I don’t know if I published this or not yet. Kate sent it in February. I think I did publish it. But I am doing so again now so we can keep the point that Kate brings to the table in our minds and never forget it as we continue to retool. I remember that this is the only email I have received from a colleague where I had to walk away quickly from my computer to keep myself from putting a fist through the monitor. No hyperbole there, either. Wait till you read it. God help us all. God help Kate’s supervisor. Oh, did I call her a supervisor? I’m sorry. I got that wrong. I meant IDIOT.
Hey Ben,
It’s Kate in Philly. Oh Ben, whatever shall I do?
I was observed yesterday by a supervisor and got this review back today. I am supposed to be on the Family Unit from our curriculum and so have had my 5th Graders bringing in pictures of their families and we have been interviewing them about the people in the pictures. The kids have responded really enthusiastically. I started out with the target structures of “tambien” (also) “quien?” (who?) and “cuantos/cuantas” (how many?) and have been sprinkling in family vocab as needed.
My supervisor came in, stayed five minutes, saw me warm them up with some TPR review for the target structures, listened to me ask one student just a few questions about the people in her picture, frowned, and left. I got this short response from her today. Any thoughts? My school is really super CI friendly but this supervisor I think just doesn’t understand how L2 acquisition words. And I feel like all of the sudden she’s expecting me to force output….
Supervisor’s email:
“Try to encourage students to answer your questions in complete sentences, students most of the time answer with actions or simple words. TPR is a great tool to teach vocabulary, but the objective is for students to vocalize that vocabulary.”
You don’t want to know what I responded back to Kate. Suffice to say that this supervisor needs to be educated. Kate doesn’t need this! Please crank out a fitting response to this crap by then. I know where you live. Kate can’t be swatted down like this. Objection! And we need to sick Harrell on this person as well. Or maybe we wake up the wrath of the Hibenator. Somebody!