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Mme R's French Resources

January 4, 2022

Block scheduling teaching strategies

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esIdeas for teaching French in block scheduling

Does your school use block scheduling? Maybe you’re a pro at it and you love it. Maybe you’re like me and you could use some block scheduling teaching strategies for your French class.

Since I started teaching French in 2004, I’ve taught in schools with all types of schedules. Mostly, I’ve taught a schedule similar to what I grew up with – a standard 50 minute class, with seven periods a day. I have to say, this is by-far the easiest for me.

Another year, I taught three 50 minute classes and one 90 minute class per week. I liked this okay, because one day a week with a longer class was ideal for projects or tests. I still saw students four days a week, so there weren’t big time gaps from one class to the next.

Yet another year, I taught a high school French 1 class for two 50 minute classes and a middle school French 1 block scheduled class. This year was not only really hard, but it helped me see just how differently I had to structure the two groups.

Here’s what I figured out:

I spent way too much time teaching.

I know that might not make sense right away, but it’s true. I spent a lot of each class period teaching students new concepts. I was expecting them to get the information, understand it, then practice it at home. The next day, I’d teach a little more, they’d do more homework, and we’d keep moving on.

The problem was, I expected them to get most of their practice at home. They were good about doing their homework, so it had always worked. It wasn’t until I saw students for 90 minutes and then didn’t see them again for days that it was a big issue.

I wasn’t planning enough activities.

We had what I thought was a pretty standard language class. I started them with bell-ringers. We checked them. We did a few quick minutes of vocabulary review. I taught some new grammar or added new vocabulary. We practiced a little, played a game, or did a speaking activity. At night, they did homework. Most days repeated like that. I knew exactly how long things took, and I very rarely had leftover class time.

With block-scheduling, that all changed! I either never got through all the material because students weren’t ready to move on in the next class period, or I had underplanned and suddenly I had twenty minutes to  spare.

I constantly had to reassess where I was in my pacing.

Because I taught the same class at a middle school and a high school, I had not only very different students, but different school schedules. My high schoolers had a 50 minute class five times a week. My middle schoolers had a 90 minute class every other day. This meant some weeks I would only see them twice!

By winter break, my middle school was several weeks behind. Part of the issue was that I missed more classes for things like assemblies or field trips. The other problem was that they would arrive in class on a Monday, and having not been in my class since Thursday of the previous week (or earlier sometimes), they hadn’t yet mastered the material. I had to slow down, reteach, and redo my plans over and over.

Over winter break, I had to really reassess what I was doing, because I was on track to end up teaching nearly 20% less in my middle school class! We had a 10 unit program, so that meant not even looking at units nine and ten.

 

Here’s what I did that helped us stay on track.

 

I cut out some material.

Sadly, that was the first thing to go. I had to keep them on the same pace as my high schoolers, because they were all going to start the next year together in French 2. Not doing the last two units would have meant they were missing a lot of very common beginner verbs and vocabulary!

Instead of just trying to fit it all in, I redefined what the absolute musts were. They had to know certain vocabulary and verbs to be successful in French 2. They needed to be able to structure sentences. They needed to be able to understand basic written and spoken directions. I decided which things could wait for another year, and I moved them to French 2 – or I did them with my high schoolers and gave them middle schoolers some time to catch up.

I planned way more in-class activities.

In a typical high school class, I’d have taught multiple lessons in one week. To keep the same pace in my middle school, that would mean two lessons per day sometimes. This was WAY too much.

Rather than worry about “covering” so much material, I made sure they got solid practice with the material I had on my must-do list. I could still teach a lesson, but we might play a game of Scoot to practice. Not only is it way more fun than a worksheet, movement is even more important when kids spend extended periods of time in the same classes.

The extra practice actually allowed me to go so much deeper, so even if they were exposed to less material, they understood the core concepts as well as my high schoolers did.

I got them speaking a LOT more.

My middle schoolers didn’t have as large a range of vocabulary as my high schoolers that year, but they became really good speakers! Because the classes were so much longer, I aimed to have a good portion speaking activities for each week. We weren’t rushed, it felt like a brain break for them, and it was still really productive.

They need a lot of practice, and the more variety I was able to add, the better they did. Plus, because they were using important language skills for the entire hour, they actually scored as well as the high schoolers on the end of unit assessments.

I gave myself and my students a lot of grace.

I realized that block scheduling was just going to be harder for me – and for some of them. I let them know it was new for me, and I asked them what they liked to do in class. They were more experts at it than I was, because it was their third year with blocked classes. I asked them for a lot of feedback and I adjusted my plans based on their needs.

I also was way more lenient on late work, because it was just a lot harder for some of them to stay on top of it with fewer classes per week.

I changed my homework expectations.

I used to give nightly homework so that students would practice the concepts that I had just taught. Because I was only seeing students 2-3 times a week at most, this meant either longer homework or just plain doing a little less. Neither one worked out well, so I came up with a new plan that forever changed how I assigned homework.

I started making student packets that students would have 1-2 weeks to work on. The packets had notes over what I had taught, practice activities, plus some enrichment.

I would assign a set number of activities for a range of pages in the packet, and students could pick the ones they liked. I’d periodically check them for progress and leave a little class time for questions, but the expectation was that they would practice what they liked when they had time. I didn’t use class time for this practice, but I did build in a little time to answer questions each week.

They liked it a lot more, because they weren’t stressed about long assignments after school. They could wait for another class period if they didn’t understand, and they loved getting to pick their activities.

 

Here are some block scheduling teaching strategies that worked for me:

 

Take time to just chat.

It’s that simple. In a 50 minute class, you’re in a rush to get started, take attendance, teach a lesson, practice, pass out homework, and get ready for the next class. With a 90 minute class, you can spend a little time chatting. Maybe you tell them a story about what happened while you were driving to work. Maybe you do a turn and talk time with their neighbors. Whatever you do, you’ve got some time to talk! Put it to good use.

Plan for 5 or 6 activities in a class period.

Really! You can change it up every 15-20 minutes and get in a TON of meaningful practice. Plus, it will make that time go by SO much faster for everyone! It’s okay if you don’t get it all done. It’s better to overplan than have time spent doing nothing.

You might have something like this:

  1. Bell-ringers (10 minutes)
  2. Chat time (10 minutes)
  3. Direct instruction (10-15 minutes)
  4. Game (20 minutes)
  5. Structured speaking or reading activity (20 minutes)
  6. Writing time (15 minutes)
  7. Wrap up lesson, exit ticket, answer questions, etc.

Have some music videos or conversation cards on hand in case you do end up with some extra time.

Always plan to have something for students to do if you don’t use the whole class period. It doesn’t have to be a structured activity, but having a song or video related to your unit or pulling out a few conversation cards can be a big help!

Find more ideas for making the most of leftover class time HERE.

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The first day of school is a little less stressful The first day of school is a little less stressful when the same resource can be used with multiple grade levels!  These icebreakers come with different activity options in French and English, so even if you have advanced French students, beginners, and some who don’t speak French at all, you can use the same resource all day!  Learn more at the link in my bio.  What do teachers think? 
One teacher said:
“Love this resource! Used multiple times for my immersion grade 9 and 10 students. Good for mock interview practice, or fun discussion questions for participation/speaking points! Also great for practicing certain verb tenses! Great for beginning of school year, but I continued using throughout the year. “  Another teacher had this to say:
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I personally love the first week of school, because it's so fun to get to know new kids!⁣
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My ice-breaker set is really popular with French and English teachers because with 5 activities to choose from + both and English versions included, there is enough to do an activity a day for the whole week with EVERY student group!⁣
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The best part? These are on sale until midnight EST tonight - Wednesday, August 3rd! ⁣
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What do teachers say?⁣
⭐"Love this resource! Used multiple times for my immersion grade 9 and 10 students. Good for mock interview practice, or fun discussion questions for participation/speaking points! Also great for practicing certain verb tenses! Great for beginning of school year, but I continued using throughout the year."⁣
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⭐"I love that this resource is in both languages.  It really helped get the discussion going in class."⁣
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Looking for BTS resources for your French class? Looking for BTS resources for your French class?  Even if you’re still on summer break, you won’t want to miss out on the great deals at the TpT BTS sale! 🎉  These favorites are on sale Tuesday and Wednesday - along with all my other French resources!  Find the link to all my back to school resources with the link in my bio @mmersfrenchresources  #frenchteacherofinstagram #frenchteacher  #frenchteachers  #teachingfrench #teachingfrenchtokids #profdefrançais #corefrenchteacher #corefrenchteacher #frenchclass #frenchresources #frenchimmersionteachers #frenchimmersion #middleschoolfrench #frimm #tptsale #frenchtpt
AUGUST⁣ ⁣ I can't believe it's already August! AUGUST⁣
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I can't believe it's already August! We've had an amazing summer, but it's coming to an end. ⁣
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We are planning to hit the pool a few more times this month before school starts! Gotta soak up every minute! 👙⁣
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Do you go back in August or September? ⁣
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⭐️ LAST DAY ⭐️ Let us treat you this wee ⭐️ LAST DAY ⭐️  Let us treat you this weekend to some gift cards. We are giving away not one, but TWO $50 Teachers Pay Teachers gift cards. Who is excited for this prize?🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️  Just in time for the TPT sale August 2-3🎉  Entering is easy! All you have to do is:
🌷Go to the @frenchtastic.giveaway page 
🌷Follow the directions on the post  🤍This giveaway closes TONIGHT, July 31 at 8pm EST. The winners will be contacted via DM on Monday August 1 and then announced on this page 48 hours later.
🤍We will NEVER ask for your credit card info or send you any links. Please report and block anybody who does.  ➡️This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or associated with Instagram or Teachers Pay Teachers.  This giveaway is open worldwide.  #frenchteacherofinstagram #frenchteachers #frenchresources #frenchlanguage #profdefle #profdefrançais #profdesecoles #professeur #teachingfrench #teachfrench
FRNCH GREETINGS⁣ ⁣ Students who are brand-new FRNCH GREETINGS⁣
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Students who are brand-new to French can be really intimidated at the beginning of the year.⁣
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Having well-structured activities that help them master the basics in a fun way gives students a great start to the year and makes them excited about learning French.⁣
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My French greetings packet is used by tons of teachers for their first week of school, because it includes speaking and writing and requires very little teacher prep! ⁣
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What do teachers say?⁣
"The resource was a great review of the greetings and goodbyes.  My students found the activities engaging and well organized."⁣
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"This was a fantastic resource for learning and reviewing greetings and goodbyes.  My students loved getting up and asking each other questions."⁣
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Find the link in my bio @mmersfrenchresources⁣
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We’ve been really busy this July! From holiday We’ve been really busy this July!  From holiday fireworks and summer sunsets to trips to Chicago, Minneapolis, and camping by Lake Superior, it has been a fun month!  I’m ready to spend a minute at home!  How are you enjoying summer?
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Ice-breaker activities are a great way to start the year with students, but I know I get sick of doing the same thing all day!⁣
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If you teach multiple levels, or if you have the same kids several years in a row, wouldn't it be nice to have an ice-breaker set with different activities so you can mix it up?⁣
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And how about those beginners who don't speak French yet? They can't do the same activities, so then you'd be needing ANOTHER activity for la rentrée!🙈⁣
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That's why I've made my ice-breaker set with 4 different activities in French and English so you can get one resource for many grades and levels!⁣
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It's a favorite of teachers each year! Here's what teachers think:⁣
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“I used this with my grade 7 basic French class. I liked that there were both English and French options because they always forget a lot of their vocabulary over the summer! Great first day activity!”⁣
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“Love this resource! Used multiple times for my immersion grade 9 and 10 students. Good for mock interview practice, or fun discussion questions for participation/speaking points! Also great for practicing certain verb tenses! Great for beginning of school year, but I continued using throughout the year.”⁣
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“There are so many uses I can make of this product both in French and in English.”⁣
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TRAVELS ✈⁣ ⁣ Last week, I got to go to Chic TRAVELS ✈⁣
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Last week, I got to go to Chicago for the TpT conference! I haven't gone to an in-person conference since 2019, so it was so fun to see old friends.⁣
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Some highlights:⁣
I got to meet @forfrenchimmersion and @laclassedemadameangel in person! We talk almost everyday and we work together online all the time, but we have never actually met IRL. 👭⁣
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I also got to meet @lifebetweensummers who I have known and chatted with here on IG when she was translating 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 to French. We had a really fun night out in Chicago along with @the.mountain.teacher @wlclassroom and @enrichingyoungmindsandhearts 💃 ⁣
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I ran everyday along the waterfront path - which was amazing because A. Chicago is WAY flatter than where I live and B. Chicago is WAY less hot than where I live. 😅⁣
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I met tons of other teachers and got to have some quiet time to make some plans for next year. For all my type A friends, you know how much this means!⁣
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VACATIONS! ✈⁣ ⁣ Which one do you prefer?⁣ VACATIONS! ✈⁣
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Which one do you prefer?⁣
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I'm also a huge fan of big cities - especially if they are in another country. And no flip flops actually go to big city trips with me! 😉⁣
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#teachersinsummer #teachersoftpt #frenchteache⁣
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CLASSROOM LABELS⁣ ⁣ I'm definitely a type-A pe CLASSROOM LABELS⁣
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They include over 80 different labels with small and large labels of common classroom items. The small labels are shown here.⁣
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Tap the link in my bio for more info -> @mmersfrenchresources⁣
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SUMMER MEMORIES ⁣ ⁣ As a person who is 100% #t SUMMER MEMORIES ⁣
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I'm happiest when I can throw on shorts and flip-flops and head out the door with my hair in a ponytail. How about you?
NEW BLOG POST⁣ ⁣ I love using hands-on activit NEW BLOG POST⁣
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In my most recent blog post, find some of my favorite hands-on activities - including a freebie - for both elementary and secondary classes!⁣
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Tap the link in my bio for more info -> @mmersfrenchresources⁣
HANDS-ON LEARNING⁣
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#frenchteachers #frenchresources #mmersfrenchresources #corefrench #profdefrançais #worldlanguageteachers #targetlanguage #teachingfrench #enseignement #enseigner #teachfrench #frenchimmersion #profsfrancofun #frenchtpt  #iteachfrench #frenchteachersoninsta #frenchteacher
SUMMER BREAK!⁣ ⁣ I love having days where I ju SUMMER BREAK!⁣
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I love having days where I just have no real plans or checklist, don't you?⁣
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This is my daily checklist for summer. I do have other things in there, but these are my morning tasks. Not bad, right?⁣
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What on your summer checklist? ⁣
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#igteachers #teachersofinstagram #frenchteachers #frenchteacher #teachergram #teachers #teachersofinsta #teaching #middleschoolteacher #teachersinsummer #teachersofinstagram #iteachtoo #teachersofig #teachersfollowteachers #frenchteachersofinstagram
TRAVELS⁣ ⁣ What's on your travel list this yea TRAVELS⁣
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What's on your travel list this year?⁣
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My family lives in the south, so we head to Florida or the Carolinas when we can. My favorite kid on Earth loves theme parks, so we can never pass up a chance to ride some rides.⁣
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Who knows where we are in this picture?
JUILLET⁣ ⁣ July is hot and sunny here, but I l JUILLET⁣
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July is hot and sunny here, but I love it!⁣
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I'm excited to head to Chicago to see some friends I haven't seen in a long time - and to meet IRL a few friends that I work with all week long but have never actually met in person!⁣
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After that, we are camping by Lake Superior and heading to Minneapolis for a few days.⁣
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What are your July plans?⁣
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#igteachers #teachersofinstagram #frenchteachers #frenchteacher #teachergram #teachers #teachersofinsta #teaching #middleschoolteacher #teachersinsummer #tpt #teachersofig #tptforwardchicago # #teachersfollowteachers
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