The BEGINNER TRACK or TPRS 101 – Basic Training is designed for teachers that are new to teaching with methods that implement Comprehensible Input.  Generally, if teachers have been to less than 1 or 2 workshops, the Beginner Track is a perfect start. This workshop is for teachers who are new to TPR Storytelling® or for teachers who feel that they need to revisit and practice the fundamentals of the method. You can expect the following:

1. Second Language Acquisition principles that support TPRS

2. Experience learning a new language as a student with TPRS (listening, reading, writing and speaking)

3. An explanation and practice of the 7 comprehension skills, 6 interaction skills, and 5 engagement skills

4. Lesson Planning and practice giving a lesson with the TPRS Recipe

5. Discussions on how to adapt TPRS to many teacher contexts

The Experienced TRACK is a three-day workshop that will highlight the following Advanced topics:

Blaine is the inventor of TPRS and author of several TPRS materials. Blaine developed and refined TPRS while teaching high school for over 20 years in Ontario, OR and Bakersfield, CA. During a 4-year period while teaching in CA, more of Blaine’s students passed the AP Spanish test than 13 other high schools in the district combined. Blaine is an experienced presenter and has given TPRS presentations in all 50 states and in many foreign countries in various settings. He currently resides with his family in Woods Cross, UT, where he continues to teach Spanish as a volunteer at a local high school and online on a regular basis.

Nathan Spencer has been doing TPRS since 2012 and, after seeing tremendous results, has been passionate about it ever since. Nathan became a National Presenter for TPRS books in 2017. He has taught in the Nampa School District in Nampa, Idaho since 2014 and is currently the department chair. Nathan has a Bachelor’s Degree in BYU Idaho, a Master's Degree from Boise State University and teaches all levels of Spanish. Nathan currently resides in Meridian, Idaho with his wife and children.

Their team was awarded the Those who Excel Award, with the distinction of Excellence for the 2021-2022 school year by the Illinois State Board of Education. No other team in Lake County earned the excellent distinction. They are extremely proud of the work they have done with their students and we are lucky to have them as mentors and instructors this year.

Craig, a former high school student of Blaine’s, Craig learned TPRS as a student teacher in 2005 and, after seeing tremendous results, has been passionate about ever since. Craig became a National Presenter for TPRS books in 2009 and now works and presents full time to a nationwide audience. He taught in the Nampa School District in Nampa, Idaho from 2005 to 2017. (UPDATE: Craig has returned to the classroom in Nampa as of 2022.) Craig has a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish with a Business Minor and a Master’s in Education: Curriculum and Instruction from Boise State University. He has taught all levels of Spanish and taught as an adjunct professor in the Modern Languages and Literatures Department at Boise State University from 2003 to 2017 and the College of Western Idaho from 2009 to 2017. Craig has also served as President of both IATLC (Idaho Association of Teachers of Languages and Cultures) and PNCFL (Pacific Northwest Council for Languages). Craig currently resides in Nampa with his wife and five children. 

Missy Urushidani is currently a high school teacher of Japanese and English to multilingual learners in the beautiful peninsula of Washington state. She was sent to teach English in Japan for 3 months as her final project to earn her BA in Japanese Language & Culture from The Evergreen State College. It was then that she discovered her passion for teaching languages. Her 3 months in Hyogo, Japan quickly turned into 11 years. Every moment was a blast, (HELLO! Have you ever tasted Japanese food or met a Japanese person!? Amazing!) but something was missing. Acquisition wasn’t happening how she wanted it to. Missy knew there had to be a better way, and she had to find it!. That’s when she decided to return to the states and earn a Master in Education (Japanese & ELL endorsed) at Saint Martin’s University to search for the secret of BETTER teaching. She found it in TPRS! Missy has been working closely with her work-partner Yuya Kurata to transcreate a Japanese version of the LICT curriculum, attending every TPRS & CI training she can find. The results she dreamed of in Japan are finally happening in America! She is working closely with other Japanese teachers across the globe to perfect TPRS for Japanese. When she’s not obsessing over becoming the best possible teacher she can be, you’ll probably find her out on some random adventure with her 2 kiddos.

ORD - Chicago, IL - O'hare (50 minutes from Graylsake)

The following link will allow attendees to coordinate rides to the conference from ORD or other locations.  Get carpooling soon to avoid hassles: – https://www.groupcarpool.com/t/z2enw5

Rideshare options- *remember to have the Apps installed and ready on your device before you leave

UBER: https://auth.uber.com/login/?uber_client_name=riderSignUp

LYFT: https://g.co/kgs/wijtTv

Breakfast: Monday breakfast is provided. 

Lunch: Daily lunch will be provided.

Dinner: On your own. Restaurants nearby include: