TPRS / CI and Block Scheduling

*Note: Someone recently emailed me a question about using Block Scheduling. I am no expert, but I found out how to make it work for me during the 3 years that I taught on the block. Here are some ideas that hopefully are helpful below.*

A few years ago I was forced (against my will) to teach on A/B block scheduling when I was hired at a new school. I was forced because it was a bomb dropped on me after I accepted the job (if I remember things correctly). I didn't even know to ask that question in the interview! Oops!

The way that block scheduling worked at that school was 90 minute periods, 4 a day. One day was A, then next day B. Early dismissal Wednesdays A or B alternated each week. So if there were no interruptions whatsoever, then in a two week cycle, I would see each class 5 times total. (One week Monday, Wednesday, Friday and then the next week Tuesday and Thursday).

When I first started it, I hated it. Then after I left it, I sort of missed it because I could more easily see the benefits (that I was able to get out of it). Although I still believe that every day instruction is better for acquiring language (shorter more often) than a big chunk every two days.

Another spontaneous output experience #2

Something for us foreign language teachers to consider.

If you polled your students on the first day, "Why are you taking Spanish*?

*Or insert whatever language you teach.

While some of them might say things like:

• "I need it to graduate"
• "I need it for a credit"
• "It looks good for college applications to have 2 years of a foreign language"
• "I want to know what 'those people' are saying about me at Walmart'**

The other thing they would say is, "I want to speak Spanish!"

So my followup question naturally is: how many of them would say, "I want to learn all about Spanish through its grammar as if I am taking a linguistics class"?

In my experience, the best way I've found to accomplish the goal of helping them speak is through Comprehensible Input and stories!

And while I am only in Spanish 1 this year, my classes at this point in the year are just going crazy with output.

Sure they don't speak perfectly, but what Spanish 1 student does? Comparably, what 2-3 year old speaks perfectly? Heck, what adult speaks perfectly?

Templates for additional activities

First semester flew by and I wasn't able to get into the rhythm that I like to create until this semester since we were still using the first 10-15 minutes of class interviewing a student (very basically about one thing they like to do) until we finished talking about everyone.

But I like to establish a routine with some additional activities. I'm only doing Spanish 1 this year, but these activities worked for other levels because you can always use more language when reacting or describing whatever it may be. And these are great to get into class mode.

Often times I pick something because it relates (well or loosely) to some words we have been going over or I simply find it hilarious and need to share it but find a way to get the high frequency words in there.

Here is what I ended up on. Since we only meet every other day (due to block scheduling), I really will only do this 10 or so times each. The thing I enjoy is I can often do some different passes of old words and/or add some enrichment vocab (for those quick kids who want more vocab) and sometimes (if appropriate) I can do some pop-up grammar.

Every day: 

• Daily report (today is) - on board
• How is everyone? - Talk in Spanish about them for 5 minutes, ask follow up questions as appropriate
• Weather report (clip off weather from espanol.weather.com) TEMPLATE

Then I also will do an additional warm up activity.

Día 86 - Warm ups

I would be really interested to hear how teachers in Spanish classes do warm up activities, especially with the lower levels.  I tried to do some with cultural points in English from a trivia book with a Junior High class last semester but we started the class out with way too much English for my taste.

My Junior High kids really need some sort of structure too.  So I don't mind experimenting with them.  What I started doing by the end of the semester with the 7th graders was to have 4-5 mini statements and have them fill in the blanks with the correct word.  It would be reviewing words we've gone over.

What I should maybe do is change the activity from that. Right now I have them matching the words together.  Maybe I should do 'unscramble', groupings or have them make up logical sentences with certain words.  Maybe they could remove a word from a sentence that doesn't quite fit.  I guess I have more possibilities than I realized. 

Since we use a lot of spoken language, I thought this would be a way to help them see the words and interact with them a little bit (which seems to be the purpose of the dictation activities that I haven't tried yet).

I just know that I am lacking on these kind of things for my lower level classes to get them going when the bell rings.

For the 8th graders I am going to check their notebooks once a week and look at the these warm-ups to give them points.  We'll see how it goes.