In this report, Melissa brings up a question about second year CI classes, one that many of us have experienced, but one that we have never fully addressed here as a group:
Hi Ben –
I have just re-read Stepping Stones to Stories and am feeling it in my soul. Next year I will have the tools to start strong from day 1. My Spanish 1 classes are going fine but I know that I am not using all their minutes to the fullest. I have begun using more and more of the minutes in Spanish and the students are on board. I am developing my skills day by day and can see the improvement in my students.
My concern is with my second year classes. I lost them while reading El Viaje de su Vida. They did not like it. I am beginning Cuentos de Ensalada with them which uses storytelling, storyasking, and reading. They are more involved and have some excitement about it. I so want to bring the magical spark back to them and am going to re norm the class and myself for this soap opera. Thank you so much for sharing your work in Stepping Stones. It is a survival guide in the classroom.
Melissa Sadler