Ready for week 3!

I cannot believe the first two weeks of classes are already over.  This last week was just like a huge roller coaster ride for me.  Let me give you the break down. 

1. Monday, start talking in French all the time in class with students.  Woohoo! Huge success very little resistance.  I am thrilled with progress I am making.
2. Tuesday, find out ipods/ipads will be ready for use early next week!  YAY!  I am excited for my intermediate students to create media projects en français.
3. Wednesday, find out that I have been surplus and will likely be moving school.  Stress levels hit an all time high.  I love my new school and really do not want to move.
4. Thursday, find out that principal has worked some kind of magic by talking with the board about the effects of losing a teacher on our school.  I get to stay at my school!  Hooray! 
5. Friday, busy day followed by long trip to meet my brand new little niece.  Awwww. 

So everything was fairly positive except for that huge hit on Wednesday.  I have to say that I am so excited to have amazing administration at my school this year.  My principal stands behind each of us on staff and really puts the well being of all our students at the forefront of all he does.  And for that, I am extremely grateful.  

This week I know that things will continue to come together as students acquire more vocabulary and really get the chance to communicate with their peers en français.  I never would have guessed that students would be so enthusiastic.  I was thrilled this week when I slipped up in my 5/6 class and said a few words in English, one of my students immediately said: "Mme tu parles en anglais!"  I took the opportunity to have the entire class remind me to talk in French just like I would do to them.  It was an amazing moment for them and me!  

Have a great week everyone! 

Selecting AIM plays

Well I have met all my students and things are going well so far.  I must admit that I did not start my year all in French.  Some days wish I had, and others think the way I am doing this is fine as well.  See I am new to my school and all my students.  I felt the need to quickly get to know some of them and have some knowledge of students names in order to get things going.  I know it can be done in French, however at this point in my career I was not ready for it.  Sometimes it has to be about what we're ready for too. 

So now that I have met my students and they have complete some activities with me.  I have a much better sense of where they are at with FSL.  I have begun making my play selections.  I will be teaching at least 2 classes the same play in, with the exception of 2 groups which need their own play.  Here is my breakdown:

1/2 La poule Maboule - I truly love this play as an introduction since students really enjoy this play.  They recognize the story immediately and see to chime in almost instantly.  This play will be great for this group because I only see them for 20 minutes/day right after recess AND I have to move them to the upper floor after they have changed.  In reality I am getting about 10 minutes with these guys each day.  Wish me luck!

2/3 Le chat et la lune - This play is almost identical to La poule Maboule.  I think it'll be great because I seem to have many reluctant learners at this point in this class.  It's an easier play that allows for lots of great success.

3/4 and 4/5 Boucles Violettes - Great transition play.  This play is a set up from Les trois petit cochons but not such a huge step that they will struggle.  The 4/5 class may have time to do a second play since I see them for 30 minutes rather then 20 minutes a day.

5/6 - A very keen group with a fair bit of exposure to AIM will be doing Marc le magicien.  I think it's a bit of jump for them but I will scaffold the concepts and make it possible for them.  Biggest plus here is they are so keen.

6/7 and 8 Chaperon Rouge et le loup fou, students are excited to be working with this text.  We talked at length today about different options for final projects that integrate a tone of technology if they choose.  These students are looking forward to being creative but I am not convinced they have the fluency needed for this play yet.  We'll work on it through out the year!  I have no plan for a second play so we'll take it slow and do lots of review with them. 

Choosing the plays this year was challenging since I don't know my students all that well.  However, I am confident that with time and lots of review each of my groups can be successful with their plays. 

Classroom Tour!

Front of my classroom.  The only walls that have anything on them right now.  Boarder is not complete.  I ran out will fix it as soon as I find some more. 

Well there you have it.  My classroom.  I have six groups of four around the room and table at the top of my carpet.  That beautiful wooden chair and stack of drawers are my home base since I made the decision to remove the teacher desk from my classroom this year.  Behind my chair I have my volume scale.  I will indicate what the volume should be at all times so that students have a visual reminder.  I also have my assistants of the week poster.  Since I have approximate 200 students going through my room each day, I assign them each a number, my assistance poster will list 2 students numbers each week as my helpers.  Makes it easy for all classes and takes up very little room.  To the right of my board are the behaviour charts I will be using.  Although I have to admit that I create this before discovering Classdojo.  Click the link and take a look for yourself.  It's truly is a brilliant classroom management tool.  I cannot wait to try it.

This front wall is full of my must haves in my classroom.  What visuals are a must in your classroom?

Planning primary FSL

I always find it interesting in Ontario to plan for grade 1-3 FSL since we in fact have no curriculum until grade 4.  It allows a lot of freedom to teach what you feel is important.  For me I have 4 goals to my first term in FSL, grades1-3.

1. Students talking in French 100% of class time. 
2. Students are engaged and learning. 
3. Students can identify familiar words and their meanings.
4. Students have the ability to sound out familiar words from familiar and unfamiliar texts.  

This is where I absolutely LOVE AIM.  It gets there attention and they love the plays, this year my 1/2's are doing La Poule Maboule and my 2/3's are doing Les trois petits cochons.  The AIM program will allow me to hit my targets and have them well ahead of the curriculum by grade 4.   I love the primary students, they are always so eager to learn.  They love that the plays get them up and moving.    We will spend 90% of our time working on oral activities this term so that they can speak with each other in French.  My ultimate goal is for them to LOVE coming to my class.

I often wonder what other FSL educators in the province do with the primary students.  I know within my board there is a considerable amount of variation.  Do you have primary curriculum?  What are your goals as a primary FSL teacher? 

Mme Jones

In Need of Inspiration

So this evening, I have been wandering around online looking for inspiration for my intermediate classes in particular.  In FSL, I can hook them in Grade 1-5, 90% of the time.  Grades 6-8, it's like a 50/50 game.  I need to find a way for them to see the value of what we are learning.  A friend posted this video which I love on Facebook today.  It really got me thinking.

How can I change what I am doing so that I am engaging kids?  How can I keep them from being bored?  How can I infuse my classroom with creativity when my goal is to have them grasp a language?  How can they acquire the language and be engaged?    It's all a big jumble in my head right now to be completely honest.  

What I do know is this, kids will learn if they are interested.  So if my goal is for them to be engaged, then let them help select topics for projects.  Guide them rather then tell them.   @MsSandersTHS has a great sign up in her classroom that reads : This is Not a Telling Classroom: This is a Partnership.  Brilliant!  Now to brainstorm ways to make this concept work, in elementary, in a second language class.  I know I can do this, I just have to think about what it will look like in my classroom.