Q. We are having moments of feeling great and moments of frustration when we try to combine our textbooks and CI method. Is this normal? We are determined to keep going, but some days are feeling like the students want the grammar. I know you will say, “Don’t do it”, but any motivational words would be great.
A. When it’s all said and done the book cannot be mixed with CI instruction. That said, I firmly believe that teaching some grammar is fine, esp. if you are aligning up with someone who does grammar. It’s not the end of the world to do grammar. It produces little if anything in the way of results, but you get to rest from the arduous work of gearing everything up for CI. But trying to MIX the two via some textbook is crazy. Keep ’em separate. Do pure CI not connected to any book but rather from some nice story scripts, etc. or any of the other Big CI book activities. Then do the grammar in the book. Just don’t do them at the same time. Teach grammar as a break.
The motivational words are that there is a natural imperceptible movement each month. Anything that you try to get better at on a daily basis will result in your getting better at it. Your team will get better at being CI teacher. Because they are trying to do so. If the kinds might not be buying into the CI fully now, at least you are doing some CI and cables are being laid in the overall process of mastering this way of teaching and one day you will know something.