Year's end can be easy, if I let it

This has been the least stressful end to a school year I've ever enjoyed. It doesn't need to be difficult after all. I needed to realize two things:

First, I should give simple assessments. How easily can I gather information to show me that my students understand the target language? All they need is a passage on their level with some straightforward questions. The more complicated the project or test or whatever the more opaque the evidence becomes.

Second, I should stop planning in my pride to fix all the problems next year by preparing lots of materials over the summer. I don't need a worksheet for this, a web-quest for that, a new grammar handout, a new website, a new load of prompts for projects, new videos for my "struggling" students, a new homework policy, new classroom rules, new activities for this or that reading. I don't need any of it.

All my students need to learn the language is comprehensible and compelling input. I'll make sure the input is comprehensible by following all the protocols of Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS). I'll make sure the input is compelling by talking about my students with real interest in who they are in my heart. All of that will happen slowly and with a sense of joy and maybe a few smiles. What's scary about that? What do I need to prepare?

I used to schedule my summers so as to have such and such materials ready by such and such times. No more. Work smarter, not harder. I would spend two hours preparing a PowerPoint that would fill maybe thirty minutes of class time in one class period. No more. Now all I need is time to relax and dream of ways to talk to my kids about stuff they like. But how can I plan for that? I haven't even met my classes yet! It will all happen in good time.

What is "circling"? With examples!

"Circling" is a technique for asking repetitive questions in the target language. We do this all the time in TPRS and CI-based instruction in order to provide students with more repetitions of target structures (i.e., new vocabulary and grammar).

The basic pattern of circling is:

• Yes/no question
• Either/or question
• Yes/no question
• Who/what/where/when/why/how/etc. question

You follow this pattern to ask questions about the subject ("circle the subject"), verb, or whatever else.

A detailed, essential explanation of circling can be found in Blaine Ray's book Fluency Through TPR Storytelling. In this post, which presents my hodgepodge of an approach, I give some examples of circling in different scenarios, in Latin (the language I teach) with English translations (for most everyone else).

First, though, note six main rules of circling:

1. Go slow. Super slow. The students don't know the language and every new structure is a totally new sound for them. Go so slow that you feel bored. Then slow down some more. Now they can follow you.
2. "Teach to the eyes." This is a phrase from Blaine Ray or Susan Gross or somebody, but it is the main thing that will save you and your students. Make eye contact constantly with your students. And don't just look at them, try to feel whether they understand. Their eyes will tell you if they are lost or ready for the next question.
3. Avoid unnecessary circling. Only focus with circling on new structures, probably only your target structures for the day. The sounds of the structures in circling need to be new to hold interest and momentum. If they have already acquired something, circling isn't necessary. But be careful here. Oftentimes students have acquired far less than we think they have.
4. Demand a choral response. Every student needs to reply to every question in unison. If there is a weak response, simply stop and explain in English how everyone needs to show you they understand. Then ask the same question again, more slowly. If there is still a weak response, write translations on the board. Every student responds every time or the class takes forever and it sucks for them. They will get that pretty quick.
5. Personalize. Make sure that you are asking questions and including information suggested by your students in the conversation or story or whatever is being said. Circling about how Random Roman Guy was in a forum is boring, but circling about how Susie (a student in class) was at a concert is awesome.
6. Ask for quick translations. Every once in a while ask your students, in English, "What did I just say?" They should be able to provide a "this is painfully obvious" kind of translation.

So now lets look at two different sentences and how you would circle them with your students. It is assumed that you have written translations of new structures on the board and perhaps even established gestures. The students should be able to understand the meaning of everything you say. If ever you sense some students aren't following you (refer to rules 2 and 4 above), point at the target structures and translations on the board, write other things with translations they might be struggling with, or do something else to establish meaning so that the students are confident in their answers to your circled questions.

Example 1
Sentence, stated by teacher slowly to begin:
Trevor in cubiculo dormiebat.
--Trevor was sleeping in his bedroom. (Some teachers require students to go "ohhhhh" all together after a new statement as if the most interesting fact in the world has just be stated. If I were better I would insist on it every time just like choral responses.)

First, we can circle the subject:
Q1 (teacher): discipuli, dormiebatne Trevor in cubiculo?
--Students, was Trevor sleeping in his bedroom?
A1 (class): certe!
--Yes!
Teacher: optime! Trevor in cubliculo dormiebat.
--Very good! Trevor was sleeping in his bedroom.
Q2 (teacher): discipuli, dormiebatne Trevor an Luke in cubiculo?
--Students, was Trevor or Luke sleeping in his bedroom?
A2 (class): Trevor!
--Trevor!
Teacher: optime! Trevor in cubliculo dormiebat.
--Very good! Trevor was sleeping in his bedroom.
Q3 (teacher): discipuli, dormiebatne Luke in cubiculo?
--Students, was Luke sleeping in his bedroom?
A3 (class): minime!
--No!
Teacher: optime! quam absurdum! Luke in cubiculo non dormiebat. Trevor in cubliculo dormiebat.
--Very good! How absurd! Luke was not sleeping in his bedroom. Trevor was sleeping in his bedroom.
Q4 (teacher): discipuli, quis in cubiculo dormiebat?
--Students, who was sleeping in the bedroom?
A4 (class): Trevor!
--Trevor!
Teacher: optime! Trevor in cubliculo dormiebat.
--Very good! Trevor was sleeping in his bedroom.

Then we might circle the verb, but really the possibilities are endless. Notice the pattern can change for variety based one whatever your students are ready for:
Q1 (teacher): discipuli, saltabatne Trevor in cubiculo?
--Students, was Trevor dancing in his bedroom?
A1 (class): minime!
--No!
Teacher: optime! quam absurdum! Trevor in cubiculo non saltabat. Trevor in cubliculo dormiebat.
--Very good! How absurd! Trevor was not dancing in his bedroom. Trevor was sleeping in his bedroom.
Q2 (teacher): discipuli, dormiebatne an saltabat Trevor in cubiculo?
--Students, was Trevor sleeping or dancing in his bedroom?
A2 (class): dormiebat!
--Sleeping!
Teacher: optime! Trevor in cubliculo dormiebat.
--Very good! Trevor was sleeping in his bedroom.
Q3 (teacher): discipuli, ubi Trevor dormiebat?
--Students, where was Trevor sleeping?
A3 (class): in cubiculo!
--In his bedroom!
Q4 (teacher): optime! discipuli, quid agebat Trevor in cubiculo?
--Very good! Students, what was Trevor doing in his bedroom?
A4 (class): dormiebat!
--Sleeping!
Teacher: optime! discipuli mei sunt intellegentes.
--Very good! My students are smart.

Example 2
Sentence: Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire vult, ut Will Smithem spectet.
--Maria wants to go to Hollywood to look at Will Smith.

This is just a quick demonstration of how scary grammar can be made less scary:
Q1 (teacher): discipuli, vultne Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire?
--Students, does Maria want to go to Hollywood?
A1 (class): certe!
--Yes!
Teacher: optime! Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire vult.
--Very good! Maria wants to go to Hollywood.
Q2 (teacher): discipuli, vultne Maria ad urbem Hollywood an Kansas City ire?
--Students, does Maria want to go to Hollywood or Kansas City?
A2 (class): Hollywood!
--Hollywood!
Teacher: optime! Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire vult.
--Very good! Maria wants to go to Hollywood.
Q3 (teacher): discipuli, vultne Maria ad urbem Kansas City ire?
--Students, does Maria want to go to Kansas City?
A3 (class): minime!
--No!
Teacher: optime! Maria non ad urbem Kansas City, sed ad urbem Hollywood ire vult.
--Very good! Maria doesn't want to go to Kansas City, but to Hollywood.
Q4 (teacher): discipuli, vultne Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire, ut Will Smithem spectet?
--Students, does Maria want to go to Hollywood to look at Will Smith?
A4 (class): certe!
--Yes!
Teacher: optime! Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire vult ut Will Smithem spectet.
--Very good! Maria wants to go to Hollywood in order to look at Will Smith.
Q5 (teacher): discipuli, vultne Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire, ut Will Smithem an Bruce Willisem spectet?
--Students, does Maria want to go to Hollywood to look at Will Smith or Bruce Willis?
A5 (class): Will Smith(em)!
--Will Smith!
Teacher: optime! Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire vult ut Will Smithem spectet.
--Very good! Maria wants to go to Hollywood in order to look at Will Smith.
Q6 (teacher): discipuli, vultne Maria ad urbem Kansas City ire, ut Will Smithem spectet? / Students, does Maria want to go to Kansas City to look at Will Smith?
A6 (class): minime!
--No!
Teacher: optime! Maria, ut Will Smithem spectet, ad urbem Kansas City ire non vult. quam absurdum! Will Smith in urbe Kansas City non habitat! Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire vult ut Will Smithem spectet.
--Very good! Maria doesn't want to go to Kansas City to look at Will Smith. How absurd! Will Smith doesn't live in Kansas City. Maria wants to go to Hollywood to look at Will Smith.
Q7 (teacher): discipuli, cur Maria ad urbem Hollywood ire vult?
--Students, why does Maria want to go to Hollywood?
A7 (students, maybe a volunteer because it's not a one- or two-word answer): ut Will Smithem spectet!
--to look at Will Smith!
Teacher: bene!
--Well done!
Teacher (quickly in English): Wait a second, what did we just say? Why does Maria want to go to Hollywood?
Class (there should be that "duhhhhh, it's obvious" feeling): To look at Will Smith!

If you see how this process could be basically endless based on the needs of particular students, and how the teacher could use it to talk about anything with any level using any grammar under the sun, then you get the point.

Only Give Unannounced Assessments

There isn't much point to giving announced quizzes, exams, tests, whatever in foreign language classes. If you are after fluency, you'll agree we should only care about what the students have acquired, not what they've memorized. (The same might be true in other subjects, too, but I won't go there.)

If you announce that on Friday there will be a test, the students will go home and (if you're lucky) study and memorize. Then on the test they will regurgitate.

Announcing assessments makes the whole thing about assessments. "We need to prepare for the test next week, that looming, dark thing" or "This will be on the test, so you better pay attention!" Of course assessment are necessary, but don't give them so much attention. Use them as a tool to tell where you're students are at, not as an end in themselves.

My students know to expect a "quick quiz" at the end of most class periods, but beyond that I try not to advertise assessments. I've heard whispers that we "don't even take tests in that class!" Of course that's ridiculous. My students take a variety of assessments, I just don't tell them that's what they're doing. I might give them questions and say "answer these," or I say "write about this," or maybe "draw pictures of this," all casually so that students simply do the task without really thinking about it as a test.

Observation Guide for Foreign Language Classrooms

Based on the examples of Susan Gross (.pdf) and Bryce Hedstrom (.pdf), I have created a guide for observing foreign language classrooms.

Since so many observation guides are state- or district-mandated, they often lack relevancy for foreign language classrooms. Furthermore, I have made this guide to be applicable to the method of comprehensible input (CI) and Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS). It can be used to supplement any required observation documents.

Next year I will stick a folder to the bulletin board next to the door to my room with a stack of these inside. When an observer comes in they can take a guide and get to work.

Download the .pdf files here.