Experiences of a teacher of English

If you go to post # 641 you will find nice ways of relaxing between classes. Just type 641 on the search box at the right hand of the blog. / Photo from: fatherandsonfishing     25three blogspot com

As a complement to post # 993: to prevent from the burnout effect and distress, something else you can do is to put yourself in front of a mirror, and try to make faces. It's not a foolish comment: I'm serious, I ain't being funny. Just try. It has helped me sometimes. / Photo from: sweeping. sweep away your blues. In this site they state that sweeping is relaxing or at least helps. Sorry for I didn't copy the source web site.

I receive some comments from you, people, but if you sign as Anonymous, the thing goes into the trash can, as spam. Some comments are excellent and have interesting contents. Anyway, feel free and introduce yourselves as you like best. Thank you anyway. / Photo from: ctinews vn. rising number of vietnamese study abroad  

Teacher A said to teacher B, “It’s something sound not to take yourself so seriously. You’ve got to learn to laugh at yourself. Also be more optimistic. What happened in a class could be awful but in a few days you’ll think of that as something less important, not so terrible. And even more, you’ll be able to give the specific things that went wrong, and you’ll find out they weren’t so many. Come on!” / Photo from: chestnuthillfarm com. calvin-lauren-jump   chestnut hill farm       riding lessons    

Teacher B said to teacher A, “Last Friday I told my students they’re studying and learning also for tomorrow’s help to society, to other people. And now they’re learning how to become future professionals.  From the classroom there will be, in not many years, dentists, street cleaners, professors at college, doctors, nurses, attorneys, company managers, reporters, joiners, plumbers... They’re learning to become professionals, and now their profession is studying. I noticed they became serious and more focused on the next activity we did. Did they ponder those ideas?” / Photo from: sewcountrychick com. sewing girl  

Teacher A said to teacher B, “A person’s quality and excellence can make little everyday things become big and important. More if he or she puts love in doing that. Also love to God. The importance of a great person has a close relationship with his or her taking care of little things, and in treating other people ok.” / Photo from: ninanesdoly com. woman – reading – book – outside    

One day teacher B said to teacher A, “You could stop talking in the class if two or more students are distracted, chattering among them. Gaze and stare at them. Your silence may be very eloquent. You can try to not start an activity until those two kids are quiet. Other times and in a low voice you also could address them, peacefully. I’ve tried this quite often and it worked.” / Photo from: by jean saint martin. participez com

One day teacher A said to teacher B, “The teen should be praised for his struggle and effort to learn than for his grades [or marks].  I mean he has studied the test a lot, and this ought to be praised. Moreover, his grades will be nice because of his effort. I’m talking now about the adolescent’s parents and family.  Should the parents or the family supervise and inspect the child or teen? Up to what extent?  The answer is as various as people are.  However, and concerning what you told me, you teacher have got to tell those parents not to supervise and inspect their son’s study – he’s grown enough. They ought to loose the reins step after step. The point is helping the kid be an autonomous learner. Those people don't have to supervise and inspect their son’s school diary, where he writes down his homework and tests, in favor of letting him be his own protagonist. Call them to school and talk with them, I'd tell you.” / Photo from: nwbookfes...

This piece of an article may be interesting for your teaching. At TeacherLingo website you’ll find lots of material for your classes. There’s a link at the right column of my blog. Also many teachers there offer material that may be so useful. It’d be great the piece of the article below be useful. “Teaching without a coursebook” From British Council – BBC Submitted by TE Editor on 30 March, 2011 - 08:37 Whether you're starting with a new class or just changing direction a little the decision of how to structure a course without a coursebook can sometimes be difficult for a new or even experienced teacher. What's wrong with using a coursebook? A topic-based syllabus Structuring the course Needs analysis Set short-term objectives Remedial grammar Error correction Variety Conclusion What's wrong with using a coursebook? Well, in many cases, nothing! With the constant updating of text books to include new and r...

Great and expert H. D. Brown said,  Virtually every strategy or gimmick that has been mentioned so far in this book can become a little game. And remember, games are fun. You can take a lighthearted perspective on this language learning process of yours by thinking of it as a game. So, go for the gold! (page 71).  I like it. This text is a quotation from a paper that I wrote for a journal, and which I have written about in this blog. I’ll think of this point concerning my adult students. Will they like games? I’ll see to it. Honestly I can assure you I have thought not, so far. / Photo from: internationalprojects com

One day teacher B said to teacher A, “I guess some of my students don’t make good use of the English course book. They don’t know how to study and work on that book.  They see pictures, titles, exercises, listening icons or symbols, grammar charts, drills, filling out the blanks… My students are about 16 years.  Last class I assigned as homework to look carefully at the pages of next unit. After the Holy Week’s vacations I’ll ask them what is the unit like, what the contents are, and what they’re going to learn in that unit.  I told them they must clearly find out what they’re going to face up with. I would like to say that they are on the right path to take profit of the textbook. The point here is I’m trying to make them more aware and autonomous at learning. I did this activity last year and we saw the pages of a unit in the class, and I can tell you they improved their learning styles.” 

If you want to contact me, leave a comment on one of the blog posts. All comments await for moderation before they get published - if the case. So it's only me who will read it - they don't appear publicly. / Photo from: waiting for a train.    travelindiasmart com

One day teacher B said to teacher A, “These days both of us, my students and I are enjoying conversation sessions with a native speaker that is from Manhattan. She’s great.  These speaking sessions take one hour. Yesterday, Tuesday March 21 we had one session.  We were four adult students plus me. The American girl is studying her degree in New York: political and environmental sciences. The sessions are fluent and colloquial. One thing she did yesterday (because of a suggestion by me) was describing a few pictures from an issue of National Geographic . We were listening to her.  Yesterday too (11:30 through 12:25) my students asked her about places and facts of Manhattan. Her English is simple to understand. I tell you all this for it could be an activity you could implement in your classes. These speaking sessions are cool and useful.” / Photo from: simon rochester edu. listening in class image       

One day teacher A said to teacher B, “Learning a language depends on oneself.  H. D. Brown, about whom I wrote a journal paper, often says “your own…”.  In this blog I’ve said many things about that paper and an interesting book by H. D. Brown.  Success will be mainly achieved depending on oneself’s initiatives and being oneself’s motor. Also Brown states the main keys to success: ‘ developing your own inner states of motivation and self-confidence, lowering anxieties, and becoming more of a risk taker are part of the plan .’ (page 71) / Photo from: solarworldgt. a solar-powered car is currently on a drive around the world 2012

Hi fellows My congrats and wish of a happy day for my Irish fellows. Today I also wish the best to everyone who speaks English, regardless the language is your mother one or it is a second language or you use that language for any reasons in any place of the world. Sláinte! / Photo from:  st patricks day parade 2011 sebastien band. all over albany. This latter city is the capital of the state of New York. 

A few days ago I opened up the spam app of my blog... and I saw many of you had comments for me! Feel free to write and submit any comment you think is ok with the blog, especially teachers but not only teachers. / Photo from: michaelfaradayschool co uk. 

Phew! I gave a translation into English of the text in Spanish on post # 979 – so yesterday’s one. I changed some minor nuances so you could obtain the writer’s aim in my opinion. Sorry for the errors and mistakes. I tried to do my best.  Something of a paramount importance is that the relationship between both spouses be based on authenticity, respect, kindness, and affection and love.  That very relationship has to be united and joined by love. That love will unite the spouses IF it is authentic, genuine, strong – in other words IF it is founded on the other spouse’s looking for his or her own good and benefit, and not on selfishness of one of them nor rivalry about areas of power or other things.  Otherwise, that foundation implies a continuous and permanent wish of being pleasing and nice, plus some genuine concern about small things and nice details plus a daily conquering the other spouse.  All that is pretty far from boredom or a loweri...

How can I help my children with their homework? Here is a text copied from a book by an expert in education. The book is on teens’ and other students’ homework when they are helped by their families. / Photo from: redmum ie. a pal has just started driving and we have been up to phoenix park lots etc Dublin. Phoenix Park is (or was) the largest city park in Europe. Otro aspecto importante, muy importante, es que la relación entre los esposos goce de autenticidad, respeto, agrado y cariño. Esa relación tiene que estar unida por el amor. Amor que unirá a los esposos, si es sólido, es decir si se basa en el bien del otro, no en la complacencia de uno mismo, ni en la rivalidad por espacios de poder u otras cuestiones menores. Al contrario, ahí tiene que existir un permanente deseo de agradar, una atención a los detalles, una conquista diaria; aspectos muy distintos a la monotonía o a un amor aburguesado, a un cierto aburrimiento y a un descuido en los detalles. ¿Cómo se logran y...

One day English teacher A said to English teacher B, “Management of the class and discipline is something the student has got to acquire by himself. The best discipline in the classroom is one's self-discipline, and is learned and acquired by students.  One way is to be grateful, to show gratitude.  If you, teacher, thank your students for a well-done small job for example, this action serves to keep more discipline.  Some students can be rude, right, but I guess that if you thank one of them in a repeated way, day after day, he will behave a bit better. If you teacher are polite and serious and a bit conspicuous, plus you don’t lose your temper, the class will develop better and better.  Teens feel insecure and they’re growing their personality, so if you treat them in a polite way, they will grow up fine. It’s just because they see you consider them as real persons, and you trust them. They realize they can do useful things – you consider an...

Here is the translation of post # 976. I hope you like it. Juana [I invented the names]., I have found something in a book that could help you both, you and Antonio.  I know little about what is going on between you two – anyway I somehow hope this message could help you. We should not be afraid about likely coming crises. However, it’s horrible that today when a couple is suffering dire straits they break off, and they look for another person. It’s then when they should set their relationship in a more matured way. Love then will also be more authentic and genuine.  Any crisis is a new chance to grow and polish one’s self. I apply all this to myself too. The author is a French priest, an expert in spiritual direction or accompaniment, whose name is Jacques Philippe. The first love may have faded away. It’s precisely then the time to recall that love is mainly seeking the best for the other person. It’s worth to think about all this, isn’...

Education is first and mainly carried out in the family. Here you have a text about love. All this is from an email I sent to a friend of mine few years ago. It might help you. On coming days I expect to translate it into English. N., he encontrado en un libro algo que quizá pueda serviros, a Antonio y a ti. (I’ve invented that name) No sé casi nada de qué está sucediendo entre los dos, pero ojalá este mensaje que copio pueda ayudaros. No hay que temer a las crisis. Pero lo que sí es terrible hoy en día es que, por ejemplo, cuando una pareja atraviesa una crisis se separa y buscan otra pareja, cuando probablemente esta crisis sea ciertamente la ocasión para asentar la relación, y redirigir las cosas para un amor más verdadero.  Cualquier crisis es una oportunidad para crecer, una invitación para llevar a cabo un trabajo determinado sobre uno mismo." También me lo aplico a mí mismo. El texto es de un sacerdote francés con amplia experiencia de acompa...

One day teacher B said to teacher A, “Some students may be perfectionists in a wrong way: albeit they get good grades and do things well, they may feel distressed, disappointed, frustrated. For them things are white or black, perfect or a failure.  You, teacher, can congratulate that student that did good in the exam, also because he had worked hard for the exam. Have him recognize what he did ok.” / Photo from: www voga org. bike touring. vermont mountain biking and bike tours