Ideas about cohesive teaching

Dear Students,

I am thinking about how to make learning more cohesive. How can I balance old and new in one 90 minute lesson? How can I juxtapose many roles? A teacher must explain, monitor, organize, correct, revise, reteach, react, and so on. This is a "meditation" about combining learning and teaching.

One cohesion point is TTT: test-teach-test. First test and find out what people know or don't know, then teach something new, then test again to find out their progress. The cycle can, of course, be repeated. I like this way, because when we do the first test step and correct the test together, it is motivating for the students to talk about errors and what they believe they need to learn more about. These discussions are student-centered. The teacher receives valuable details--if he or she is listening well.

Today I watched an MS PowerPoint slideshow which showed effective teaching with PowerPoint. First, it showed students what they would reach by watching. Second, the slideshow had numerous dramatic examples showing content in surprising ways. Finally, the ideas presented were based on trusted theories of learning. After watching, I thought: yes, I can apply this to help my own students.

Over to you--what should a teacher do to create cohesion in 90 minutes?

ÉK2 lesson about jobs

Good morning, Students!

Today you will:

• review the yeast topic we had last week:  click on the link and watch "Healthy Old Age"
• next, open this dictionary. You can use it for the next task.
• now follow the task sheet your teacher gives you. The link is the IFT jobs list.
• When you finish the task, sign off your computer and come back to the front of the room for a discussion.

Enjoy the lesson, and have a nice day.

Mary

Dear Students,

The last post contained a professional photo of the Vienna "rathaus" - city hall, and here is my own homemade version, fresh from my new digital camera.

Last week my groups were quite sharp! My lessons were about listening - first main ideas, then details and new words. I also explained that people don't need to understand 100% of what they hear. We don't do it in our native languages, and we don't need it in English, either. Just imagine the radio news or the weather forecast. You want to know how many degrees it will be, and if there will be rain or snow - no more.

I also taught grammar: countable-uncountable nouns with much, many, any, and some; and present perfect compared to past simple verbs, plus linking words (despite, although, even though, etc.). Otherwise, in one group we practiced making pie charts about our daily lives, and one student told me she travels 2 1/2 hours to work and 2 1/2 hours back home every day! I wonder how she uses the travel time.

How far do you travel to and from school or work, and what do you do while you are traveling? Please write a post!

I'll go first. I use public transport all the time. I check the bus schedule and go to the bus stop just on time so I don't have to wait a lot. Most of my travel time -- standing OR sitting -- I close my eyes and relax. About 20% of the time I read teaching materials or make notes about the lesson I have just finished (oh-oh, a present perfect verb has appeared!) Sometimes I look at the young women, because their clothes and accessories are interesting! By the way, if you are thinking ahead to spring 2010 fashions, here is a forecast.

Back in the thick of things

Dear Students,

The title you see here is an English idiom. Here's the story, see if you can get the idiom's meaning from context.

It all started in Vienna.

Had a lovely time - saw things like the Rathaus at right, at night, in its Christmas beauty.

When I got home, I got the flu. Oh, was I sick! But I slept and drank juice, herb tea, and Unicum -- and now I am ready to teach again. Teaching is like most jobs: a combination of stress, interesting people, and things to do all the time -- it is "thick" like pudding! So, now I am back in the thick of things.

Sincerely,

Mary

Hard time for a teacher

Dear Students,

I am having a hard time! I want to go to England for in-service training, and after hours and hours of filling out forms and writing, it looks like I can't get the funding I need. That's why I'm having a hard time.

On a happier subject, this blog may soon have a few photos taken with my soon-to-be-bought point-and-shoot digital camera! That's exciting. I also hope to use its video feature to record roleplays in English lessons, play them back and let students comment about themselves. I wonder if any teachers who might read this blog have tried doing that?

And...that's it for now!
Mary

Dear Students, especially dear horticulturists, here is a lovely portrait an anther (20x) of your "friend" arabidopsis (thale cress) the little grass whose genome was identified in 2000. As you know, it is used in plant genetic research. Even if you're not excited about horticulture or genetics, this is a great photograph! 

Imagination

Dear Students,

What can you imagine? There isn't enough imagination in the world today! It's time to stand up and imagine good things, so please start here on the blog. Information is good; imagination is better.

I'll go first. I imagine that by the end of November I will be happier! I imagine that I will be able to

speak up when I see a problem

(phrasal verb: speak up


1. To speak loud enough to be audible.

2. To speak without fear or hesitation.) .

What can you imagine?