My previous blog - arellehughes.weebly.com is sadly no more, which is to say that Square bought Weebly and for some reason, unless I make a storefront out of my blog, I cannot continue to blog there...
Enter Blogger - a free, and stress-free option to continue writing about my CI journey.
You can still view my previous posts by visiting my previous blog, but new posts will reside here.
The last time I blogged was March 29, 2018 - like 5 years ago! Wow!
So much has changed within those five years -from my teaching style to where I now currently teach. But one thing remains the same - Acquisition Driven Instruction is here to stay!
Within those five years, I experienced some serious health issues, the passing of close family members, and you know, the world turning upside down due to the pandemic.
But I also experienced the birth of my second daughter, a strong recovery, and landing a teaching job at a high school that seems promising (fingers crossed!).
As the 2022-2023 school year comes to an end, I am beginning a new phase in my teaching career - I'm preparing for a fresh start at a new school for the 2023-2024 school year after a two year hiatus.
Tomorrow, I have my first official meeting with my World Language Department to discuss what we should keep, what we should toss, and what we should change for the upcoming school year.
As the new edition to the team, I believe I am the only CI teacher at this school.
My main goal throughout the meeting is to listen! Really listen to the opinions and thoughts of others.
I'll find out if common assessments are a requirement, the breakdown of the grading percentages, and more.
However, I do want to clarify what our goal as a department is for next year - are we interested in teaching the mechanics of the language or the language itself? Are we shooting for proficiency or grammatical accuracy?
Either way, I will continue to teach using the sweet 16 verbs and using a variety of CI activities. Mike Peto has a great essay on what to do if you're trapped in a textbook department. And, I have a lot of ideas on how I can best "fit" within my department.
For example, I already know that 20% of a student's grade will be based on participation. To make this as objective a grade as possible (because participation itself is a touchy area and for the most part can be seen as a subjective grade) I will count each day's exit quiz as their daily participation grade.
I'll figure out more as I prepare for the upcoming school year, and I'll share my ideas here.
Since I've been on hiatus and I'm somewhat out of practice, I've signed up to see Mike Peto's Summer Workshop this July in Ohio and I can't wait. He has been one of the most impactful people in my CI journey.
If you can't go to a live workshop, you can sign up for his CI masterclass, which has videos and a wealth of solid information, strategies, and techniques!
