We have, by now after all these years, so many strategies to use that it’s ridiculous. Most of us have settled into a diet that we prefer and all is well. We’re not overeating. I personally am enjoying a steady healthy diet of stories and readings using Reading Option A, which right there can require up to three or even four block periods, with occasional free writes and dictees.
All the other stuff, the Movie Talk, the vPQA, all those great menu items, I just haven’t been able to get to. It’s fine. We use the things that work the best for us. I have noticed that Linda Li – and I have another class observation of her second year students to share soon – usually does CI in the first half of our 85 min. blocks and then has the kids use the CI from that part of class to draw, write, etc (do output) for the second half of class.
Having all these great menu items to choose from is certainly a far cry from years ago when I would be half way through a regular 45 min. class and sweating, wondering how I was going to get through the rest of the class. When we teach using comprehensible input, it’s an unending feast.