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From Chill
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18 thoughts on “From Chill”
If only more teachers worked toward mastery and not dabblery, their bosses would get it right as they would see a vibrant class atmosphere and increased enrollment and learn to think for themselves instead of listening to the foxes guarding the henhouses.
Dabbling, mixing the method with other stuff that is not comprehension based (projects, worksheets, computer activities – most only appear to bring gains – and other forms of output too early) is not good. It creates confusion about the power of the method. Great job, Chill!
Dabbling is a good name for the “eclectic method”. I used to do this myself, trying a bit of this and a bit of that, anything that would keep my students interested and engaged. Of course, basically, I was trying to fill the void because I instinctively knew that the methods I’d experienced and observed and been taught weren’t doing the job. When students said I was a good teacher, I felt guilty, because I knew that I’d accomplished so much less than what I’d hoped for. I was almost 60 when I discovered TPRS, but I soon realized that I’d been looking for it for a long time.
Well go ahead and accept in on behalf of everyone, but everyone should know how much love and energy, time and dedication you bring to your students, and to the profession!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gooooooooooooooooooooooo Chillllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
with love,
Laurie
Chill,
I would so love to meet with you in person. I am desperate for training. It would be great if we could have a summer meet-up. Your post here was so inspirational to me because I felt pangs in my heart when you wrote,
“In my department, I am crying in the wilderness when I talk about CI. As a result, I am silent which isolates me more. Working in a vacuum is weird and at times scary. The validation is nice, but my take away from this is to continue to do my due diligence to school my administration about the method and to try to deliver comprehensible, compelling input.”
I’m Northwest Jersey. I plan to start the year right! Any chances we could make it happen? Maybe a whole group of us could meet somewhere in the middle, wherever that is…and just talk. This forum is wonderful for that, of course but it also would help to have connections within the same state, no?
Jenn: Great, when I get back from iFLT and NTPRS, I will share everything that I learned there with anyone who wants to listen, but Ben is right and Piedad is in Livingston (?). She has a blog called TPRSofNJ. She offers workshops at her home in addition to webinars. I am sure that Catharina and Brigitte will chime in too. We will make it happen!
Anywhere new Hackettstown???
Whoa, I’m in Hackettstown!
Jenn!
That’s so funny! I will date myself, but I spent two years at Centenary College when it was a two year institution and all women! Ha Ha! Beautiful corner of our state.
Chill:
I live only about 2 or 3 miles away from Centenary. Ok NOW I am begging you for a meetup if your close!!!!
There’s Piedad, Brigitte, Catharina also.
I’m in Northeastern New Jersey, close to NYC. I would love to meet you Jennifer, with Carol and others in this area. My experience is somewhat different though because I only teach to the very young. I’ll be in Breckenridge in July, and hopefully we can meet there. As far as professional development on the East coast? Tough… Last year, Laurie along with a few master teachers, ran a coaching workshop close to Albany. But that was last year… and only once. Piedad offers webinars online, and one can go visit her school and watch her teach. She also used to run coaching sessions ? She is very knowledgeable and willing to help. There is a private school in Morris county with some really talented TPRS teachers. Jason Fritze some years back, reformed the whole language department into TCI. So there are some pockets of TPRS teachers in NJ, but nowhere like in Colorado or on the West coast. Then again we do have THE Laurie on the East coast 😉
Thanks! I actually attended two of Piedad’s workshops but as a webinar because I couldn’t make it to her home. I wasn’t sure if it would be weird at the time to ask to visit her at school. I guess an email to her is in order…? Also, my husband is from and works in Morristown. What school are you referring to and how the heck can I speak to someone there for an observation?
“Morristown-Beard School” in Morristown has some excellent TPRS teachers. I spoke to Juan Tejedo (“Profe”) some year ago, and was invited to watch him teach. He told me all about how their language department had evolved thanks to Jason Fritze, but also that their new division head was unfortunately more inclined towards traditional rules and output methods. The TPRS teachers were still continuing to do what they thought was best for their students, while bluntly placating their superior. I contacted “Profe” via the school website. He was a lovely teacher, very dedicated, calm, poised, wore a suit. He had the students in the palm of his hand, and they were learning like crazy. At the time he taught middle school French and Spanish.
I contacted Piedad through her school as well, and she also very kindly let me sit in her classes. Her students were younger, and it was great to watch her energetic and charismatic way. She even sat with me during lunch debriefing the technique, and sharing with me her extensive lesson plans. I’ll never forget those fat binders, in contrast to this spontaneous, free spirited teacher who “seemed” to totally improvise her lesson. She was very generous and giving, and spoke passionately about TPRS .
Inga Zuñiga is another master teacher who works at the Cranford public school, middle school Spanish. I only met her once when she replaced Blaine at his workshop in Newark. She encouraged us to go visit her, but I haven’t had a chance. Certainly worth it.
Blaine Ray travels all summer giving lectures. Chris suggested this on another thread. Sometimes it’s Blaine himself, or Inga. Often early July by Newark airport. May be worth looking into?
Hmm..I think that’s it in my rainy corner of New Jersey.
Hey:
My husband knows right where that school is located. Do you think Juan Tejedo may still teach there? My district has some Monday’s off coming up due to snowdays and I’d love to observe any one of those teachers!! Thanks for all the info!
I bet Juan Tejedo still works at the same school. I met him a year ago, and his name is still listed under faculty members at “Morristown-Beard”. Definitely contact him, and you can even mention that I suggested you talk to him. He may not remember me though? I don’t believe that he is very involved on the listserv or any blogs. He sort of does his own thing, fixes up his house in the summer, stuff like that. He has been teaching with TPRS for years. Great, personable teacher. Native from Mexico, and speaks French beautifully. Now May is a busy time of year in private schools (only 4 more weeks). Everyone is kind of wrapping things up, so he may suggest visiting in the fall. Don’t know?
I forgot to mention Piedad’s school. She teaches in the Montclair public school system, elementary Spanish. She certainly will be happy to help you in any way. I doubt she’d remember my name.
I Hope it works out!
Yes, I would totally love to meet with you East Coasters – I’m on Long Island and could make it into the city or somewhere else in the not too distant vicinity (is that an oxymoron?). I’ll be going to Sweetbriar (anybody else from this PLC going there as well?) and would surely have lots of things to share as well. It would be wonderful if we could make it happen!
Hi, y’all!
I’m coming to New York (Brooklyn, Long Island, and the city) to visit cousins and my daughter from May 31 to June 12. I am certain that at some point in there my daughter will be working and my cousins will be busy/gone.
Can we keep in touch and maybe anyone who is around at least try to have coffee?
That would be just plain awesome if we could make that happen. In my case, I will already be teaching that college course, so my time will be extremely limited. I really hope we can meet up somewhere/somehow/sometime.