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...
Today I was reading some notes from a conference I attended a year or two ago, and realized something that hit me like a ton of bricks: I need a system. Truth be told, I need several systems. And they need to work together.
I work out at a great gym with franchises throughout the middle of the US called Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping. I've been a member for 5 years. (Please withhold the comments about how not so extremely my body seems shaped...I like cake.) Anyhow, every day that I've gone there for five years, I walk...
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...