Friday, November 13, 2009

Excitement (like swine flu) is contagious

Yesterday I was in an action study team meeting (where we meet cross-curricularly and discuss different aspects of teaching) and it was my turn to share what I'm doing in regards to instructional design this year. I shared the Marcia Tate list of brain-based activities that I blogged about here a couple of weeks ago and then started in on what I'm doing with TPRS. I was the only language teacher there, but we had a really good discussion of what is working and why. At the end of my "presentation," one of the teachers looked at me and said "It sounds wonderful and you are obviously very excited about it." I AM! I am very excited about the possibilities. Sure, there are still days where I sit there and think "What in the world am I doing?" But I am still just so excited on the days where everything falls in place. I want to share it with the world, but I don't want to cram it down anyone's throat. It's funny, but the teachers that I work with daily have caught some of my enthusiasm and have started asking me about what I'm doing...how I'm fixing this or that problem. While they might not be drinking the same Kool-Aid I am, I love sharing with them. I love the idea that they might try something...even one little thing...in their classes. It also makes it so much easier to ask for help in solving a problem if they know what's going on in my classes.

1 comment:

  1. You know, I'm also excited about TPRS. It's something to be excited about. What other subject at school can possibly be this much fun AND be the best way to learn at the same time? I went to a pre-Thanksgiving party the other day and started talking about it, and ended up doing a demonstration for half of the party!

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