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Denise Wagstaff

@mmewagstaff.bsky.social

370 followers 240 following 220 posts

French tchr/Melrose, MA. HC & PSU grad. Tweets about teaching, tech, French stuff & what I'm doing in my classes. Blog: http://mmewagstaff.wordpress.com

mmewagstaff.wordpress.com

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Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · Aug 8

Last school year, I set out to batch plan and get ahead with lesson planning, but I got derailed pretty quickly. This year, I’m going to really commit to doing it and it’s going to start this summer, in the weeks leading up to my first day with students, 8/27! #langchat #edusky

Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 8h

Love this so much! ⬇️

Monte Syrie @montesyrie.bsky.social · 9h

“I am not assessing your work to grade you. I am assessing your work to help you. I am simply joining you in your learning, so together we can build better.”

I used to think teaching was assigning and grading the work.

Now I believe it is framing and supporting the work.

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Reposted by Denise Wagstaff

Monte Syrie @montesyrie.bsky.social · 8h

I learn kids.
#Project180
@edutopia.org

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Reposted by Denise Wagstaff

Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 1d

Food for thought. gianfrancoconti.com/2025/10/10/1...

12 (Nearly) Useless Things Language Teachers Do When Teaching Grammar

Introduction I grew up in an educational culture where grammar was sacred! As an Italian learner — and later teacher — grammar was drilled into us like holy scripture: conjugation tables chanted in…

gianfrancoconti.com

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Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 2d

I understand that research and practice support certain ways of teaching grammar, but isn’t there a point where you just need to know some rules of the language? (2/2)

Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 2d

I know I’m reading this book, but sometimes I wonder: Does direct grammar instruction and learning grammar rules have a place at least somewhere? Maybe not the way it had been traditionally, but is there a time when it is useful and/or important? 1/2 #langchat

SLAyyy Pod @slayyypod.bsky.social · 9d

#LangChat #SLAyyy

Chapter 4 discussion prompt reading: “What is your biggest takeaway from reading this chapter or participating in this chat?”

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Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 8d

Do you mean pp.92-93?

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Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 8d

I already have a good understanding of “flipping around” grammar teaching and can see the benefits of exposing students to grammar in the ways mentioned in this chapter/book. #LangChat #SLAyy

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Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 8d

How can we use these strategies in a way that does not require significant planning time? I developed a PACE lesson several years ago & use it annually in French 3, but it took some time to develop. #LangChat #SLAyy

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Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 8d

In general, I use grammar in context before calling attention to its concepts/attributes. #LangChat #SLAyy

Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 8d

I already knew about PACE & Concept Attainment, but I appreciate refreshing my knowledge of Concept Attainment. #LangChat #SLAyy

Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 8d

Not explaining grammar in English. I feel that I need to use at least some English and some point to highlight or explain something . #LangChat #SLAyy

Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 9d

Yes I have!

Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 9d

Do you have any words of wisdom for teaching 8th graders? My first time ever this year (in addition to 10th & 12th graders)!

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Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 17d

You mean 2024-2025?

Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 20d

Do you often find that examples (in books, online, etc.) tend to be geared towards Novices or low Intermediates? I definitely do, and it is a frustration I have as a teacher of mostly Intermediates. #langchat

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Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 20d

I actually figured out who the original sharer was!

Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 20d

My thinking was that the lesson examples are part of a bigger unit that is focusing on many more things besides vocab and grammar. Since we don’t have the full unit to look at, it’s harder to see the “big picture”. #langchat

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Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 22d

The Interactive Model is essentially input leading to output, which is also the same as the IPA cycle (interpretive-interpersonal-presentational). Students need to see grammar in context before being able to use this grammar independently. #langchat

Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 22d

One of the authors worked with a few teachers in my district a few years ago & they used the unit template. Detailed daily plans are good to look at for ideas/understanding, but they’re not realistic in the real world.

Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 22d

I may have to try this!

Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 23d

This same concept stood out to me as well.

Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 23d

It’s the same question I ask when reading any pedagogical book: is it realistic for teachers to create such detailed lesson plans on a regular basis? The examples are very thorough and well planned. I would love some shortcuts that are still faithful to the principles. #langchat

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Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 23d

To be honest, I didn’t really come across anything new in this chapter. But, I did appreciate how the lessons presented used the primacy/recency model (primetime, downtime). I do a loose version of this daily. #langchat

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Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 23d

I already teach a lot of forms using input and language chunks. For example, students learn phrases with past tenses & actively use past tenses well before we actually talk about grammar. #langchat

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Denise Wagstaff @mmewagstaff.bsky.social · 25d

Definitely not.