Rigor has very different meanings to different people. Here, we want to nail down what rigor means to us.
Rigorous learning pushes students to stretch. They should usually be experiencing a moderate amount of strain, but too much strain for too long is ineffective.
We believe in depth over breadth.
We believe in quality over quantity. Students demonstrate their growth and learning over time by producing higher quality work, not a larger volume of the same thing.
Rigor is provided in the World Language classroom by creating an environment that challenges students to use the language for everything they need. Asking a peer for a pencil, charger, or piece of paper; asking the teacher to use the bathroom, to clarify missed information, or puzzling through new vocabulary. If students avoid using their primary language they will level up their skills quicker than if they only use it for a short period of time for a set assignment. Our goal is to have students use the language from the moment they enter the classroom, until they leave.