On April 20, We had the opportunity to attend a TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) workshop at Ocean Springs High School—an experience that was truly transformative for my professional practice.

For years, I have given TPRS conferences, so it was a great honor to finally attend a workshop directly from its inventor, Blaine Ray. It was especially meaningful to see him in action, as I have studied his books extensively over the years. In fact, my doctoral dissertation was based on the principles of his approach, so observing his methodology firsthand felt both professionally and personally significant.

I attended the workshop alongside two teachers from Concordia Parish, Louisiana. Together, we had the opportunity to collaborate with educators from universities across Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, as well as high school teachers from diverse contexts. This diversity created a rich environment for exchanging ideas, strategies, and classroom experiences.

One of the most inspiring aspects of the workshop was hearing passionate teachers share their real classroom results using TPRS. It was encouraging to see such a strong commitment to language acquisition and student success across different educational settings.

Another highlight was Mr. Ray’s classroom demonstration, which was conducted in Portuguese. This added an unexpected and engaging dimension to the experience, as we were not only observing the method in action but also experiencing language learning from the learner’s perspective.

Overall, it was an incredibly enriching experience. I left the workshop with renewed motivation, fresh ideas, and a deeper appreciation for the power of TPRS when implemented with purpose and passion in the language classroom.

A special thank you to Mrs. Ericka Scott for her outstanding organization of the event and for being such a passionate and dedicated educator. Her commitment made this experience both seamless and truly memorable.