#LangChat is dedicated to the discussion of topics associated with issues and trends in world language instruction and learning. Educators, administrators, learners, and aficionados of world languages are encouraged to participate and share their experiences and input on various topics such as new ways to teach vocabulary, using music in the language classroom, and making standards-based grading valid. This chat is also unique in that it brings together language educators worldwide and from different contexts (elementary, secondary, higher education, etc.) and languages.
Hi #LangChat community! My name is Nathan and I am the global learning coordinator PK-12 and French teacher for junior Pre-K through grade 5 at an independent school for girls in northern NJ
A1: Umm I'm pretty hard on myself so I hate to admit the list is long. Most failures I can let go and move on but what really gets me is when most of my class is disengaged and I don't know why in the moment and don't know what to do in the moment #langchat
A1 Anytime something doesn't quite work out the way you'd like it to. Or, in more real terms, when your students aren't as engaged as you'd like them to be even when you've spent hours creating the lesson #langchat
A1 Anytime something doesn't quite work out the way you'd like it to. Or, in more real terms, when your students aren't as engaged as you'd like them to be even when you've spent hours creating the lesson #langchat
A1: I’d say a “fail” is anytime the actual outcome doesn’t conform with the intended outcome. Although my head of school tells us “failures are a l waypoint to success” #langchat
A1: I used to consider a fail somethingtgat was not successful on my first attempt. Now I consider a fail a first attempt in learning, because after that I SAIL ( second attempt in learning). #langchat
#langchat A1 When students leave my lesson more confused than when we started the class. When more than half are lost, frustrated or not with me. When I prep something to the max and it goes over like a led balloon. When students not engaged or enthusiastically participating
A1: I think intended purpose is importantwhen it comes to classifying failure, if something doesn’t accomplish its purpose, it is a “failure” #langchat
#langchat A1 When students leave my lesson more confused than when we started the class. When more than half are lost, frustrated or not with me. When I prep something to the max and it goes over like a led balloon. When students not engaged or enthusiastically participating
A1 Also a fail: when your entire lesson is dependent on technology that decides to not work when it's go-time, and you have to just dismiss your students because there's nothing else you can do. #justforexample#langchat
I think it's very hard to say what is a "fail." During my internship, the times that I have felt that I have failed is when I have had a student tell me they don't understand anything even though we've been working on this topic for a few classes/ #nhcsworldlang#langchat
A1: however, we are often quick to classify something as a failure when in reality it is just a step towards accomplishing the purpose it had set out to achieve. #langchat
Very true! Often when it happens I stop and just say, "Okay, I'm not the only one feeling this gloom. What's up y'all?" and next thing I know I have 20 teenagers telling me how tough things are with home, other classes, etc. Never just me. Sometimes it's not me at all. #langchat
A1: when students are not as engaged or when they are frustrated but I also see these as learning opportunities for me to make changes and learn from mistakes #langchat
A1: however, we are often quick to classify something as a failure when in reality it is just a step towards accomplishing the purpose it had set out to achieve. #langchat
#langchat Hi Langchat, I'm Mikaela I am student teaching Spanish for 7th and 8th great!
A:1 When they ask me what something means when they have all the resources and I have already given them the meaning in the past. LOL
A2 My worst was maybe when I lost my cool on a classroom full of students who were upset about a quiz when I was student teaching. I actually stepped out of the classroom to cry in the hallway. Our relationship never really recovered. #langchat
A1: I often think my failures are usually when I’ve tried to do too much in such a short class period and overwhelm my students, but I try to be transparent with them and let them know that it was my fault and not theirs. I try to undo the damage. #langchat
A2: in my internship this semester, I have realized that I have done all of the work and expended all of the energy, Instead of allowing the students to work and make the language learning process their own. #langchat
A1: Sorry to be jumping in late! I’m Makayla and a student teacher in a spanish classroom in Wilmington, NC. I believe that failure is rarely seen in the classroom. Progress is progress, and sometimes it takes longer to reach a goal. #langchat
A2: first year, ninth grade French II: abominable adjective quiz that I didn't know how to write, grade, evaluate, or reflect... many parent emails later #langchat
A2: My biggest failure was when I let the students' frustration get to me and I became frustrated with them and wanted to walk out of the room. But I assessed the "why" and moved forward with a plan #nhcsworldlang#langchat
A2: I remember this clearly. Third yr & my whole teaching world was crumbling. Nothing worked, the kids had checked out & I was getting pitiful results AND DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS ALL ME. Blaming Ss was my ultimate #failure#langchat
A2 Recently getting observed by my curriculum director in a Latin 4 lesson in which students were disengaged... not my biggest failure ever but it is still on my mind. #langchat
A2: Some of the worst fails are when you put a ton of work into a lesson that you think the students will enjoy and will be very meaningful and it is the exact opposite! It leaves them more confused than before #langchat
A2: One of my biggest student teaching failures was trying to teach high schoolers like they were college students, and expecing everyone to be as interested in Spanish as I was. That was my first week of student teaching & the week with the most tears lol #langchat
A2: I remember this clearly. Third yr & my whole teaching world was crumbling. Nothing worked, the kids had checked out & I was getting pitiful results AND DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS ALL ME. Blaming Ss was my ultimate #failure#langchat
A2: I'm agreeing with what several of you are posting - most of us can think of a moment we "lost our cool" and frustration turned to anger. Anything that damages a relationship I have with students is a pretty major fail. #langchat
#langchat A2: trying to push too much grammar in one setting! Its okay just to talk about voy all week instead of trying to talk about other people! Do it until they get it!
A2 Last year was probably my most difficult year of teaching in my old school... they had me teaching an elective Leadership course that had no curriculum - finding lessons to engage that group on a daily basis was HARD #langchat
A2: One of my biggest fails happened in my first year, I had planned very engaging lessons, but then realized during the lesson that the Ss were not ready to accomplish the task at hand. I quickly realized I had to meet the students where they were. #langchat
A2: My biggest fail was when I tried teaching the future, conditional, and past conditional (I know) all in one lesson because I thought most of it was review for the students. Plot twist: it wasn’t review and the lesson tanked in front of my field instructor. 😅 #langchat
A2 When I first started teaching I (like basically everyone) had no clue what I was doing so I followed the only model I knew: one week on vocab, then vocab quiz. One week on grammar, then grammar quiz. Repeat twice, then test. YUCK. #langchat
A2 One of biggest failures...chose an app/program for blended learning because I thought kids would respond. THEY HATED IT. Had to quit mid semester.#langchat
A2 But my biggest fail... (or maybe you can call this a sort-of win since they all passed)... being asked 2 years ago to teach French 1 for a year when I had limited knowledge of the language... it wasn't smooth everyday but I learned with the kids! #langchat
A2: Another failure was allowing myself to let the Ss get to me. In the end it was me who had lost and the Ss knew exactly what to do to push my buttons. #langchat
A2: failure not been heard and feeling unsupportive by admin. Almost giving up in teaching due to struggles of challenging students. Feeling alone, trying many strategies and feel like nothing worked.#langchat
A2: Sorry to join late -- filling out forms. My biggest fail was following a textbook's advice to teach direct and indirect object pronouns in the same chapter. I should have followed my prof. Frank Donahue's advice and leave those semesters apart. #langchat
I'm working on my #QueenVictoria gaze a la Fred Jones. Classroom management is the pits! It takes so much effort to be consistent. #WorkInProgress#langchat
Hey Victoria from North Carolina french teacher jist joining in to answer Q1 a fail for me is when i sont feel mybstudents understood the material ive taught that day.#langchat
Yeah I started a unit on protests, strikes and revolutions a while ago because the students hated the textbook and I’m still trying to figure out how we’re going to finish it. #langchat
what? I mean, isn't it brilliant how textbooks put COI/COD together, or PC/imparfait together? now I face palm when I remember trying to force feed that to kids in a few lessons! #langchat
A3: In the moment, I read failure by the responses and participation of the students. They do not know how to filter their thoughts and will let you know how they feel. #nhcsworldlang#langchat
A3 If it's lesson design fail I usually say, "Sorry, kids. Not my best day...I'll try better tomorrow." They're usually pretty understanding. #langchat
A3: In the moment I can typically laugh/brush it off. When appropriate I joke about it with students. Sometimes though I get very frustrated and overwhelmed in the moment, and that is something I want to continue to work on. #langchat
#langchat A3: I don't think I knew it was failure until I reflected on it and learned better ways to teach grammar. I knew it was a failure after the fact and learning better teaching methods
A3: This is so hard for me. I tend to get frustrated and I can tell that when I do this, it changes the entire attitude of the class. I shut down, the students shit down, it’s a minor catastrophe. I hope that I can learn a few tips from this chat tonight. #langchat
A2 my biggest fail is when i get frustrated with the technology in the classroom. This attituted doesnt add to an affective learning environment. #langchat
A3: while I still fail, I think I have learned to laugh it off, own it, apologize, move on & learn from it (as opposed to turning around to cry or lash out at students tear one) #langchat
A3: My first step is to take time to breath. Then I reflect and write about the experience. After I have shared my thoughts, I reach out to colleagues and my PLN so I can learn and grow. #langchat
Sometimes taking a break is the best thing you can do! At the end of the day, the fate of the planet Earth does not rest on our lesson plan. I sometimes remind myself, "Girl, it's just French class." #langchat
A3: I tried to acknowledge it with the students. They are old enough to understand that I am human, and that I am not perfect! I think it takes the pressure off of me and to them #langchat
A3: My first step is to take time to breath. Then I reflect and write about the experience. After I have shared my thoughts, I reach out to colleagues and my PLN so I can learn and grow. #langchat
A3: I am emotional, upset, shocked. Try to keep my composure, but it is not easy. I challenge myself to do things in a different way and talk to others who can help and support. #langchat
A3 maybe it's being d'un certain âge, but I generally can call it a bomb, cut my losses, reflect and move on. I suppose after so many years of falling, I pick myself up faster? #langchat
A3: Yes! Being REAL w/your kiddos is the best. We're not infallible and most of the time the kids will be understanding and encouraging. They've really helped me process #failure#langchat
Oui ! I have the final assessment planned, it’s the getting there part that’s not going too well. There’s so many events I want them to explore. #langchat
A2. I am trying more 90% in the TL but Ss either get lost, bored, shut down or talk in English. I am seeing this more and more. Any suggestions? #langchat
A3 my reaction to failure is usually to laugh it off when i'm in front of my students and then in private i try to record how i could do better. #langchat
A3 I do my best to recover asap. If I can fix the situation during class by clarifying instructions, I will. If it requires overnight correction, I adjust accordingly. Sometimes, I conclude the activity does not fit a particular group of Ss. #langchat
I am very quickly approaching 30 years old and this is definitely something I've felt has come with age & experience...I care SO MUCH LESS about being perfect than I did even five years ago! #langchat
I very much agree with this! I think I'm still in the learning process but overall I'm on the brighter side of failure these days. To me that's something that came with experience and practice. #langchat
A3: while I still fail, I think I have learned to laugh it off, own it, apologize, move on & learn from it (as opposed to turning around to cry or lash out at students tear one) #langchat
We all fail, but it’s how we bounce back from those challenges that make us stronger. Figure out what your buttons are and conceal them as much as possible. It gets easier and the #langchat family is here for you.
A3: I got some great advice from a colleague, never panic in front of the kids. Especially when using the target language, they get freaked out and think they’ve done something wrong which is never good. It’s something I try to stick to. #langchat
I'm firmly in my late thirties (birthday next Friday, yay!) and yes, having taught for nine years has made me realize you will have both good and bad times... such is our profession. But the good times, which happen a lot, are what make this the best profession ever! #langchat
I am very quickly approaching 30 years old and this is definitely something I've felt has come with age & experience...I care SO MUCH LESS about being perfect than I did even five years ago! #langchat
I don't feel the burning shame of NOT being perfect or knowing every answer. I'm not exactly graceful when I come up short (esp for an eval) but it hurts less. #langchat#BeAFighter
A4 Disengaged students, side conversations, kids acting up, kids staring into space, kids asking question after question about something you just showed them... the list goes on! #langchat
A4 lack of student engagement
If the kids don't respond, I am not respectful of who they are or what they need.
I love them too much to power through my own personal obsessions (no one else loves Latin music like I do) #langchat
A4: I thunk whenever you do something that is perceived as unfair - whether intentional or accidental - you’re setting yourself up for a lot of flak and a major failure. #langchat
A4: An unbalanced lesson plan - either trying to cram too much in or trying to stick to one activity that might not be so engaging for too long. As I've gotten better at planning, many "fails" have been prevented, but it still happens occasionally. #langchat
A4: I think whenever you do something that is perceived as unfair - whether intentional or accidental - you’re setting yourself up for a lot of flak and a major failure. #langchat
A4: not judging the climate in the room before starting. Have to have plan “b” in hip pocket cause some days the kids can’t handle what u want to do! #langchat
A4: Usually my teaching failures have been a result of a lack of preparation or because The material or expectations were not clear to the Ss. #langchat
A4: Not realizing that my students and have very different levels of French. Sometimes I throw out language that is way too complex or I don’t provide them with the scaffolds they need to access the language. #langchat
I was thinking the exact same. There is nothing more frustrating, but that also makes you feel like you did not do something right than kids acting like this. #langchat#nhcsworldlang
A4 Disengaged students, side conversations, kids acting up, kids staring into space, kids asking question after question about something you just showed them... the list goes on! #langchat
A4 Gonna get philosophical here: what we view as a fail is often a question of our unwillingness to accept we do not control all elements in our classroom, especially students. We can write a script but the ss may not follow it,& the stage lights might not work. #langchat
A4: not judging the climate in the room before starting. Have to have plan “b” in hip pocket cause some days the kids can’t handle what u want to do! #langchat
I do the same thing! Best advice I can give to new teachers is to admit your mistakes. You show you're human, and the students are more likely to admit their own mistakes when they make them when they know you don't expect perfection. #langchat
A4: Basically when students feel that they need to rely heavily on WordReference to get through an activity/lesson, that’s a common theme that tells me that I did something wrong, or perhaps that I didn’t do something I should have. #langchat
A4: being unprepared, kids acting out, not listening, having conversations, not being in full control of the class. Constantly putting out fires.#langchat
A4 Gonna get philosophical here: what we view as a fail is often a question of our unwillingness to accept we do not control all elements in our classroom, especially students. We can write a script but the ss may not follow it,& the stage lights might not work. #langchat
I do the same thing! Best advice I can give to new teachers is to admit your mistakes. You show you're human, and the students are more likely to admit their own mistakes when they make them when they know you don't expect perfection. #langchat
A4 I'm not sure if this is a common thread or just another fail, but when Ss don't feel like they can approach me and say, "Mlle, that lesson didn't really work for me" and I have to hear them mutter it to someone else #langchat
I will add, most of the evaluation processes I have gone through as a teacher contribute to this "performance" perception of the classroom. Expecting each lesson to play like a choreographed, rehearsed scene ignores the uncontrollable humanity of student and teacher. #langchat
A4 for me some common elements are 1) when I don't over plan and have back up plans and 2) when I don't slow down and listen to what my students need. Not what i need to teach. #langchat
I will add, most of the evaluation processes I have gone through as a teacher contribute to this "performance" perception of the classroom. Expecting each lesson to play like a choreographed, rehearsed scene ignores the uncontrollable humanity of student and teacher. #langchat
I also strongly believe in this method although it frustrates me that it sometimes backfires and needs some extra justification when I find myself on a campus where the majority of the teachers do not believe in admitting they make mistakes. #langchat
A5 The moving forward was really hard for a long time. The important thing is to not dwell on it - the more you relive a failure, the harder it is to move forward. #langchat
A5 What I didn't do before: admit culpability & do differently.
What I try to do now: Variations on a Lesson Plan, Opus 10, Rose.
Reflect, readjust, revise.
#langchat
A5 And IF the responsibility of the lesson fail falls on the shoulders of the students (which is rare, but not unheard of) then a "why do you think this didn't work out?" discussion is a learning moment for all. #langchat
A5: I just say it like it is. They love it when I take ownership for my failures. Language learning is all about making mistakes and learning from them, teachers included. #langchat
A5: 1. Apologize (to myself - but to others if the situation calls for it) 2. Reflect, reflect, reflect and jot down some notes for next time. Reflect with a colleague if needed. 3. Move on and keep having fun with the best job ever #langchat
A5: (part 1) serious failure sucks. But the truth is it is how we learn and how we get better. My whole internship could be characterized as a failure. I have not done well at a lot of things would change a lot of what I did! #langchat
After every lesson during our student internship, we have a Reflections section that helps me to think about areas of improvement. Reflecting at the end of the day without the chaos of having a class has helped me to figure out where I went wrong during “fail” lessons. #langchat
A5: Reaching out to my #langchat PLN & my school buddies. Plus talking things through w/the hubs who is the BEST listener & he doesn't sugar coat the truth. Then I dig deep. Eventually make a plan & try to be better.
A5 I identify the failure, admit that it was a failure and reflect upon a better approach to the task I attempted (including asking others' opinions and advice). #langchat
And if I can get on my soapbox for a minute, because I am still reeling from a conversation w/ one of my professors - you, the teacher, are NEVER ABOVE apologizing to your students if you are the one who made the mistake. #langchat
A5: (part 2) But that’s the thing, I would change what I did! This failure has not truly been a failure because I have learned and grown as a new teacher. This process will continue my whole career, my whole life. #langchat
A5 Become a 50 year old woman??? No seriously, turn attention immediately to what you can learn from the experience, and consider how to grow from it. Face forward. #langchat
A5: I have learned that you can't dwell on it and can only learn from the failure and move forward. You use this to try something different for the next time. I've also learned that high school kids will be fine with you the next day. Shake it off! There's a new day! #langchat
A5: For the longest time, I would beat myself up over it and allow myself to do a lot of negative self talk. I am still hard on myself, but by not keeping everything in and not letting out an immediate reaction, I am able to better process the failure and work thru it. #langchat
And if I can get on my soapbox for a minute, because I am still reeling from a conversation w/ one of my professors - you, the teacher, are NEVER ABOVE apologizing to your students if you are the one who made the mistake. #langchat
A5 I think it is important for students to see our humanity and understand that we too make mistakes. In a way we are always students ourselves - look at us discussing ways to be better teachers at #langchat every time!
A5: (part 2) But that’s the thing, I would change what I did! This failure has not truly been a failure because I have learned and grown as a new teacher. This process will continue my whole career, my whole life. #langchat
A5: not easy at first all. Approaching it and seeing it as an opportunity to grow and learn. Realizing that many great geniuses failed making great discoveries e.g Thomas Edison. Getting up, Learning from it and becoming better in that area. #langchat
This really has been like a therapy session, hasn't it? It's not pretty but failure is a part of life and it's nice to share "battle wounds" with others in the field! #langchat
A5 moving forward is the hardest part because you have to forgive yourself and know that this doesnt mean the end of mistakes or failures. For me personally i try to remember why i wanted to become a teacher and make a plan how to avoid that failure in the future. #langchat
A5. I remind myself that I am allowed to fail and that the failure of my Ss is not the end of the world. As I redefine success for my Ss I need to redefine my own success. #langchat
Love it! Definitely want them to view me as a partner with some extra resources for language learning. I have given myself a Spanish name so that they don't have to use a title with me as one way to make things less hierarchal. #langchat
This really has been like a therapy session, hasn't it? It's not pretty but failure is a part of life and it's nice to share "battle wounds" with others in the field! #langchat
TA: This is what Spring Break is for: refresh, renew, reflect, relax. Ready to approach April, May, and June with a good attitude. I have the best students and I can't wait to get back to them next week! Thanks #langchat for all you do!
TA There's nothing new under the sun and every student teacher and..teacher..experiences failure. It's what we do with that failure that matters the most. #langchat
TA: This is what Spring Break is for: refresh, renew, reflect, relax. Ready to approach April, May, and June with a good attitude. I have the best students and I can't wait to get back to them next week! Thanks #langchat for all you do!
TA: We are all learning every day in the classroom, and we can be of great support to each other as we work through unexpected outcomes. This chat was so beneficial! #langchat
Reduce the likelihood of failure by implementing High-Leverage Teaching Practices! Join #langbook starting next week 4/12 to discuss Ch.1 & 2! #langchat
