Reading Tumba with 5th Grade

Tumba, by Mira Canion, is the first ever TPRS novel I've used as a FLES teacher. I am reading it with my 5th grade classes. Up till now, we've built stories and I've typed them up and we've read those, but we've never read a published novel. So I decided to try Mira Canion's new novel Tumba, starting in the first week of October as we lead up to the Day of the Dead. The classroom set of Tumba books has been sitting on a table just inside the door to my classroom for a few weeks. Everyone who walks in and out pauses to peruse the colorful cover with its creepy skeleton and marigold-bedecked tomb. But when I announced to my 5th graders that we were actually going to read it, they were stunned. "In Spanish?" they asked in disbelief. "Well, yeah," I responded. "But how will we understand it?" they moaned in despair. "You'll understand it." I assured them. They did not look convinced.

When we cracked the covers last week, it was one of the most exciting classes I've ever had. Mind you, these are students who have been exposed to Spanish twice a week for 30-40 minutes, some of them since Kindergarten, and some even less. Three of them were new students who had had no Spanish at all. As I read the first paragraph aloud to them and they followed along in their books, I could see them one by one glancing up at me in joyful amazement. "I understand this!" they were telling me, either out loud or with their eyes. We translated, we looked for cognates, we continued. They read with a partner and reported back what they had understood. I did a couple of grammar pop-ups. (How can you tell Alex is a boy and not a girl? because he's "nervioso" not "nerviosa" one or two students noted with confidence). "Oh yeah," the others concurred. We've started using journals to recap what's happened in each section we read (in English, for now, but I think we can do it in Spanish before long), list cognates and 'nuevas palabras'. When we broke out the journals this week, one student cried out "Oh yay, we get to draw!" I hadn't even thought of that in connection with this novel, but it would be fun to do that too.

So yeah, I definitely recommend Mira's novice novels. Having worked with her this past summer to translate Agentes secretos from Spanish to French, I have tremendous appreciation for what goes into making a novel comprehensible to the most novice of novices. Mira kept saying, "I want students to be able to read this in their first month of learning French." What might seem boring and repetitive to a native speaker or seasoned upper level teacher is not at all boring to a novice, especially when the content is as compelling and fun as Mira's novels. What I'm seeing in my 5th graders is sheer joy of reading something they are excited about, which is accessible enough for them to forge forward to see what happens next. In the language of my elementary school reading teacher colleagues, they are reading at the "just right level".

My challenge is to keep myself from making it too much of a chore by going all teacherly on them. I need to harness their enthusiasm, while still making sure everyone is understanding and no one is left behind. I need to make opportunities for circling and PQA without losing the momentum of the story. Suggestions and guidance are most welcome. I'm a total newbie at this approach to the 'R' of TPRS, but I am loving it. I'm looking forward to some of the ACTFL sessions on reading, in hopes there will be some FLES-appropriate tips there too. And I can't wait to dive into the many other novice novels I have on my shelves with even younger students. Any recommendations for 3rd or 4th grade?

The Art of Possibility – The Third Practice: Giving an A

The Art of Possibility – 3
The Third Practice: Giving an A

In this practice, the authors suggest that we give all of our students an A at the outset– “the only grade that will put them at ease, not as a measurement tool, but as an assessment to open them up to possibility.” The only requirement the author makes is that his students write him a letter dated the following May in which they tell the story of what they will have become by then, to explain the grade of A. He explains that Giving the A “allows the teacher to line up with her students to produce the outcome, rather than lining up with the standards against these students.” (p. 33)

What a great way to describe what we do in our classrooms! We line up with our students in pursuit of an outcome. We are a team, a partnership.

I don’t grade my elementary school students, so for me “Giving an A” is metaphorical. Giving an A “invents and recognizes a universal desire in people to contribute to others.” So, in my classroom, I need to help invent roles for my students that allow them to feel they are making an important, perhaps unique, contribution. Ben Slavic’s classroom jobs do this. Gerry’s fictional attributions do this.

We all have tales of one difficult student, and how everything changed when that student was given a specific job, role, distinction, identity, attribute, or recognition. Sometimes we have to search for the right way to Give the A, but once we’ve given it– metaphorically– our students become precisely who we want to have in our classrooms.

The Art of Possibility – Practice 2: Stepping into a Universe of Possibility

Practice 2: Stepping into a Universe of Possibility

This practice emphasizes the distinction between The World of Measurement, where we live most of our lives, and The Universe of Possibility, “where new inventions are the order of the day.”

In the World of Measurement, we get to know each other and the things around us by measuring them, comparing and contrasting them. Life is organized in hierarchies, an inside and an outside, competition, success and failure, it is the fight for survival. In The World of Measurement, there are only so many pieces of the pie. It forces us into scarcity thinking, which produces anxiety and fear.

It’s easy to see how most of the schools we teach in are rooted in The World of Measurement. We have set schedules; we are asked to report on students; in many cases, to compare students or assess them in a way that creates a hierarchy; we have standards to meet; and in the case of independent schools, we worry about enrollment and attracting families to our schools.

In The Universe of Possibility, it’s all about relationships, contributing, creating new ideas. “We gain our knowledge by invention.” It’s a world of abundance and openness. Every time someone takes a piece of the pie, the pie regenerates!

A presenter at the NTPRS conference this summer spoke about "fictional attribution", where you notice something a student is doing, and by mentioning it, make it (more) so: “You are a good listener.” “You are brave.” “You always notice things about nature.” By building relationships with our students, by helping them feel known, by providing them with new ways to know each other and the world, we allow them to be successful in ways that can’t be measured. That shouldn’t be measured.

Also, you "are more likely to be successful, *overall*, if you participate joyfully with projects and goals and do not think your life depends on achieving the mark because then you will be better able to connect to all the people around you."

This was the the most difficult if the 12 practices for me to sort out. Writing about it here has really helped.

The Art of Possibility 1

My school recommends shared summer reading books for faculty each year. This summer our elementary division was asked to read The Art of Possibility, by Rosalind and Benjamin Zander. Ironically, I at first grumbled about having some poorly written pop psychology pushed upon me when I could have been reading Alfie Kohn or Malcom Gladwell or somebody I'd been wanting to read when I had time. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that not only is TAOP wonderfully readable, but it is exactly what I needed to help me put a positive spin on things, after wallowing in negativity for much of the past year. In these difficult financial times, our independent Quaker school, normally accustomed to the Quaker decision making process of group discussion and eventual consensus, has been deeply affected by a series of top-down decisions, resulting in personnel cuts, surprising changes to program, and lots of sad, mad, bad feelings.

In The Art of Possibility, the writers suggest 12 practices which define "novel ways of defining ourselves, others, and the world we live in," using the metaphor of music and the arts.

Practice 1: It's all invented

In 'It's all invented,' the basic premise is: "It's all invented anyway, so we might as well invent a story or a framework of meaning that enhances our quality of life and the life of those around us." (p. 12) The epigraph for this chapter tells about two shoe marketing scouts sent to a remote region of Africa to find new sales opportunities. One writes back: "Situation hopeless-- they don't wear shoes," while the other writes triumphantly: "Glorious business opportunity! They have no shoes."

This made me think back to when I arrived at this school to teach elementary Spanish 10 years ago. I found out the week before school started that the previous Spanish teacher had departed suddenly, leaving no trace of a curriculum behind. My initial reaction was "Situation hopeless-- no set curriculum" It took me days, weeks, months, in fact it has taken me years to reach my current sense of "Glorious opportunity-- no set curriculum!" I feel this especially now that I understand so much better how children acquire language and what strategies lead to success for all. The freedom I was granted to invent was, in fact, a great gift.

Making it to the finish line

I attended a TPRS workshop presented by Laurie Clarcq in DC on Thursday (thank you Lea & Sidwell Friends!) and came away with a lot of ideas on how to make it through these last 4 weeks without giving up on CI. Here are a few:

1) Word of the day: assign one student to say a specific new expression every time you point to him/her (I've just been doing the usual “p-e-e-ero” or “Quién means who”). I have a couple of 2nd grade boys who can’t seem to stay focused and this is just the ticket for bringing them back to attention.

2) Quick acting gigs: Have two kids pop up just to act out one sentence, such as “Juan gives the milk to Mamá.” My classes love to act, and I always get bogged down in major productions, rather than these delightful little pop-up acting opportunities. Plenty for everybody to do, and easier for me to keep track of who’s had a turn.

3) Making students complicit in restoring order: as you are waiting for silence, look around the room, make eye contact with every student.

4) We need to communicate to the students that *they* are the most important thing, not the language.

5) Provide short opportunities for output with well-practiced language: Turn to your neighbor and tell her that Juan and Mamá live in a purple house. Now answer back that the cow lives in the purple house too.

6) Don’t forget to give students credit for *recognizing* language, even if they don’t remember what it means.

7) Write several expressions on the board and don’t talk about all of them, but see if any students figure out the unmentioned ones and use them, then praise them for being so smart, thereby motivating others to notice what’s on the board.

And now I just read Ben Slavic’s blog with his reminder to BE CHEERFUL. It sounds so easy and I know it works every time, but I just keep forgetting and letting the kids get under my skin. I have 17 more days of teaching this year. I will go slower, be cheerier, engage my students more consistently, and know that if it isn’t perfect this time around, there’s always next year! That’s the best part about teaching.

Upcoming Comprehensible Input learning opportunities

It seems a long time since last August's Story-Based Language Teaching workshop. I hope all are having a great year, and finding new ways to incorporate comprehensible input strategies into your teaching.

There are some great workshops coming up this winter, spring and summer, given by nationally known TPRS/CI presenters, some in the Philadelphia area.

ONLINE TOMORROW! Thursday, January 19th, 7 p.m.
Kristy Placido: Online TPRS WEBINAR--Bridging the Path to Authentic Texts (Presented at ACTFL 2011)
Novice learners need to become comfortable operating within the target culture(s) and with authentic texts. However, most authentic texts are quite difficult for a novice to navigate. Participants will see how the novice learner can be guided toward the rich experiences offered by authentic texts without fear and frustration.
$25 - 60 mins. Register here.

Saturday 25 February, 2012 in Hershey, PA
Michelle Kindt: Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling, for World Language and ESL Teachers
National Board Certified French teacher and experienced practitioner and coach of TPRS. I've worked with her at several national TPRS conferences and she's great! (Flier here)

Saturday 24 March, 2012 in Pennsauken, NJ
Susie Gross: TPRStorytelling® in levels 2-AP
The Level 2 – AP workshop includes:
How to teach upper-level classes using TPR Storytelling®
How to get complicated grammar to sound right to students
The importance of reading
Essays, homework, AP preparation strategies
(find Registration form here)

Summer Conferences:
In my experience, the best professional development comes from the week-long national conferences. There are three (!) different national (and international) conferences this year:

June 24-July 1: TPRStorytelling MultiCultural Conference, in Punta Cana, Republica Dominicana July 17-19: International Forum on Language Teaching Conference, Breckenridge, CO
July 23-July 27: National TPRS Conference 2012, in Las Vegas, NV

I'd love to hear from you, to share joys and success, queries and concerns from your language teaching this year. As always, there's a wealth of information and advice available on the various listservs and blogs you can access through the links here.

I wish a season of happy teaching and learning to all!