"When one teaches, two learn"
This month I’ve had my head full of “spring” and in particular that spring 40 some years ago in 1968 when students around the world became very “educated” and aware and sought to change things for the better. I didn’t live through that spring and...
“Where is the life we have lost in living?” – T.S. Eliot As a teacher trainer and workshopper, I have had the honor and pleasure to interact with a lot of new teachers over the last 10 or so years. Energizing and invigorating. One thing...
I’m just on my way home from a great conference in New Orleans. Refreshed by many conversations with fellow teachers (but have lost my voice!). The small talk and conversations were even more important than any of the presentations I attended or gave. Really and...
Yesterday’s ELTchat about teacher burnout got me thinking about a post I’ve had upstairs in the attic for quite a while. Burnout is something every teacher will continually confront – even those of us with the best of jobs. Entropy is a law that applies...
This picture puzzle maker is really simple! Just go to the webpage, upload a photo and then choose how small you want the pieces to be. (I recommend choosing the largest size, that is difficult enough). I think this might be useful for “jigsaw” type...
** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. Mickey Mouse built a house Choosing students, whether individuals or groups – is something every teacher has to do. And you have to be fair about it. There is nothing that will kill a...
It’s 2011 and I want to start telling some more stories! I’m a firm believer that the best teachers are those that tell stories in order to teach. (and research suggests this and also essential for great presentations). I’ve collected my stories HERE on EFL...
Now back in Canada – I’m getting some time to just sit with a book and ponder. Mostly because it has now been one week of wicked weather – snow blinding and the banks are so high, you don’t know where the yard ends and...
Let me start by asking this – do you love your teaching job? Let me now ask, can you imagine teaching until you die? I can. I really can. I don’t know what the future holds but right here, right now, I can imagine being...
Last week I posted up my “Top Teacher Training related posts of 2010″ – titled, “On the shoulders of Regular Joe Teachers”. Today, I’d like to share my “Top Education related posts of 2010”. I’m incredibly proud of the level of resources and thought, I...
Do teachers kill creativity? What is the harm that a “teacher” does, just by being a teacher? Do we indeed stunt student achievement, growth and “thought” by our mere presence as a model and person to look up to and copy/become? Like Ken Robinson’s story...
I’m a competitive person so this post is REALLY hard for me. I’m the kind of guy who will compete to see who can stand on one leg the longest. I’m hyper competitive and work hard because I love doing so but also because of...
** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. Get the full eBook The Local Newspaper I’m a big believer in the need and importance of both using authentic materials and current events in our classrooms. Of all the authentic materials available, I...
I just came home from the movies. In the film I saw (The Kids Are Alright), one character when asked why he dropped out of school says, “I just thought it was a big waste of money for something I could learn myself, from a...
I’ve been wanting to write this post for a long time – years actually. Finally, here in the airport with time to kill and waiting for my flight “home” to Canada, I have the time and motivation. Teaching English as a “profession” and living in...
This post is really about two things. ONE – to thank Karenne whose post brief post about the video below got my brain flooded with a thousand volts. TWO – to briefly and strongly, suggest an important point about instructing and teaching. First the video....
I usually stay FAR away from blogging about blogging. Not that I don’t find this kind of introspection, fun or revealing/engaging. Far from it. I just don’t feel comfortable doing it and if there is one BIG rule when it comes to blogging, it is,...
The #1 series is something I’m proud of. I will continue to build it for sure. A great, quick reference to only the best items/advice available to English language teachers. I’ve been working hard to edit and then make from html/webpage to pdf – a...
Recently, S. Korea announced that despite all the hostilities and tension with N. Korea, they would deliver food aid to the flood ravaged nation. (see AP article here.) This got me thinking about my own views on food and then knowledge. You see, I’ve always,...
** Not your ordinary, endless list – just what’s number 1. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language – by David Crystal I’ve long been a big fan of David Crystal. See a nice video below, to get a sense of the “gentle” man. If anyone ever...
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