Try this instead: Running Dictation Plan B

Running Dictation is a favorite activity among world language teachers, conceived by Jason Fritze and first taught to me by Michele Whaley. I first shared it on The Comprehensible Classroom blog here in 2011. In this high-energy game, students take turns with teammates to run to a poster, memorize a statement, and race back to…

Read More

Why your best Classroom Management efforts might be failing

This guest post was written by Alyssa Blask Campbell, Founder of Seed & Sew. Alyssa has a M.Ed. in Early Childhood. Alyssa co-created the Collaborative Emotion Processing (CEP) method and now works with individuals, families, and organizations throughout the US and Canada to raise emotionally intelligent humans. Seed & Sew serves people all around the world…

Read More

Practical advice for classroom management

You have done your research and planned your year with lessons and activities that are guaranteed to help your students make forward progress on the path to proficiency. Your planned lessons are input-rich and you know how to keep it comprehensible. You can’t fail! …except, you are failing. You’re a few days in…a few weeks in maybe…and…

Read More

How to grade class participation?

Here in Alaska, we just wrapped up an incredible conference. Bill VanPatten of MSU and Scott Benedict of Teach for June were our Keynote speakers, and they joined with World Language teachers from across the state to inspire and challenge my ideas on language teaching and acquisition. I tweeted like a maniac, so check out #afla15…

Read More

What to do when they miss class?

Because we know that students acquire language through comprehensible input, finding make-up work for students that miss class that actually helps them to make up what was missed is a HUGE challenge. I’m going to share some things that I have done, and I ask that you would add what you’ve done in the comments!! The most important…

Read More