Meditation in the World Language Classroom? Yes! (Read on, skeptics!)
reading time: 3 min
On the Friday morning before Labor Day Weekend on this district’s teacher’s first day back to school (let that sink in - no, for real), I had the pleasure of providing this language department with some ideas on how to use novels to help them with their planning, as they had just purchased subscriptions for all of their teachers for the year. Prior to my “show” as it were, I was able to listen to the district coordinator for world language address the teachers with… well, I’m not exactly sure all of what it was, but it was a lot. The coordinator was very organized, pleasant, supportive and upbeat, but it was still A LOT. It was a reminder to me that teaching - and teaching world languages in particular - is challenging. Because our subject is not always required, and students don’t always take it seriously (and we still have to measure progress in a skill that is inherent - don’t get me started on that!), world language teachers seem to have to work even harder to maintain our students’ interest so, you know, we can justify our programs. It is, in a word, exhausting.
Whether you are teaching in a block or traditional schedule, have three preps or six, have rosters of 40 total students or 120+ (or 300 as some middle school teachers have), there has to be some way to stop the madness, at least for a little bit. How about meditation? Not enough class time? Too woo-woo? Won’t be allowed by __insert powers that be here__? I know! And that’s not what I’m talking about anyway. Though meditation did, quite literally, save my life, the kind of meditation to which I’m referring is reading. Free choice reading (FCR) or free voluntary reading (FVR) is a habit, a norm, a regular occurrence in your classroom that you establish as part of your routine. The “rules” are simple: the students choose what to read for a determined amount of time (pro tip: start with 5 minutes twice a week at the beginning of class), and you take the time to read as well (modeling is essential).
After grabbing a book (article, graphic novel, etc.) the students sit and read quietly (so do you).
I hear all the “yeah, buts” coming at me hot right about now.
What if students choose books below their level?
How will I know if students understand what they have read?
How do I know they are actually reading?
So what?
You won’t, and
you won’t.
In my seasoned age, I have become much more laissez-faire about so many things - especially those that are out of my control. You are already measuring against a pyramid, using a ton of rubrics and making sure stuff matches up with some standard. You do not need to evaluate every. single. thing. that your students do. It is crazy to think you can, and completely unsustainable.
In this world where our personal devices (to which we are all addicted at some level) have decreased our attention spans, and provide way too much stimuli, having those few minutes of FCR/FVR each week might be a lifesaver - for both you AND the students. Like us, they need to bring it down a level, too, and what better way to do so than to also encourage the habit of reading.
Practice calm. Practice NOT being “on” for those few minutes. With meditation of any kind, it does take practice: redirecting distracted thoughts, or in the case of your students, their behavior.
Kids need this time. They do. Even if they’re not actually reading, they will get what they need from the quiet time. You will, too.
If you would like some more pointed and directed tips on how to incorporate FCR/FVR into your classes, you can register for our webinar which will be live on September 20th: https://www.digilangua.net/webinars