Tag / best practices

You've heard the buzz. Sr. Wooly is where it is at. But then you log yourself on to www.senorwooly.com and are immediately fill with a sense of overwhelm. You've seen the Baño video on YouTube and have heard of the famous Billy la Bufanda. Your crazy colleague down the hall actually BOUGHT...

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I've been inspired. I mean, this time of year, it is hard not to look ahead with eyes to the bright shining promise of the new year. But it also is tempting to pull my head out of the clouds and realize I have a few short weeks left in first semester, and a pile of grading staring at me from before break. So, how the heck do I balance my need for, well, balance with these competing sentiments of optimism and exhaustion?

As usual, when it comes to great ideas, I need to blame Meredith White. I feel like lately, she is my teaching...

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This is the second of a draft-quality (for now) series of posts about the Danielson evaluation tool and how the qualifiers and criteria can apply to a Comprehensible Input-focused classroom. If you're just stumbling onto this now, you can find Domain 1 here.

Danielson Domain 2:  The Classroom Environment

Okay!  This one is probably the least difficult to make fit a CI class, because frankly a good environment is a good environment!  There are certainly some...

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I've noticed a recent trend among other TPRS/CI type folks to put together a list for big conferences like ACTFL of all the sessions that may be of special interest to those of us focusing on COMPELLING, CONTEXTUALIZED COMPREHENSIBLE INPUT. So, for those similarly-minded folks, here are a list of sessions at the upcoming annual conference of the Wisconsin Association For Language Teachers that might be of interest.  These are sessions presented by CI teachers, as well as some personally recommended sessions by presenters who have good stuff to say, regardless of their CI-ness.  Of course,...

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I've heard it said that people can pay attention, typically, one minute for every minute of their age. My students are 14-18. I teach on a 90-minute block. Which means that on average, after about 15 minutes, my students are physically incapable of paying attention.  I teach on a 90-minute block.  90/15 = 6. 6 changes in tempo.  6 breaks in the action.  This was a daunting number to see.  I use a lot of activities in class, I work hard to engage students.  I've even considered myself creative from time to time.  But to do 6 changes of gear during one class period? What if what...

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In today's edition of thank goodness people are generous, I bring you the best new idea I didn't think of, and basically didn't understand until I saw it in action: Running Dictation. To give credit where it is due, I have to thank Martina Bex, who got it from Michele Whaley, who got it from Jason Fritze. What is running dictation? A great activity for my energetic and squirrely freshmen in Spanish 1, although clearly would be great at any level (I can't wait to try this with my 4's next...

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Oh. My. Gosh.  You guys, this BLEW MY MIND today during our meeting!  I had to share it with you immediately.  Forget about my "CI in other subjects" post I said I was going to do.  Forget about the post about the awesome Canadian article that is started and sitting in my drafts.  This is fantastic. Today at my department chair meeting we were told to bring with us a task.  This was to have been a task that we asked students to complete that brings one of our "Lancer 9" Common Core Standards to life.  Our building has narrowed the CCSS for Literacy in All Subjects to 9 most critical for our...

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