Experiences of a teacher of English

Great Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí was a genius.  He was the architect of the Sacred Family’s cathedral in Barcelona.  He once said, “Que cada uno haga servir el don que Dios le ha dado; la realización de esto es la máxima perfección social.” / Photo from: descubrir-la-sagrada-familia-5 www shbarcelona es 

As you may know, Einstein himself used to get bad grades at school. He was enrolled in a system that didn’t foster students’ personal aptitudes. And education is letting and fostering students to develop their capabilities, right?  Do we learn what our students’ abilities are, at least some of them?  And don’t you tell me you have a lot of students… Reach as far as you can, at least. You and I are getting to know their potentials, okay?  Look, one case: I knew a student whose parents were worried about his studies and stuff, and now he’s the groundkeeper of an important condominium in the city. We have to strengthen our students’ traits. Let’s give it a try, won’t you?

And on Sundays, relaxing and resting.  Maybe we plan some class, but it’s the time for God (always), for the family, spouse and children, for an escape to nature, for a hobby or sport, for fun and humor, for reading…  The teacher has to learn how to relax and rest, he or she should take some peace. Relaxing is not doing nothing but enjoying some activity, maybe with others, beginning with our own family. / Photo from: Kids-Sunglasses-UV-Protection11 fashionandshades com

In the school where I taught before coming to Granada in 2004 we had something great: individual tutoring sessions with each kid. It was a single-sex education school. The kids could give vents to their problems: they would always find an adult prone to listen to them, and to ask them how they were getting along, all in a delicate way.  Also we teachers found cases of bullying – we fortunately knew enough of each kid, also because we had tutoring sessions with their parents. I mean, we were able to cut off bullying problems from the very root.  We were a teachers team that learned what was going on at the school. We learned about our students’ conducting and how they felt.  As well we teachers used to meet up together to talk about the students each term or even with a shorter frequency. Obviously we didn’t talk about what the kids told about themselves at tutoring sessions. If a kid was anxious and choked we could notice his problems and troubles. / Ph...

We teachers of English or other languages have the danger and peril of giving facts of the language in classes, while the key point for classes is, in my opinion, communication.  We shouldn’t confine classes to presenting vocabulary and something else maybe.  Currently we are working on texts: stories I invent and make up, and one activity, after reading the text several times, is giving an oral summary. Therefore they practice speaking a lot. / Photo from: Singapore matakdometork com. the photo is just an illustration

You can find more about bullying if you type that word in the Search box. It may be a common problem and trouble in our schools. I've written about it on other posts. Those posts may not have the label "bullying".

Some kids may need urgent tutoring with a tutor, better if a male teacher for boys and a female teacher for girls. Bullying is one of the points, right away. It’s one of the problems to be treated at the tutoring sessions.  These sessions can provide a chance for their giving vents to their problems.  They have and can count on an adult that asks him or her if he or she is worried about something. This adult should be close, at hand, seeing to the problems in advance. / Photo from: Family-Car-Trip blog automart co za. once again I got a nice picture as an illustration, though it may have nothing to do with the post topic

Thank you followers and readers - you make this blog be possible day after day. I hope it be of any use to you. The photo again is just an illustration, a nice one this time, isn't it?

I’ve said that also adult students can acquire English or another language and not only learn it.  They can make English something of their own. But for that they need a lot of input and intake.  We teachers have to speak and read out massively, and in the meanwhile they’re acquiring the language. And they may be not aware of the process.  So before the students’ speaking there must be the teacher’s speaking. This doesn’t mean they have to be quiet and silent, in no way. / Photo from: awesome-horses-running buzzsharer com. this is just a nice illustration for the post

Students need positive motivation, from their teacher.  Lately, when my adult students for example read a piece of a story I’ve invented and composed on a worksheet, and after they have made short summaries of each paragraph, I correct them a couple or three mistakes or errors, but I try also to reckon the good job they’ve made, and the effort they’ve invested.  The students appreciate that gentle recognition from me. This positive motivation leads them to improve. / Photo from: AdultStudents www ccu edu

As a matter of fact we consider a person can use a foreign or second language if we learn that he or she can speak in that language; we focus on that language skill, which is one of the four skills of any language: listening, speaking, reading and writing; they four we should work on in our classes. / Photo from: Business English Power Speaking English Course 2 www embassyenglish com

Expert H. Douglas Brown advised those who are learning and acquiring any language that they should plunge into the water.  With this metaphor, he meant we any-language learners must be prone to speak in that language by taking any chance of speaking; we shouldn’t be afraid of using the language; we should use that language at any opportunity. / Photo from: times-square www telegraph co uk. this picture shows New York perhaps yesterday or the day before yesterday

We teachers of English or other languages should make clear that our goal is assisting and helping students to learn and acquire English or other languages.  The aim and everyday practice should be for communication sake.  Therefore we could focus on that target. Our classes should be directed and pointed at the service of communication.  Different aspects of students’ learning as well should have that goal; aspects like learning a new vocabulary set. All or almost all the activities should be regarding communication. Communication between the teacher and the students and among these latter ones too. So joining people. / Photo from: segineslecturadomicilio www teleprensa com

Some people ask me how they can learn English. I tell them the best is to enroll in an academy, like a language center.  In that way they will be exacted and demanded, and if they wish, really wish to learn and acquire English, they will advance for sure. But you’ve got to really wish.  Do you wish for example like a father wishes to earn everyday food, or an avaricious his gold, or a mother her children? No? Then you don’t wish and you won’t learn and acquire.  Another point that helps is need or necessity: if you need English you likely will learn and acquire it. / Photo from: campus-life www scriptmag com

Female teachers can provide some characteristics that are particular to them and which ones enhance school life.  They are up to little details, to specific points, have a special tenderness, a strong fortitude to say things clear, to take care of both people and material school stuff, have a lot of generosity, have a strong heart, have the sense of accuracy, have a special aptitude to both listen and speak, have intuition, have a special perseverance, have a deep piety, have a great respect to people (to each person), have a sense of balance and equality, phew!  I’ve seen all this, I would add. I’m also referring here to school lady cleaners. Our schools, and girl schools, would not be the same without all of them. / Photo from: nena_profesora www guiametabolica org

I would tell you that if we’re going to teach English or other languages in immersion mode we should pronounce and vocalize well and neat and clear. Experience tells me so.  Both if we’re native or non-native teachers. / Photo from: terraza-sierra-nevada www lugaresdenieve com. the pic is just an illustration. Sierra Nevada, close to Granada, where I live, doesn’t have as much snow as on the picture, this winter so far

It isn’t math but ultimately the way we treat our students is the way our students will treat us teachers. There’s some truth in it; think of it; it's likely so. / Photo from: kids tophding com

Why not giving announcements in English or other languages to the students? In last summer course for example I used to pick up students from their classrooms, one by one, in English, to have conversations with them in that language. Also we could comment on changes of schedule in English for instance, when addressing the class-group. / Photo from: Speaking-to-students ctmirror org

What a great thing is to learn we are loved by others, like for instance our family, our spouse and children, even our students… Unless we feel so I’m afraid it is not a good point, as it’s evident and obvious.  Sometimes when we love…, well, better said, always we should love other people, and our students as well, with love of benevolence – every time we love a person we are doing a paramount thing.  Each person is absolutely and totally unique, and it is worth to love him or her. Each one is irreplaceable too, and can do things no one else can do.  Something great is to foster our students’ potentials – that’s education or part of it. Even disabled people, persons, are worth being loved by us alike. / Photo from: Bike_Safety www kids-safety-klub com

We non-native teachers of English or other languages should invest some time in for example reading a novel in that language: we need to recycle and keep on learning and acquiring that language.  So our students also would notice we have learned more and we will show a positive image of being a better and better speaker of that language.  The point isn’t showing off, but becoming better professionals of the teaching of languages, and in this way we could help our students too, plus setting an example we can share with them. / Photo from: teacher www collegegrants org

I was going to post some ideas I’ve thought, and which ones could help someone. But now I’m writing about teens.  A few hours ago I was walking on the street. And I’ve seen some teens of those that practice making stunning pirouettes with their bikes. Which can be ok and amazing and artistic.  But the way they were dressing and their vocabulary have worried me, one more time. I can’t judge them I guess – I don’t know them, but many of those boys (above all boys) have their mind in things that may prevent them from studying for example Chemistry, or English, or…  What are they thinking (some of them, many of them) about? Of girls, drinks… Well, I don’t intent to picture a negative scene too much.  I’ve written a lot about motivation, class management, discipline. On the label icon of my blog you can see them.  Now I just say that we teachers can try to combine discipline with affection, a firm hand with understanding them. Many teachers...

It is a relief we have prayer.  So we keep in touch with God, Saint Mary, Saint Joseph... Someone I now don’t remember who, said that that is the only single way to pacify and cure our earth, our society.  I had this note among my papers and diary.  The encounter with God through prayer can mean and entail a personal conversion, which is the way to reach a fairer society: only the contact with God can heal our earth. Plus we have the sacrament of penance or confession.  Some stuff from this post is of mine, something else is read somewhere. / Photo from: www babbles com

I have finished an interesting book about a marriage, in which parents loved each other and kept and held that original love along the years: you can see they keep and foster the love they had when they were engaged and in the first period of their marriage.  In this way they create an affective atmosphere that obviously reaches their children but also even friends and acquaintances. This love permeated their family relationships, as I said.  Therefore the children had a brotherly and sisterly love to one another.  The marriage kept holding an authentic love, the same that led them to marriage. This love created an affective network that extended among their children and their friends and acquaintances.  Their kids felt that love and it led them to face up with life in a positive way. Their adolescence, as those kids were growing, was not a rather terrific period, but a time of relative calmness, the most that a regular teen can experience.  The ...

Today in class with my adult students I had the first class of the new year, with one of my groups.  We were working on a story I had written for them on a worksheet. They were giving summaries of the story. They were working nice, focused and concentrated, up to the point that I thought I should include some ice breaking trick, so as for them to relax for a bit.  So I told them kind of “Well, ok, you’re speaking in English and it is the first class day!”.  Sometimes it’s necessary to relax the atmosphere, and one occasion was today. They all smiled after me saying that. The atmosphere maybe was too serious or kind of that. / Photo from: dissertation compose service cov xyz

If our students are teens an activity we could implement with them is visiting the poor.  We did this activity in the school where I taught in Jaén: we went to some poor suburb. And it turned out ok and was very educative for the kids, and at the same time we made a favor to some family.  Sometimes we took an inexpensive present to them too. Also the feedback we had about our students was that they learned to value the things they had.  As well we tried to comfort the poor people and entertained them for example if some kid knew how to play the guitar. Alike we listened to the answers they gave to our questions about their circumstances. It was nice. / Photo from: catholic-link com

We teachers influence a lot on our students. Whatever we do, whatever we don’t, whatever way we face up work. And it’s common students in some way imitate us or at least get influenced by us, often without being aware of it. / Photo from: happy-kids www livescience com

Time passing either makes the spouses’ love get bigger or smaller, let’s be careful.  Also time and having the head on the shoulders can make that love mature.  Spouses should amaze each other in some way or another: love is made of details with each other: spending a weekend together with the children at the grandparents’, or a bunch of flowers, or listening to each other, a lovely glance at each other, taking care of the wife if this is sick, spending time with the children for homework or talking, a kiss when arriving back home, remembering the anniversary date, sexual relationships with authentic love to each other and open to life… / Photo from: www huffingtonpost com

Today, amongst other things, I or we have had the first classes. It has been great. Everyone was happy and we wished a happy 2016 to one another.  I remember you that my students currently are adults.  Despite they were the first classes we’ve had immersion: for example I congratulated my students because just the fact that they were speaking in English with me, with all the class – namely we have made up summaries of a story I’ve written in a worksheet.  It has been great, and we were relaxed after the vacations, Christmas vacations. / Photo from: Wolf-Full-Moon-HD-Wallpaper wallpapers ae. the picture is just an illustration

I’m telling you a story which is based on real facts, and which I’ve just read, and which one could help anyone passing through hard times in their marriage.  In marriage spouses must renew the genuine and respectful love they had when they were not married yet – I mean for example that excitement, plus delicate love plus preserving themselves concerning sexual relationship to marriage.  What the man does to conquer his girl for example must be repeated in marriage.  For instance we have a marriage that decided to make up a plan just they two, nobody else. Their young kids were taken to the grandparents’ house, and they had kept a day for them, just for them two.  They went to a brook, and they swam in a small lake under a water fall. After that they took a sunbath lying on a rock. Later they had a meal with snacks and sandwiches made at home. They were completely alone.  Then she took her husband’s hand and said that that was so marve...

We teachers should carry out our labor with perfection, as much as possible I mean.  And I’ve told you that we should plan classes, for oncoming days, ok.  But also remember and bear in mind that the aspect of our work we can take care of is at present: we can’t change something of the past, and we can’t do well in the future; it’s the present moment the one that I can do well, plus it’s right now the time I can sanctify my labor, at present, now, with God’s grace and help. / Photo from: Computer-work-break-desk cradio org au

If you’re a husband for example, you should know your wife wants and needs to be listened to, for instance when you arrive home in the evening, or at night.  Your wife wishes to tell you about things of the family-everyday-stuff, and you should put your being tired aside and listen to her.  Women want and need to be listened to – and you also need to be listened to by your wife, don’t you?  Communication is what you two need to keep your marriage afloat. As well the point is to learn about women’s psychology and about the way they are. / Photo from: www huffingpost com

I’m back home. I hope to post more often. I have been writing notes in my diary for four weeks, with stuff to post. / Photo from: readingteacher teach com. the teacher is not me – he could be more efficient than me, kinda looks like that ; )

We teachers should help our students be aware and conscious about the homeless.  Maybe they will be only able to give some alms or hands-outs. Well that is something.  Providing a shelter depends on our authorities and governments; our kids cannot give much else.  So we can foster their sensitivity toward those poor homeless people. We should foster social worries and concernings amongst our students. / Photo from: Barcelona_Homeless_by_Nicolas_R www borgenmagazine com

I think we teachers of English or other languages dedicate and devote a lot of time to low-achievers and this is ok but sometimes we dedicate rather little time to promote high-achievers, and these ones can get bored in classes where they can easily learn things, too easily.  We should devote more time to these latter students.  For instance, we could provide them with material and stuff for Cambridge examinations at high levels, First Certificate, Advanced, Proficiency.  Or for example we could ask school parents to take our high-achievers to their job posts, in medicine, architecture, the army, fine arts, law. This later initiative is successfully being practiced in some school of the south of Spain.  High-achievers attend the parents profession places and learn practical-for-life activities, with their teachers’ assistance. / Photo from: terrorismo-eta-la-audiencia-nacional-vuelve-a-aplazar-al-lunes-el-juicio-al-comando-vizcaya noticias terr...

We as teachers have to correct our students’ points of disruptive misbehavior, right?  Well then, we will correct them better if we are capable to correct ourselves concerning those points for example we do know we should correct in our lives.  In other words, if we can say things to ourselves, we will be more able to correct and help our students. / Photo from: winter snow calindragan wordpress com

Why am I so optimistic when 2016 is just beginning?  My optimism and hope are based on the strong basement and foundation of leaning on God himself. Plus I’m prone to keep on struggling and striving for example to teach my students and help them learn and acquire English. “In God we trust”. / Photo from: www westmont edu. The photo is just an illustration