Anyway, Jen, you’re in a better position than you think and so don’t worry so much about your lone wolf status. I really do feel that the document Ardythe sent us is huge. Many of us didn’t even know about it, but the 21st Century Skills Map which is DESIGNED IN COOPERATION WITH THE NATION’S WORLD LANGUAGE EDUCATORS is a find for us and so thank you Ardythe for that. I asked Diana Noonan yesterday if she had heard of it and she hadn’t so that was a first.
That document will sit here on this site and it will fight for us, as the other documents and information we have from Robert in terms of the need from backwards curriculm design from the level of the AP exam and all of that. It seems as if enough of Krashen – quite a lot actually – has seeped into documents at the national level (90% Use statement, Three Modes, etc.) so that we are being supplied with plenty of ammunition and we are starting to resemble a well-equipped army instead of the rag tag group of shoeless revolutionary soldiers equipped only with pitchforks and hoes and the occasional cannon (Susan Gross)that we used to be even five years ago.
Does this change your situation as a lone wolf Jen? No. But I hope it has given you cause to carry on the battle in New Jersey. Believe it or not, one of our best teachers is fighting this same battle (I won’t reveal who it is bc that person hasn’t given me permission) But it absolutely blows my mind that a teacher of such calibre is feeling weak and and scared. It is really bizarre, bc this teacher is a true master of this method.
Anyway, carry on and take it one class at time. I would say it’s time to close our mouths, gather our ammo like the Then and Now document, and when in contact with people who are not aware of the depth and breadth of our work we can just hand a copy of it to anyone and invite them to use it as talking points at the next meeting, making sure that an administrator is there, while being very very careful about what we say ourselves, no matter how much we burn to yell our truths out at people.