Summary of Big Bad Boy Steps

6 thoughts on “Summary of Big Bad Boy Steps”

1. Steven

   September 24, 2015 at 7:59 pm

   Any ideas for a 45 minute class? I also have a 35 minute class once a week.

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2. Ben Slavic

   September 25, 2015 at 1:26 am

   Steve the obvious answer is to just do the same thing but in shorter chunks. We both know that doing that, however, doesn’t really work very well because as soon as we get a flow going the class is over.
   Therefore, knowing that the beauty of the lesson is in its flow, we would ask how you can create a flow using some or all of the above sequences in your regular classes, keeping always in mind that as long as you are doing comprehensible input, you are good.
   Personally, I was doing ROA today and I couldn’t believe its power and grace. It was like getting on a fast train and not having to do anything but have my printed out sequence summary there to refer to.
   So as you think about a design for your regular classes, keep in mind that this work is about creating something with our students using the powerful engine of comprehensible input, and then reading it. Back and forth endlessly.
   When I think that I didn’t get that for 24 years and I taught in the old way, I just want to give myself a bit hug and tell myself that I was a very brave boy during those years, and now it’s over and I can teach from joy and from my heart and not from abject fear and blinding depression anymore.

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   1. Steven

      September 25, 2015 at 9:19 am

      I totally agree on ROA. My first go at it was a huge success. Tons of reps and They loved the acting part at the end.
      I am working on some sort of ROA + Song lyrics experiment. My last lesson with “sommeil” by Stromae was just okay but I attribute that to my weak PQA skills.
      Still, I have been improving on establishing meaning with gestures/exaggeration — with help from your stepping stones book. It’s pure gold.

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3. Ben Slavic

   September 25, 2015 at 9:44 am

   I agree. I am so glad that you aren’t missing ROA Steve. I think that it’s pure gold. Anyone who hasn’t flown a language class after creating a story by using ROA is missing the grace and swift turning moves and fast acceleration (in terms of student interest) of the ROA airplane.

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   1. Ruth

      September 25, 2015 at 11:52 am

      Somewhat off the topic of this post, but I am wondering, Ben, if you took down your question words or stopped writing them or whatever you do?
      I still have mine up, but I am trying to introduce new words without writing them first. I want the kids to hear them first as much as possible. Instead of having the targets written on the board, I have images or I gesture or act out as I speak. Then we’ll use them in Step 2 for as long as we can, and then they’ll see the words written in Step 3 as I read aloud and we do ROA. I’ve barely begun this in a conscious way, but I like it. Some things will be hard to do this way. We’ll see.
      What is my goal in doing this? I want the sound of the words to get a head start over the written word. It may not be enough of a head start, but I’m giving it a try.

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      1. Ruth

         September 25, 2015 at 12:08 pm

         I should have made this comment in your Report from the Field post.

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