Laurie has also been considering designing some multi level classes for next year. Below is what she sent me today:
Ben,
I have been struggling with how to approach next year with six classes and four preps…and mentoring a new teacher..
One of the ideas I’ve had was diving into multi-level….and so I couldn’t believe it when I read your post!! Here is the letter I sent to my principal:
Ok…here is a radical, but interesting thought. A number of TPRSers across the country, especially in small schools, are teaching multi-level classes. Scheduling is always a pain and this would ease things in several ways:
1. We could have a two year rotating curriculum for a Spanish 2/3. The focus of both of these years is using a variety of verb tenses and that takes time. This would give them 2 years of input to become comfortable with the past/present/future dichotomies. I would start next year with the topics and endings that this year’s 2’s have not yet covered. The following year we would do the other half. In this way both groups would have the same focus and yet still cover all topics/grammatical structures.
2. We are already so far away from a standard curriculum that many of the typical “grammatical structures” addressed in Level 2/3 classes have been introduced in Intro and Level 1 (ie direct/indirect object pronouns, pret vs. imperfect)leaving time and space for this type of curricular approach.
3. Scheduling would be far, far easier.
4. Students entering the district as freshman/sophomores would not have to face the Spanish 2 or Spanish 3 dilemma that they deal with now. They would always be in the right class.
5. TPRS naturally differentiates. It would be very easy to challenge our more advanced students while addressing the needs of those who need more time.
6. It would be possible to approach it as Intermediate Spanish A and B or just keep it Spanish 2/3.
7. Spanish 4 is already on a two year rotating curriculum.
I would be happy to get more information from teachers presently teaching multi-level classes if you have questions for them.
What do you think? I would love to draft a more specific proposal if you think that this is something that we could proceed with.
Laurie