James responded to Jeff:
I find myself extending reading days more and more, which is something I think I remember Ben saying, too. Reading days are SUPER HELPFUL for that burnout feeling. Reading days or even movie days. Just take a 2 week vacation from oral/aural CI with your upper levels. No big deal. Just let ’em read. And do freewrites. And essential sentences. And “choose nine of these twelve questions to answer on your own paper.” And “translate this passage into English.” etc. etc.
By the time you get back to doing some PQA and stories, if you ever do, the kids will be fresher AND you will have prepared and practiced a few rounds of new structures with your lower levels.