Our table was right in front of the podium at the (U.S Congressman) Jared Polis Awards Banquet last night. Fifteen of the most effective teachers in Colorado were honored, among them a member of our Denver Public Schools TCI (Teaching with Comprehensible Input) team, Joseph Dziedzic.
Paul Kirschling was there and also DPS World Languages Coordinator Diana Noona, along with a few of Joseph’s friends and family, and Joe’s principal at George Washington High School, Loan Maas. There was great food, a nice short speech from Jared, and a good feeling of celebration all around, as it should be at this time of year.
Diana presented Joseph and it was awesome to hear her take the opportunity to explain in detail what Joseph actaully does in his classroom, to wit – speak in the target language 95% of the time. Her speech cut through a lot of the old pre-Krashen ideas about what it meant to teach languages.
Diana made it clear that the award went to a teacher who does not speak English in the classroom, who does not base his instruction on the book, and who builds community by putting knowing his kids as people first, before anything. Diana made that clear.
At one point, Congressman Polis was nodding in agreement. Then Joey, in his typically unassuming way, thanked everyone, and another blow was struck for the idea that teachers can actually speak in the target language 95% of the time in their classrooms.
I am glad that what we are doing in Denver Public Schools reflects a kind of fierce solidarity amongh our TCI group to make Krashen’s ideas work in the classroom. Sometimes, especially now at the end of the year, my stomach is filled with a kind of weariness from the battles of the year.
But when I looked at my colleagues Diana and Joseph and Paul (those of you in LA will remember Paul from his presentation on using paintings and the visual arts to make CI come alive), I forget the trials of the year and I am filled with a pride of community that I had never experienced in my long career – when I felt so alone – until now.
Congratulations Joey. Dr. Krashen’s brilliant work over all those years, without teachers like you walking the walk and bringing them to life, doesn’t mean much, really. You actually make Krashen’s ideas work in changing the lives of kids so that they feel that they, indeed, are actually good at learning languages.