Friday 9 December 2016

More interesting classes


Like any job, teaching can become as dull and routine as cleaning offices or counting dollar bills. (Though usually not that many dollars come into it!) You, the teacher, trail into the classroom, greet the class, do corrections, present a point or read a text, practice, assign homework, go into the next class and repeat.

The difference between teaching and other jobs, though, is that you can decide to break the mold when things get too repetitive. Of course there's material you have to cover, and a timeline to follow, but the whole lesson doesn't have to go out the window in order to inject some variety into your lessons. Here are a few simple ideas to break out of the doldrums and find some new life in your lessons.



Let your students teach

 Assign pairs or groups. Let them know what they will be presenting to the class in the following lesson, set a time limit, and ask them to come up with an original way to do it, for example by using music, movement, a short theater piece or even a piece of art. Even a new grammar point can become fun and memorable in this way.


Make it a game

Almost any aspect of language-learning can be turned into a game. There are ideas all over the Internet – including on this site – and don't assume that if your students are older, or even adults, that they won't profit from or enjoy a bit of play. Having fun makes the brain more receptive to new information, it breaks up the routine of the class and it gives every student a chance to shine. One word of warning: Try not to use the same game ideas over and over, no matter how popular – you defeat the purpose by turning play into another kind of routine.


Talk to your students

 Set aside ten minutes or so at the end of the lesson to talk to and listen to your students. Set a topic, or ask students for suggestions. Make it meaningful to them: they've already done the environment and life in other countries, so try talking about their own lives, the place where they live and things that concern them. Do it in English as much as possible, but tolerate lapses. Make real communication the point. Your class will bond, and will become more tolerant of periods of the class when routine and repetition are necessary evils.


Do you have any comment or idea on this topic? Please, post them here. Thanks!

Thursday 17 November 2016

Blog Talk: The Curse of Ms Black

An urban myth tells us that if you dare to become a teacher, like Ms Black, you'll be doomed
  • to commute long distances every day.
  • to carry a back-breaking load of books and papers everywhere you go.
  • to walk, trip, skip, hop and other kinds of ‘workout activities’ in crowded  classrooms.
  • to try to remember hundreds of different names every year.
  • to miss most weekends doing PC  (preparing and correcting).
  • to work in the hottest and coldest classrooms on earth.
  • to persuade 'I-couldn’t-care-less’ people to provide a decent a budget for education.
  • to be an amateur therapist to parents, students and fellow teachers.
  • to constantly have to explain to people that being a Teacher of English is more than just having a good command of the language.
  • to doing useless paper work rather than educating people.
However...
aren’t  teachers the happiest professionals who walk the streets today? Most people look drained of energy and hopeless; but teachers are still enthusiastic and have fun planning and organizing events in hopes of making learning enjoyable for students.

Why?
Teachers like teaching because, unlike accountants, they are in contact with kids and young people who still believe the world is a wonderful place with a good future to come. It’s the teacher’s job to help them communicate with that world, opening doors to learning about other cultures, entertainment, places in the world, people, better job opportunities, just  to mention a few.

So, by being a teacher, you’ll be given the opportunity…
  • to live in contact with ‘the future’.
  • to have fun with your students.
  • to experience a feeling of renewal when discovering the world with your students every day.
  • to see the world in terms of building and creating.
  • to have the honorable job of giving people the tools to become better individuals.
  • to do real teamwork with other teachers even if not demanded by the authorities.
  • to learn from your students as much as they learn from you. 
  • to be invited to birthday parties, weddings and family reunions, just because your students love you.
  • to find pleasure in simple activities like reading a good story or cooking a good meal.
  • to have a smile on your face because, in a money-oriented world, you know how to live without it!
So maybe...
we need to scream louder sometimes just to get what we deserve in order to make of this enriching job a profession respected by everyone.

What do you think? 


Wednesday 16 November 2016

Teaching English in Large Classes- Webinar

Are teaching large classes? 

Webinar November 19th, 2016. Register!
http://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/events/webinars/forthcoming-webinars/teaching-english-large-classes-sociocultural-approach


Jason Anderson - Teaching large classes
Saturday, November 19, 2016 10:30:00 AM ART - 11:30:00 AM ART
After identifying some of the challenges of teaching English in large classes, this webinar looks at ways in which teachers of large classes can develop their own solutions appropriate to the context in which they work. We take a sociocultural approach to this question, understanding the English teacher as part of a school community in a wider social environment, working both with teachers of English and other subjects. After introducing an action research cycle for problem-solving, we look at examples of possible solutions (including approaches, techniques and activities) drawn from the practices of primary and secondary teachers around the world. 

Tuesday 15 November 2016

Larry Ferlazzo: Instructional strategies for multi-level classes of English language learners

British Council Teaching English offers several articles about teaching large mixed-level classes
This article provides some instructional strategies that provide an effective learning environment


http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/larry-ferlazzo/larry-ferlazzo-instructional-strategies-multi-level-classes-english-language

5 Things to think about before assigning group work

Assigning Groupwork: tips
Establishing group work for activities may not always be the right choice. What should we ask ourselves before asking students to work together?

Monday 18 April 2016

IATEFL 2016 Post 3 Phil Dexter

Special educational needs: let's celebrate diversity and inclusion in learning 
Phil Dexter
How do we turn a difficult place into a positive place?
Giving access to students with special needs is key.

What is the approach to engage all learners?
By recognizing cognitive differences as natural part of the spectrum which are unique and equally valid.
Watch Phil Dexter session at SEN 
Watch a video on neuro-diversity at autism-neurodiversity




TIPS FOR MANAGING LARGE MIXED- LEVEL CLASSES

Tips for managing a large mixed-level class Does this ring a bell? Imagine you are meeting a new class for the first time. You walk ...