ENGLISH Rules!

This is my high school English class, from left to right:
Back: Samira, Miss Sarah, Stephanie, Jack, Miss Wendy, Martin, Josh, Dominique
Front: Lucy, Delia, Julie, Anna, May, Miss Megan, David

"I'm not even ISH now!" Jack said as he slumped back in his chair with an embarrassing chuckle.

"Yeah," chided Anna.  "Tomorrow you won't even have ENGLISH!"  The whole class roared with laughter.  Jack gave out an exasperated groan and buried his face in his hands.

Across the room, a boy named Josh tightly clutched onto his battered piece of paper.  It was a small, elongated rectangle with frayed edges.  In faded black ink, you could see ISH written in bold capital letters.  He tucked it away in his desk before anyone could see.  Despite his attempt muffle the shame it brought him, it was obvious to everyone, including me, how many letters he had left.  His classmates kept quiet, and instead used their time to proudly display their papers on their desk.  Some used masking tape, but one that caught me by surprise was Lucy, one of my struggling students.  She had taken her passing period to decorate hers with colorful jewels and purple lace trim.  It was definitely something to be admired.

My plan was working!!

It started out as a way to encourage my high school students to speak English throughout our daily, three hour English class.  Every Monday during the month of January, ENGLISH was written at the top, right hand corner of the blackboard.  If anyone spoke a language other than English inside the classroom, I made an over exaggerated gasp, a quick flick of the wrist, and poof! the letter was gone.  The reaction from the class was astounding—sometimes they would playfully tease the student who had messed up crying “WHY? WHY?” into the air with dramatic presentation, other times they got so frustrated that they corrected the student’s grammar and would persist its use for the rest of the day. 

Rule #1:  Speak English in class without the use of a translator. 

The first week was rough, with only a quivering, solitary H, fearful for its life as it sat atop the vast open board.  Impressively, the class was able to make it to Friday but just by the seam of their pants.  As promised, they were given a short 30 minute film in English.  Of course, I provided them with work to complete, but this did not discourage their interest.  It was such a great fit for not only the students, but also for me.  I continued this way for a few weeks but knew I couldn't keep it up, so I instated another rule.

Rule #2:  ENGLISH must remain on the board for 2 weeks.

It didn't take long for students to find a way to take advantage of my simple rules.  Some became near-professional actors, miming all their wants and needs to others so they wouldn't accumulate vanishing ENGLISH letters.  Others were even sneakier, whispering and mouthing words in Chinese, and during the most desperate of times, sharing Chinese words they had written on their notepads.  I definitely didn't make a specific rule to cover that issue. 

Oh how hard my students work to avoid working in class!

I also noticed that my class was surprisingly quiet.  Too quiet.  All students were behaved, sat up straight, listened intently... but they never talked.  During class, they would become saturated with questions and conversation, but they waited.  They held out until the next break where they could, without consequence, expel all their thoughts in Chinese to their friends inside the classroom.  


Problem: this won’t work.  Therefore, I created Rule #3.

Rule #3:  You must speak English in the classroom during your break.
                   (This includes the time from 1:00 to 4:00 PM). 

DING DONG!!!    The class bell has never sounded so sweet.  At the moment I dismissed my class, each and every one of them poured into the hallway like a school of fish.  

I realize that the rule wasn't exactly a huge change to what they have already been doing, but indeed it was significant.  At the induction of my new rule, we were facing one of the coldest winters Kunshan has ever experienced.  As it is, classrooms are heated and cozy, but the hallways are lined with open window views of the school's front yard.  Cold breezes bellow down the narrow walls, circling around you with a chill that sends shivers down your spine.  It was so cold I even feared going to the restroom in case the phrase “freezing your butt off” was not a myth.

Just 3 weeks ago, I implemented my 4^th rule.  I had begun to notice that many of my students were beginning to speak more and more English.  Their shift from the freezing hallway back to the classroom was gradual, but eventually, they came.  It is still very quiet in my room, but I’ve never heard them talk so much in English before.  Now that we have only a few short weeks left together, some students are getting lazy.  (Lazy is a word they know very well in English.)

Rule #4:  Keep ENGLISH on your desk, and you will watch a movie every 2^nd week.

Each student has their own sheet with ENGLISH.  To keep ENGLISH on their paper, they must score 75% or better on anything that I grade, they must speak in English, and they must have all homework completed.  If not, they must tear a letter off the paper and place it in the trash.  It is their choice to do publicly or by themselves.

And this is where my beginning anecdote starts.  Yesterday was our first Friday Movie with my newest set of challenges.  If it hadn't been for our shortened week due to midterms, there most definitely would be 3 students who would have had to forfeit the movie for a “study date with Miss Megan” out in the middle of the (now warm) hallway for all passerbys to see.

ENGLISH rules!!

I couldn't be more proud of a group of students.  They have come quite a long way this year.  


What will my next rule be?  I’m not quite sure yet, but I'm always watching, always waiting.  When I notice that the game is becoming too easy, I know I will have to tweak it again.  Maybe I'll change their word from ENGLISH to WIN.  :-)  We'll see.