best practices
April 15, 2015
A few weeks ago the topic for #langchat was about timing and transitioning activities in a class. Then, shortly after, I was teaching a novice-high class of sixth-graders as part of an interview to perhaps go back to teaching next year (MAYBE). (Lesson plan coming soon.) Anyway, it made me think more about this issue […]
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January 30, 2015
For the original myths post, click here. You can also view all of the myths posts. This, my eleventh post on myths I believe make us ineffective in the world language classroom, is about saying we’re assessing something without actually asking students to do it. 11. A multiple-choice question counts as a valid assessment of […]
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December 30, 2014
It wasn’t even close. My post on the biggest mistake we make (and are pushed in so many ways to make) as language teachers was hit more than 40% more than the #2 post. We know we’re covering too much content, and we’re tired of being told that’s the right thing to do. Oh- and HAPPY […]
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November 8, 2014
Since I had my precious Cottrell-itos on my trip to the annual conference of the Indiana Foreign Language Teacher’s Association, I didn’t get to spend as much time involved in the conference as I would have liked to, but I did greatly enjoy the time I did have. I reconnected with “old” friends, made new […]
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August 15, 2014
Keeping games communicative
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Many teachers are back in school and last night’s year-starting #langchat topic was, by a large majority vote, review techniques that get students moving forward quickly after a long break. I was sick and wasn’t able to join in the conversation but I’m going to assume that someone mentioned games. I would have! Who wouldn’t want […]
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May 20, 2014
In the many tasks you’re trying to accomplish, are you doing the best you can? Perhaps a better question is, should you be? Recently someone made a comment to me that made me think about us as teachers, and parents, and coaches, and servants, and how we stress about not being able to do any […]
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February 1, 2014
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 […]
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January 27, 2014
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 […]
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January 17, 2014
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 […]
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January 1, 2014
2014 Resolutions #1: Read a book
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Last year I blogged a popular post called 5 New Year’s Resolutions for Every WL Teacher and in it I suggested that WL teachers: Speak more target language in the classroom. Get students speaking more target language in the classroom. Target students’ particular needs. Try something new. Share what you’ve learned. The post earned such […]
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November 8, 2013
Caring about the Really Big Deal
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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 […]
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April 13, 2013
This post is a comment that will be published in an upcoming article on 21st century skills and assessment in The Language Educator, the bimonthly publication of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Multiple choice was the death of critical thinking. Multiple choice questions train students to look at problems in one […]
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