About Us:
Since 2006, TCI Maine, New England & Beyond, in collaboration with Poland Regional High School, has offered a two day workshop in October with the sole purpose of training teachers in Teaching with Comprehensible Input (TCI). Over the years we have invited TCI gurus like Blaine Ray, Susan Gross, Ben Slavic, Jason Fritze, Joe Neilson and Laurie Clarcq to help teachers comply with ACTFL's recommendation that 90% of all second language instruction consist of comprehensible input. Attendees have come from Maine, all parts of New England, and as far away as Illinois and Missouri.
TCI or TPRS?
ACTFL recommends that 90% of all second language instruction consist of CI (comprehensible input - L2 that is completely understood by all students) Teaching with comprehensible input, then, is our goal. There are various
methods of making sure our students get CI. Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling is the method that TCI Maine, New England & Beyond advocates as being the most effective. Steven Krashen has also endorsed TPRS as the most effective way of delivering CI. It is important to remember, though, that comprehensible input is the goal. As long as classes consist of 100% CI 90% of the time the method we use to get there is not all that important.
About Skip Crosby:
Skip Crosby has been teaching students Spanish for 30 years. He began teaching using comprehensible input in 2005. Since then, Skip has exclusively been using comprehensible input and striving to reach the 90% mark. TCI Maine New England & Beyond grew out of Skip's passion to help ALL teachers gain proficiency in teaching with CI. Before teaching at Poland Regional High School, Skip taught in Winslow, ME and Cape Elizabeth, ME. He holds a Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera from the Javeriana University in Bogotá, Colombia and a Masters Degree in Spanish from Middlebury College in Vermont.On May 6, 2014, Skip was named the Androscoggin County Teacher of the Year and was a finalists for the 2015 Maine State Teacher of the Year. In late October 2014, Skip was honored to be named the 2015 Maine Foreign Language Teacher of the Year and 2015 NECTFL regional finalist. As of December 1, 2018, Skip became certified by the National Board for World Language and is a Professional Learning Facilitator. Skip is also an instructor with the Central Oregon Summer Spanish Immersion at Central Oregon Community College as well as the Intensive Spanish Summer Institute at Lake Tahoe Community College, adjunct faculty at St. Joseph's College in Standish, ME, and teaches high school Spanish online and with AP4ME. Skip can also be found coaching & running language labs at IFLT, NTPRS, and Martina Bex SOMOS workshops. At its 2022 Annual meeting, the Foreign Language Association of Maine (FLAME) named Skip the 2022 recipient of the Richard Williamson Award for Leadership.
Having witnessed Skip's journey first hand, Beth has helped champion the use of comprehensible input for second language acquisition instruction in Maine. Beth is the one behind the scenes making sure registrations as processed, invoices paid, and making sure things run smoothly (and on schedule) throughout the conference weekend.
(Group Photo: October 2013 8th Annual Conference with Laurie Clarcq)
Since 2006, TCI Maine, New England & Beyond, in collaboration with Poland Regional High School, has offered a two day workshop in October with the sole purpose of training teachers in Teaching with Comprehensible Input (TCI). Over the years we have invited TCI gurus like Blaine Ray, Susan Gross, Ben Slavic, Jason Fritze, Joe Neilson and Laurie Clarcq to help teachers comply with ACTFL's recommendation that 90% of all second language instruction consist of comprehensible input. Attendees have come from Maine, all parts of New England, and as far away as Illinois and Missouri.
TCI or TPRS?
ACTFL recommends that 90% of all second language instruction consist of CI (comprehensible input - L2 that is completely understood by all students) Teaching with comprehensible input, then, is our goal. There are various
methods of making sure our students get CI. Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling is the method that TCI Maine, New England & Beyond advocates as being the most effective. Steven Krashen has also endorsed TPRS as the most effective way of delivering CI. It is important to remember, though, that comprehensible input is the goal. As long as classes consist of 100% CI 90% of the time the method we use to get there is not all that important.
About Skip Crosby:
Skip Crosby has been teaching students Spanish for 30 years. He began teaching using comprehensible input in 2005. Since then, Skip has exclusively been using comprehensible input and striving to reach the 90% mark. TCI Maine New England & Beyond grew out of Skip's passion to help ALL teachers gain proficiency in teaching with CI. Before teaching at Poland Regional High School, Skip taught in Winslow, ME and Cape Elizabeth, ME. He holds a Diploma de Español como Lengua Extranjera from the Javeriana University in Bogotá, Colombia and a Masters Degree in Spanish from Middlebury College in Vermont.On May 6, 2014, Skip was named the Androscoggin County Teacher of the Year and was a finalists for the 2015 Maine State Teacher of the Year. In late October 2014, Skip was honored to be named the 2015 Maine Foreign Language Teacher of the Year and 2015 NECTFL regional finalist. As of December 1, 2018, Skip became certified by the National Board for World Language and is a Professional Learning Facilitator. Skip is also an instructor with the Central Oregon Summer Spanish Immersion at Central Oregon Community College as well as the Intensive Spanish Summer Institute at Lake Tahoe Community College, adjunct faculty at St. Joseph's College in Standish, ME, and teaches high school Spanish online and with AP4ME. Skip can also be found coaching & running language labs at IFLT, NTPRS, and Martina Bex SOMOS workshops. At its 2022 Annual meeting, the Foreign Language Association of Maine (FLAME) named Skip the 2022 recipient of the Richard Williamson Award for Leadership.
Having witnessed Skip's journey first hand, Beth has helped champion the use of comprehensible input for second language acquisition instruction in Maine. Beth is the one behind the scenes making sure registrations as processed, invoices paid, and making sure things run smoothly (and on schedule) throughout the conference weekend.
(Group Photo: October 2013 8th Annual Conference with Laurie Clarcq)
