NTPRS--Events

This is the first in a series of blogs about the wonderful experience known as NTPRS. It might be especially beneficial to those of you who are like me--I don't often get to go. The last time I went was in 2006, and MAN have things changed!

The first thing I'm going to talk about is the improved way in which we can get present and past in at the same time. It was presented by Blaine and Von Ray, and it's called "Events." Events can take place in the past, present or future, and they give you the opportunity to show the students rather than tell the students. Events are not to bring in new words; they give you a chance to get more reps on the words they already know. Anything new will be written on the board. I teach Spanish 1 and 2, so I will show you how I intend to use this with students in Spanish 2.

The idea of events is quite simple.  Let's say you start with a simple premise. There is a girl named Hailey. She used to live in Goose Gulch, Kentucky, but now she lives in Miami, Florida. An event will take us back to the past and let us understand why she moved.  So you could say, "Hailey, where do you live now?" She will answer, "In Miami, Florida." "Hailey, where did you used to live?" "I used to live in Goose Gulch, Kentucky."

"Class, why doesn't Hailey live in Goose Gulch Kentucky now?" You can get as many answers as you'd like. If you like one of the student answers, you can go with that. If you don't like the answer, you can go with one of your own. Let's say that a student said that there was a monster in Goose Gulch. I would say, "Almost.  Class, there was a giant goose in Goose Gulch!"

The difference between a normal story and acting out an event is that now you go back into the story and dramatize. You can bring up more students--townspeople, friends, relatives, and the giant goose--or maybe 2 or 3 giant geese. You can have the students talk to each other about the giant goose--where does it come from, what is its name, how big is it, etc. Of course, you bring in the info either by questioning or by introducing more info, then you feed it to the students.  Finally, Hailey and her family decide that they can't stay. They are going to leave.  Where do they decide to go? You can get as many answers as you like, but the final answer has to be Miami, since you've already introduced it. Your point in deciding is to explain why Miami instead of Lexington or Tucson or Bakersfield (It's obvious--the geese don't like Miami--it's too hot!).

Events, to me, do many things.  They give a story more interest, they give you lots of opportunity to use your students as actors, and they allow you a chance to use the present tense, to name just a few.  I'm planning to try this right away in my Spanish 2. In my Spanish 1, I might wait a few days, but I'll definitely use it in the first week.

Thanks, Blaine and Von, for your great workshop!

Next--reading with Carol Gaab.

My backstory and today, plans for future blogs

I am so incredibly lucky!  When I first started teaching high school, I was given a book called Dime.  I was told that this would be the book that my students would use.  I started looking through it and taking down vocab.  I wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote.  And wrote.  And soon I decided that this was absolutely ridiculous!  I just felt that if my students had to learn Spanish using this book, they would be totally unsuccessful, and as a result, so would I.  I don't like that idea.  I got permission to find a different type of book, and so I went to Teacher's Discovery and found two books:  A book (whose name I forget) that taught TPR for one year and Look I Can Talk.  I started using LICT for second year (I swear that's what I read it was for) and the other book for first year.

By the end of one month, I had two very different types of classes.  My second years (who had come to class saying "Please don't expect much.  I really can't speak Spanish.) were having the time of their lives.  They were learning new things every day and having a wonderful time.

On the other hand, the first years were also doing well, but I was TPRed out of my mind!  I am not into TPR, and this was all day every day.  I was at my wits' end.  

One day, I was sitting at home and for some reason I looked at the inside of the book.  Blaine Ray was listed as author--and his address and phone number were on the book!  He lived in my city, not 5 miles away from me!  Well, I took my courage in my hands and called him.  Blaine was kind and understanding.  He listened to me cry for the longest time, then he offered me the world!  He trained me, observed my classes, let me see him teach my classes, provided us materials, straightened me out about what book was for what level, and just did a remarkable thing for a beginning Spanish teacher. 

I stayed at that school for six years, and in that time TPRS changed enormously.  It went from many rules to few rules.  Circling was introduced and clarified.  The idea of coaching was brought up and people began to be able to see first hand how to really be successful as a TPRS teacher.

In 2007, I moved to Tucson and began to work at Salpointe Catholic High School.  I wanted to work there specifically because Joe Neilson works there.  I have learned a lot, even though our styles are very different.  We have agreed that I teach a more modern TPRS (more like what all of us do today), while he teaches more of a classical TPRS.   We use the LICT and LICTM workbooks, but we don't use the teacher guides.  We have vocabulary lists that we use to make structures.  Teaching this way has made me be much more creative, since I don't use anyone's stories but my own. A week for me usually contains introduction of vocab (I try to stay with three structures per lesson, but sometimes I use four.  Never more than that.), PQA, oral story, and then writing that story in first person on the board with students providing the language.  The next day, the students read a story using the target vocab, and I often include one new word.  The next day, block, usually is the same as day one.  Friday is the same as day two.  In addition, I teach a song every week and the students also watch a movie for culture.  We read two books a year.

I wrote this to show you where I am.  Please let me know where you are.  I'm starting to get questions and comments, and I love that!  Please, though, include whether you would allow me to answer you in a blog post--by name or anonymously--and what you would like me to cover. 

These are some topics I'm considering:  

using TPRS when you have a lot of what I call "list" vocabulary--a set number of words that you have to get through and show student learning by the end of a unit.  

Teaching with songs:  why and how

Teaching on the block

What to do when you're sick

How do you keep your voice from going away  (by the way, did you know that voice lessons are tax deductible for you as a teacher?)

How to get the students ready for writing (not TPRS, but something I do at school, since we grade using rubrics).

Anything else you'd like to see?  Please drop me a line:

meggiev7777@gmail.com

or

meggiev777@yahoo.com

I look forward to hearing from you!

Story--Spanish 2 suena con ser, etc

This story uses the following vocabulary: sueña con ser, bella, espejo  It's for Spanish 2.  Feel free to email any comments or corrections if you can't comment on the blog (why can't you comment on the blog?  That confuses me….)

Había una muchacha que se llamaba Julia.  Ella soñaba con ser doctora.  Pidió un bolso médico, una bata de laboratorio, y un estetoscopio para su cumpleaños.  Ella se vistió en la bata y se miró en el espejo.  ¡Qué bella era! 

Un día, su amiga se cayó y raspó (scraped) el codo (elbow).  Como siempre, Julia tenía su bolso médico, y había curitas adentro y también neosporine, por eso la chica quería ayudar a su amiga.  Pero cuando miró al codo ¡había mucha sangre!  La pobre chica se enfermó y casi vomitó.  Por eso, sabía que no podía ser doctora.

Unos años después, Julia soñaba con ser cantante.  Se puso pantalones de cuero (leather), una camiseta con un dibujo de su banda de rock favorita, y se miró en el espejo mientras tocaba su guitarra.  ¡Qué bella era!  Pero cuando oyó su voz en una grabación en Youtube, ella se dio cuenta de que no pudo cantar.  Por eso, no pudo ser cantante.

Cuando Julia cumplió 16 años, ella recibió un carro nuevo para su cumpleaños.  Su papá le dijo que ella debía cambiar el aceite (oil) sola, y ella aprendió rápidamente.  Descubrió que le gustaba mucho trabajar con el carro.  Ella le pidió más instrucciones a su papá, y pronto él le dijo que no podía mostrarle (show her) más—¡ella sabía todo lo que sabía él!  Por eso, ella asistió  a las clases de reparación de automóviles. Cuando graduó, soñaba con ser mecánica, y empezó a trabajar en un taller (shop).  Hoy día, Julia está muy feliz.  También, cuando se mira en el espejo, ¡es muy bella en sus overoles (coveralls)!  Julia está contenta, y tiene muchos admiradores, también. Todos quieren ayuda con sus carros, y a ella le gusta ayudarles.  ¡Qué bella!