Pat’s Polemics

Stephen Krashen wrote: “I think that for other learning, the concept corresponding to the Comprehension Hypothesis is the hypothesis that we learn facts and concepts (Continue Reading)

Ms. Susan Carlson, Exec. Director Arizona Business & Education Coalition 3030 N. 3rd Street, Suite 965 Phoenix, AZ 85012 1957 E. Victoria St.Chandler, AZ 85249 (Continue Reading)

I note the phrasing of the admonition to be sure not to do training of educator personnel on the cheap: “Inadequate training, instructional materials or (Continue Reading)

One of the elements of the discourse lost in all the shouting over prescriptive language shibboleths is the element of style. A very important style (Continue Reading)

People don’t understand the purpose of Common Core or of testing in general. The idea is to keep people fearful and cautious. You tie health (Continue Reading)

All of this wonderful chatter about teaching languages goes up in smoke in the face of the Grammar Kings and Queens who run departments. They (Continue Reading)

A note to teachers about kids with autism. My grandson is in seventh grade and they are studying slavery. Just like his mother, he sees (Continue Reading)

I happened to notice a “rate my teacher” site for several friends I was googling. If there are more than one or two evals on (Continue Reading)

Here’s what Common Core, just like NCLB, looks like on the ground. > I have to vent. During our department’s weekly meeting, an administrator > (Continue Reading)

I am just listening to John Hunter describe his interview for his first teaching job where the curriculum person responded to his surprised “What do (Continue Reading)

I recently mentioned process groups and the emphasis on “the process” in contemporary thinking. As I write my final exams for h.s. Spanish I and (Continue Reading)

I attended a 2 hour session Friday to determine if my grandson qualifies for an IEP. There were 5 classroom teachers, a reading specialist, a (Continue Reading)

I attended what may be my last AATSEEL meeting today. I knew few people, about 3, time moves on. I started attending in the 70s, (Continue Reading)

I know why fl teaching progresses so slowly despite the fact we know that grammar instruction does not lead to proficiency. In reading Marzano’s book (Continue Reading)

Recently a Sp teacher subbed for me. I had written a brief instruction on the board for him in Spanish. When I saw him next (Continue Reading)

When I read this, about 30 years ago, it reflected very well how I felt about the way I did therapy and encouraged me to (Continue Reading)

In every age, men have set out on pilgrimages, on spiritual journeys, on personal quests. Driven by pain, drawn by longing, lifted by hope, singly (Continue Reading)

Laurie goes on: “Each human being has a unique perspective and living situation.” While most teachers would agree with this general statement, they balk when (Continue Reading)

Here’s a post written some time ago by a person, a teacher, with deep insight into human nature, into learning, and into our profession with (Continue Reading)

Yesterday I wrote a blog entry concerning the commonalities between my work as a mental health therapist and a foreign language teacher. In both jobs, (Continue Reading)

Acquisition vs learning is a dichotomy hypothesized by Krashen. It makes sense to me but it is impossible to convey to a skeptic the difference (Continue Reading)

Here I’m responding to Laurie Clarcq’s post to flteach of Jan. 14. The comment made by a list member mentioned his students laziness. That set (Continue Reading)

If we accept that errors will occur in the acquisition process, what does it serve to mark “off”, i.e. lower the grade, on the work (Continue Reading)