These are from Keri Biron (Colwell):
Hi Ben,
So, I gave an exit survey to my kids yesterday and got great feedback. However, a couple students mentioned the fact that we focused heavily on s/he forms of the verbs and not so many other subjects. They are right. I have a few ideas myself as to how I can incorporate more practice with other verb forms but my ideas are limited. I would love to hear from the group to see what they do!
Also, next year I will be teaching a level I class for the first time as a CI/TPRS teacher. I am very excited but also a little anxious. I know I will be doing a lot of CWB in the beginning but what else? I imagine I can do some OWI as well. My classes are 84 minutes long and I feel that that is a long time to do CWB with freshman the whole time. In my classes this year we talked a lot but my students were all level 3 and had a language background. Also, when should I typically begin a story? November? Or is it possible to do an extremely simple story in September? I would also love to hear from the group regarding the first couple months of a level I class as well.
Oh, and the novels for level I. I’m already looking into it but must I stick with an all present tense novel? Do you think the second half of the year we could read a novel in the past tense?
And that actually brings me to my last question regarding the past…Do I do the same thing I did with my level 3s this year with the TPRS stores? That is, “ask” the story in the past tense and read it the following class in the present? But, this would mean that my very first story in a level I class which could be September or October is already in the past…is this okay? I realize that you don’t shelter grammar but I am just checking to see what others think and do.
Thank you so much!!!