Do your colleagues know much about your language teaching background beyond a list of qualifications and positions of employment? Sharing where you began, your process of growth, and goals for the future can help inspire, foster and contribute to growth in members or your community, not to mention build a connection to individuals where there may have been little before. I hope sharing mine supports one of these.Read More »Turning points in your story
Less than 48 hours ago, I made five statements about myself, lying about two of them. Then, through a brutal series of interrogations from members of my PLN, I am here to confess.Read More »Interrogation over. You win.
Remember Balderdash? That game we played as kids with the lies? Our truth or lies getting-to-know-you student activity reminds me of it. I often don’t do it anymore because…Read More »Interrogate me
A very valuable member of my PLN, Brad Patterson, initiated a call for images that were similar, yet different; look alike but have very contrastive features; or require critical thinking to notice subtle, yet important differences. Essentially, these photos combined together create material that can be utilised when learning language to compare and contrast. I wondered though, when do we compare and contrast things at any length in reality? Read More »Comparing and contrasting
When Tyson invited me to be his first guest blogger as a result of winning his blogaversary guessing contest, I got to thinking about a topic right away. First I asked for a deadline, because without one I’m more inclined to spend my free time tweeting with Shelly and Ceci or drawing Transformers. Tyson suggested I write something about material writing, and I agreed that would be a worthwhile subject for a guest post. With his suggestion in mind I did what I always remind writing students to do; I worked on narrowing down my topic. How many of you brainstorm your blog posts in a lined notebook with an old school bubble and branch diagram? I do!Read More »#FF Spinoff Challenge
Fiona Mauchline wrote a post on Henrick Oprea’s blog that ended with two small challenges, the latter of which has had me doing some thinking. What ideas, people and events have influenced the way I approach ELT? Do I associate outside influences with my teaching philosophies? Why don’t I have instant answers as when asked about my favourite musicians? Shame, really. Influences deserve due recognition, especially when on such a colossal part of my life. Through a lot of contemplation, I’ve started to piece some together and shall introduce them and how they have an an effect on my teaching in a series of posts.Read More »Influential ideas on my approach to ELT
SUDDEN LOUD KNOCKING. BANG. BANG. BANG. You wake up, groggy, and in the moments before reality seeps through, you can’t remember where you are or… Read More »Adding mystery to your language class
A recent Brad Patterson brainstorm led to the collaboration on an amazingly simple, yet hugely insightful blog challenge: PLN interviews–my interviewee, Vicky Loras. Vicky is… Read More »Bookstores, taxes & Swiss PD, with Vicky Loras