I'm tired.

Exhaustion is immersion.  Geez.  I meant to type that the other way around. But I'm leaving it the way it is. 

I find it very difficult to balance immersion with grammar.  I feel like it's always context, or grammar.  Integrating them is difficult.

the kids are doing so very well with the ideas, the thinking part.  

The grammar part sucks.

I'm tired.  We've spent three weeks on one movie.  The kids love it hate it love it hate it like their favorite soap opera.  In the end the love it, but hate the ending, and I agree with them.

Maybe for the final part I'll have them re-write the ending.  I dunno.  Mid-term is coming up.  

On deck: World War II.

I thought the theme for this semester was going to be caring, but it's turned out to be acceptance, which I think is better, because it involves compassion.

I'm tired. Guh.  

The Fist and the Olive Branch

I found myself stressing out last weekend about my junior class.  They are speaking such little French.  Research cites that in Immersion classes students typically speak L1 with friends in social situations but L2 with the teacher, or during tasks.  I have found this to be true. 

However, I'm teaching an immersion honors class.  Suck it up, guys. 

At least, that was my attitude this weekend.  Then I remembered that this group does not respond well to confrontation, if you make it me vs. you, they will fight you to the very bitter end.

I asked them for their advice today instead.  I asked them to let me in on how things were going.  They immediately said
"This is better than worksheets, better than the book."

Interesting, because this was my plan B.  If plan A immersion doesn't interest them enough, is too hard, too much, well, we can always go back to the good old musty text.

I told them that they weren't speaking enough French, that they weren't pushing as hard as I wanted them to, as they were capable of, and that I wasn't going to fight them.  I also told them that immersion was much much more work for me, but worth every minute of it because they are worth my time as people.  These kids know I'm crazy about them.  But I did ask them to let me know if I was wasting my time trying to win over something that just wasn't going to work, or if I needed to do something differently.

I gave them five minutes to discuss as a class.

When i came back they had the following to say:

We want to keep immersion.
We don't want to go back to the text book.
We like the way class is going now, the conversations that we're having.
We talk too much with our friends, and probably shouldn't sit with them.

When I asked them what I could do better, they said, "no no, no.  It's not you, it's us.  We got this."

I really do love these kids, their social involvement, and their willingness to dialogue with me about anything and everything.

One of the most beneficial lessons I've learned as a teacher is that if I'm starting to take a nasty tone, starting to push against the kids instead of with their help, I've got to change my attitude first.

It's easy to take the difficulty personal, especially when my job is the only thing that my life entails at the moment, outside of grad work.  I get injured too quickly by the mass of careless teens, who only need to be reminded what I'm trying to do with them, instead of in spite of them.

Tomorrow we start the film "Ma Vie en Rose".

I ended my day by planning for it, trying to scaffold the snot out of their learning.

I found out as soon as I started the work for tomorrow that the 36 page unit plan I've been building for them over the last month has disappeared from my computer. 

Sigh.

thankfully I printed a copy.

Sigh.  Wednesday, here I come.

Tolerance according to 23 high school juniors.

Student responses:

Tolerance is a good thing when...

• it's nicer than rejection.
• The other person is good, real.
• you don't hurt others.
• you're not using others, or being used by them.
• you like the person, but you don't like their ideas.
• thge problem isn't bad, or it's something stupid.

Tolernace is a bad thing when...

• The other person doesn't dignify confidence.
• you hurt others
• you use others or you are being used.
• you don't like the person, but you like their ideas.
• the intentions are bad.
• The person is a criminal.

Mon Identité

The juniors are doing an identity project where they describe four aspects of their identity that are very important to them.

Identify an aspect of your identity.  Why are you this way?  Why is this important to who you are?

Here are some quotes that I just love.

• Les films d'Indiana Jones ont été très intéressant, et ces films obtenir moi un interest en archeologie. (The Indiana Jones movies were very interesting, and these films got me interested in archaeology)
• Je suis un artiste parce que j'aime faire d'art.  C'est important parce que c'est exprimer de moi, et exploration de moi.  (I am an artist because I like to make art.  It's important because it's my self expression and my self exploration.)
• Je suis une timide parce que les personnes sont féroces.  (I am shy because people are ferocious.)
• Ma génétique est la raison pour mon intelligence.  C'est important parce que j'aime savoir.  (Genetics are the reason for my intelligence.  It's important because I like to know.)
• J'ai peur de rater mon rêve.  (I am afraid of failing my dreams.)

I have the best job in all the land.  I really do.