Given the blizzard of 2014 and plenty of school cancelations in the Midwest, there has been plenty of time for us teachers to be taught via movies, blogs, books, etc. During these ‘lessons,’ I noticed a common theme; people always need a leader. An old Irish poet named W.B. Yeats said that “Education is not the filling […]
Last year I blogged a post about the top 3 mistakes teachers of novices make. It made a big splash, in the cyber world anyway. Something about that post resonated with teachers. But it didn’t address the biggest mistake all of us make – the cancer that plagues world language teaching and makes programs far and […]
Sometimes, the business world comes up with a really great idea that works well in education. Sometimes, that idea catches on like wildfire and makes a big difference for student learning. Sometimes, it doesn’t. At least, not for everyone. Particularly those of us who might be considered “early adopters” have a bad habit of hearing […]
What an important resolution to make! If you’re only going to make one resolution this year, there are so many options to choose from – more comprehensible input would probably be the top one I’d pick. But this one is so close. My last suggestion for a resolution for 2014 is to 5. Use more […]
If you’ve read me long, you’ve heard it before – no matter how good the textbook is, at least in my experience, it’s never motivated students past September, and it’s out of date as soon as it’s printed. Of course there are lots of other arguments – artificial order, ridiculously expensive supplements, faulty companion assessments, […]
After you’ve decided which research-based book to read and how to collaborate with another teacher, how about resolving to survey your students? My third suggestion for a 2014 resolution is: 3. Survey your students. We all know the power of honest feedback. Have you ever invited your students to give you constructive feedback? I’ve surveyed […]
The reaction to my post titled Top 3 Mistakes Teachers of Novices Make startled me to say the least. The ACTFL TOY called it a “must read.” My blog traffic jumped 600% in one day. It’s been accessed twice as much as the next most popular post in the last six months. Something here resonated […]
2013’s second most popular post offers tips for those of us approaching the new world language AP exams. The world of AP World Language teachers is all abuzz with the vast changes made to the exams this year. Six years ago the Spanish language exam changed to what was a more proficiency-based format. Last year […]
2013’s fifth most popular post is about giving up on the idea that you can control what vocabulary students acquire, while engaging students in activities that really deepen their vocabulary. A few months ago, as part of the student choice homework activity, one of my best AP students chose to label ten items in her […]
2103’s seventh most popular post is about one of my soapboxes, my “hills to die on.” I’m convinced that the way most of us approach vocabulary in the world language classroom is almost completely contradictory to brain research. Read on for four classroom habits that enrich student vocabulary where it counts – in their long-term […]
It’s the question on the mind of almost every student sitting in almost every class in American high schools. The way we, and they, answer this question has a lot to do with how, and when, and where our students will be successful in their future: What is the big deal? Who cares about the […]
Assessment has a lot of purposes, the least important of which is to give students a number on a report card. Some that come to mind are: educating students and parents on proficiency helping students identify areas that need improvemen keeping parents informed on their child’s progress, responsibility, etc. showing administration what your class is doing […]