Skip Crosby has quietly been stoking the fires of the revolution up in Maine. The revolution is one in which real language proficiency and fluency reach the masses and not just the high achieving students that typically grace the attendance
First We Listen posters for your classroom
This classroom poster of mine made the rounds on social media after iFLT15 thanks in large part to Darcy Pippins’ photo of it, seen here: Some folks encouraged me to make one for distribution. So, I did. Why? Because I believe
Send A Thank You to Your Admin
Our administrators don’t always understand. Most don’t understand foundational principles of Second Language Acquisition, much less the significant implications it has for classroom practice. But they do understand that some professional development experiences are better than others. Part of our
A Superhero Generator
In the TCI world, we make connections with our students by talking with them about their own lives. Slowly at first. Very slowly, actually. But, eventually we can begin to delve into issues of great importance. Karen Rowan, in her Extreme
3 Steps to Success with TCI / TPRS®
Bob Patrick, co-moderator of Latin Best Practices: Comprehensible Input Resources and 2013 Southern Conference on Language Teaching’s Teacher of the Year, encourages anyone interested in exploring TCI to do three things: Observe in a TCI or TPRS® classroom Read about Second
Mini Speech Communities
My colleague and friend Melanie Bruyers just sent me this quote by Bill VanPatten. It encapsulates what I strive to do with my level 1s and I think many who observed my Learning Lab at iFLT15 would agree: Inasmuch as
New Product Sneak Peak – Rejoinders for authentic interaction
At #iFLT15 I’ll be launching my latest product: Rejoinders for authentic interaction. Get your novice students interacting with you authentically and spontaneously in the target language. Bryce Hedstrom defines rejoinders as short sayings that help to keep a conversation going.
#iFLT15 Mugs are Ready!
Here’s a sneak peak at two of the 25 mugs I’ll have for sale at #iFLT15 on Tuesday! Handmade (by my hands). Fired to 2400 degrees F. Microwave and dishwasher safe. Ready for your Caribou coffee or tea. For those
Special Edition IFLT 2015 Mugs
I’ve found time to make a very few special edition mugs to commemorate iFLT being held at Tartan High School in my district here in MN. If you’re coming, I hope you’ll pick one up. From my hands to
My Students Jam With Me
A good friend of mine who is a visual artist, musician, theologian, among other things, sent me the link to this TEDx Talk by Victor Wooten, a five-time Grammy Award winning professional musician known for innovating, composing, and teaching with