Celeste in Chicago just began this work and is barreling along at high speed, but has run into all the predictable road blocks of attempting to change a class culture in mid-year. Anyone in the group who feels so inclined is encouraged to respond to any or all of Celeste’s four concerns below:
Hi, Ben and Tina-
When we had our video conference call a few weeks ago, I said I would be in touch with an update in a few weeks. To be honest, I’ve been still completely overwhelmed and also a bit embarrassed about my “progress” thus far, but I just know that you both gave me a huge gift with that hour-long conference call we had and I wanted to make sure I followed up with updates.
I know there are likely answers to all these concerns on the PLC blog. I need more time to dig through that amazing resource (as well as the Big CI Book and the other resources). It’s just that in the past few weeks, I’ve been so strapped for time that it’s felt like the hours I’ve spent on looking through PLC posts has lead me down a wormhole feeling frantic about all the things I should be implementing but that will take me so long to actually achieve with my students. I know I have to just keep trying things out until I find the sweet spot with my students, but it is certainly exhausting in the meantime. Anyway, just typing this stuff up is helpful to me and I did want to follow through on my promise to update you guys. So here is my update since we last talked:
- General Classroom Management struggles: Again, because my students didn’t have a teacher last semester, they’re completely accustomed to doing whatever they want. They’re also accustomed to only taking seriously worksheets and conjugation tables. Both of these circumstances has made it extremely hard for them to focus on my L2 speech or to become invested in the CI process. I’m reading the Bite-Size Book of Classroom Mgmt that you guys shared with me but, man, is it taking a long time for students to catch on, not just in their behavior but in their attitudes toward my teaching.
- Larger School Environment/Admin observations coming: I’m going to be observed soon and, while I just poured through the thread about observations on the PLC blog, I’m still feeling anxious about that process which will be happening within the next month or so. I’m also at an IB school so those IB themes and frameworks will bite me in the butt if I’m doing non-targeted CI as much as possible.
- Students feel unaccountable and need routine: I also feel like, while having the element of unpredictability in the L2 classroom is important, I need more structure for some of my classes who are really un-invested in my class period. Most of them feel like they can blow off my class because they’re just supposed to be listening. I’m going to give them grades this week for “class conversation” every day (and in a category that has weight), but I’m not sure it will work and I wonder about making sure there are more of those “pencil and paper” activities that Tina talked about. I give lots of T/F quizzes and I need to start doing dictées and re-writes more frequently so they feel accountable. I also am desperate to set up solid routines that will also support a feeling of accountability in the room (but without dying over grading work!).
- In two (or two and a half) out of five of my classes, students are learning through CI. Those other 2.5-3 classes, however, really weigh on me and make me feel completely ineffective. I know those other students would learn so much from CI, but they won’t get on board!
- Differentiation: Finally, my students are all over the place in terms of language level. I want to set the advanced students (like heritage speakers) up with novelas or something while I tell stories with the rest of class but that level of differentiation feels not good. I’m happy to make them story writers and then give them feedback on their writing but I’m feeling a bit lost in terms of how to meet the needs of all students with sophisticated differentiation that occurs with CI.
Again, sometimes I feel so far gone from the ideal CI world that I just want to throw my hands up and give the students what they will take seriously: conjugation charts, worksheets, vocab lists, etc. I know it won’t help them learn but some days I just want them to settle down to keep my sanity! Also, again, in about two out of my five classes, CI is working. I’m not sure what to do about the rest of the inattentive, checked-out students though. My goal this week is to provide maximum structure and routine in their classes and to have them doing as many written assessments and quizzes as I can to keep them accountable. Not ideal in terms of developing a positive, low-affective filter, communicative environment, but so be it.
OK, rant over. Thank you both for your work and for how inspiring you are to CI teachers all over the country! You guys give me hope!
Sincerely,
Celeste