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IF, HAD, DID, MIGHT...
'If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist
had 40 people in his office at one time,
all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn't want to be
there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer, or dentist, without
assistance, had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months,
then he might have some conception of the classroom teacher's job.'
- Donald O. Quinn.
THE CHEATING GAME
> If students
have to cheat in an exam then
maybe we should examine the root of the 'evil' of cheating before we condemn our
students for being dishonest, lacking in integrity and valueless.
What causes students to cheat?
Insecurity, lack of confidence, pressure to do well, poor preparation, lack of revision,
mediocre teaching, badly designed tests/examinations - numerous reasons and for each
reason another set of causes.
If a student cheats who exactly
is at fault? The student, the
parents, the teacher, the English department, the school, the ministry or the system?
I teach in a centre called Mercaz Alon. We have many programmes for children with
learning disabilities and for those who simply cannot fit into the school system.
We seem to have great success "rehabilitating" them once they realise that
the teacher is not always the
enemy! - Lesley Lanir, ETNI.
-IT
DAWNED UPON ME...
> I think one day I woke
up and began to listen to my students.
That day was the beginning of re-centering my view point... N.S.
DEBATING
"Réfléchir, cela veut dire à la fois :
- a. soupeser, repeser, laisser reposer, se représenter sous diverses
faces l'événement, le problème, l'idée;
- b. regarder son propre regard regardant, se réfléchir
soi-même dans la réflexion.
"Il faut alimenter la connaissance
en réflexion,
il faut alimenter la réflexion en connaissance..."
- Edgar Morin (1984).
The Value of Debate in Today's World - par
nos collègues d'ETNI
dossier sur l'apprentissage du débat en classe- even includes handouts
for ready use in your classroom!
ENSEIGNER EN PRISE AVEC L'ACTUALITE
25 IDEAS
for connecting current events to your class - from Education World.
Education
World site offers lesson plans,
health/nutrition curriculum, teacher recommended books, web links...
TEACHING LITERATURE
Vocabulaire pour l'oral et l'analyse d'un texte
I. La présentation générale d'un texte
II. L'organisation d'un texte (ou d'un exposé)
III. l'auteur et la problématique du texte
IV. l'avis personnel
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SPEAKING
FROM EXPERIENCE
> Literature gives the opportunity to learn from
each other.
Last year I taught a 12th grade class and I gave them the chance to teach the poetry
themselves. It was one of the best decisions I have made as a teacher.
They had to work as teams, choose the poem, prepare the teaching material
and some kind of activity connected to the poem for the class and meet with me before
the presentation to iron out the rough spots. It was wonderful. They chose what interested
them.
They took the assignment very seriously and the resulting presentations
were very impressive. I learned as much as they did - and the poetry stayed with
them.
I admit that I love litterature, and I can understand how difficult it may
be for someone who does not; but there is such a broad spectrum of materials to teach
that I do find it hard to believe that some teachers feel that there are some out
there who do not bring this material into the classroom.
I also think that it is very hard to put a value judgement on all of this.
If a teacher chooses to teach a "less complicated" poem (and who is to
say what that is) does it have less value for the student ?
I believe that the value
lies in the interaction of ideas between teacher and student.
I hope that the new framework for teaching Literature will give teachers the
freedom to try new ideas and for the students to contribute some of their own. ÷
Ariella Kopels, ETNI
 EDIBLE ICE ?
N'empêchez pas les élèves,
ni les profs, de boire (de l'eau) en classe ! Pourquoi.
PLEASE SIT HERE !
Seating
arrangement tips that work!
DOING MAGIC
>
I teach at a college but I have
given several workshops in using
magic in the classroom for all
levels.
Usually I begin my workshop by explaining the advantages of magic as a tool for teaching
English.
I explain that one should NOT explain a trick because it destroys the mystery, one
should NEVER use a student as an accomplice in a trick ,then I do one or two good
mindreading tricks to get them warmed up and to show how I use it for talking, vocabulary, or
for gettjng someone involved who is usually left out....make him special.
I will usually explain one or two tricks so the teacher has something to take back.
I also say I will tell them how I did a really good one at the end of the
workshop.
Lots of suspense...
This takes me about 2-3 hours.
I could make it much more but that is generally the time given.
Oh yes, I always say I can only read minds in English, of course.
About the tricks being sent ; put each one in a bag with whatever is needed... cards,
string, etc... Rewrite it for the level you want, using words you want to reinforce
or look up, and have them make up an accompanying story.
One activity that always works :
I break the class into pairs and give each pair a paper bag with directions for a
trick (there are many books of tricks) and any materials that are needed for the
trick.
You can write the directions at their level and incorporate any vocabulary you want
them to have.
Each pair gets a different trick.
The assignment for " Magic Day" is to prepare the trick to show the class
and to make up a story such as..., I learned this illusion from a guru in India...
etc.
The possibilities are endless, the motivation is very high (everybody likes magic) and its fun.
This should help get them to speak.
Of course you could have an introductory lesson on mysteries or famous magicians, and a follow up lesson.
Have fun , let me know if you do it, and how it went.
Abi
Schatz
'Books are the bees which
carry the quickening pollen
from one to another mind.'
-James Russell Lowell,
1819-1891.A Word
A Day-
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You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like
