Neurons Firing

I smile when I watch my students putting together new vocabulary in sync with movement they have to precisely do as they speak it. In a second language class, connecting the words to reality is the goal. The students today were animated, cooperating, coaching each other, thinking about meaning, and rehearsing together. It was a teacher's sheer pleasure to watch and appreciate.

Differentiating Instruction

The class I work hardest to prepare for is by far the applied group. The class harbouring the most resistance to the subject I teach, with the low functioning students, is the one I want to reach the most. Why? First, because I don't want to lose the ability to reach them with topics and approaches they will find somewhat compelling. Secondly, I cannot rely on pen and paper, rows, and static classroom positions.

Last semester, I did a Multiple Intelligence inventory with the group at this level and found that 80 percent of them learned best through body-kinesthetic means. Keeping them seated and expecting them to learn was antithetical to their natural abilities!

Tomorrow, I'm working on an Arts intervention project with this group. A musician is coming in next week with his portable studio. He will show them how recording a song is done. Then we wlll come up with a theme, groupings for verses and different approaches based on student interests. So what do I do with the students who are the least musical? I will have to give them an alternative form of expression, while maintaining my expectation that they communicate orally in a meaningful way.....More the think about....