As I spend some time this summer revising units I have created over the past few years, I want to make sure that I’m incorporating current best practices as I understand them. Fortunately, ACTFL has provided a list of six Core Practices that have provided an easy to use framework for my revision work this […]
As my understanding about how languages are acquired continues to evolve, so does my vision of my role in the classroom. When I began teaching, I considered my prime responsibility to be that of providing vocabulary lists and explanations of grammatical rules followed by opportunities to practice them. A lot has changed over the past […]
As we begin creating our own thematic units, rather than relying on those presented in our textbooks, we are faced with the challenge of selecting themes that are relevant to our students while at the same time preparing them for authentic situations in the target culture as well as high-stakes testing such as IB or […]
One of the first units that I shared on this blog was a series of lessons on food waste. When I found myself with a couple of available weeks with my French 3 students right before Thanksgiving this year, this topic seemed like a great fit. Not only would we all be enjoying copious dinners, […]
It’s hard to believe that this is the third year that I am posting a Christmas unit! This year’s plan, based on my current French 2 students’ needs, includes many resources that I have used in the past with either French 1 or French 2 classes. However, I’ve added some new resources (some of which […]
Last night’s #langchat was hopping! One of the most lively discussions had to do with the topic of using rubrics to assess students’ communication in the interpretive mode. So, at the request of @MmeBlouwolff, I’m sharing a few thoughts about how I use rubrics to assess reading in my classes. Like many of my colleagues, […]
As many of you know, I relocated during the summer and am teaching in a new district after 15 years at my previous position. While I would like to say that my transition has been seamless, that wouldn’t be entirely accurate. I am discovering that it takes a long time to build the types of […]
Unlike many of you, I have done very little to incorporate music into my curriculum in past years. Although I’m embarrassed to admit it, I’m just not a very musical person myself. I was familiar with only a few current French artists and seldom listen to music for personal enjoyment (Yes, I know this how […]
A couple of years ago when I decided to drastically change what I taught (cultural content instead of vocabulary and structures) and how I taught it (by using authentic resources instead of textbook exercises), I took a close look at my assessment practices. While I embraced the concept of IPA’s, I struggled a bit on […]
As I discussed in my previous post, I have spent some time this summer reading The Keys to Planning for Learning: Effective Curriculum, Unit, and Lesson Design by Donna Clementi and Laura Terrill. After completing a template (see this post), I turned to creating the actual lessons that will enable my students to meet the […]