It's been awhile since I've had the time (ie made the priority) to blog. We've made it through CSAPs and now we're staring spring break in the face: only 3 more days.
Today, in the midst of my planning madness, I had an epiphany. Recently, well very honestly since winter break, I've hit a rough patch. Especially in first year I've been struggling with personalization. Today we're (trying) to finish an extended reading. I know most people have trouble making things last with TPRS, but I have trouble making things end. I think I stray too much from the story, and don't focus on the structures enough. I know I've been doing a worse job lately, but it takes time to figure out exactly what the problem is and what to do about it.
But I think I finally did it. I need to focus on 1) Providing CI, 2) Providing Personalization, 3)Choosing structures that are high frequency. And that's where I get lost.
I'm using the LICT series with my year 1's and 3's. Year 1's, I've been mainly using Blaine's stories and his structures, but I haven't been successful with using his high frequency structures with personalization. I think this is due to me trying to "force" situations in which vocabulary from the curriculum will come up.
I need to remember: "Shelter vocabulary, not grammar" and also, "TEACH high frequency, COVER the rest."
Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reading. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Getting over January...
This semester started out rough to say the least. I'm not sure what happened, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. I started the semester a bit differently than those previously, so maybe that is why. I don't know if I'll start it out that way again. Anyway, I'm finally starting to feel the groove again. Which is a relief.
Today I came out of a daze and started taking control again. The beginning of the semester seemed like someone else was teaching my classes for me and I was just in my body watching it happen, which is no way to teach with TPRS/CI. I have been sick to say the least, BUT I slept for about 36 hours over this weekend and am finally feeling like myself again. WHEW!
This week is a tough week because 1) today is Valentine's day (so we talked about el día de la amistad so that no one felt left out!), 2) Wednesday is a late start because of PLC work, and 3) we have Friday off... among all of these I have a year 2 mentor meeting after school this week AND my post-observation conference with my AP. Thus, it's a really good thing to be back (mentally).
This stretch of being out of it has really made me aware of how important it is to always be on top of what is going on in the classes. I realized last week that I need to stop during my extended readings to tell students to put pencils down because the pencils had crept into their hands over the past semester and I was getting a lot less eye contact. Once I did that, things started to really shape up. This week's challenge - PERSONALIZATION. I've gotta get that personal touch back. Here's to working hard!
Today I came out of a daze and started taking control again. The beginning of the semester seemed like someone else was teaching my classes for me and I was just in my body watching it happen, which is no way to teach with TPRS/CI. I have been sick to say the least, BUT I slept for about 36 hours over this weekend and am finally feeling like myself again. WHEW!
This week is a tough week because 1) today is Valentine's day (so we talked about el día de la amistad so that no one felt left out!), 2) Wednesday is a late start because of PLC work, and 3) we have Friday off... among all of these I have a year 2 mentor meeting after school this week AND my post-observation conference with my AP. Thus, it's a really good thing to be back (mentally).
This stretch of being out of it has really made me aware of how important it is to always be on top of what is going on in the classes. I realized last week that I need to stop during my extended readings to tell students to put pencils down because the pencils had crept into their hands over the past semester and I was getting a lot less eye contact. Once I did that, things started to really shape up. This week's challenge - PERSONALIZATION. I've gotta get that personal touch back. Here's to working hard!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Unreal.
Today was an unreal day. It was unreal because everything went so well. I tried a couple new things today. They're from Ben Slavic's site, and boy did I have great success. In my third year class, we finished our ask a story with the subjunctive then started a dictation with the story. The students were really engaged and said that they understood almost 100% of the story. Success!
During my first year class, I switched up the format in which we are reading Pobre Ana. It's been going painfully slow (actually with the third year novel too!), so I tried having them read to the end of the chapter themselves. We then translated the rest of the chapter together and had a great class discussion. One boy in my fourth period said his mother stole clothes for him from his dad. Another boy in my sixth period was like Robin Hood and stole clothes from the mall and gave them to people without clothes. It was a great discussion. Then I read the passage again while students followed along or sub-vocalized. I think that was a really powerful portion of class because the students were able to feel completely relaxed but were completely focused.
I'm going to use these methods again! Thanks to Ben Slavic!
During my first year class, I switched up the format in which we are reading Pobre Ana. It's been going painfully slow (actually with the third year novel too!), so I tried having them read to the end of the chapter themselves. We then translated the rest of the chapter together and had a great class discussion. One boy in my fourth period said his mother stole clothes for him from his dad. Another boy in my sixth period was like Robin Hood and stole clothes from the mall and gave them to people without clothes. It was a great discussion. Then I read the passage again while students followed along or sub-vocalized. I think that was a really powerful portion of class because the students were able to feel completely relaxed but were completely focused.
I'm going to use these methods again! Thanks to Ben Slavic!
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