Responses to Comment - Pacing and Lessons

The following is part two of a response to a comment.

Someone recently asked on a comment:

Hola Jeremy - this is really funny and I've very impressed. I teach Spanish I and I'm in awe at the complexity and level you're introducing to students. I'm really interested in knowing more about how you pace your content and your lessons (in 90 min classes and shorter periods). Just a suggestion for a future blog post. Gracias!

Part #2: " I'm really interested in knowing more about how you pace your content and your lessons"

So what I worked on doing (as you can probably see in my blog) is that I worked at Backwards planning through TPRS novels last year and the previous years to help my kids be successful.  The idea was to load the kids up with Comprehensible Input (via PQA, TPRS, etc) all semester so when they got to the novels, they could read most of it with ease.

Día 38 - Lesson Plan Review

My principal has to evaluate me this year.  She passed out in everyone's mailbox (I assume) a Lesson Plan Review.  The funny thing about Lesson Plan Reviews is that it is just that!  It's reviewing my ability to plan and show things such as Backwards by Design, etc.

It's great that my principal wants to hold me accountable to teaching the students.  In previous years, the principal never really stopped by to observe my class.  So I got used to being completely immune to any possible dangers or fiascoes as a result of someone observing me.  But hey, now that I am a real teacher with real credentials instead of a phony, I guess it's important that they observe me.

With TPRS, I think the idea of a lesson plan is a little messy sounding.  Since we're practicing a structure or three, it might look like we're not learning at all, but it is completely based on conversation.  I'm wondering if I put on the lesson plan review form that I am planning to teach, it might sound like I have no idea what's going on.

And that is sort of part of it.  I mean, I don't have a complete understanding of what will happen in class.  But if we're speaking and learning Spanish and the students are getting it, then isn't that the purpose of class.  In a lot of ways, TPRS feels like winging it.  Even though there is a plan, you don't want to follow the exact story because that means your students aren't contributing.

There have been stories that have completely floored me in their creativity and silliness.  We also learned the structures.

So I guess hopefully my review goes well.