Erin.Grewar – Page 2

January 11, 2014January 11, 2014 Erin.Grewar General, Professional Learning and Growth

The New Core French Curriculum – Any Thoughts???

As French teachers, we have had a month or two to digest the 1 1/2 thick volume that came our way courtesy of the Ministry of Education:) This had been a long time coming – several years of anticipated release and a fair share of spoiler alerts. I must confess however to still being somewhat, shall I say intimidated when I actually had the full weight of it in my hands. In general, I would sum up the new approach as moving towards authentic communication in all aspects (reading, writing and speaking). This in itself sounds fantastic. In discussion with my co-workers and teachers at other schools, the following questions came up.
1) Are the suggested tasks overly ambitious? Writing articles? Describing career opportunities for bilingual workers in a brochure?
2) Would your students be able to comprehend/respond to the suggested teacher prompts?
3) Was getting rid of specific language/grammar expectations entirely (ex. futur proche in Gr. 7 and passé compose in Gr.8) a good idea?
4) Do the new resources support the suggested tasks – especially in the listening strand?
Have you had the same thoughts? Has your board provided you with any helpful (practical) materials to implement the new curriculum? Any thoughts/feedback would be most welcome for French teachers everywhere. Merci beaucoup!

January 4, 2014 Erin.Grewar Classroom Management, Differentiated Instruction, Diverse Learning Needs

Cutting Them Loose – Letting Your High Achievers Soar…

My one grade 8 class is challenging in a couple of ways – very chatty, various social dynamics at play and perhaps most importantly, a disparaging degree of ability and motivation. Up to now, I have always ended up spending most of my energy on those students needing the most help and attention. As I’ve discussed several times in my blogs, I have used this approach ultimately as a means of classroom management. This may not sound politically correct, but for some time now, I have always felt guilty that my higher achieving students tend to come second place in terms of my priorities. That is not to say that they are totally ignored but I do tend to pay closer attention to them once the others are settled. In this particular class, there are four students who consistently achieve the higher end of the level 4 spectrum (one who has always attended a francophone school, and 3 others who are gifted for all intensive purposes).

I finally decided that as they are high functioning, it didn’t seem necessary to have them wait patiently for the others to settle and sit through oft repeated explanations/instructions. I thought of giving them the opportunity to embark on an ISU (Independent Study Unit) like the higher grades do in high school. That being said, we were at point in the unit where this was feasible – basic vocab and grammar had been covered in depth and several diagnostic and formative assessments had also been completed. I explained what the rest of the class would be working on (CD cover design with reviews on the back) and gave them a couple of ideas (press release package for a new band, newspaper article comparing the music of the 80’s with the music of today) and welcomed their own suggestions. Once they had decided on a format, I basically release them each period to work in the library or at the back of the classroom. We have set up goals and deadlines for different phases of the project and at the beginning and at the end of each class, we meet to review expectations and to check on the work they managed to complete.

At this point it seems to be a win-win situation. For me, I no longer feel guilty or as stretched. It allows me that much more time to work with the others who I have since subdivided into their own ability groupings (those who can work independently after explanations have been given and those who work with me in another group for additional support or “task management” assistance). For my higher level students, they are thrilled with the sense of responsibility and independence. I think they also appreciated how I acknowledged their patience and their need to work unencumbered so to speak. Perhaps the best bonus of all? That kind of earned independence is now sought after by lots of other students as well.

December 15, 2013December 15, 2013 Erin.Grewar Building Inclusion, Classroom Layouts, Classroom Management, Diverse Learning Needs, Students as Teachers

Reaching All Learners – Flexibility in Core French Class

Out of all the challenges you are confronted with as a teacher, it seems to me that one of the most difficult of all is making sure that you can meet the needs of all of your students (simultaneously!). Everything else seems to hinge on this; if your students can function/are sufficiently challenged, they are engaged. If they are engaged, they are motivated and will not cause problems in class. Seems like once you can identify the root problem, implementing a solution is easy…As we all know, this is seldom the case. Core French being a second/third language makes it that much more challenging. In essence, EVERYONE is needy and that much more dependent on the teacher. It can be exhausting and difficult to be pulled in so many directions. See if this sounds familiar (keep in mind, the key word is once again “simultaneously”).

Do you have your project with you today?

What project?

The one we worked on together yesterday? I had given you sentence starters and we spent 20 minutes working on key vocabulary?

No, I lost it.

(Great) Well, start it aga…(interrupted)

I can’t find my sheet!/He stole my pencil and won’t give it back!/How do you say “is” in French?/If I write double the sentences, do I get a level 4?

So on and so on. No matter how much experience you have (and I have a lot), it is still a difficult task that can leave you feeling overwhelmed. This year, I’m trying out a different approach with my grade seven class with the following scenario: 33 kids in a small space (not my classroom), 4 gifted, 3 on IEPs and 2 HSP students with identified learning disabilities. Already seated in groups of four, I have them now sitting with at least 1 “expert” per group. They are those students who are not only high functioning but are also good communicators. Their job is to make sure that everyone in their group is following along and if they are having difficulties of any kind, they are the “go to” people. I am hoping this will allow me to circulate more and really help those in need (for remediation or enrichment) in a focused way.

December 15, 2013 Erin.Grewar Assessment, Building Inclusion, Celebrating Success, General

Revising the Talking Strategy in French Class

At the beginning of the year, I remember writing about my new strategy of getting students to speak more French during class. Brimming with hope and optimism, I had implemented “chat sessions” where kids would casually discuss with a partner/group various topics related to what we had been studying. There were times when I provided structure (specific question to discuss/specific structure to use) and others where it was more casual and focused on just speaking in French for the duration. I was pleasantly surprised by the relative “enthusiasm” and commitment with which these activities were met. By mid to late October though, both were in short supply. Instead I was forced to reckon with the all too familiar resistance and lethargy known to many Core French teachers. When I could no longer deny this fact, I mustered up the willpower and energy to once again confront the issue. Upon further reflection, I am ready to acknowledge the following:

#1: Be Consistent With Routines
This seems self evident but for me, I tend to easily get sidetracked and let it slide (a bad trait but at least I can admit it). I think a five minute window is adequate and it’s a good way to start the class – every class!

#2: Provide Variety to Activities
I still think my discussion topics are a good idea and posting some support vocabulary is helpful and sometimes crucial to the success of the conversation. Perhaps a more innovative approach is to have a pairs of students generate the topic/question/sentence starters. Getting them directly involved this way is a means of having them more implicated in your lesson. Something else I tried is the French version of 4 corners (Quatre coins) where I would read a statement and once in their corner, students would have to discuss the topic (and in my case, practise forming an opinion statement). Games are always a favourite and, when structured properly, can really provide an opportunity to work in a lot of conversational French.

#3: Recognize those students who really make an effort
Find a way to somehow give credit where credit is due. I myself use a star card where I sign a certain number of times and once they reach a corner, they can redeem a prize (usually a small chocolate bar). I also have something called “Les points de participation” which the accumulated total counts towards their speaking mark at the end of the term.

Whatever the challenges, it is nonetheless rewarding to see (hear) what your students are capable of without inhibition and doubt. Take the opportunity to share what is working for you. It’s great to have new ideas to try.

November 9, 2013November 12, 2013 Erin.Grewar Assessment, Use of Technology

Bitstrips Part 2 – Assessment Ideas

If you choose to use the program Bitstrips, students will submit their completed assignments directly to you via the program. To evaluate them, you will do so by logging into the program. I gave my students a rubric with the criteria we developed together as a class. This serves as a checklist and allows them to know in advance how the assignment will be assessed (see attachment). Usually, I have an Author’s Share where students present their work in their groups but since there are no hard copies, I just modified it somewhat. I provided each student with a total of 4 rating scales and posted all of assignments to the “Class Gallery”. They had a list of 3 students whose work they had to evaluate using the established criteria and lastly, evaluated their own work as a form of self assessment. This provided me with lots of input when doing my own assessment. Also available for viewing online at Bitstrips are samples of student work to get an idea of what they were able to accomplish and see how the program functions. All in all, it was a positive experience which provided a nice creative alternative for students who are not the best artists. Below are some suggestions that I would follow the next time.

You can access the link at:

vouloir pouvoir comic grille d’evaluation

vouloir c’est pouvoir comic rubric

*Have students complete their written scripts in full before proceeding to the computers. Because I was away for a day, I had them start with the program which made it very difficult to get them off the computers to go back and complete their drafts. Given the unexpected length of time it took to complete (about 8 classes), I would evaluate at several stages (vocabulary brainstorming, rough draft, 2 scenes, etc) and also have deadlines in place along the way to ensure that all students are progressing at more or less the same pace.

November 9, 2013November 12, 2013 Erin.Grewar Diverse Learning Needs, Use of Technology

Bitstrips – Incorporating Technology in the Core French Classroom

Using technology in the Core French class sounds like a good idea but, in reality, is fraught with difficulty. Despite a ton of great online resources and programs, I find that in my experience, one of the following scenarios takes place: 1) your classroom (if you’re lucky enough to have one) is not equipped with a functioning computer 2) frequently, the school’s equipment on the whole tends to be unreliable and you end up being stuck with a class of 30 kids waiting as you frantically try to get your program/media to play 3) Core French is not deemed high priority in terms of getting access to equipment such as smartboards and projectors.

This year I really lucked out by booking our Librarian for a two week block of Partner’s in Action sessions and thus gained access to the computer lab in the library. Since we happened to be working on a dialogue, I chose to have them convert it into a comic using the program Bitstrips. They offer a free subscription to teachers and is available at the website www.bitstripsforschools.com.

As with any assignment, you must be careful to properly set it up so that you aren’t left with 30 google translated abominations (chances are, you’ll end up with at least a few of these no matter what). Below are some couple of suggestions that will hopefully be helpful.

Begin with a story/poem/dialogue which can be altered by students using familiar language structures and vocabulary (see attachment of dialogue Vouloir, c’est pouvoir- Addison Welsley).
For those students needing accommodation, I provide them with a copy of the dialogue with certain sections highlighted along with a reference sheet from which they can modify and create their own version. Something else I’ve done in the past is to provide them with a choice of three things written in and they must choose accuratetly.
Provide a sample level 3 text and then, as a class, show how to extend sentences and incorporate more advanced structures for a level 4.
Make sure to provide ample time to complete project (which usually takes much longer than expected) and make sure students are accountable for completing subtasks to keep their project moving along.

In my next blog, I’ll talk about some ideas for what to do once projects are complete and provide some examples so you can see what the students were able to accomplish.

Vouloir, c’est pouvoir text

October 2, 2013October 2, 2013 Erin.Grewar Assessment, Differentiated Instruction, Learning in a Real Life Context

Getting Kids to (Really) Speak French

This year, my goal is to get my students speaking a lot more French and sound better doing so. If it were me, I would like to have something more to show after learning French for four or five years. I suppose this is what is really behind the focus of the (soon to be released?) new curriculum.

As for me, I’m going to vary my approach this year. In the past, a lot of the French speaking came from short daily activities, questions/answers and summative oral presentations that focused on integrated targeted vocabulary and grammar structures. The summative activities were always creative and students responded well to them, however, they were perhaps not the most practical (cooking show, blind date, etc). Based on feedback to some written response questions and from parents, it is surprising to me to find out that students seem to really want to learn French. I know, shocking isn’t it? My challenge this year is how to balance out the practical but still make it interesting and most importantly fun.

For September with my grade eight classes, I have begun with the basics. I mean the real basics like greetings, variations of how are you and trading contact information. I’ve been using the resource and provided them with current lingo/slang in order to make their interactions more authentic. A typical lesson includes some explanation/questioning by me followed by 5 to 10 min of guided conversation with “freestyle elaborating”. We have already tried a short skit with a partner whereby they had to incorporate “Comment vas-tu?” and trade contact information but they were free to come up with their own context. The end product was okay but I found that they were more carried away by adding in all this extra detail to support the scenario which distracted and in some cases derailed them entirely. In the end, I decided that I would follow up with a one-on-one “examen oral” based on the same content. I think that an actual conversation will give me a better idea of how they are really able to communicate. Will keep you posted as to their progress. In the meantime, please let everyone know about anything that has been working for you.

September 17, 2013 Erin.Grewar Communication Tools, Communication with Parents and Guardians, General

Meet the Teacher Night – Introducing Yourself to Parents

Seeing their children’s classroom environment and meeting their teacher (who spends the largest chunk of the day with them) is a top priority for many parents. As a parent myself, it’s important for me to put a face to the name and to get a read on how their teacher’s personality and how they interact with their students. Considering Parent’s Night from this perspective inspired me to vary my approach this year.

As a non-homeroom teacher with no classroom for parents to visit, I decided to insert myself as a guest speaker into the presentations of the various homeroom teachers. This has the advantage of ensuring a larger audience and giving more credibility to Core French as a subject.

In terms of content, I decided to focus less on the formal curriculum side of things and more on the different way French is being taught (once the new ministry document is released) with an emphasis on oral communication and the use of authentic texts. I also included an explanation of how a typical lesson was structured and went on to finish with a brief overview of some useful online resources that students would find useful at home.

Personally, I always like to leave parents with some kind of written handout (see attachement). Likewise, I also tried to keep the tone upbeat. At this stage, I think that both students and parents alike need to see French in a more positive light and see the fun to be had with learning a second (or third or fourth) language.

June 28, 2013June 28, 2013 Erin.Grewar Building Inclusion, Integration, Learning About Your Students

Matchmakers: Creative Ways of Forming Groups

I’m always looking for different ways of forming groups either for teams in games or for class projects/presentations. I like to make sure that not everyone is always working together with their friends. In a book called Energizers and Other Great Cooperative Activities for All Ages (Quest Books, 1991) I hit the jackpot. I know it’s an old book but good ideas are good ideas. I found these to be a great alternative to “Choose Your Own Partner” or randomly drawing names on popsicle sticks, etc. Not only did these provide a nice break or “energizer”, they were so entertaining that people forgot to complain about their groups!

Line ‘Em Up

Have the class line up in a single line according to the following criteria:

by age
by length of hair
by the time they get up in the morning
by how long they’ve lived in the community

Once in a line, you can then simply count off depending on the number of students you need in a group (ex 5).

Group Puzzlers

Select a picture from a magazine for each group you need (ex. If you need 5 groups, you then need 5 different pictures). Cut each picture into the same number of pieces as group members needed and mix all the pieces together in a container.
Students each draw a piece from the container and must then find others with pieces of the same picture. When they find each other, they must then put their pictures back together again.
*Make sure to select pictures that are distinct from one another.

Stone Soup

Fill a pot with groups of common items-the same number and kind of objects as the number of members needed in each group. You could use small rocks, jacks, marbles, squares of fabric, paper clips, paper umbrellas for drinks, etc.
Have each student draw an item from the pot. Holding up their selections, they mingle and find their fellow group members who have also chosen the same object.

June 28, 2013June 28, 2013 Erin.Grewar Celebrating Success, Making a Difference Through Education, Year End Activities

Appreciating the Homeroom Teacher

Often, after having spent the year together, the impact of the homeroom teacher is substantial but oftentimes goes unstated or unsaid. That in no way means that students don’t appreciate the time, energy and efforts of their teachers but perhaps don’t always take the time to actually think about it and put it into words. As a rotary teacher, this is something I like to coordinate as a class. In one of the final classes, we make something simple out of origami and insert a little personalized note (see tulip pattern below). Before writing them, we take the time to discuss what makes a message meaningful vs. superficial. I give them the following sentence starters for those who might need some ideas.

I will always remember you for

I really appreciated the time when

A valuable life lesson you taught me was

Thanks a lot for

As a person, your best qualities are

For fun, we collected them all and put them into a report card envelope and gave them to the teacher just as she was about to distribute theirs. I know that as someone who invested a great deal of time and personal energy into her class, these messages will be greatly appreciated. For the students, it is a chance to communicate a heartfelt thought that might otherwise go unsaid.

http://www.papercraftsforchildren.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/origami-tulips.jpg