Unlock with PatreonThe Problem with CI
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Support Needed
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8 thoughts on “Support Needed”
I hope others chime in on this bc it’s a good topic. There are lots of posts on blocks over the years but hard to find. I did find this from Dana w some good comments:
https://benslavic.com/blog/invisibles-block-suggestion/
My thinking is that I would spend less time on #2 above. I just wouldn’t like that stuff on my shoulders – too much like I’m forcing myself to entertain.
Rather, I would rather generate more natural interest by adding most of that time into the later CI segment of class.
I would call the grammar segment “Structure of the Language” or something like that.
I would call the CI segment “Aligning with the Standard” or something like that.
The grammar segment is about the right amount of time, before you and they both go into comas.
I would definitely have a quiz writer at work, cranking out three or even four quizzes to be given on the spot evert 20′ or so before the end of the block period to send a message that the students will be held accountable for the grammar material and the CI. You may not be able to put that in place tomorrow, but as soon as you find your superstar tell her that you will need her to write the three or four quizzes, and to have them ready at intervals of 20′ to be given when she has finished each one. Five simple questions each. If she is seated in Hub A just to your right, it will be easy during class to stay in touch w how she is progressing on the quizzes.
In this way with these quizzes, at the end of each class, if you double the score to a ten scale, each kid will collect a possible 40 points – the equivalent of a major test – each day. These will add up and the kids won’t come to class with a half-ass attitude. Try to connect the content with that of the common assessments.
Other than that, there are the 14 reading options which eat up mountains of time that you can spend after creating the tableau or story.
So basically more CI, more quizzing, to an extreme until they learn to bring their brains with them to class, and eventually more reading of all sorts. The reading options rock the house but to do them you need more CI in your daily schedule.
Also Ben when you get with that other Span 1 teacher find out exactly what is on the common final so you don’t get them concerned about whether you are a team player or not.
There are so many other things to say about this. I’ll send you an unfinished manuscript on how to start they year and also Stepping Stones to Stories, which also talks about starting the year.
Ben pretty much nailed it. I think the breaks are important, just as much for you as for them. I agree with Ben not to spend 30-40 min on #2. Maybe cut that in half. I also agree that 20′ is a good amount of time for grammar. I’ve been doing a class 1/2 time in the book, the other half CI due to behavior, but when we’re in the book, I’ve had to fight heads being down, phones out, etc. quite a bit, so 20′ max including a worksheet/activity on the grammar and vocab sounds right.
I’m sure you’ll do a great job! Best of luck to you!
Have you thought about putting Calendar Talk in there? I talk about the Calendar daily and talk about the weather and I really have a lot of fun doing it.
Also, can you squeeze some Free Choice Reading in there?
What if you called the grammar time “Linguistics” and the CI time “Conversational Time”?
Have you seen Martina Bex’s book “Grammar in Context”? I’d recommend that for your grammar time.
It’s a good book if you are stuck in a situation where you need to teach grammar.
Once you get into a groove, you can alternate or add a Campanada (bell-ringer) and /or FVR.
I just observed my colleagues in the jr high – those kids are trained in a tight and impressive FVR protocol. The T has a slide up w/instructions that they’ve gone over. TL: ‘Take a book and quietly begin to read.’ She has a timer running. It’s only like 35 min class so they only read for like 9 min, but they come in quietly and get right to it.
In another class there’s a cloze activity posted from a song introduced yesterday, or a story. Once you get going, you can have a set of regular bell-ringers (eats up like 10+ min). Then another 10 min to go over the bell ringer. Cloze, storyboard illustrations, answer questions, book work, all kinds of stuff to add to the list of novel activities to keep changing it up.
You could call the grammar part, “under the hood” ;}
I like that term “under the hood”. I spent 24 years under the hood. But spending a short amount of time in a block class is no longer in my view taboo. Remember back in the TPRS heyday about ten years ago when it was a cardinal sin to even mention teaching grammar? It’s all loosening back up. A firm foundation of comprehensible input can withstand a little grammar and it might even be fun to spend some time under the hood. It prepares kids for future teachers, bc I agree w Greg that it might be another ten years before we feel the effects of our work, before we feel the shift, and our kids whether we like it or not are likely going to be meeting grammar teachers at some point. It also shifts them into that logical/analytical part of their brains that they think school is about. I would say 80% or 90% CI could nicely support some time under the hood. The only thing is whenever I’ve tried that with my CI kids over the past 20 years they give me the Bronx cheer about it. Sad, because my heart rests where it has since I started studying French – in the grammar. I’d teach it all day if I could if it weren’t such bullshit.