Charla Aranda reports in from Utah:
Ben,
I am finally back into researching again, and I’ve recently been back on your forum reading through posts, which has helped me not feel so alone with the struggles I am having. With this being my first year teaching both TCI and AP Spanish, I’ve been overwhelmed at times and have gone into survival mode.
The good news is that I’ve actually had a majority of positive responses across the board from all my students in levels 3, 4 and AP with the CI techniques I have been exploring and implementing. The consensus is my students feel they are learning, retaining, understanding, and they are writing better than ever.
The drawbacks are that my students want to feel they can speak the language more and want more conversation practice in class. And those 4% students who had Spanish 1 & 2 teachers who taught with the traditional method of grammar lessons with t-charts, books, and the like, want grammar lessons. Having said that I only had a total of 3 kids complain to me about not getting enough grammar input and not being allowed to write copious grammar notes. Who are these people? They want WHAT?! Boring. I have to laugh inside because, do these kids not realize that everything they are asking for and more is all over the internet at their fingertips? I’ve actually told one or two kids this year who have asked for worksheets to go find their own worksheets and do them at home on their own time if that is what they are craving. They never asked again. Ha ha!
My problem is, I am still very self-conscious and insecure about my proficiency in teaching and delivering the TCI method well. I am still very much in the experimental/learning phase as a teacher. I see the imperfections and I cringe. Yes, I am a perfectionist. So, even when the majority of my kids love what I am doing (that’s 215 kids), when I have 3 who do not, I bothers me to the core, mostly because I am lacking in confidence as a TCI teacher. Ugh!
Around mid January, my kids were getting sick of the stories, for various reasons. This is typical this time of the school year. They got a nice taste of a break during December and want more. But also, I think they want something new and different to mix it up. So, I am now looking into Movie Talk and incorporating Read & Discuss more.
Something I have not seen or read much about though is how to incorporate conversation practice along with TCI at the upper levels, which I teach. I have been trying a few things out, but am still looking for more ideas.
Thanks for all you do, Ben!
Charla
The Problem with CI
Jeffrey Sachs was asked what the difference between people in Norway and in the U.S. was. He responded that people in Norway are happy and
