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THE BEST TICHER
Yesterday in the UK (2nd February) was Time To Talk Day, which encourages people to break the silence and talk about mental health problems.I’ve already come across a couple of helpful ELT related posts – Phil Longwell’s brave and honest interview on the Teachers as Workers blog and Sandy Millin’s list of useful links on mental health in ELT, but couldn’t help but feel that this 5 GETTING TO KNOW YOU ACTIVITIES FOR SUMMER SCHOOL Most English teachers have the bulk of their new classes at the start of the academic year - in September or October, or around January in many Asian countries. What sets teaching at summer school apart from this is finding that you have new students every week or two! Here area
HOW TO WRITE EXCELLENT LESSON AIMS 5 GAMES FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS 20 points for a correct word if no other team has a correct word. Repeat for 3/4 rounds and tally up the scores at the end. 5. Hangmanagrams. No, that isn’t a typo. For students who love hangman (but who honestly find it too easy) here is an extra challengeA GOOD TEACHER
April 5, 2016 ~ thebestticher. In teacher training, applying for jobs and CPD we tend to think a lot about what makes a good teacher, albeit from quite a technical aspect. A good teacher has a good rapport with their students, can explain language clearly and concisely, or, if multiple job adverts are to be borne in mind, must have ‘a good DEALING WITH DIFFICULT ADULT STUDENTS Openly text/play on their phones throughout the lesson. Answer a phone call, then having a phone conversation in the middle of the lesson. Ignore instructions (problematic when those instructions are to start or stop an activity) Argue with and openly criticise the teacher. Laugh at, bully or otherwise be unpleasant towards other students. PLANNING ON A DAILY BASIS Tip 3: Use different colours, capitals, highlighting, underlining, and draw arrows and boxes round things. Again, another little presentation tip. Observation lesson plans are usually typed – easier to read, change, email, and reproduce. However most people I know normally plan their lessons by hand. CHOOSING TOPICS FOR TEENS GOAL-SETTING WITH STUDENTS (INCLUDING FREE WORKSHEET Goal-setting with Students (including FREE worksheet!) January 9, 2017. January 10, 2017. ~ thebestticher. I had a really positive response to my blog post about goal-setting for 2017, and it’s prompted a few other teacher bloggers to start sharing their own goals for the year too. I have to say that I’m in awe of the amount someof you
I DON’T KNOW: WHAT IF MY STUDENTS ASK ME A QUESTION AND I And lastly, the dos: Acknowledge the question. Even if you are totally stuck for an answer, do acknowledge the question – chances are that if you don’t know the answer, it’s potentially a good one! Admit that you don’t know. This takes courage to do, especially as it can feel like you’re admitting a weakness as a teacher.THE BEST TICHER
Yesterday in the UK (2nd February) was Time To Talk Day, which encourages people to break the silence and talk about mental health problems.I’ve already come across a couple of helpful ELT related posts – Phil Longwell’s brave and honest interview on the Teachers as Workers blog and Sandy Millin’s list of useful links on mental health in ELT, but couldn’t help but feel that this 5 GETTING TO KNOW YOU ACTIVITIES FOR SUMMER SCHOOL Most English teachers have the bulk of their new classes at the start of the academic year - in September or October, or around January in many Asian countries. What sets teaching at summer school apart from this is finding that you have new students every week or two! Here area
HOW TO WRITE EXCELLENT LESSON AIMS 5 GAMES FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS 20 points for a correct word if no other team has a correct word. Repeat for 3/4 rounds and tally up the scores at the end. 5. Hangmanagrams. No, that isn’t a typo. For students who love hangman (but who honestly find it too easy) here is an extra challengeA GOOD TEACHER
April 5, 2016 ~ thebestticher. In teacher training, applying for jobs and CPD we tend to think a lot about what makes a good teacher, albeit from quite a technical aspect. A good teacher has a good rapport with their students, can explain language clearly and concisely, or, if multiple job adverts are to be borne in mind, must have ‘a good DEALING WITH DIFFICULT ADULT STUDENTS Openly text/play on their phones throughout the lesson. Answer a phone call, then having a phone conversation in the middle of the lesson. Ignore instructions (problematic when those instructions are to start or stop an activity) Argue with and openly criticise the teacher. Laugh at, bully or otherwise be unpleasant towards other students. PLANNING ON A DAILY BASIS Tip 3: Use different colours, capitals, highlighting, underlining, and draw arrows and boxes round things. Again, another little presentation tip. Observation lesson plans are usually typed – easier to read, change, email, and reproduce. However most people I know normally plan their lessons by hand. CHOOSING TOPICS FOR TEENS GOAL-SETTING WITH STUDENTS (INCLUDING FREE WORKSHEET Goal-setting with Students (including FREE worksheet!) January 9, 2017. January 10, 2017. ~ thebestticher. I had a really positive response to my blog post about goal-setting for 2017, and it’s prompted a few other teacher bloggers to start sharing their own goals for the year too. I have to say that I’m in awe of the amount someof you
I DON’T KNOW: WHAT IF MY STUDENTS ASK ME A QUESTION AND I And lastly, the dos: Acknowledge the question. Even if you are totally stuck for an answer, do acknowledge the question – chances are that if you don’t know the answer, it’s potentially a good one! Admit that you don’t know. This takes courage to do, especially as it can feel like you’re admitting a weakness as a teacher. ADVICE AND TIPS FOR NEW TEACHERS Advice and Tips for New Teachers. Starting a new job teaching abroad can be pretty nervewracking for the best of us – but don’t worry, you’re not alone. This page groups together all of my posts that might be of particular interest to CELTA/Trinity trainees and those in their first year or so of teaching. If you have any questions or any CHOOSING TOPICS FOR TEENS Choosing Topics for Teens. November 17, 2016. November 17, 2016. ~ thebestticher. Things they believed when they were children, zombies, part-time jobs for teenagers, WWII, their ideal futures, the generation gap, US politics – all topics that have worked well over the years when teaching my teen classes. Music, fashion, school,popular TV
GRADING LANGUAGE
1. Speak slowly (Edit: enunciate and add pauses). As everyone who’s witnessed the stereotype of a British or American tourist on holiday knows, repeating yourself loudly and slowly doesn’t guarantee comprehension. However, speaking more slowly in addition to other techniques WILL increase your chances of being understood. 2. WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE TIME TO PLAN? What if I don’t have time to plan? October 7, 2016. October 15, 2016. ~ thebestticher. One of the most common problems new teachers face is not having enough time to plan. It’s one thing to be able to spend several hours planning a class for one of your CELTA/Trinity teaching practices, and quite another to realise that you’ve gotfour or
HOW TO PASS YOUR OBSERVATION (WITH FLYING COLOURS!) How to Pass your Observation (with flying colours!) October 15, 2016 ~ thebestticher. ‘Elly, problem!’. It was the middle of my first observation at a new teaching job, and one of my grade one students sidled up to me holding her freshly detached tooth. I’ve also had an adult student proclaim loudly mid-observation ‘I don’t understand WHAT IF… I CAN’T CONTROL MY CLASS? You don’t need to speak L1 to be able to control your class. Bellowing ‘Be Quiet!’ at them in their own language isn’t likely to have any better effect than doing it in English, and if anything may even have the opposite to the desired effect – on the couple ofTHE BEST TICHER
The Best Ticher. November 30, 2016 ~ thebestticher. Hi everyone, this morning we woke up to a fine layer of frost coating everything here in the UK. It isn’t quite the same as the level of snow I got used to while living in Russia, but it’s still pretty! Many of the shops started playing Christmas music several weeks ago (some of them SURVIVING SUMMER SCHOOL: LESSON PLANNING 101 Surviving Summer School: Lesson Planning 101. June 15, 2016. June 16, 2016. ~ thebestticher. This is part 5/6 of a series on Surviving Summer School. To read the other parts check here. For many new CELTA/Trinity graduates, summer school is their first teaching job. If you are one of them, then this post is for you! WHY TEACHING IS LIKE RUNNING It clears the mind. One of the reasons I love running is that it clears the mind. I find it difficult to think about. anything other than running when I’m out – I’m completely absorbed in the process. Teaching’s much the same for me; it never fails to amaze me that no matter how bad a day I’m having or whatever else is going onin my
ADAPTING THE COURSEBOOK FOR DUMMIES (AND THE NOT-SO-DUMB Adapting the Coursebook for Dummies (and the Not-So-Dumb) March 17, 2016. March 17, 2016. ~ thebestticher. (This post is adapted from a seminar I led at IH Moscow in 2015) Startup Stock Photos. Coursebooks can be great. They provide a clear framework for study, allow English teaching and learning to be standardised across classes, schools andTHE BEST TICHER
When teaching low level students, though, that pause is vital, to give them time to understand the question and formulate their answer. If you want to find out more about thinking time (or ‘wait time’) I highly recommend Rachael Roberts’ post, ‘The wonder of 5 GETTING TO KNOW YOU ACTIVITIES FOR SUMMER SCHOOL Most English teachers have the bulk of their new classes at the start of the academic year - in September or October, or around January in many Asian countries. What sets teaching at summer school apart from this is finding that you have new students every week or two! Here area
ADVICE AND TIPS FOR NEW TEACHERS Advice and Tips for New Teachers. Starting a new job teaching abroad can be pretty nervewracking for the best of us – but don’t worry, you’re not alone. This page groups together all of my posts that might be of particular interest to CELTA/Trinity trainees and those in their first year or so of teaching. If you have any questions or any HOW TO WRITE EXCELLENT LESSON AIMS 5 GAMES FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS 20 points for a correct word if no other team has a correct word. Repeat for 3/4 rounds and tally up the scores at the end. 5. Hangmanagrams. No, that isn’t a typo. For students who love hangman (but who honestly find it too easy) here is an extra challenge DEALING WITH DIFFICULT ADULT STUDENTS Openly text/play on their phones throughout the lesson. Answer a phone call, then having a phone conversation in the middle of the lesson. Ignore instructions (problematic when those instructions are to start or stop an activity) Argue with and openly criticise the teacher. Laugh at, bully or otherwise be unpleasant towards other students. PLANNING ON A DAILY BASIS Tip 3: Use different colours, capitals, highlighting, underlining, and draw arrows and boxes round things. Again, another little presentation tip. Observation lesson plans are usually typed – easier to read, change, email, and reproduce. However most people I know normally plan their lessons by hand. GOAL-SETTING WITH STUDENTS (INCLUDING FREE WORKSHEET Goal-setting with Students (including FREE worksheet!) January 9, 2017. January 10, 2017. ~ thebestticher. I had a really positive response to my blog post about goal-setting for 2017, and it’s prompted a few other teacher bloggers to start sharing their own goals for the year too. I have to say that I’m in awe of the amount someof you
CHOOSING TOPICS FOR TEENS I DON’T KNOW: WHAT IF MY STUDENTS ASK ME A QUESTION AND I And lastly, the dos: Acknowledge the question. Even if you are totally stuck for an answer, do acknowledge the question – chances are that if you don’t know the answer, it’s potentially a good one! Admit that you don’t know. This takes courage to do, especially as it can feel like you’re admitting a weakness as a teacher.THE BEST TICHER
When teaching low level students, though, that pause is vital, to give them time to understand the question and formulate their answer. If you want to find out more about thinking time (or ‘wait time’) I highly recommend Rachael Roberts’ post, ‘The wonder of 5 GETTING TO KNOW YOU ACTIVITIES FOR SUMMER SCHOOL Most English teachers have the bulk of their new classes at the start of the academic year - in September or October, or around January in many Asian countries. What sets teaching at summer school apart from this is finding that you have new students every week or two! Here area
ADVICE AND TIPS FOR NEW TEACHERS Advice and Tips for New Teachers. Starting a new job teaching abroad can be pretty nervewracking for the best of us – but don’t worry, you’re not alone. This page groups together all of my posts that might be of particular interest to CELTA/Trinity trainees and those in their first year or so of teaching. If you have any questions or any HOW TO WRITE EXCELLENT LESSON AIMS 5 GAMES FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS 20 points for a correct word if no other team has a correct word. Repeat for 3/4 rounds and tally up the scores at the end. 5. Hangmanagrams. No, that isn’t a typo. For students who love hangman (but who honestly find it too easy) here is an extra challenge DEALING WITH DIFFICULT ADULT STUDENTS Openly text/play on their phones throughout the lesson. Answer a phone call, then having a phone conversation in the middle of the lesson. Ignore instructions (problematic when those instructions are to start or stop an activity) Argue with and openly criticise the teacher. Laugh at, bully or otherwise be unpleasant towards other students. PLANNING ON A DAILY BASIS Tip 3: Use different colours, capitals, highlighting, underlining, and draw arrows and boxes round things. Again, another little presentation tip. Observation lesson plans are usually typed – easier to read, change, email, and reproduce. However most people I know normally plan their lessons by hand. GOAL-SETTING WITH STUDENTS (INCLUDING FREE WORKSHEET Goal-setting with Students (including FREE worksheet!) January 9, 2017. January 10, 2017. ~ thebestticher. I had a really positive response to my blog post about goal-setting for 2017, and it’s prompted a few other teacher bloggers to start sharing their own goals for the year too. I have to say that I’m in awe of the amount someof you
CHOOSING TOPICS FOR TEENS I DON’T KNOW: WHAT IF MY STUDENTS ASK ME A QUESTION AND I And lastly, the dos: Acknowledge the question. Even if you are totally stuck for an answer, do acknowledge the question – chances are that if you don’t know the answer, it’s potentially a good one! Admit that you don’t know. This takes courage to do, especially as it can feel like you’re admitting a weakness as a teacher. ABOUT | THE BEST TICHER Hi, I'm Elly. I fell into teaching English as a foreign language whilst studying abroad at university, and haven't looked back since. I've taught in primary and language schools in Russia, the Czech Republic and the UK, and have worked in teaching, activities andmanagement roles in
ADVICE AND TIPS FOR NEW TEACHERS Advice and Tips for New Teachers. Starting a new job teaching abroad can be pretty nervewracking for the best of us – but don’t worry, you’re not alone. This page groups together all of my posts that might be of particular interest to CELTA/Trinity trainees and those in their first year or so of teaching. If you have any questions or any WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE TIME TO PLAN? What if I don’t have time to plan? October 7, 2016. October 15, 2016. ~ thebestticher. One of the most common problems new teachers face is not having enough time to plan. It’s one thing to be able to spend several hours planning a class for one of your CELTA/Trinity teaching practices, and quite another to realise that you’ve gotfour or
GRADING LANGUAGE
One of the challenges of teaching lower level students is knowing when, and how, to grade your language. Although by the end of my Trinity I’d just about got my head around how to talk to elementary students, I still tended to find that I’d frequently be greeted by blank stares for the first few minutes of the lesson – before I’d graded my language enough to be easily understood. WHAT IF… I CAN’T CONTROL MY CLASS? You don’t need to speak L1 to be able to control your class. Bellowing ‘Be Quiet!’ at them in their own language isn’t likely to have any better effect than doing it in English, and if anything may even have the opposite to the desired effect – on the couple of HOW TO PASS YOUR OBSERVATION (WITH FLYING COLOURS!) How to Pass your Observation (with flying colours!) October 15, 2016 ~ thebestticher. ‘Elly, problem!’. It was the middle of my first observation at a new teaching job, and one of my grade one students sidled up to me holding her freshly detached tooth. I’ve also had an adult student proclaim loudly mid-observation ‘I don’t understandTHE BEST TICHER
The Best Ticher. November 30, 2016 ~ thebestticher. Hi everyone, this morning we woke up to a fine layer of frost coating everything here in the UK. It isn’t quite the same as the level of snow I got used to while living in Russia, but it’s still pretty! Many of the shops started playing Christmas music several weeks ago (some of them SURVIVING SUMMER SCHOOL: LESSON PLANNING 101 Surviving Summer School: Lesson Planning 101. June 15, 2016. June 16, 2016. ~ thebestticher. This is part 5/6 of a series on Surviving Summer School. To read the other parts check here. For many new CELTA/Trinity graduates, summer school is their first teaching job. If you are one of them, then this post is for you! WHY TEACHING IS LIKE RUNNING It clears the mind. One of the reasons I love running is that it clears the mind. I find it difficult to think about. anything other than running when I’m out – I’m completely absorbed in the process. Teaching’s much the same for me; it never fails to amaze me that no matter how bad a day I’m having or whatever else is going onin my
ADAPTING THE COURSEBOOK FOR DUMMIES (AND THE NOT-SO-DUMB Adapting the Coursebook for Dummies (and the Not-So-Dumb) March 17, 2016. March 17, 2016. ~ thebestticher. (This post is adapted from a seminar I led at IH Moscow in 2015) Startup Stock Photos. Coursebooks can be great. They provide a clear framework for study, allow English teaching and learning to be standardised across classes, schools andTHE BEST TICHER
Yesterday in the UK (2nd February) was Time To Talk Day, which encourages people to break the silence and talk about mental health problems.I’ve already come across a couple of helpful ELT related posts – Phil Longwell’s brave and honest interview on the Teachers as Workers blog and Sandy Millin’s list of useful links on mental health in ELT, but couldn’t help but feel that this HOW TO WRITE EXCELLENT LESSON AIMS 5 GETTING TO KNOW YOU ACTIVITIES FOR SUMMER SCHOOL Most English teachers have the bulk of their new classes at the start of the academic year - in September or October, or around January in many Asian countries. What sets teaching at summer school apart from this is finding that you have new students every week or two! Here area
CHOOSING TOPICS FOR TEENS GOAL-SETTING WITH STUDENTS (INCLUDING FREE WORKSHEET I had a really positive response to my blog post about goal-setting for 2017, and it’s prompted a few other teacher bloggers to start sharing their own goals for the year too.I have to say that I’m in awe of the amount some of you have got planned! One thing I have realised, though, is that goal-setting isn’t only important for us as teachers – it’s important for our students as well DEALING WITH DIFFICULT ADULT STUDENTS I read Joanna Malefaki’s post on Disciplining Adult Learners, and was immediately inspired to write my own thoughts on the topic.You see, we spend a lot of time talking about how to manage challenging behaviour in our young learner classes but much as we shy away from admitting it, challenging behaviour happens from time to time in adultclasses too.
5 GAMES FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS We're all familiar with the games teachers habitually play in the EFL classroom: hangman, 20 questions and so-on. When your students have a high level of English, though, it gets a bit tricky - those games may be fun, but they present little to no linguistic WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE TIME TO PLAN? One of the most common problems new teachers face is not having enough time to plan. It's one thing to be able to spend several hours planning a class for one of your CELTA/Trinity teaching practices, and quite another to realise that you've got four or I DON’T KNOW: WHAT IF MY STUDENTS ASK ME A QUESTION AND I I'll let you into a secret: this happens to us all. It happened to me last week. The longer you teach, the less frequent it hopefully becomes, but no one (no matter how experienced) is completely safe from the dreaded unexpected question. Not knowing the answer to HOW TO BEAT OBSERVATION NERVES I think practicing your lesson before the observation is a good way to help out with the nerves. I can see how having someone grade your lesson can make you nervous but thankfully there are ways to performbetter on your own.
THE BEST TICHER
Yesterday in the UK (2nd February) was Time To Talk Day, which encourages people to break the silence and talk about mental health problems.I’ve already come across a couple of helpful ELT related posts – Phil Longwell’s brave and honest interview on the Teachers as Workers blog and Sandy Millin’s list of useful links on mental health in ELT, but couldn’t help but feel that this HOW TO WRITE EXCELLENT LESSON AIMS 5 GETTING TO KNOW YOU ACTIVITIES FOR SUMMER SCHOOL Most English teachers have the bulk of their new classes at the start of the academic year - in September or October, or around January in many Asian countries. What sets teaching at summer school apart from this is finding that you have new students every week or two! Here area
CHOOSING TOPICS FOR TEENS GOAL-SETTING WITH STUDENTS (INCLUDING FREE WORKSHEET I had a really positive response to my blog post about goal-setting for 2017, and it’s prompted a few other teacher bloggers to start sharing their own goals for the year too.I have to say that I’m in awe of the amount some of you have got planned! One thing I have realised, though, is that goal-setting isn’t only important for us as teachers – it’s important for our students as well DEALING WITH DIFFICULT ADULT STUDENTS I read Joanna Malefaki’s post on Disciplining Adult Learners, and was immediately inspired to write my own thoughts on the topic.You see, we spend a lot of time talking about how to manage challenging behaviour in our young learner classes but much as we shy away from admitting it, challenging behaviour happens from time to time in adultclasses too.
5 GAMES FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS We're all familiar with the games teachers habitually play in the EFL classroom: hangman, 20 questions and so-on. When your students have a high level of English, though, it gets a bit tricky - those games may be fun, but they present little to no linguistic WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE TIME TO PLAN? One of the most common problems new teachers face is not having enough time to plan. It's one thing to be able to spend several hours planning a class for one of your CELTA/Trinity teaching practices, and quite another to realise that you've got four or I DON’T KNOW: WHAT IF MY STUDENTS ASK ME A QUESTION AND I I'll let you into a secret: this happens to us all. It happened to me last week. The longer you teach, the less frequent it hopefully becomes, but no one (no matter how experienced) is completely safe from the dreaded unexpected question. Not knowing the answer to HOW TO BEAT OBSERVATION NERVES I think practicing your lesson before the observation is a good way to help out with the nerves. I can see how having someone grade your lesson can make you nervous but thankfully there are ways to performbetter on your own.
ABOUT | THE BEST TICHER Hi, I'm Elly. I fell into teaching English as a foreign language whilst studying abroad at university, and haven't looked back since. I've taught in primary and language schools in Russia, the Czech Republic and the UK, and have worked in teaching, activities andmanagement roles in
LESSON PLANS
Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean! – 20th December. For: Children, teens or low-level adults. Level: Elementary plus The lesson plan and resources I’m sharing today have been an absolute life-saver – I think I’ve used them at least once every Christmas I’ve been teaching (apart from this year when one of my colleagues got there first!). ADVICE AND TIPS FOR NEW TEACHERS Starting a new job teaching abroad can be pretty nervewracking for the best of us - but don't worry, you're not alone. This page groups together all of my posts that might be of particular interest to CELTA/Trinity trainees and those in their first year or so of teaching. If you have any questions or WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE: HOW, AND WHEN, AND HOW NOT TO GRADE One of the challenges of teaching lower level students is knowing when, and how, to grade your language. Although by the end of my Trinity I’d just about got my head around how to talk to elementary students, I still tended to find that I’d frequently be greeted by blank stares for the first few minutes of the lesson – before I’d graded my language enough to be easily understood.TEACHING KIDS 101
Teaching kids can be one of the biggest challenges new (and even not that new) EFL teachers face. You've done your CELTA, you've taught a few adult classes, everything has gone well; and then, suddenly, you find yourself in front of a class of 8 year olds. These are my top tentips for anyone
A-Z OF SELF CARE FOR TEACHERS Yesterday in the UK (2nd February) was Time To Talk Day, which encourages people to break the silence and talk about mental health problems.I’ve already come across a couple of helpful ELT related posts – Phil Longwell’s brave and honest interview on the Teachers as Workers blog and Sandy Millin’s list of useful links on mental health in ELT, but couldn’t help but feel that this HOW TO BECOME A MORE CONFIDENT TEACHER. Everyone has been there: you’re confronted with a new class, a new job, a different type of course or age group and the nerves kick in. Whether it’s your first teaching job or you’ve taught hundreds of classes, there are some simple things you can do to help yourself feel more confident standing in front of those students. WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE TIME TO PLAN? One of the most common problems new teachers face is not having enough time to plan. It's one thing to be able to spend several hours planning a class for one of your CELTA/Trinity teaching practices, and quite another to realise that you've got four or WHAT IF… I CAN’T CONTROL MY CLASS? You start to sweat, and you're sure the redness starting at your hairline is beginning to creep up over the rest of your face. Your stomach feels like a whole flight of butterflies are on the loose in there, and you're not quite sure if you're going to spend the class twitching with nervous energy,TEACHING TEENS 101
Teenagers often have a reputation which precedes them. Moody, rude, unmotivated and uncooperative, they're many teachers' least favourite age group to work with. What many teachers don't realise is that teaching teens can be just as fun and rewarding as teaching other age groups - you just have to approach it in the right way.THE BEST TICHER
When teaching low level students, though, that pause is vital, to give them time to understand the question and formulate their answer. If you want to find out more about thinking time (or ‘wait time’) I highly recommend Rachael Roberts’ post, ‘The wonder of 5 GETTING TO KNOW YOU ACTIVITIES FOR SUMMER SCHOOL Most English teachers have the bulk of their new classes at the start of the academic year - in September or October, or around January in many Asian countries. What sets teaching at summer school apart from this is finding that you have new students every week or two! Here area
HOW TO WRITE EXCELLENT LESSON AIMS 5 GAMES FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS 20 points for a correct word if no other team has a correct word. Repeat for 3/4 rounds and tally up the scores at the end. 5. Hangmanagrams. No, that isn’t a typo. For students who love hangman (but who honestly find it too easy) here is an extra challenge DEALING WITH DIFFICULT ADULT STUDENTS Openly text/play on their phones throughout the lesson. Answer a phone call, then having a phone conversation in the middle of the lesson. Ignore instructions (problematic when those instructions are to start or stop an activity) Argue with and openly criticise the teacher. Laugh at, bully or otherwise be unpleasant towards other students. CHOOSING TOPICS FOR TEENS GOAL-SETTING WITH STUDENTS (INCLUDING FREE WORKSHEET Goal-setting with Students (including FREE worksheet!) January 9, 2017. January 10, 2017. ~ thebestticher. I had a really positive response to my blog post about goal-setting for 2017, and it’s prompted a few other teacher bloggers to start sharing their own goals for the year too. I have to say that I’m in awe of the amount someof you
I DON’T KNOW: WHAT IF MY STUDENTS ASK ME A QUESTION AND I And lastly, the dos: Acknowledge the question. Even if you are totally stuck for an answer, do acknowledge the question – chances are that if you don’t know the answer, it’s potentially a good one! Admit that you don’t know. This takes courage to do, especially as it can feel like you’re admitting a weakness as a teacher. WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE TIME TO PLAN? What if I don’t have time to plan? October 7, 2016. October 15, 2016. ~ thebestticher. One of the most common problems new teachers face is not having enough time to plan. It’s one thing to be able to spend several hours planning a class for one of your CELTA/Trinity teaching practices, and quite another to realise that you’ve gotfour or
HOW TO BEAT OBSERVATION NERVES I think practicing your lesson before the observation is a good way to help out with the nerves. I can see how having someone grade your lesson can make you nervous but thankfully there are ways to performbetter on your own.
THE BEST TICHER
When teaching low level students, though, that pause is vital, to give them time to understand the question and formulate their answer. If you want to find out more about thinking time (or ‘wait time’) I highly recommend Rachael Roberts’ post, ‘The wonder of 5 GETTING TO KNOW YOU ACTIVITIES FOR SUMMER SCHOOL Most English teachers have the bulk of their new classes at the start of the academic year - in September or October, or around January in many Asian countries. What sets teaching at summer school apart from this is finding that you have new students every week or two! Here area
HOW TO WRITE EXCELLENT LESSON AIMS 5 GAMES FOR ADVANCED STUDENTS 20 points for a correct word if no other team has a correct word. Repeat for 3/4 rounds and tally up the scores at the end. 5. Hangmanagrams. No, that isn’t a typo. For students who love hangman (but who honestly find it too easy) here is an extra challenge DEALING WITH DIFFICULT ADULT STUDENTS Openly text/play on their phones throughout the lesson. Answer a phone call, then having a phone conversation in the middle of the lesson. Ignore instructions (problematic when those instructions are to start or stop an activity) Argue with and openly criticise the teacher. Laugh at, bully or otherwise be unpleasant towards other students. CHOOSING TOPICS FOR TEENS GOAL-SETTING WITH STUDENTS (INCLUDING FREE WORKSHEET Goal-setting with Students (including FREE worksheet!) January 9, 2017. January 10, 2017. ~ thebestticher. I had a really positive response to my blog post about goal-setting for 2017, and it’s prompted a few other teacher bloggers to start sharing their own goals for the year too. I have to say that I’m in awe of the amount someof you
I DON’T KNOW: WHAT IF MY STUDENTS ASK ME A QUESTION AND I And lastly, the dos: Acknowledge the question. Even if you are totally stuck for an answer, do acknowledge the question – chances are that if you don’t know the answer, it’s potentially a good one! Admit that you don’t know. This takes courage to do, especially as it can feel like you’re admitting a weakness as a teacher. WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE TIME TO PLAN? What if I don’t have time to plan? October 7, 2016. October 15, 2016. ~ thebestticher. One of the most common problems new teachers face is not having enough time to plan. It’s one thing to be able to spend several hours planning a class for one of your CELTA/Trinity teaching practices, and quite another to realise that you’ve gotfour or
HOW TO BEAT OBSERVATION NERVES I think practicing your lesson before the observation is a good way to help out with the nerves. I can see how having someone grade your lesson can make you nervous but thankfully there are ways to performbetter on your own.
ABOUT | THE BEST TICHER Hi, I'm Elly. I fell into teaching English as a foreign language whilst studying abroad at university, and haven't looked back since. I've taught in primary and language schools in Russia, the Czech Republic and the UK, and have worked in teaching, activities andmanagement roles in
LESSON PLANS
Lesson plans based on John Lewis adverts from 2011-2014 (including Monty the Penguin, the Hare and the Bear, the Snowmen and Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want). These lessons are at B1 level. Another lesson plan (this time for B1-C1 students) based on John Lewis’ the Snowmen advert. A B1/B2 lesson plan based on theSainsbury’s
ADVICE AND TIPS FOR NEW TEACHERS Advice and Tips for New Teachers. Starting a new job teaching abroad can be pretty nervewracking for the best of us – but don’t worry, you’re not alone. This page groups together all of my posts that might be of particular interest to CELTA/Trinity trainees and those in their first year or so of teaching. If you have any questions or any HOW TO BECOME A MORE CONFIDENT TEACHER. Engaged students = a more confident teacher. 2. Slow down and breathe. A while ago I came across this wonderful Greek proverb: ‘When at a loss how to go on, cough.’. Don’t worry, you don’t need to start coughing in the middle of your lesson! However the essence of the advice still holds true. If a student asks you a question that you WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE: HOW, AND WHEN, AND HOW NOT TO GRADE One of the challenges of teaching lower level students is knowing when, and how, to grade your language. Although by the end of my Trinity I’d just about got my head around how to talk to elementary students, I still tended to find that I’d frequently be greeted by blank stares for the first few minutes of the lesson – before I’d graded my language enough to be easily understood. A-Z OF SELF CARE FOR TEACHERS A-Z of Self Care for Teachers. February 3, 2017. February 3, 2017. ~ thebestticher. Yesterday in the UK (2nd February) was Time To Talk Day, which encourages people to break the silence and talk about mental health problems. I’ve already come across a couple of helpful ELT related posts – Phil Longwell’s brave and honest interview onthe
TEACHING KIDS 101
Teaching kids can be one of the biggest challenges new (and even not that new) EFL teachers face. You've done your CELTA, you've taught a few adult classes, everything has gone well; and then, suddenly, you find yourself in front of a class of 8 year olds. These are my top tentips for anyone
WHAT IF… I CAN’T CONTROL MY CLASS? You don’t need to speak L1 to be able to control your class. Bellowing ‘Be Quiet!’ at them in their own language isn’t likely to have any better effect than doing it in English, and if anything may even have the opposite to the desired effect – on the couple of WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE TIME TO PLAN? What if I don’t have time to plan? October 7, 2016. October 15, 2016. ~ thebestticher. One of the most common problems new teachers face is not having enough time to plan. It’s one thing to be able to spend several hours planning a class for one of your CELTA/Trinity teaching practices, and quite another to realise that you’ve gotfour or
TEACHING TEENS 101
Teenagers often have a reputation which precedes them. Moody, rude, unmotivated and uncooperative, they're many teachers' least favourite age group to work with. What many teachers don't realise is that teaching teens can be just as fun and rewarding as teaching other age groups - you just have to approach it in the right way.Skip to content
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* Advice and Tips for New Teachers * Surviving Summer School INTERVIEW WITH AN EFL TEACHER: CHARLOTTE February 11, 2017February 11, 2017~ thebestticher
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_When I first started teaching English abroad, I had no idea that it would turn into my career, and I don’t think I’m alone in that. Much as I know many ‘lifers’, I’ve also lived, worked and played alongside teachers who’ve decided that working in ELT isn’t for them. Many people take their CELTA or a Trinity with a view to living, teaching and travelling abroad for a year or so, but don’t see a career in the classroom as a long-term goal – and that’sperfectly ok!_
_ If you’ve started teaching but aren’t sure if it’s for you, or can’t decide if TEFL is worth it if you’re only going to be doing it for a year, please read my interview with Charlotte, who shares how her TEFL experience led her to start her own business. ___
_Charlotte grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is an International Business graduate. She completed the CELTA after finishing university and accepted a teaching position in Prague. She enjoyed the experience but decided she wasn’t suited to the job long-term. She returned to the UK and has since started her own travel consultancy business, which you can find out more about here. _
HI CHARLOTTE, AND THANKS FOR AGREEING TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS FOR ME! FIRST THING’S FIRST, WHY TEFL? I first became interested in TEFL after a friend of mine completed a TEFL course and moved to Argentina to teach. I love travel and had always fancied giving teaching a try. While I was reading about the industry online it became clear that a TEFL certificate could help me find work all over the world. I’d gathered that CELTA was a tough course rather than something to be taken lightly. About a year after graduating from university I was in need of a challenge so I decidedto give it a bash!
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT TEACHING ENGLISH ABROAD? Powered by wordads.co Thank you for submitting the report! Seen ad many times Not relevant Offensive Covers content Broken Report this ad I’m sure this is what everybody says, but honestly my favourite thing was simply the opportunity to live in a different county and get to know the people by teaching and working with them. I also loved working with little kids (for about the first 5 minutes of eachclass!)
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’D DO DIFFERENTLY NOW? I don’t think I’d do anything differently to be honest! It was a good experience just the way it was. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TEACHING WASN’T RIGHT FOR YOU LONG-TERM? I decided it wasn’t for me long-term because although I found the job interesting, to be brutally honest the passion just wasn’t there! I’ve always dreamed of having a career that I would never, ever get bored of, and I knew that teaching wasn’t that. SO WHAT DID YOU DO NEXT? HOW HAS TEACHING AND LIVING ABROAD HELPED PREPARE YOU FOR WHAT YOU’RE DOING NOW? I realised after I left teaching that I really needed to go after a career related to a passion in my life – one of those passions is travel! I ended up starting my own travel consultancy business and although it may seem unlikely, my teaching experience has really helped me out! I have to speak publicly quite a bit in order to promote my business, and teaching has made me comfortable with this. I also find that people take me more seriously as a travel consultant when I talk about my stints living abroad, rather than just holidays I’ve been on. Most importantly, teaching and living abroad makes you adaptable – this is essential for me being self-employed! IF YOU COULD GIVE A NEW TEACHER ONE PIECE OF ADVICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Get to know your students and try to make lessons as relevant to them as individuals as possible. In my opinion, a CELTA style lesson that you are taught to run during your training isn’t always what theywant or need.
COMPLETE THIS SENTENCE: “TEACHING ENGLISH ABROAD IS…” …not easy! People have this idea that if you can speak English you can teach it…no. Think about it…if a person joined your class and all they could say is “hello”, where would you start? It is really very difficult at times! I find it very sad that a lot of people think TEFL is “not a real job” and simply a fun gap year for everybody involved. Even though I haven’t stayed in the industry I have nothing but admiration for those who have made this their career. Teaching English abroad is a profession that deserves a lot morerespect.
THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS WITH US CHARLOTTE, AND I WISH YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS ALL THE BEST OF LUCK!Advertisements
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A-Z OF SELF CARE FOR TEACHERS February 3, 2017February 3, 2017~ thebestticher
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Yesterday in the UK (2nd February) was Time To Talk Day,
which encourages people to break the silence and talk about mental health problems. I’ve already come across a couple of helpful ELT related posts – Phil Longwell’s brave and honest interviewon
the Teachers as Workers blog and Sandy Millin’s list of useful links on mental health in ELT,
but couldn’t help but feel that this should give me the impetus to write a post I’ve been meaning to write for ages. One in four people are estimated to suffer from mental health problems every year, which means that it’s far more common than a lot of people think. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety on and off since my early teens, and although my mental health has thankfully never prevented me from teaching (if anything it’s been helped by it) it has certainly negatively affected my life outside of work. That brings me to this post. WHAT IS SELF CARE? Well, it’s about taking proper care of yourself, identifying your own needs and taking steps to make sure that they aremet.
WHY IS SELF-CARE IMPORTANT? English language teaching is far from the easiest of professions – low wages, variable (and often not great) work conditions, added to the stress and uncertainty for many people of moving to a new country. Adapting to a new culture can be really challenging, especially if you don’t necessarily speak the language. It’s also a job which means you’re constantly dealing with people, yet the need to maintain professionalism means that you can end up feeling quite isolated if you’ve got any personal problems going on. I love teaching, but let’s face it, it can be difficult, stressful, and downright disheartening at times. Whether you suffer from mental health problems or not, there’s no harm to be done by taking a little more care of yourself. So, here’s my A-Z of Self Care for Teachers. These are all things I’ve tried, or that I routinely use personally, which have helped me feel a little more sane when the anxiety gremlin is knocking at my door. I hope they help you – and if you have any other resources or suggestions I’d love to hear them. AWARENESS – Teaching is not an easy job, and EFL teaching, whilst in a different context and with different challenges to teaching in a mainstream school classroom, is still teaching. It’s important to be aware of some of the stresses and strains of working in this profession, as well as where you can get help and support if need be. Organisations like TEA and Teachers as Workers are there to support and offer advice, and don’t overlook your own colleagues, friends and management team. Be aware of the difficulties and challenges that come with teaching (and moving and living abroad if you aren’t working in your home country), and remember that if you’re feeling stressed, anxious, lonely or down, you aren’t alone and it isn’tyour fault.
Powered by wordads.co Thank you for submitting the report! Seen ad many times Not relevant Offensive Covers content Broken Report this ad BREATHE – If, like me, you’re prone to anxiety, your breathing is one of the first things to go out of the window if you’re stressed or worried. It’s worth taking a few minutes to slow down and breathe, whether it’s first thing in the morning, in the evening after you’ve got home, or even in the middle of a class that’s going wrong. This PDFoffers
some good tips on how to calm and slow down your breathing, or you can find a similar audio version here.
Another helpful technique can be using a simple mindfulness technique to help you focus on your breathing. I often use this before I go to sleep, particularly if I’ve had a difficult day, and find it really helps. COMPASSION – I’ve written about self-criticismbefore,
but I really do think it’s important to be kind to yourself. Even if you’ve had a terrible day at work, you’re really struggling with your classes and you’re starting to wonder if you even made the right decision to be a teacher (trust me, we’ve all been there!)… if your best friend came to you with similar problems, would you listen to them and be understanding, or would you spend the whole conversation judging them and being critical? Why not afford the same compassion to yourself? Think I’m just being a hippie? Well,research
has shown that people who practise self-compassion are happier,
have better relationships with others, bounce back more easily from set-backs, are more resilient, and are less likely to be stressed, anxious or depressed. DAYDREAM – I think, as teachers, we often have rather a negative view of daydreaming – we often associate it with that student who never pays attention in class, preferring instead to gaze out of the window! It’s been proven,
however, that daydreaming can make you happier, more creative, boost your memory, and even consolidate learning. Next time you’re feeling stressed out or low, why not allow yourself a little daydream break?? EXERCISE – We all know we need to exercise… and it’s true, if you’re working with young learners teaching alone tends to keep you active. Outside of work, though, it’s quite easy to get into couch potato habits: talking to friends and family on Skype, watching things on Netflix, using social media and so on. Getting regular exercise doesn’t just have physical benefits, it also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts overall mood.So
whether it’s taking the stairs instead of the lift, getting off the bus/metro a stop early, joining a local sports club or simply taking the time to go for a walk before or after work, find a way to work some exercise into your weekly (if not daily) routine. Powered by wordads.co Thank you for submitting the report! Seen ad many times Not relevant Offensive Covers content Broken Report this ad FOOD – Let’s face it, after a long day in the classroom, the last thing you probably want to do is cook a meal. It’s far easier to grab a ready meal or stop at McDonalds on your way home from work. The same can go for lunch – one of the schools I worked at often used to order a takeaway around lunchtime and it’s pretty hard to resist temptation and go for the healthy option! I’ve always found that the key to eating more healthily is preparation – taking snacks or a packed meal with me makes it far easier to eat a balanced diet rather than immediately going for junk food. If you’re short of ideas (or if packed lunches just remind you of what you used to take to school)this website
has lots of great ideas. If you’ve got a microwave available to you why not cook extra at dinner and then take in leftovers the following day? My current personal favourite is homemade miso soup – pack veggies, rice noodles and seasoning in a jam jar, then simply add boiling water when you want to eat. When it comes to dinner, the problem most EFL teachers face is that many of us don’t finish work until 9 or 10pm. By the time we get home, cooking is the last thing we want to do! As someone who spent four years working on this schedule, it seems to me that there are 3 main options (that aren’t simply getting a takeaway every night!). * Change your schedule so that you’re eating a larger, main meal at lunchtime, then have something smaller, lighter, and quicker to prepare as your evening meal – either at work, pre-evening class, orafter you get home.
* Prepare your meals in advance as much as possible – I can see ‘meal prep’ (where you prepare and store all your meals for the coming week on the weekend, leaving only minimal cooking time on the day) working really well for some teachers. (See hereor
here
for some ideas, if you’re curious). * Find a selection of quick recipes you really like: for example, these under 20 minute recipes.
I tended to do a combination of all three, depending on my mood, the time of year, and my timetable. It’s also worth bearing in mind that it’s not just _what_ you eat, but how often (which can be tricky to fit around a busy teaching timetable). Low blood sugar can make you ‘hangry’ (hungry+angry),
so if you find yourself lacking energy and snapping at your students mid afternoon, this could be why. Another reason to take snacks withyou to work!
GRATITUDE – The more we dwell on negative thoughts and the bad things that have happened to us, the worse we are likely to perceive things are. Don’t believe me? See here.
One way to conquer this is gratitude. Try to take a few minutes out every day just to think about the things you’re grateful for – write them down if that helps. Personally, my best friend and I have an arrangement where we email each other a short list of positive things (or things we’re grateful for) every morning. I find the accountability helps! Keeping a list of things you’re grateful for can feel silly at first, but I promise that once you’ve started, you’ll find there’s more to be grateful for than you first think. Want to find more about the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal? You can find reasons why you should, as well as helpful tips for getting into the habit, here.
HOBBIES – It can seem like teaching takes up all your time, especially if you’re new to the job and find you’re spending much of your weekends and evenings planning. Remember that it’s important to have a life too! Either look into continuing (or restarting) an old hobby, or see if you can take up something new. Powered by wordads.co Thank you for submitting the report! Seen ad many times Not relevant Offensive Covers content Broken Report this ad IMAGINE – When you’re faced with a problem (even one that seems insurmountable), rather than focusing on all the ways things could go wrong, why not try imagining what could go _right_? I find that often a simple change of perspective can help me to find solutions or even simply steps forwards that I hadn’t previously considered. JUDGEMENT – In a previous blog post I discussed ways of dealing with the ‘inner critic’ – that nasty little voice in your head that tells you you’re a failure and everything’s headed for disaster. I think it’s worth reiterating here: one of the most important things you can do to look after yourself is not to judge yourself. Everyone has difficult classes, everyone teaches less than perfect lessons, and everyone feels low or isolated or homesick occasionally. Don’t beat yourself up for howyou feel!
KINDNESS – Doing something to help others has a positive effect on our own happiness too. If it’s not possible for you to volunteer with or donate to a charity (volunteering can be harder to organise when you’re not in your own country, especially if you’re in a bit of a TEFL teacher bubble, and different people have different financial situations), why not look a bit closer to home? Write a note to a colleague telling them you appreciate them, buy a friend a bar of chocolate, offer to do your flatmate’s chores or call or email someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. LAUGH – Laughter therapy is a thing. When we laugh, our body relaxes and endorphins (natural painkillers) are released into the blood stream. This is a great natural stress-buster! If everything’s getting on top of you, watch a couple of episodes of your favourite sitcom, see a film, or even just look up jokes online. I also like to keep a little record of funny things my students have said in class – never fails to make me smile! MINDFULNESS – Paying more attention to the present moment – to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you – can improve your mental wellbeing. Personally I’ve found this to be one of the most helpful things in dealing with my own depression and anxiety. You can find some tips on exploring mindfulness here,
if it’s something you’d like to try. NEGATIVE THOUGHTS (learning to deal with them) – It’s completely normal to have negative thoughts, everyone does! Stopping having negative thoughts should never be a goal; it’s far more important to learn to deal with them when they do appear. As with dealing withthe inner critic
,
the first step to overcoming negative thoughts is to recognise them. Once you’ve identified a negative thought, you can then look for evidence to support it (often there won’t be any!), evidence against it, and potentially reframe it (think ‘how can I look at this in adifferent way?’).
ORGANISE – This might be more of a personal one, but I often find that when things are starting to get too much, organisation and tidiness go out of the window…and the ensuing mess only makes me feel worse. Put on some of your favourite music, open some windows, and have a proper clean and tidy. If everything’s too overwhelming, tackle it bit by bit – say only your desk, or your wardrobe. You don’t have to do everything today. Powered by wordads.co Thank you for submitting the report! Seen ad many times Not relevant Offensive Covers content Broken Report this ad PLAY – All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy… and the same goes for teachers too! No matter how many other things you have going on, try to take the time to do something for you, every day. If you’re stuck for ideas, try some of these 50 ways to take a break! Sandy Millin also has a selection of bookmarkson
how to maintain work/life balance. QUIET – With social media, smart phones and easily available wifi it can seem like we’re almost constantly surrounded by noise, information, and people wanting our attention. Choose a short period every so often to disconnect and be in the silence. READ – I’ve put this one in as I always find reading helps me to relax, but it’s often something I don’t consider to be a priority and so struggle to find the time to do. If you think you don’t have time to read, how about reading on public transport on your way to and/or from school? If that still doesn’t sound like something that would work for you, I love audio books as you can then listen while walking, running, cooking or doing the ironing. SOCIALISE – Spending time with friends can make you feel much better about things! If you’ve just moved to a new country to start your TEFL adventure it can be tricky to meet new people, especially if you want to build a network of friends outside of English language teaching. Meetup.com can be a great place to start if you want to meet new people – it’s free to join and there are thousands of different groups based around different hobbies and activities. From what I can tell it’s pretty much international – I first joined while living in Prague, and made some greatfriends.
TALK – It’s important to talk to someone if you are finding things difficult, be that a friend, a colleague, your DOS or a family member. The Time to Talk website shares some conversation startersif
you simply don’t know where to start. If you want to talk to someone from a detached perspective, I’m always happy to respond to emails or facebook messages (you can find my email address on the ‘about’ tab at the top of the page). Powered by wordads.co Thank you for submitting the report! Seen ad many times Not relevant Offensive Covers content Broken Report this ad UNDERSTAND (YOU’RE NOT ALONE) – I’m grateful that more and more people are now talking about mental health – because it is important. If you’re struggling with depression, stress or anxiety (or indeed other mental health issues) please remember that you are not the only one in this situation. Phil Longwell talks openly about mental health and the effects anxiety has had on his life and teaching career in this interview,
and Rebecca Cope writes about her experiences here.
If you’re looking for more personal stories (not specific to ELT), Time to Talk has quite a collection!
VISIT – Whenever I’m completely caught up in whatever’s going on in my head, I find getting a change of scenery really helps. Whether it’s visiting a tourist attraction, taking a mini break and seeing a new town or city, going to a cafe or restaurant or even simply stepping outside your apartment and getting some fresh air, going somewhere different can be a good idea. Why not go with afriend?
WATER – We’ve talked already about food, but equally important is water. Dependent on the climate you’re in, aim to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day (around 1.2 litres, more if you’re in a hot climate). If you’re in a country where it isn’t safe to drink the tap water, consider investing in a water filter – it’ll save you loads on bottled water in the long-run. EXHALE – The way we breathe affects our nervous system. If we’re under pressure or stressed, we tend to emphasise the ‘inhale’ section of our breathing, our heart rate rises and our ‘fight or flight’ mechanism is stimulated. By consciously paying attention to our breathing, and exhaling for longer than we inhale, we can calm our body and our nervous system. YIELD – Be it anger, resentment, or past memories, there’s something in our minds that likes to cling on to the bad things that have happened to us – and in the long-term that doesn’t do us any good. If you’ve had a bad class, a disagreement with a friend or colleague, or a bad observation,
now is always the time to let go. Talk to someone, write a letter, punch your pillow, exercise, or do what ever you need to let your emotions out. Then, make a conscious decision to let it go, and moveon.
ZZZZ – I struggled with low mood quite a bit in my first year of living and teaching abroad, and this was largely due to sleep – or lack thereof. I finished teaching at 9-9:30pm, came home, ate dinner, and then stayed up until 2 or 3am talking to friends back at home on Skype – not helped by the 4 hour time difference. The amount of sleep we need varies from person to person (I’ve always needed more than the average to feel well-rested), but it’s generally advised that we need between 7 and 9 hours’ sleep a night.
Many of us don’t get anywhere near that, and sleep deprivation can lead to moodiness, irritability, depression and a weakened immune system, as well as more serious health issues. Getting enough sleep (and aiming to make it good quality sleep too!) is an easy way to look after yourself just a little bit more. WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE: HOW, AND WHEN, AND HOW NOT TO GRADE. January 30, 2017January 31, 2017~ thebestticher
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One of the challenges of teaching lower level students is knowing when, and how, to grade your language. Although by the end of my Trinity I’d just about got my head around how to talk to elementary students, I still tended to find that I’d frequently be greeted by blank stares for the first few minutes of the lesson – before I’d graded my language enough to be easily understood. The first time I taught beginner students I had no idea how to speak to them! Grading your language is one of those things that seems much easier in theory than it is in practice. You just use simpler words, right? Well, yes… and then some. Like any other aspect of teaching, grading your language is a skill that takes practice. So while you’re getting to grips with it, here’s my ‘Grading Your Language 101’. 1. SPEAK SLOWLY (EDIT: ENUNCIATE AND ADD PAUSES). As everyone who’s witnessed the stereotype of a British or American tourist on holiday knows, repeating yourself loudly and slowly doesn’t guarantee comprehension. However, speaking more slowly _in addition to other techniques_ WILL increase your chances of beingunderstood.
2. USE SIMPLER VOCABULARY. If you’re teaching a level you don’t have much experience of, reading through an appropriate level coursebook or two before planning your lesson/teaching your class is always a good idea. This applies to any level, not just beginners/low-level students! Having a look at a coursebook will give you an idea of the types of text and what kind of vocabulary your students are likely to be familiar with. A GOOD RULE OF THUMB IS NOT TO INTRODUCE TOO MUCH NEW MATERIAL AT ANY ONE TIME – SO IF YOU’RE GIVING STUDENTS PRACTISE OF A NEW GRAMMAR POINT, DON’T INCLUDE LOTS OF NEW VOCABULARY AS WELL. Let your students focus on one thing at a time. The same holds true with your spoken language: USE SIMPLER VOCABULARY FOR INSTRUCTIONS OR EXPLANATIONS (times when you want your students to be able to focus on the content of what’s being said, but not necessarily on the individual words being used). 3. USE SIMPLER GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURES. Grading your language isn’t only about using simpler vocabulary – it’s also important to pay attention to the grammatical structures you use. ‘If you had a million pounds, what would you do?’ isn’t likely to be understood by students who aren’t ready to study conditionals… but ‘Imagine – you have a million pounds. What do you want to buy?’ expresses the same idea (without the complex grammar!). Again, if you aren’t sure it’s worth looking through a coursebook to get an idea of what your students are likely to befamiliar with.
4. USE NATURAL ENGLISH. Especially if you’re teaching a lot of low-level classes, it’s not too unusual for teachers to find that they are mimicking their students’ English – missing out articles, using ‘is’ instead of ‘are’, or not using full sentences are common ones. This is a bad habit that it’s remarkably easy to get into – even though few people want to admit that they do it! The problem with this is that it provides an incorrect model for your students, and therefore they’re more likely to copy the mistake than to learn to correct their ownerrors.
5. SAY THINGS IN A DIFFERENT WAY. Don’t assume that the blank expressions mean that your students don’t understand the gist of the question or don’t have the vocabulary to respond – they may simply not understand the way you phrased it. As an example, one of the things I’m most guilty of is the following conversation: Powered by wordads.co Thank you for submitting the report! Seen ad many times Not relevant Offensive Covers content Broken Report this ad Me: Where are you from?Student: Russia.
Me: Ah, cool! Whereabouts in Russia? Student: Sorry, I don’t understand. When speaking English naturally I always tend to phrase the question this way – for some reason ‘whereabouts’ comes far more easily to me than any possible alternative. If I’m talking to anyone other than a high level or native speaker, though, they’re not going to understand! I could assume that they don’t understand or can’t answer the question and completely write it off… but it makes more sense to ask the question in a different way first, like so: Me: Where are you from?Student: Russia.
Me: Ah, cool! Whereabouts in Russia? Student: Sorry, I don’t understand. Me: Sorry, where are you from _in Russia_? What town or city? Student: Ah! Moscow. Reframing the question (and using simpler language when doing so!) gives the student another shot at answering, especially if you slipped up and didn’t grade your language enough the first time! 6. ALLOW THEM THINKING TIME. Before jumping in and rephrasing the question, it’s worth remembering that your students need time to think – so don’t jump in and reframe or move on immediately. This is something that most teachers (including myself!) find tricky – not least because it can feel really awkward standing and simply waiting for an answer. When teaching low level students, though, that pause is vital, to give them time to understand the question and formulate their answer. If you want to find out more about thinking time (or ‘wait time’) I highly recommend Rachael Roberts’ post, ‘The wonder of waittime’
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7. DON’T PATRONISE YOUR STUDENTS. Your students don’t speak much English, but that doesn’t mean that they’re stupid. I’ve taught doctors, engineers and phD candidates – people far more intelligent than me and with more qualifications than I will probably ever have…but circumstances, situations and priorities have meant that they’ve still been beginner English language students. Yes, you’re going to need to speak slowly, use simple language and perhaps talk about simpler topics than you would do normally, but it’s important not to treat your students like idiots. Bear in mind also that your low-level adult students are not children. That might sound obvious, but many of the ‘beginner’ resources out there are aimed at young learners – particularly if you’re looking to teach vocabulary such as rooms in a house, furniture, clothes, etc. Some of these materials are still fine to use with adult students, but others aren’t appropriate. Use your discretion and be discerning when it comes to choosing materials. 8. DON’T BE AFRAID TO USE SOME UNKNOWN LANGUAGE. When I first taught ‘starter’ students (complete beginners) I used to worry about using language they didn’t know, or at least language that I hadn’t taught them or wasn’t in the process of teaching them. On joining my class anything beyond ‘hello’ was new language for them – so wasn’t it a bit much to expect them, six or so lessons in, to be able to understand a text containing lots of new vocabulary? Well, no – because of how we acquire language.Your
students might not be able to produce the language, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t understand it. Your students’ vocabulary will grow as they are exposed to new language, so don’t be afraid to introduce them to it! Do grade your language – but don’t worry that your students need to know and be able to produceevery word you say.
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I read Joanna Malefaki’s post on Disciplining Adult Learners,
and was immediately inspired to write my own thoughts on the topic. You see, we spend a lot of time talking about how to manage challenging behaviour in our young learner classes… but much as we shy away from admitting it, challenging behaviour happens from time to time in adult classes too. Similar to Joanna’s experience, I’ve had students: * Openly text/play on their phones throughout the lesson * Answer a phone call, then having a phone conversation in the middle of the lesson * Ignore instructions (problematic when those instructions are to start or stop an activity) * Argue with and openly criticise the teacher * Laugh at, bully or otherwise be unpleasant towards other students * Refuse to participate in activities (more often than not communicative tasks) because they are ‘pointless and stupid’ * Repeatedly arrive late (upwards of half an hour), with no apologyor explanation
Normal behaviour for teenagers, you might think. But I’ve encountered all of this with adult students too. THE CHALLENGE HERE IS ‘WHAT DO I DO WHEN MY _ADULT_ STUDENT ISBEHAVING BADLY?
I _definitely_ don’t have all the answers to this one (if you have any more ideas I’d love to hear in the comments), but here are mythoughts.
REMEMBER THAT IN THE CLASSROOM, YOU ARE THE BOSS. Personally, one of the reasons I find it difficult to ‘discipline’ adult students is simply because of how I perceive their position in relation to mine. Often my difficult adult students have been older than me, and in the case of in-company classes, may well occupy a very senior position. Meanwhile, I’m someone who is being paid to provide a service – and the first rule of customer service is that the customer is always right. Powered by wordads.co Thank you for submitting the report! Seen ad many times Not relevant Offensive Covers content Broken Report this ad After several years of teaching, my opinion now is that where teaching is concerned, this way of thinking HAS TO GO. Yes, I may be younger than this student, earn less money and be regarded as being less senior, but in the classroom, _I_ am the one in charge. THIS MEANS THAT IF A STUDENT’S BEHAVIOUR IS DISRUPTING THEIR OR OTHER STUDENTS’ LEARNING, I HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IT – REGARDLESS OF THAT STUDENT’S AGE, GENDER OR POSITION. (If you ever doubt that you’re in charge, I strongly recommend asking troublemaking older kids, teens or even extremely disruptive adults to stand up and come and take the lesson instead of you. I’ve never had any takers).STAY CALM.
Getting angry (especially in front of the student) is simply not worth it. It jeopardises your professionalism, can turn a positive classroom atmosphere into something very negative, and is unlikely to have the result that you are looking for. I have a bit of a temper, so definitely don’t find it easy to practice what I preach here – but taking a moment to breathe, remaining calm and not allowing things to get heated (however strongly you feel) is more likely to improve the situation than not. DECIDE HOW MUCH IT’S WORTH FIGHTING OVER. This is a tricky one… and a personal one, because I do think it depends largely on the situation. In terms of things like texting in class, the students are only disrupting their own learning. Yes, it’s disrespectful and impolite, but at the end of the day they are the ones who will suffer. This is something I might address if it becomes a regular occurrence, but if it’s only once or twice I may well let it go. If a student refuses to participate in an activity, again, that’s fundamentally their problem. I’ll explain to them my rationale for doing it and why participating would be beneficial for them, but at the end of the day I cannot force them to do something they don’t want to do. In this situation I’d simply devote my attention to the other students and ensure they get the most out of the activity as possible. I will _not_ tolerate students being rude, disrespectful or bullying towards other students in the class. In these situations I will almost certainly make my views clear to the class immediately, and may well speak to the individuals involved after the lesson as well. In terms of topics such as racism, homophobia, sexism, and political views, it’s a tough call. I’m well aware that my students come from different cultural backgrounds to myself, and therefore their views, while intolerant and unacceptable in my culture, may well be the norm in theirs. Here I think all you can do is make it clear that their views are not universally accepted. If ideas are expressed that really bother you, simply steer the conversation away and make it clear that you are not willing to participate in that discussion. PUT THE STUDENTS IN YOUR SHOES. One thing I have found to work well when working with difficult adult students is to ask them to stand in your shoes for a minute – or equally in the shoes of other class members. While teenagers or kids don’t necessarily have the empathy required in order for this to be effective, adults generally do, and most adults do agree with the idea of ‘treat others as you would be treated’. If they wouldn’t be happy with their teacher chewing gum, or texting in the lesson, or arguing with other students, why is it ok for them to do so withyou?
Powered by wordads.co Thank you for submitting the report! Seen ad many times Not relevant Offensive Covers content Broken Report this ad One thing that’s worth bearing in mind here: remember that your students are _adults_. While it’s fine to tell them that their behaviour is unacceptable, don’t make a big show of it or single out one difficult student in front of the class. If one or two students are acting out of line, the rest of the class will have doubtless noticed it too – but they are also likely to be watching to see what you do about it! Wherever possible take a difficult student aside or speak to them after class. Make it clear that you consider their behaviour to be disrespectful or inappropriate, but do this calmly andrespectfully.
ASK OTHERS FOR ADVICE. Several years ago I taught a really _difficult_ adult student. The kind who would argue and tell the teacher that they were wrong, who would roll their eyes and sigh loudly if they didn’t like an activity, who would threaten to complain at the end of every single lesson, and who would from time to time simply refuse to participate, instead sitting there, arms folded, glaring at everyone. After several lessons of this (she joined part way through a course), I was jittery, paranoid, and concerned that I was doing things horribly wrong and was a terrible teacher. Until I spoke to my colleagues. It turns out that almost all of them had had a similar encounter with that student – she would routinely turn up, sulk and pout her way through six months of lessons, and then disappear until she decided that she needed to improve her English again. I never did figure out exactly what her rationale behind this was – but knowing that I wasn’talone helped a lot.
Even if your colleagues haven’t taught the student you’re currently having difficulties with, they may well have been in a similar situation with a different student. Ask people for help – they may be able to make suggestions, offer advice, or simply make youfeel better.
GET BACK-UP.
If you’re teaching on a free-lance or private tuition basis, this one is harder, and I don’t honestly know what to suggest beyond try some of the above ideas and decide how much you’re willing totolerate.
If you are working for a school, however, it’s worth speaking to your Senior Teacher or ADOS. Even if they won’t speak to the difficult student on your behalf (and sometimes they will!), it can be worth it just for reassurance. The prospect of students complaining gets a lot less scary when you know that the school management has already heard your side of the situation! _Have you ever had problems dealing with a difficult adult student?_ _What happened, and what did you do?_ INTERVIEW WITH AN EFL TEACHER: ALLISON January 16, 2017January 16, 2017~ thebestticher
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_One of my many plans for The Best Ticher this year is to showcase some other voices, not just my own. After all, I’m not the only EFL teacher out there! To kick off my new series of ‘Interview with an EFL Teacher’ posts, I’d like to introduce my friend (and former colleague) Allison. _ _Allison is an EFL teacher from Long Island, New York. She did her CELTA in Wroclaw, Poland and currently works in Prague, Czech Republic. In her free time, Allison likes to read, draw, do arts and craft projects and play on her ukulele._ HI ALLISON, THANKS FOR AGREEING TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS FOR MY SITE! SO, FIRST THING’S FIRST, THE BIG QUESTION: WHY TEFL? One of the big reasons I chose TEFL was because I knew someone who had done it; my sister! She taught in Prague and in Japan. She really loved the experience and culture in the countries she was in and inspired me to travel and teach! Did you have any teaching experience before taking your CELTA? Yes, actually I did! Before I did CELTA, I received a Master’s in Science in Elementary Education (aka: Teaching Primary School Children). I looked for some jobs after I graduated, but I was a little nervous. I kept asking myself if teaching in one place was what I wanted to do. Before settling down, I wanted to travel. Teaching and travelling seemed like the best option for me. It made me excited to think about the possibilities of living and teaching in anothercountry.
WHAT WAS YOUR NEXT STEP AFTER RECEIVING YOUR CERTIFICATE? After I got my CELTA, I stayed in Poland for at least a month in order to find a job as soon as possible. While I applied to jobs, it gave me the opportunity to travel around central Europe. Powered by wordads.co Thank you for submitting the report! Seen ad many times Not relevant Offensive Covers content Broken Report this ad WHAT’S BEEN YOUR FAVORITE TEACHING MOMENT? My favorite teaching moment was when I taught in pre-school in Prague. One day, I arrived to class and a little girl came up to me, grabbed me by the hand and showed me a picture she drew. She pointed out the colors that we learned the week before and said them in English. I gave her a high five and she grinned. I also love singing songs to my pre-school and primary school children. It’s wonderful to hear them hum the songs that we learned and then they sing it for you. ^_^ WHAT’S THE MOST USEFUL THING YOU’VE LEARNED? The most useful thing I learned was that experience is valuable. The more practice, support and resources I got, the more I grew in myteaching skills.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WISH YOU’D CHANGED OR DONE DIFFERENTLY? No, not really. I don’t regret anything and I think everything I learned helped me to become a better teacher. IF YOU COULD GIVE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO A NEW TEACHER, WHAT WOULD ITBE?
Be patient. The art of teaching is not mastered overnight. COMPLETE THIS SENTENCE: “TEACHING ENGLISH ABROAD IS…” Teaching English abroad is life changing, yet rewarding. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS ALLISON! WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU CAN’T STOP CRITICISING YOURSELFJanuary 13, 2017
~ thebestticher
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Do you remember the first time you thought ‘I can’t do this?’ about teaching? Maybe it was when you were faced with a particularly rambunctious group of kids, or moody teenagers who didn’t want to talk. Maybe it was when your class asked you questions you didn’t know the answer to. Maybe it was your first time teaching pre-schoolers, or an in-company class, and your ‘I can’t do this’ moment happened before you even set foot inside the classroom. I certainly do. Part way through my first year of teaching, I took over another teacher’s adult upper-intermediate class. In the first week I taught them my lessons seemed to consist of never-ending grammar questions that I couldn’t quite answer convincingly, and I found myself constantly wondering if my class were all afflicted with Resting Bitch Face , or if they actually just hated me. In the second week I taught them I was called into my director’s office, where she gently explained that I would no longer be teaching that group. They had requested a different teacher – any teacher, it would seem, except me. I didn’t think too much about this at the time. I was 23, had just started teaching, and was pretty willing to just go along with whatever the director of my school said. But several months later when I was given another upper-intermediate class, a snipy, critical voice popped up in my head. ‘You can’t teach upper-intermediate… remember what happened last time? They’re going to ask you questions that you can’t answer. They’ll complain about you if you hesitate too much or you get something wrong. Maybe you shouldn’t have thought you could teach. Maybe you shouldn’t have come here in thefirst place…’
Sound familiar in any way? Many teachers I know (myself included!) are their own worst critics. It’s easy to say that – flippant-sounding even, but criticising yourself can have a huge impact on your confidence, how willing you are to put yourself out there and say ‘yes’ to new things, and how happy you are on a day-to-day basis. The good news is that there is something you can do about it. The bad news is that it might not be what you expect. I was a shy child, and as a teenager, I lacked self-confidence in pretty much every way, shape and form imaginable. Looking back on myself then, I still find it a little surprising that I can now happily stand and talk in front of a class of students! Why do I tell you this? BECAUSE I DIDN’T STOP BEING SHY BECAUSE PEOPLE TOLD MENOT TO BE.
One common mistake that teachers, teacher trainers and managers make when they’re trying to encourage others to be more confident is to compliment, encourage and try to build up. I’m guilty of this too. A new teacher says they don’t think they can teach kids… Yes you can! You’ll be fine! I believe in you! Does it work? Well, maybe a little. But it’s not the most effective way of helping someone to overcome the inner critic. ARGUING WITH THE INNER CRITIC, WHETHER IT’S YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE DOING IT, DOESN’T HELP. Your nasty, inner backchat is NOT based on fact or reality (even if you think it is), and logic and facts can’t reason with what is fundamentally an instinctive fear. You can spend hours arguing with your inner critic: ‘You can’t teach this class. It’ll go wrong.’ ‘Yes, I can. I’ve planned it carefully, it’ll be fine.’ ‘You’ve probably forgotten something.’ Powered by wordads.co Thank you for submitting the report! Seen ad many times Not relevant Offensive Covers content Broken Report this ad ‘No, I haven’t. It’ll be fine.’ ‘But what about the kids? What if they’re badly behaved? What if you lose control of the class?’ This is an argument with yourself that you are _never_ going to win. What about looking to someone else for support? A teaching colleague, a mentor, or a manager? This is no bad thing – everyone needs support and having someone to bounce ideas off can really help. However, when it comes to the inner critic, many of its sarcastic, negative thoughts arise in the heat of the moment, and that’s when we make snap decisions without talking to anyone. Also, let’s face it, we don’t tell anyone what’s going on in our heads most of the time (especially the negative, lacking confidence stuff) – it’s human nature to try to act as though we have it together as much aspossible.
So, ‘just deciding’ to be confident isn’t going to work. Arguing with ourselves isn’t going to work. And listening to our inner critic is just going to make us stressed out, unhappy, and not doing what we want to do. Don’t worry, we’re now getting to the bit where we talk about the alternative. #1 GET YOUR HEAD AROUND THE IDEA OF THE ‘INNER CRITIC’. Part of me always wants to dismiss this idea as being pop psychology ‘woo woo’. But let’s face it, we do all have a voice in our heads that anxiously criticises and undermines our thoughts and attempts to step outside of our comfort zone. This chart shows some of the differences between realistic, rational thinking… and when it’s the inner critic showing up in ourthoughts.
Image from Harvard Business Review STEP ONE TOWARDS BEATING THE INNER CRITIC: RECOGNISE AND NOTICE WHEN IT’S THE INNER CRITIC PIPING UP. This can be as simple as saying to yourself ‘I’m hearing the inner critics worries about this again’ – or even just simply ‘inner critic’. #2 LOOK FOR THE MOTIVES IN WHAT THE CRITIC SAYS. Although it’s not necessarily easy for us to see, our fears and instincts are designed to protect us from harm. The inner critic is no different: it’s usually our mind’s way of trying to keep us safe. Why did my inner critic kick off so badly when I was asked to teach an upper-intermediate class again? Well, although it’s no sabre-toothed tiger, the fear of having the director of my school lose confidence in me is still a threat. My inner critic’s attempts to get me not to teach the class were ultimately attempts to keep me safe. #3 VISUALISE GETTING RID OF THE CRITIC. *There are lots of different ways to visualise getting rid of the inner critic, but the one I’ve found most helpful for me is simply to get up and move into a different room or physical space, envisaging that I’ve left the critic behind. Obviously this isn’t possible all the time (it wouldn’t work in the middle of a class, for example), but it certainly does work if, for example, you’re at home planning lessons or preparing for an observation. #4 REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A PROCESS. Overcoming the inner critic isn’t about suddenly developing boundless reserves of confidence. Rather, it’s about developing the tools to recognise and then deal with its voice. Powered by wordads.co Thank you for submitting the report! Seen ad many times Not relevant Offensive Covers content Broken Report this ad This is going to be a process – and one that won’t ever finish. It’s perfectly normal to stop criticising yourself for one thing… only to then hear the inner critic pipe up about something else. YOU WON’T EVER SILENCE THE INNER CRITIC, BUT YOU WILL GET BETTER AT DEALING WITH IT – AND BE ABLE TO STOP TAKING DIRECTION FROM FEAR. _*I’VE ENCOUNTERED AND READ ABOUT ‘THE INNER CRITIC’ IN MANY DIFFERENT PLACES, BUT MUCH OF MY UNDERSTANDING (AND SOME OF THESE WAYS OF DEALING WITH THE INNER CRITIC) COME FROM A FANTASTIC BOOK CALLED‘PLAYING BIG’
BY TARA MOHR. THIS BOOK IS ABOUT CONFIDENCE, GROWTH, AND EMPOWERMENT – AND I’D RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE. IT’S WRITTEN FOR WOMEN, BUT IN ALL HONESTY I DON’T SEE WHY MEN (ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE INTROVERTED OR LACKING CONFIDENCE) WOULDN’T BENEFIT FROM IT TOO. READ IT IF YOU WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE INNER CRITIC AND HOW TO LEARN TO LIVE BETTER WITH HIS OR HER VOICE!_ GOAL-SETTING WITH STUDENTS (INCLUDING FREE WORKSHEET!) January 9, 2017January 10, 2017~ thebestticher
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I had a really positive response to my blog post about goal-settingfor 2017
,
and it’s prompted a few other teacher bloggers to start sharing their own goals for the year too. I have to say that I’m in awe of the amount some of you have got planned! One thing I have realised, though, is that goal-setting isn’t only important for us as teachers – it’s important for our students as well… and it can be worth taking a lesson (or part of a lesson) to teach our students how to set (and work towards achieving) appropriate goals for themselves. I’ve lost count of the number of times that I’ve asked students to set English language-learning goals for themselves, and they’ve come up with some or all of the following: * I will watch films or TV shows in English. * I will learn more words. * I will speak English more. None of these are necessarily bad goals in themselves… _but_ there are some definite problems with them. TODAY WE’RE GOING TO DISCUSS HOW TO GET YOUR STUDENTS TO SET GOALS FOR THEMSELVES THAT THEY _WANT _TO KEEP… AND THAT THEY’RE ABLETO ACHIEVE TOO!
#1 WHAT DO _THEY_ REALLY WANT TO ACHIEVE? One of the first problems I often notice with student-goal setting is that students choose something that ‘sounds like’ a good goal: something that they’ve been advised to do by a teacher or that they’ve heard other students talk about, rather than actually thinking about whether or not it’s relevant or important for them. Choosing a goal that you don’t really care about keeping is an obvious way of setting yourself up for failure! So, how can students be coaxed out of this ‘my teacher told me to’ type goal setting? Well, by thinking about what’s important for them, as learners andusers of English.
Try to encourage students to think of ‘real-life’ applications for what they want to do, and avoid ‘language-based’ targets such as ‘I will learn more adjectives to describe people’ or ‘I will learn the second conditional’. In my experience language-based targets are less motivating for students (they’re seen as something they _have_ to do rather than something they _want_ to do), and maintain the mindset that English is something they do in their English lessons, rather than something that can have a practical communicative purpose outside of the classroom. For lower-level students to consider:*
WHERE DO I WANT TO SPEAK ENGLISH? (at work, on holiday, at the doctors, at home…)*
WHO DO I WANT TO TALK TO IN ENGLISH? Powered by wordads.co Thank you for submitting the report! Seen ad many times Not relevant Offensive Covers content Broken Report this ad (people I work with, a doctor, shop assistants…)*
WHAT DO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT/DO IN ENGLISH? (ask for directions, talk about a health problem, order food…) Lower-level students’ goals in learning English are more likely to be concerned with communicating in specific situations. For higher-level students (B1+) to consider:*
WHAT WOULD I LIKE TO DO IN ENGLISH THAT I CAN’T DO AT THE MOMENT? As a general rule, higher level students’ aims are more likely to be broader and will include a wider range of activities than simply speaking/listening to/writing English. As their goals are ‘bigger’, they’re more likely to need more individual steps/elements to achieve each goal.**#2 BREAK IT DOWN.
Once your students have established exactly what they want to do in English, it’s time to think about how they can achieve that. It’s unlikely that their ‘what I want to do in English’ is an achievable goal in and of itself. Students’ goals are likely to be made up of a combination of thefollowing:
* Expanding and learning vocabulary * Learning about register/increasing their knowledge of formal/informal language * Learning how to format different styles of writing * Understanding interaction (eg. turn taking, body language, activelistening skills)
* Finding out what is required in order to do something (eg. attending university, doing a particular job…) * Exposing themselves to particular types/sources of written orspoken language
* Trying something they haven’t done before * Repeating something that they’ve already tried to do, but unsuccessfully (or that they found difficult) #3 HOW ARE YOUR STUDENTS GOING TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS? Now that your students have decided what they’d like to be able to do in English, and broken down what things they might need to do in order to do it, it’s time to think about helping them to achieve it! It’s worth introducing your students to (or reminding them of) SMART goals. If you need a refresher yourself check out my post on goal-setting for teachers. For
your students to achieve their goals they’re likely to need to do some (or all) of the following: * Refine and practice their study skills (for example ways of learning vocabulary) * Set aside a particular amount of time each week for extra study * Work on their organisational skills (eg. note-taking, highlighting/underlining key words, keeping their work organised in afolder)
* Review vocabulary/topics covered in class * Ask their teacher questions * Ask other students/English-speaking friends or colleagues for help * Research things online * Complete practice versions of what they hope to eventually do (eg. emails, conversations, application essays…)#4 FOLLOW UP!
It’s all very well encouraging your students to set goals for themselves, but if they’re going to set them and then forget all about them/lose the paper they’re written on never to be seen again, you might as well not bother. Powered by wordads.co Thank you for submitting the report! Seen ad many times Not relevant Offensive Covers content Broken Report this ad Show your students that you’re as committed to helping them achieve their goals as they are, by FOLLOWING UP ON IT. If your goal-setting lesson is at the beginning of January, why not have a ‘goal-review’ lesson (or part of a lesson) at the end of term, or at Easter? If your students know that they will be being held accountable, they’re more likely to follow through and put in the actual work. If you’d like some ideas on how to work with your students to review their progress, check out Maria Theologidou’s great post on Self-reflection.
As an aside, it’s a good idea to make a copy of your students’ goal sheets (whatever format they may take) before they take them home – no matter how reliable or mature you think your students are, there will always be one who loses it within the first week! SO, THERE YOU HAVE IT: HOW TO SET GOALS WITH YOUR STUDENTS THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO (AND WANT TO!) ACHIEVE! For teachers with intermediate (B1) or higher students, I’ve put together a goal-setting lesson plan. This outlines ‘SMART’, asks students to evaluate a selection of potential goals, and then encourages them to plan and set their own English learning goals for2017.
IF YOU’D LIKE THE WORKSHEET, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE PDF HERE: GOALSETTINGFORSTUDENTS.
_Do you set goals with your students? What have you (or they!) learned from the process? _ **As an aside, if you’re doing this activity with teens, and the answer to these questions is *shrug* ‘I don’t know… my parents want me to learn English…’ encourage them to think about things that have nothing to do with traditional learning/being in the classroom. Things like computer games, or football, or film, or music. I have to admit that every time I hear an interview with a football manager/player who’s a non-native speaker, I’m always hit by how motivating and inspiring that could potentially be for a football-madEnglish learner!
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