Round table discussion

During the exhibitors fair, I sat down at a table with my roommate Crystal (holla Crystal!) and luckily, people just started joining us!  I like to think that it's because Crystal and I look really interesting, friendly, and beautiful, but it's probably because there were only two tables in the room.  Anyway, we started talking with people like Leah from Tennessee and Joyce (?) from the Netherlands and many others (I'm sorry I can't remember more names, but my brain is mush at this point, remember?).  We found a common thread: we are the outcasts in our departments, but we are doing the right thing and it makes sense to those who aren't language teachers drilled in the art of grammar worksheets.

Leah had inspiring stories about working in a rural district where students hate language and their parents support that view because those dang im'grints should just learn to speak 'mercan by gosh!  She is in a battle with her colleagues, who spend most of their day in the copy room, making worksheets or sitting at their desks while the kids watch movies.  She has tried to collaborate, but they aren't interested in sharing ideas.  How sad.  My experience with building-level collaboration has always been fantastic.  Even though I was usually the only teacher using TPRS, we worked together on so many things!  Just because I teach differently doesn't mean that we can't learn from each other.  Every teacher (even the worst) has good ideas, right?  So we rallied around Leah and encouraged her to do what she believes is right and to share when she's comfortable without using the word TPRS.  Say it's an activity that worked and just share it.  They'll either be open to it and it might work for them or they'll ignore you.  At least you tried!

Here is something that I took from Leah that I am going to try really hard to remember for next year.  She had her students at the end of the year write letters to the new students for next year.  So the 1st years who are just winding up their first year in class write what to expect/advice for next year's first year class to receive at the beginning of the year.  Then, Leah goes through, picks the ones that are most beneficial and photocopies them for the beginning of the next school year.  How great is that?