m revamping it all this week. We discussed the metacognitive piece today. Got some good feedback–some unexpected and a bit uncomfortable for me, but still good. The Spanish I’s in particular appreciated the discussion.
I am going to blog on this idea within the next few days (it is still cooking…please stand by):
QUIT WAITING
“I realize now that I have been wrong. All this time, I have been waiting. Waiting for what? For someone to find me? For Indians to take my horse? To see a buffalo? Since I arrived at this post I have been walking on eggs. It has become a bad habit, and I am sick of it. Tomorrow I will ride out to the Indians. I don’t know the outcome, or the wisdom of this thinking, but I have become a target. And a target makes a poor impression. I am through waiting.”
—John Dunbar (Kevin Costner) in the movie Dances with Wolves (1990)
Good one, Bryce!
I like the idea of filming our students for their use in understanding what are the expectations of students in our classroom.
I also think that the thread about SLOW is vitally important to remember. Sometimes the environmental settings of our classrooms–weather, testing in other classrooms, season of school–holidays, events, just returned from time off, etc, all have a real impact on what we can actually do. Maybe three target structures are too much for that day. Maybe we just can do one structure well. I saw from my readings that SLOW was more important than exposure. SLOW offered acquistion versus just a day of hearing a lot of words.
I also think the thread on building classroom community–getting to know your students and building trust and safety within your classroom needs to be front and center. Who wants to try and put themselves out there if they think they are going to be laughed at.
My language teachers in Spanish and German would be astounded to know that at the ripe age of 58 I am picking up another language–much less trying to teach. I was always great on paper (who wouldn’t be when you only have to fill in the blanks of the textbook game), but I rarely attempted to speak.
I was afraid. Afraid of making a mistake. Because as a student, I didn’t know that mistakes are actually how we learn. I didn’t want to be pointed out as being less than perfect. At 58 I’ve given up on being perfect and now am ready to learn–mistakes and all. And in my classroom community, I make mistakes all the time and just say “whoops.” Actually I have a little song that I sing for the whoops. We all laugh and go on.
Go Kate!! Thank you for your wisdom. I think many of us may have been living our lives, ‘afraid.’
In fact, I think fear is a major stumbling block to many teachers using CI techniques and TPRS. It gets too real. They must face their fears. They won’t be perfect, and that heritage speaker in the back row is going to know it. No more ‘snowing’ anybody. No matter how good their language skills are.
No more fear. Shannon.
p.s. I was very fearful this morning. In the middle of first hour, I couldn’t stop thinking how I wished that I had called in sick. Plus, I knew my third hour was coming. God help me I’d better pull it together, and fast. I took a breath and faced my fear. It worked out all right. I had even, for just a moment, wished for that #@&^! textbook (or at least a worksheet!). Luckily, just for a moment. Tomorrow, we will read about Donald Trump asking the Fortune Teller for the winning lottery numbers. Todd and Callie spoke original, spontaneous Spanish today (Level II). Eureka. I’m back.
Lottery tickets? New job: Anytime someone says the word “lottery”, a kid yells out, “El Gorrrrrrrdo para hoy!” as the lotto ticket sellers in Spain often shout…
Facing fears. Isn’t that true? … I’ll answer that. Yes. It is.
I had a great day yesterday in class. The parents kept coming early for pickup though and “our class is dropping like flies” to quote my star student. But we persevered and got through the structures for the first scene in a play we will do at the end of next month for the school. they asked for cds to help them practice at home.
I flubbed more than once. I had to accept two “slipping into English” cards. My star student pointed out some new grammer that he heard. Another child said, “I only know the answer in English.” I said, “Good for you–tell me.” And then another child asked about the word town –as in going to town–and what did towns look like when Mvskoke was the language of Tallahassee. WOW. It was a great day to be stumbling along trying to re-vitalize a lanugage.
This is priceless:
…it was a great day to be stumbling along trying to re-vitalize a language….
I have a new quarter starting next week and am trying to get things ready to start out fresh with a new set of kids. Does anybody have a video release form that I could have? I’d hate to waste my time making one up if I could just steal it from someone else. Also, how about a CI/TPRS parent re-education letter that clearly and concisely puts into words what we’re trying to do in our classrooms?