Experiences of a teacher of English

We are in February, which is a month when some students start to have some allergies to plants like for example cypress.  Within some months the symptoms of other allergies will start to show up among students.  I remember that in May in classes we had got to have the windows closed and so the atmosphere got too warm and stuffy in the classroom.  During the recess the students with some allergy had to remain in the classroom. I don’t remember now if a teacher had also to stay in the classroom with them; I think not. Those students could not go out to the surroundings of the school and sport fields because of the allergies to pollen!  Some of them used to wear masks, and even some of the students had to finish the course year in a school near the coast, of the same corporation as the one in Jaén, which was inland, among olive-trees. / Photo from: skateboard about com

While teaching and telling things to my students (retired people) sometimes I feel the temptation to say something in Spanish, but I aim at English, I let them know I was going to say something in Spanish, and I explain an anecdote (for example) in English.  I try all the class be in English, alike when they participate. They sometimes say things in Spanish but more and more they’re saying things in English.  Yesterday, Wednesday, a male student talked in English for 2 or 3 minutes. That was communication in English! They’re understanding English more and more. I speak rather slow and use the whiteboard to help my explanations, for example by writing some words, even more if those words are cognates to words in Spanish. / Photo from: window cleaning www photo-dictionary com

There are people – teachers in our case – who every day is the same as the day before.  They attend the school with routine, and their work is always monotonous.  They expect the weekend will be different and they work every day by thinking of the weekend.  Nevertheless there are other colleagues for whom every day is different: each day has its own story. They smile at you. They love their work, and each day has its own features.  Each moment of the day is a grand opportunity to do things for the others, teachers and students. They love the others and they love God.  Now I remember that one day one of these latter people heard a colleague of hers say she has a pile of tests to grade, to mark. Well, the first person offered herself to help the other female teacher with the grading of the exams. In the end she didn’t help in the grading but she had set a nice example. / Photo from: teacher helping students dcnt org

At tutoring sessions demand stuff from your student. Expect and hope from him a great deal.  Demand but tiny small goals. And ask him about them another day.  Talk aside with your student – the best are tutoring sessions with single students. Otherwise you can stop him at the halls and corridors of the school, and there you can speak for rather long.  The more tutoring sessions, the better.  You should show attention and interest, plus a serene atmosphere plus hope. Talk with him as though he actually wanted to improve his pace; count on him: he counts on you. / Photo from: Sowing Winter Wheat geograph.org.uk commons wikimedia org. We teachers sow seeds that bring up fruit in future

Yesterday, on post # 1613, I wrote about a student of mine, an adult, who doesn’t attend classes anymore.  Today I’ve called him. I’ve said to him that 12:05pm was not a time to stay in bed. That he ought to rise and do things.  He’s depressed, and the worst enemy of a depressed person is staying in bed. He says there is flu over there, and that he has flu. As I said, I told him to get up.  I tried to use my words tactfully.  Each step he does should be praised.  I also told him to go to his doctor – in Spain we have a social health system for any person. That doctor could also tell him things, helpful ones. All this is a summary. Pray for him and for us, please. We’ve got to win this battle. He's an old person more or less. / Photo from: reading page www ocps net

An old man, who is a student of mine, has missed classes since Christmas. We don’t know how he is.  Today some of my oldies took note of his phone number to call him, to find out something about him.  One of my students told us he had had a cold, and later on, that student told us in class that he had achieved to reach him by phone, and he looked depressed or something of the like.  Some days ago I sent an email to my boss in order that he would contact the missing student. In few words, we are worried and concerned about Luis, who hasn’t attended classes for some weeks – I’ve invented his name. Maybe if he doesn’t show anything, I could go to his house – I know more or less where he lives, downtown of Granada. If I can today, I will go to his house. / Photo from: adults in class www londonlenguagecentre com

Excitement, being enthused, being enthusiastic, eagerness, future anticipation, optimism, hope.  Those words do not much the word illusion . However, in Spanish, ilusión , refers to that first sequence of words.  Anyway, in spite of problems, I know many professionals that attend the work post every day with those words – I’m referring to their state of mind and soul. Although there are problems in a school, this doesn’t prevent its professionals to attend everyday work post with that state of mind and spirit.  They have a pile of test to grade or the students misbehave and are disruptive, so what?, these professionals think. They think positively. And one day after another.  Some or many of them have turned to the sacraments of penance and Eucharist, and they can smile after a horrible class. They are not supermen or superwomen: they commit errors and have problems but they know how to face up with those problems, as good as possible; they hav...