Experiences of a teacher of English

I try there be immersion in my classes of English. From the very beginning. And not only the activities but also the regular conducting of the class.  Perhaps something needs more explaining: then I use other ways of saying the same message: writing cognates on the whiteboard (similar words to the ones in our mother language, like “presentation” and “presentación”), synonyms,  gestures,  eye-contact,  drawing puppets on the whiteboard,  mimicry.  Now I’m referring to my classes with adults, who are pretty motivated.  Some work is created so in classes: my explaining and their trying to understand.  If somebody says something in Spanish, our mother tongue, I ask him please to try to explain in English, with my help. With immersion we create an environment where English is the communication bridge, nearly as if we be in an English-speaking country. / Photo from: teacher-explaining-grammar-to-student www lifed com

Just to let you all know that I'm not an ace at Google circles, and I don't know if anyone I've written to wished to get into my circles and I didn't achieve so. Best wishes. / Photo from: group-people-talking www handsonsuperhealth com au

Our school subject is very practical: teach English and help the students learn and acquire English, by means of learning strategies and teaching strategies.  These latter ones are embedded inside a methodology, such as communicative, which is ours.  The point is that one person learns and acquires a language for communication. And communication is between two people at least. Also reading a text is communication.  As well we could add that that communication is for a goal: giving and receiving information like the placement of a street in a town, asking for something, presenting a topic about history, talking about the soccer league, showing and offering love to the other person, a mom writing a note for her children when coming from the school, and any other message to another person, or other people. / Photo from: architects working together www stocksy com

We as parents and teachers have got to educate our young people, right?  Happiness has a lot to do with education: the person grows up and has got to build up his or her happiness.  We as adults can lead them through the wild river of life, warn them about dangers, give them prompts about nice harbors and landscapes.  Problems and trouble we’ll always have – it’s so simple to understand, but how well do we accept them?  In order to be happy the pathway isn’t not having problems but a heart in love, enamored with everyday pits and ups, or better said: with a positive and smiling attitude to face them up.  Plus we people tentatively do not live lonely but we have people that can help us, and above that we can always count on the Friend that doesn’t betrays us: God our Lord.  And remember that whenever we fail or miss the target we can go back to try again. Besides we Christians have the sacrament of penance, of joy, of confession: our father God forgives us

Who’s the person that achieves to master a language?  A person who really wishes to learn a language , and he has the firm resolution to do it, will learn for sure.  It’s a mixture of effective willing plus likes. You love what you know. You know more and more, and this fact makes you love learning, carrying on learning.  You are continuously learning, from there, from here. All the time. Every day. You pick up one word here, one other word there. That’s the person who actually learns. / Photo from: o-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-TALKING-facebook www aoneessays net

Why does a student have to learn how to learn?  A plumber has learned his job. The same happens with the “job” of a student: he has to learn learning strategies to apply to the study of the school subjects.  So we teachers have to teach how to learn.  This is not an obstacle for presenting, for explaining things – sometimes the student will learn from his teacher and some others he will have to learn on his own, applying the strategies that fit him best. / Photo from: animalnew york com. student studying

Youngsters like to be treated as ordinary persons.  At tutoring sessions talk with him as such, not as a very despotic father. In the same mode as you would talk to an adult. At the same tone as adults.  They are young but not silly.  Thus you are opening a bridge between youth and maturity for them. / Photo from: www phschool com. Tutoring session of a teacher with a student

A teacher is the person who does not just confine to teach with words but as well, and this is pretty important, he sets an example and offers positive and continuous encouragement.  This idea was taken from Spanish José Ballesteros De la Puerta. / Photo from: traffic-jam-in-rain www flourishonline org

There could be problems and conflicts between generations.  Some people postulate there be just a balance between generations.  Nevertheless it’s better if there is harmony between generations. A way to achieve this is communication. Both parents and children ought to seek this sort of communication.  Communication enriches both groups.  An example is a father that is talking to one of his kids along the landscape. The father should ask and bring up topics that could be of interest for both. The difference of visions in this case can help create communication between both people. The idea has been taken partially from Spanish expert Gerardo Castillo. / The picture shows father and son fishing, having something in common thus

Everyone or nearly can learn and acquire English or any other modern language, in case he really wishes to attain it. / Photo from: Youth_Baseball_Hitting  www statsdad com

You wish your students learn and acquire English, right?  Try to think in ways to change them from mere listeners to active ones. Even explain the contents of this post to them: you all win a lot. / Photo from: sidebar-umbrella www nrdc org

Every day we deal with ordinary things, ok.  However sometimes we could explore other areas that aren’t common to us.  Those new experiences will enrich us as persons, and will make us also grow as persons.  Someone oldish could think he will never learn and acquire English. He ought to try to explore this new activity – this is an example; another: swimming when we never plunge into the sea or into a swimming pool. Be careful anyway with the ocean: in this case you should be a good swimmer. / Photo from: traffic_rain_small www ehathimerini com

Relaxing and having rest are not just doing nothing.  At leisure time the kid can do something his imagination has made him think to carry out but he didn’t do it because of lack of free time.  The good kid makes good use of time and does things. As he does now, he will be tomorrow.  Friends can influence a lot. Our children should choose their friends, which does not mean not helping and spending some time with anyone. It isn’t despising others. / Photo from: operationsgrounds well com

It’s sound to get to know where we come from and where we are going to, so our origin, my origin, and my end.  In that way we will be able to learn where we are now, and what to do and how to do it.   Those are basic human questions we all ask ourselves in some way or another, is that right? / Photo from: rain-the-lights-the-bustling-traffic-city www forwallpaper com

How to remember other people’s names?  The people that you’re interested on are more likely to remember.  When somebody introduces you somebody else, you will remember his or her name if that person starts to concern you; I mean, in other words, I would advise you: try to make an effort in getting to know the people that are introduced to you, and you'll remember their names. / Photo from: raining_in_edinburgh_by_estruda-d4grhcj  estruda deviantart com

Expect a lot from your students, teacher, I would say.  Grand French teacher and later writer Daniel Pennac tells in Chegrin d’École (could be translated as “Bad from School”) that he whilst strolling and getting around on the streets of Paris sometimes a young woman addresses him in a café place and recites some lines from some poem.  He gets stunned before that scene.  She’s is N.N., he recalls her from the past and by means of those recited lines: she was that famous rascal girl that she said about herself that she could learn just nothing, and now she’s a young woman with a good job as a choreographer. / Photo from: winchester-theatre-royal-winchester-rainy-day-3163-large www coolplaces co uk

I've just opened a drawer of a console of a small lounge we have at home: there were comics from when we were little kids.  How well they made us enjoy evening times or other times.  More likely a kid that reads when he is little yet he will become a reader or a heavy reader when he's an adult. Even studying from textbooks is better and more useful and usual.  Asterix, Tintin, El capitán trueno, Mafalda, TBO, La familia Ulises, Mortadelo y Filemón, Zipi y Zape, Roberto Alcázar y Pedrín, El guerrero del antifaz, Jabato, Lucky Luke, Los inventos de TBO, Joyas literarias juveniles...

I have nothing special to tell you all today.  Just specify a goal or objective per class; and also plan the activities you're carrying out on such day.  When planning goals per class, little by little your class-group will improve step by step.  Anyway some day don't plan a given class; sometimes these latter ones turn out better than the scheduled ones.  However, as a regular rule, I would advise you to plan each class. / Photo from: supergoal com. kids playing soccer

Not only good and perfect grades (or marks) are the goal we as parents have to praise regards our children.  We can set a good example because of our positive vision of our own job.  As well they influence on our kids our praise because of effort, reckoning their struggle, positive motivation and positive stimuli.  Better than a blow it is positive motivation (if they deserve it). / Photo: Ciudadano Kane , in Spanish. I don't know the original title in English: Citizen Kane? .

The first and best victory is to conquer yourself. To be conquered by yourself is, among everything else, the most shameful and wicked thing. According to Plato. / Photo from: dargol blog3

We parents, teachers, and educators should avoid to form perfectionists and weird persons.  In other words, let’s not educate them in perfectionism. The kid shouldn’t feel horrified to come to the chalkboard and carry out an exercise, with a terrible sentiment to do it wrong.  More important than grades (or marks) it is to learn to work with effort and perseverance.  Don’t exaggerate concerning grades (or marks): it’s paramount to struggle, to work hard, with serenity, to invest all the talents the kid has, and do not exaggerate about grades; these are informative, just that. I don’t mean to be lenient and let the kid to fail, no way. / Photo from: www labortribune com. Girl in library

Here is a placement test, which you can use in one way or another. I hope to utilize it to separate our adult students into two groups of different level of English. Placement English test Date: …………………………….. Full name: ………………………………………………………………… 1.     How do you translate: blizzard taste paper profile dawn necessary plunge table 2.     Write a meaningful sentence with an English word from exercise 1: ………………………………………………………………………....................................................................................................................................... 3.     Write about you. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4.     Write about Granada or somewhere else. ……

Here is a worksheet I'd like to utilize in my classes with adults. You can use it, change something, copy, print, steal... Sorry for likely formatting bugs.  Worksheet # 161 At the airport. Useful expressions Begun on September 9, 2014 1.     At the phone. I want to check the departure time of flight HK-235 to London. 2.     To a friend. Thank you for everything. I’ll call you when I arrive. 3.     Her friend. Have a good flight! 4.     In a taxi. Take me to the airport, please! I’m in a bit of a hurry. 5.     Which check-in desk do I need for flight 235 to London, please? 6.     Which airline/company are you flight with? 7.     Excuse me, where are the trolleys, please? 8.     Where is the information desk, please? 9.     Would you prefer a window seat or an aisle seat? 10. There will be a delay of 30 minutes. 11. Boarding is at gate 15 at 12.50. 12. Can I see your boarding card, please? 13. This is the last call for passengers on flight 235

It is paramount to learn and acquire English, just as simple as that.  However more and more it’s better if you master other languages, namely German, French…  At least invest all your best in the first one, English.  You’re fortunate if your native language is Spanish, because obviously you don’t have to learn it: Congratulations! / The photo is just an illustration.

We teachers of English, above all with young children, implement games; somebody said that fun is the best way to learn.  I guess this is partially true: ok, games, but we do other different things that ought to be meaningful for the students. / Photo: The Stagecoach , starring a young John Wayne. The director was John Ford.

Take into account what typed on the previous post if you like. I'd also tell you to look in your audience faces and eyes. As well when addressing your students in class, eye-contact is good for their self-esteem and for a good management of the class. 

The secret when addressing an audience – think of a parent meeting – is being naturalistic and being you yourself.  You could tell me, ok but I have mistakes and get anxious. And I would tell you – not me, experts – to let your public know you’re nervous and have a small laugh when making a mistake, and smile and laugh at yourself.  Parents just want you to teach and take their kid into close account. They want you to be demanding with their children or child. That’s it. / Photo from: A-Night-at-the-Opera-marx-brothers

Someone wrote: Human being keeps the seed of the grandeur very deep inside, so what we have to do is build us ourselves inasmuch as possible, according to our qualities, which are splendid, for granted.  NB.: The axiom was in Spanish, so I’ve just translated from Spanish. It’s a sound sentence to meditate for a while. / Photo: Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain (1952).

On post # 1961 I suggested some activities our kids can do at their free time. You can go back to those activities; some might be a nice suggestion perhaps. Also remember that what influences on our kids is that they don't know what to do: they lack experience and resources, according to Teresa Artola González. / Photo from: web semilescps wa edu au

The first premise is to accept me myself, this is, to have a nice self-esteem.  If we struggle at some point in order to improve ourselves we are on the correct pathway.  We’ve got to accept us: image, traits, personality, situation, job, my family, my wife, my boss, my pet, my thinking… yet we might not like ourselves.  Let’s accept us as we are. However it’s sound to try to improve on specific points, like for example to be nice at home, and not quarrel with my wife.  If I quarrel with her, after some time I should beg for her forgiving me and peacefully expose my vision.  Also there will be good communication with myself. I’ll feel happier and more satisfied, and therefore we make us more capable to help out others. / Photo from: people talking. www beauty com