Textbooks serve a purpose
For large districts, especially those with transient populations, it is impossible to expect a student to learn a language if every school has multiple teachers teaching at different rates and different topics. Requiring all 35 Spanish 1 teachers to use one curriculum is the best way to serve students. Having identified thematic units with consistent vocabulary and similar grammar pacing, you help those students who are already at a disadvantage from moving so much keep up with their classmates.I taught in several districts like this. I once had 30 students enrolled in class and only 28 desks; I never had a problem with not having enough desks because of the rotation of students. It was so much easier to accommodate a new student from the high school 9 miles away because I knew what the student would have been exposed to.
Textbooks also have limitations
Many teachers take their textbooks as everything they have to cover. I know there are district wide assessments, standardized test, etc. Those cannot cover every little thing in the books.Textbooks are also written to expire so you keep buying them. Major and significant cultural events take place that transform cultural norms (the embargo ending with Cuba). The language changes before the new edition comes out. (When I started at my current tiny district the technology section had "floppy disks" in the vocab list.)
When teachers feel bound by a textbook, teachers stop teaching and they start shoving. We shove 45 new vocab words at them per unit, we shove three distinct grammar concepts at them, and we shove outdated cultural references at our students. They can't take all of that, and we know it. Then we shove "how to cram" "study skills" at them and tell them to focus really hard two nights before the quiz. Then we pray it sticks.
Look at all the Facebook teacher-y groups you belong to and read the threads about "the worst vocab section you were required to teach" or "this was on a standard test and I didn't know the answer". They are great for a laugh at the end of a long day.
Textbooks are tools, not a life plan
I would genuinely state that any teacher, no matter the subject, that teaches a textbook front to back isn't doing their job... and is slightly insane. Our math teachers teach units out of order because it works better that way. Our science teachers use YouTube videos to highlight new applications of what is happening with the very concept they are studying. Our English teachers are using modern parallels to draw connections to "classic" literature.
Mixing CI/TPRS with your textbook
Take baby steps
If you or your district isn't 100% on board with CI/TPRS then don't go 100% into it. Slowly start finding supplemental materials and work them in. There is a lot you can do to start going that direction.Some baby step suggestions:
- Timed write as your bellringer (you can use a picture or set of vocab words from the unit to get them to practice that specific stuff)
- Story telling or asking instead of "read the selection, answer the questions"
- Key cultural points in the book, find YouTube videos of what they are talking about, use it as a MovieTalk
- Cloze listening activities for key grammar structures or vocabulary are great ways to get in listening practice
- Teach in 90% TL for 90% of your classes
Identify the resource
When I was in the large districts, I was the only one with a book in my classroom. All the other books were stacked inside of file cabinets. I used my teacher guide as a pacing reference, cultural key points, and vocabulary builder. I should also note that my students kept up with the Jones' no problem, and I was their third teacher three months into the school year.My teacher edition of Realidades had a TPRS story book for me to use; it wasn't bad! It even had mini stories for in class read-alouds.
Once your scope and sequence is identified, the hard part is done!
Identify key grammar points
I know the CI/TPRS is not grammar focused, but your district and textbook are. I suggest starting here. Max out at 3; this means you may actually teach two mini units instead of one big unit. Think: if your students are solid on the first part, adding the second part is easier and they should do better on the district exam.Knowing you need to incorporate 1)me gusta, 2) te gusta, 3) le gusta is easy when doing PQA or asking a story in general. That will take 2 classes tops before you're ready to add more.
Identify vocabulary
This is the easy part, the list is at the end of the chapter! Genuinely look through the list and get rid of things that are antiquated or seriously not helpful (no one uses "floppy disk" or "armed chair"). I made lists on Quizlet and divided them up by "likeliness to be used in a story together". That way students could study the words in a grouping that touched them emotionally, physically, and differently than rote memorization.Use the exercises in the book
If you have a district test it should be written like the textbook (makes sense, right?). Give these as your formative assessments, or check-in points.If you get really good, you could ask a story around questions that already exist and use that as your comprehension quiz. It worked one time for me and it was great (there was a reading about a girl going to school, but I asked a story and they could still answer the book questions).
I also found it fairly easy to find YouTube videos that the questions would also work for. Many times I turned the sound off and had student watch the silent video and then answer questions, that way you are truly assessing their reading. Also think MovieTalk. It's great!
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