Experiences of a teacher of English

I devote some posts to values and virtues on my blog. Today I start a label or tag dedicated to "values" and "virtues". If you want to find more from past posts, you could type those words in the Search box of my blog. From now on, I will type those words as labels or tags at the corresponding posts.

The period of adolescence, say 13 through 18 for example, is a great age for maturing and for education.  They, teens, need us parents a lot, albeit they turn more to their friends.  It is a period for communication within the family, though teens trend to create their intimacy, which we should respect. More than trying they should tell us all, we as parents have to listen to their struggles and all their stuff.  We parents and teacher tutors must listen to them, though we might think all that is trifle; well, it’s their world, a part of their intimacy, something so valuable for them.  It’s right away the time for listening to them, and for us to give them values and advice. In that way, there arises a mutual understanding. They expect us telling them values and clear criteria for conducting in that new world they’re encountering. / Photo from: my blog. The film is City Lights , released on January 30, 1931. Charlie Chaplin gets in love with a ...

Usually we teachers of languages tend to get concerned about our teaching: methodology, the conducting we follow in our classes, management of the class, etc.  However we might forget a bit about our students’ learning and acquiring the language.  Because of that we should direct our attention too to our students’ ways of learning, and their learning strategies, which our students apply (or not) every day to just their process of learning.  Many scholars lately have devoted their research to learning strategies: H. D. Brown, Stevick, Wenden, Rubin, and others. / Photo from: kid skating. kidventurous com

I would tell you to improve on a small point every day, either concerning your career or as a person, though both issues overlap, that’s for sure.  Your students will notice you’re doing your best and you’re struggling to better as a professional.  So you set an example with this way of conducting.  Tentatively they will also try and improve at their work and at learning English. An atmosphere of demanding will arise. Oh, and try to treat people with affection both when at home and at school. / Photo from: african girls smiling. www tanser org

We can see our class as a period of work and co-operation. Both you teacher and your students are immersed into a common work, because you’re circulating among their desks and helping them out with their assigned work and exercises and activities.  As a result a good rapport is created in the classroom.  And this nice atmosphere brings up more co-operation.  You dismiss little items of misbehavior, and focus on their work. Usually a disruptive student is the one that can’t carry out his work, so go there and help him: both him and you will feel better. / Photo from: worldwar1somme. www bl uk. This picture is to illustrate the post, and also in honor and remembrance of all the people involved in World War I, now that we are in 2014.

In short courses or vacation ones I think that speaking is the language skill that should be worked out the most.  However this doesn’t mean that other skills would not be practiced. Usually a class is a span of time where the four skills are practiced: listening, speaking, reading and writing.  Activities and book exercises allow various skills to be used. It is rare that a single language skill be practiced.  A class too is a period where naturalistically those skills are practiced – there is speaking and so listening too, and for example the student has to write down notes whilst listening or speaking.  A class is and should be a period similar to life itself: the key point is communication amid people. / Photo from: students talking in class. 2012books lardbucket org

Students must have an active attitude in classes. It is them who learn English.  We as teachers have to help them work and learn.  There must be presentations by the teacher but coming to the head it’s the kids who must work on those presented points – grammar points for example.  Provide chances for the students to communicate in English too.  The working out of a point can follow these steps: listening, speaking, reading and writing, as I’ve already written. / Photo from: men rowing. london 2012 olympics. www telegraph co uk