Well, I tried the Word Chunk game this week with both levels of my students. I have one class that I really consider to be a superstar class. I think I've made reference to them before because they really embody and embrace the "game" of TPRS. That class adored the game and the prize (picking the French video to watch at the end of the hour). I found a snag with my other classes. While most students loved the game and it really engaged all students, I had one team in each of the other classes where none of the players was interested in playing the game. I could have assigned them to teams, but I feel like that takes away the reward of the game. Especially if they are going to be in these teams for a while. Any thoughts?
Also, I had some students who were very concerned with "fairness" in the game. They would cry foul if I called on a team with no points when they obviously had their hands up first! I found that my other classes did better with that when I explained that as part of the rules. "I might not call on the team with their hand up first because I want to give everyone a chance." They seemed to accept that pretty well.
I had a day yesterday that had me shaking my head. I had a total Negative Ned who was being completely inappropriate. It really made me question my sanity, but it was just a bad day. Today, we were back on track. I think if I just let it slide off my back and go back into the classroom full of love for the students, I feel better about it and they respond in kind. I'm still trying to figure out how to prove to my students that I'm not out to get them, but I do need some order and respect in the classroom.
Ben is the best person to advise you about the word-chunking-game problems you are having. Also assiduously read his booklets and blog entries. Even stuff of his and his correspondents that does not directly address a problem of yours can inspire a solution.
ReplyDeleteAlso check out Ben's chief mentor: Susan Gross. I think she has some excellent downloadable stuff on so-called classroom management.
I mentioned your little problem on Ben's site and he responded there for you with the following words of wisdom (I therefrom copy and hereto paste) :
ReplyDelete"So, Elisabeth, and this is directly from Susie Gross’ mind, “they smell raw meat” in your insecurities. Susie told me that I AM THE TEACHER and that we will do this my way. What we have seen happen with so many people just starting out in the past is that if they just stay the course of circling, trying to move forward as best they can, using Point and Pause, going seven hundred times slower than they think they should, asking the questions, it begins to work. Just like riding a bike, you will experience part of a class where it comes together, if only for a few moments or even seconds, but in those moments you will see things. If you just do skill #22 in my book, Staying in the Moment, waiting for that first cute answer from the back of the room and then praising it heavily (because they have started to play!), you will see that what Blaine and Joe came up with is for real. Then, in the invisible world, those recalcitrants will know something is happening. Eventually, when they know that they cannot defeat you, they will be the first to join you. It’s true. When they see their classmates, even one, working successfully with you to play the game, it will be over for them. In the meantime, speak with them privately, tell them that you would like their support but if they are not willing to give it you will put them in the back of the room with the book for some differentiated instruction, so that they can “learn” something. Call the parents to make that clear. Then do so. You don’t have to go into a big thing about how bad the kids are, just calmly tell the parents that their particular child seems more cut out for some differentiated instruction. Don’t let them keep you from precious learning time in your classroom by choosing to do the stuff you used to do. And don’t go around saying, “Hey kids we are going to try a new method.” Just use your laser on the wall rules (do you have those rules up as a poster yet?) and keep trying. There are people on the list like Carmen and Laurie who are much better at this kind of supporting discussion than me, but this is what I say."
I'm still trying to figure out how to prove to my students that I'm not out to get them, but I do need some order and respect in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple of things at work here. By the time they get to high school (and often junior high), some students have been "burned" so many times that it takes a while to build trust. Just keep at it. I think it was Mark Twain who observed that once a cat sits on a hot stove, it will never sit on a hot stove again - but it will never sit on a cold one either. That's your students; you have to convince them that your classroom is okay.
Ben's rules poster is excellent for helping maintain order. You should have some version of it (there have been a couple) posted on your wall. But then you need to use it effectively. Your best tools are 1. the laser pointer and 2. silence. When an infraction occurs, stop, point to the poster and wait silently until the offenders get the message. You may need to go stand by them. I have the poster in two places in my room so I can point to it from anywhere. Just this week I had to point to the rules a couple of times in one class. Then I heard one student whisper to his neighbor, "He's got everything covered."
Something that I am finding helpful this year is to allow a little English at the beginning of the class (about 2 minutes) and then review what we covered at the end of the class. Usually we have a "pop quiz" and then I ask students to tell me in English what we did and what they learned. Sometimes its really unfocused, but other times it's obvious they were fully engaged.
I'm enjoying your blog. Stick with it (both the blog and TPRS). It will get better.
Robert Harrell
German Teacher
Pacifica High School
Garden Grove, CA
Elizabeth, Keep with this!!! I am in the same boat you are with being a career-changer and becoming a teacher. I am in my very first year of teaching and have jumped into TPRS straight off in my first year after seeing some amazing results in local classrooms that I subbed in last year. Your blog is important because it shows the highs and the lows, the successes and the tough days. Do you know anyone in your area that you could observe?? There are a couple of great teachers in my area that I am going to try to observe. If you need help finding connections, please let me know, because I think you are nearby! Or maybe we'll just have to take a couple personal days and carpool out to Denver to watch some greats in action. ;)
ReplyDeleteBen asked me to post this since he's having trouble doing so himself:
ReplyDeletehere is a response to that thing Frank brought up
Definitely give the team now willing to play bookwork. Sit them right next to you. Tell them to fill in some blanks. Tell them you are working hard to make the class interesting and fun and that if they don't step up and do their 50% then they will work in the book. I wrote some more stuff on this on my own blog.
Now, about the calling on various groups problem, I always pick the MOST DISENFRANCHISED outcast in the class to stand next to me and pick who had their hand up first. I also explain what you did about spreading the wealth. But the job of the helper standing with me is to see who has their hand up first and also to see if they did in fact do their group sign in perfect synchronicity.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! It's so refreshing to have some dialogue on this!
ReplyDelete