Ben,
I would normally write to my Latin peeps when in dire need of blowing off steam, but this is a purely Spanish problem so it seemed inappropriate. Feel free to post if you want, but I didn’t want to hijack anyone else’s thread.
Today I had a meeting with my sympathetic department head and two other non TPRS teachers, one of whom teaches the same level as me as well the level above call her N, and the other who teaches the level above, call her L.
There is “concern” that my students will not be prepared for the next level because a) I have not covered all of the thematic vocabulary in the chapters and b) because I have not given verb paradigms and sheets with all the direct and indirect object pronouns, among other things.
My colleagues have no real idea what I do, as they have never come into my classroom despite my repeated offers to do just that. L, who was more or less running the meeting repeatedly mischaracterized my instruction as “immersion.” She also said that the students needed to memorize the verb endings before they could start to speak or use them. Interestingly, when I objected that I thought that was incorrect, my department head interjected that while he agreed with me, that it was a conversation for another day. So he knows I am right, but won’t defend me!?!? I am the only TPRS teacher around, and he is not one either, but he is jumping full speed on-board the three modes of communication and ACTFL standard of 90% TL.
I already knew that I would have to give some verb charts to the kids prior to next year just so they don’t freak out when the traditional teachers expect them to start memorizing them. I have been reserving some time at the end of the year to do just that (despite my philosophical objections).
I wrote to my department head – I found it immensely frustrating. I have already made it clear that I intended to give paradigms to my students with the intention that they be prepared to see them next year. I have also already assigned a lot of the thematic unit vocabulary to prepare them for next year, and I am willing to assign more.
Honestly, I do not think that these types of things are examples of best practice in a language classroom. I do not think that kids, other than the top 4% will acquire or retain this information for the following year. I also do not think that it will help them communicate better. The only value that I see in it is in accustomizing the kids to the type of material they will have to rotely memorize in order to succeed in Spanish II.
I felt on the defensive the whole meeting, the unspoken allegation being that my students were going to be unprepared or disadvantaged for next year. I firmly do not believe that that is the case. There was no discussion of the communicative benefits of what I am doing, and the advantages that my students will have. I find it immensely frustrating to be tethered to an ancient curriculum based on a book that even the traditional teachers hate. Why do we need to memorize 40 types of food – because that is the unit in Buen Viaje? That, for me, is not a defensible position.
I am very close to the point where I will teach my way and if you want to fire me, go right ahead. I know that he doesn’t want to do that, but I am only in my second year at the school. It is hard for me to plan for tomorrow with so much rage coursing through me.
Thanks for allowing me to vent,
Dave