Experiences of a teacher of English

One day teacher of English A said to teacher of English B, “Sense of humor is something natural in human relationships, also in the class. It’s perfectly compatible with a serious discipline, as you may know. Even more, there cannot be humor if discipline lacks in a class. All this stuff has to do with striving to work well, both teacher and students. It’s like a lubrificant for the gear of the class, which enables the conducting of the class ok. But don’t force up the situation in the class: it’s not being funny. Have fun in the class: perfectly compatible with rigor in working. If you are competent, more likely you’ll be able to manage the class and enjoy the class. Be patient to obtain a good rapport. Be respectful to your students, not bitter, listen to them like they were adults; they like this.” / Photo from: now dartmouth edu

Today I copy a quotation from great BROWN, H. D. (1989) A Practical Guide to Language Learning. A Fifteen-Week Program of Strategies for Success . New York: McGraw-Hill. For me it’s a sound insight for a learner of English, and hits upon one of the keys to succeed in learning English. If useful, you can read it and keep it in mind for your, for our daily teaching. One of the primary keys to success in any undertaking is to establish your own personal goals. The more those goals arise out of your convictions, beliefs, and general aspirations, the better are your chances of succeeding. If you’re involved in something only because someone else has told you to be there, you’re not as likely to come out a winner. (page 5). (I wrote a paper on this book, for my doctorate research). / Photo from: m24digital com. british-airways

One day teacher of English A said to teacher of English B, “Concerning private classes – though it can be applied to groups – each and every class ought to be one step forward. We can’t let all classes be the same: time flies. To the student in private classes you should make him see his small advancement and that he is actually learning to do the activities and to study, better and better, ok. You, I’d tell you, should lose him so tight, in the points he is positively learning. Make him be aware of his progress. The goal in mind for you is to assist him to become close to an autonomous learner. Pass him this idea: I wish you to improve more and more, so you have to struggle to improve more and more; it must be of your interest, even more than mine. – Tactfully, you know.” / Photo from: virginiaandtruckee com. A 1873 locomotive.

One day teacher of English B said to teacher of English A, “On post # 600 I was telling you about a teacher we had at a school of languages of Universidad de Granada . I was a student of English. I wanted to tell you more things about this teacher. This person did something that is not simple for me to do - I was learning English. With fortitude, and kindness, he showed for example that he wasn’t understanding me when I was presenting a topic; he said he was lost, with plain and encouraging terms. As well he told us the points one of us had done wrong during his or her speech, a few big grammar points. You know, he didn’t let one wrong point without correcting it, if he thought he must do it. What I mean is that this teacher had the fortitude to correct, and not a lenient weakness to keep silent.” / Photo from: members virtualtourist com. Blue Skies through Evora’s Roman Temple.

One day teacher of English B said to teacher of English A, “Walking along, just for a walk I mean, even preferably at dusk, helps you think. It’s suitable for you to think about your work – you know, also about your family and umpteen other points. You teacher must think, I’d say. Despite you are busy. You may stroll across the countryside or along the shore, thinking and contemplating. Or sitting under a tree. Even you may feel you thought nothing big afterward, but at least you’ll have walked. Try do this – it helps me sometimes, and yesterday I read something similar in La intimidad , by philosopher Miguel Ángel Martí.” / Photo from: visitaespana com. A view of Sierra Nevada, near Granada, where I live. When are you coming?

One day teacher of English A said to teacher of English B, “Do you ever read? Do your students read? I’m serious, I’m not kidding. When you read a novel you get to know other lives, other people, though fiction, ok. You learn from the writer other people, societies, epochs, countries, ways of thinking. It’s no wasting time for you. Think also of history, essays, teaching English, education, family. You need to form a tank, so as to acquire humanity and wisdom, not merely technical stuff. And I have the nice experience, like most of teachers of English, that students love stories, and even more when you tell them stories. It may be no good example, but some years ago I used to summarize what we had just read in the class, in Spanish. It was to a simplified reader in English, A Tale of Two Cities ?” / Photo from: marmo69 blogspot com. Leo_Tolstoy_Anna_Karenina_unabridged_compact_discs.jpg

One day teacher of English B said to teacher of English A, “I think your hidden work makes classes efficient. Or may make, if you prefer so. Classes are the performance of a lot of ‘hidden’ work by you. Think of your planning the classes, while thinking about the real classes and the students, the sudden spark that comes up to better the classes, the continuous learning and improving as a teacher, likely failures, struggling to improve and grow as a person, as a husband and father, and as a colleague too, the trascendental view of your daily work, your correcting tests late at night (or not), your searching stuff on the Internet. Without that hidden, and so not bright and gleaming work, your classes wouldn’t work well and help your students learn English. Oh, and also count on your perseverance day after day.” / Photo from: farm-tractor co cc. A John Deere tractor.