TEACHERS- Take good care of yourselves at first

As we are aware, we teachers have faced some emotive and difficult content in this Covid-19 social distancing. So, I encourage you to ‘check in’ with yourselves and be aware of how these may have affected you. After all, we have to be fine to help our students and families.

When thinking teachers well-being and support, there is a range of materials where we can find support. If you or others have been affected by the issues , here are a few links that you might find helpful:

• Yoga: https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene
• NHS apps library: https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/ and select the ‘Mental health’ filter.
• My possible self https://www.good-thinking.uk/resources/my-possible-self/
• Recovery College: https://lms.recoverycollegeonline.co.uk/course/index.php
• FutureLearn: https://www.futurelearn.com/search?q=wellbeing
• The free mindfulness project: http://www.freemindfulness.org/covid19
• Self compassion.org: https://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/
• MS Trust: https://www.mstrust.org.uk/a-z/relaxation
• Sleep: https://www.sleepio.com/
• Self-care: https://tinybuddha.com/blog/45-simple-self-care-practices-for-a-healthy-mind-body-and-soul/
• NHS Helplines
• Mental health Support
• Samaritans
• MIND
• Checkpoint

Hope it can help you and count on me

The new teacher's role during social distancing. Part I

During social distancing, we need to rethink teaching and learning philosophy and how to prioritize our relationship with students. More than ever, they need coaching and support to understand anxiety and fear. Planning, teaching, assessments and marking paper will always be important but now there's a call for teachers as life coaches.

Here I suggest one thing you can do to support and coach them. On the following 2 weeks I will share more ideas.

1. Hold reading conferences by video or phone

So little has felt normal about this new version of school.  Schedule one conference a week with some students class via Zoom, FaceTime, or an old-school phone call. They choose a story in English they have at home and read you a few pages. Give them a compliment and something to work on and I ask them some comprehension questions about what they have just read. It also provides a way to do a little teaching tailored to each individual child—reminding them to look for little words inside hard big words, or to remember that the author's lesson is usually something more widely applicable than the specific plot of the book.

The conferences will provide a time for each child to tell you how they're doing, what's on their mind, and what they've been up to during the odd days of this new reality we're all living from home. Here's a foundational truth of teaching: One-on-one time with a student deepens your relationship with that child. The pandemic hasn't changed that truth.

I hope you enjoy the idea. Next week, more hints...

Stay safe and take care of youtselves

Family Engagement: Presentation Slides

Hi everyone,
Today I had the chance to learn from great professionals in beautiful Blumenau as part of BrazTesol SC Chapter.
If you want to download the slides of my presentation...it's right here.
Should you need any help or tutoring, don't hesitate to contact at (51)996226570

https://drive.google.com/file/d/139Ez0CNdCeYnXnI7f6G67AKY_MBA8HUX/view?usp=drivesdk

Best,
Anaisa

Promoting fair assessment for special needs' students

Assessment is a tricky task of teaching but when it comes to students with special educational needs, there is a vast number of aspects that have to be considered. Depending on the disability, a student may have trouble with:

- Holding a pencil

- Hearing a question clearly

- Focusing on a picture

- Recording an answer in time even when he or she knows the answer

- Concentrating on a task in the presence of other people

- Answering a question at the pace needed by the rest of the class

Traditionally, teachers have assumed that all students either have these skills or can learn them with just modest amounts of coaching, encouragement and will power. But that is not really the case for SEN's students.

So, considering the facts above how can teachers find a better assessment?

There are a number of strategies for modifying assessments in ways that attempt to be fair and that at the same time recognise how busy teachers usually are.

These strategies include:

1) Supplementing conventional assignments with portfolios. A portfolio is a collection of a student’s work that demonstrates a student’s development over time. It usually includes some sort of reflective or evaluative comments from the student, the teacher, or both (Carothers & Taylor, 2003; Wesson & King, 1996).

2) Devising a system for observing the student regularly and informally recording notes about the observations.

3) Recruiting help from teacher assistants who are sometimes present to help a student with a disability.

If you have a student with a learning disabilities, talk to your peers and principal to find the best way for assessment. Also, don't hesitate to contact to discuss and share ideas

The Power of Student Engagement in ELT .

Have you ever considered the power of student engagement in your classroom?
If you have, you are on the right track. But have you thought of the impact of greeting your students with a warm 'Hello' as they enter your classroom?
If you haven't.... check out this information:

* accademic engagement increases by 20 points when students are greeted at the door by their teachers.
* disruptive behavior decreases by 9% with greatings.
* on the course of a day, greetings can add 1 hour of learning to students.

Amazing, isn't it?
I wish you all a bunch of warm greetings and lots of engagement.

Reference:
www.edutopia.org
https://twitter.com/edutopia/status/1155494620500918274?s=20

Why is reading comprehension so hard for your students?

Hi friends!!
If you or your students want to thrive on reading skills...this passage will suit you perfect. Enjoy the reading!

It is a fact that questions related to comprehension reading have now become a mandatory part of every competition and various examinations, it is used to check one’s logical ability. Also it is clear that students struggle to master reading skills, at least in Brazil. But why??

Well, in the case of English language tests and various competition exams, answering comprehension question is not an easy task and many students often wonder on “how to answer comprehension questions more effectively”

There are many reasons why students feel this way while doing comprehension questions.

• One of the main reasons is that most of the students are so familiarized with an easy level of reading comprehension questions that they easily get flustered when they see passages that have a harder vocabulary and meaning.
• Most students fail to understand the language and hence they lose interest in studying for such answers. But in reality, with proper practice and hard work one can easily conquer comprehension questions and they can be used to gain marks easily in a competitive exam. Here are a few important tips for answering comprehension tests

• Do not Use Outside Knowledge
• Make logical Guesses
• Review the Answer at least twice
• Always read the instructions Carefully
• Always go through the Questions First

And you? Is there an effective reading comprehension tip to share with us?

ESL Conversation Topics

Hi fellow teachers,
Try to imagine the following situation: you are sitting at the teachers' room doing your paperwork and the principal rushes into the room saying: "Be ready, you will have to replace ... in 5 minutes".
I am sure you know the feeling but there is no need to panick... When you have no time to plan...the best strategy is to have students talking.
If you are short of ideas I highly recommend this site:

https://www.eslconversationquestions.com/english-conversation-questions/topics/

There you will find sets of questions for a variety of topics. Really worth having a look!

Why using games in the classroom?

There are many reasons why games should be used in the classroom. In today's post I will focus on the most relevant ones:
1) Games portrait real life. There are RULES, OBJECTIVES and OBSTACLES.
2) Games are voluntary.
3) Games offer choices.
4) Choices have consequences.
5) Consequences offer feedback.
6) Games offer freedom to experiment.
7) Games offer freedom to fail.
8) Games offer freedom to try on different identities.
9) Games offer freedom of effort.
10) In games, participants are involved in an imaginary situation, with explicit roles and implicit rules ( Vygotski)
11) Games lead to a greater degree of self-regulation, the participants actions being determined by the rules of the game. (Vygotski) .
12) When involved in games, participants' concentration and application to the task are much greater than in academically-directed activities contrived by the teacher.

Tapping into motivation in ESL classes

Hi there,

Motivation will be the topic of the week. I will write from the students' perspective.

Pay attention to these 3 models of students' motivation in class. Can you see how a student belongs to a group or the other?

* Deep learners respond well to the challenge of mastering a difficult and complex subject. These are intrinsically motivated students who are often a joy to teach!

• Strategic learners are motivated primarily by rewards. They react well to competition and the opportunity to best others. They often make good grades but won’t engage deeply with a subject unless there is a clear reward for doing so. They are sometimes called “bulimic learners,” learning as much as they need to do well on a test or exam and then promptly forgetting the material once the assessment is over.Handle strategic learners by avoiding appeals to competition. Appeal to their intrinsic interest in the subject at hand. Design your assignments (tests, papers, projects, etc.) so that deep engagement with the subject is necessary for success on the assignments. Do so by requiring students to apply, synthesize, or evaluate material instead of merely comprehending or memorizing material.
• Surface learners are often motivated by a desire to avoid failure. They typically avoid deep learning because it they see it as inherently risky behavior. They will often do what it takes to pass an exam or course, but they won’t choose to go beyond the minimum required for fear of failure.Handle surface learners by helping them gain confidence in their abilities to learn and perform. “Scaffold” course material and assignments by designing a series of activities or assignments that build on each other over time in complexity and challenge. Encourage these learners often and help them reflect on what they’ve learned and what they’ve accomplished.

Source: Ken Bain, What the Best College Teachers Do, Harvard University Press, 2004, pages 40-41.

How to write a formal letter for FCE?

Hi everyone!

As I said in my previous post, today I will talk about another type of writing commonly asked in FCE: FORMAL LETTER

Dear Mr/Ms (surname)  -  Dear Sir/Madam  -  Dear Sir or Madam,

Reason for writing

I am writing to …
I am writing with regard to …
I am writing on behalf of …

Asking questions

I would be grateful if …
I wonder if you could …
Could you …? Could you tell me something about …?
I would particularly like to know …
I would be interested in having more details about …

Referring to their letter

As you stated in your letter, …
Regarding … Concerning … With regard to …

Complaining

I am writing to complain about …
You said … but in fact what happened …
We were supposed to stay with British families whereas we actually stayed in a guest house.

Closing

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Please contact me if you have any further questions.

Signing off

Yours sincerely, (If you started with 'Dear + surname') or Yours faithfully, (If you started with 'Dear Sir/Madam') 

    First name + surname

How to write an ESSAY for FCE

Hi dear ones,

This week and the following one I will be writing about the types of text a student can be asked to write about in FCE test. Also I will share some key vocabulary to help you organize it. So today let's take a look at ESSAYS.

Essay

Making points

Many people feel that ...
First and foremost, ...
It is widely believed that ...
It would be ideal if ...
Another argument in favour is ...
It is clear from the facts that ...
The benefits of ... outweigh the disadvantages.
On the whole, I think ...

Contrasting points

On the other hand ...
Other people think ...
An opposing argument is ...
Giving opinions
I personally feel that ...
I find it hard to see why ...
I certainly don't believe that ...
It is difficult to believe that ...
I object to the cloning of animals.

Organising and linking your ideas

First of all, … Secondly, … In addition, …
Moreover, … Furthermore, …
So … As a result, … Therefore, …
However, … On the one hand…/On the other hand …
On the whole … While it is true to say …
Finally, … To summarise, … In conclusion

Formal Writing: forbidden words

Hi everyone,

We all know that formal writing is more strict than casual writing. Some  

vocabulary that is accepted in regular speech, have no room in formal writing. So take a look at this list and make sure you are not making any of these
1. Alot
2. Let's
3. Gonna
4. Wanna
5. Ain't
6. Could of
7. And etc.
8. Furthest
9. Its'
10. Cause (meaning because)

Using whatsapp as a tool for diverse grouping arrangements

Hi fellow colleagues,

You know how hard it is to separate those students who insist on always sitting together. So to give your lesson a more dynamic pace and student-centered interaction as advocated in CLT approach, I will share with you a paper-free and very simple way to group students in different settings.
Preparation before class: make whatsapp groups with your students.
In class give each student a number according to the number of students you have in class.
And now, use your imagination to create the grouping settings and share with your students.
I share below two ideas. One with numbers snd the other using Avengers characters.
I am sure your students will be very engaged and your lesson will be very dynamic .

Mirror Mirror Activity!

Hi dear teachers,

This week I was organizing some paper work and I came across an old notebook of mine. There I found a very nice activity I ysed to do with my students some 10 years ago. So I did it again and it was super cool!

A

Procedures
Before class place on the bottom of a box a mirror.
Tell students you are going to show them a picture of a popstar and ask them to say why you admire this person. As they are goung to see their reflection....it is very funny..then you call another student and so on until they found out the person in the picture are them. Super cool!

Teaching for the Future

   

 In order to prepare young people to do the jobs computers cannot do we must re-focus our education system around oneobjective:
giving students the foundational skills in problem-solving and communication that computers don’t have.
     By recognizing computers’ limitations and abilities, we can make sense of the changing mix of jobs in the market. It is already known that technology usually changes work by changing how specific tasks are performed.
     In contrast, all human work involves the cognitive processing of information while
computers execute rules.Much of computerized work involves complicated tasks that have been simplified by imposing structure. ...many tasks that are candidates
for computer substitution are also candidates for offshoring.
     Considering all the points highlighted above...the questions that remain are...
Q: If you're working in a school, has your current school been thoughtful about changing expectations for graduates in response to how society is changing?
Q: What are some barriers that you have come across when trying to understand the student perspective?
Q: How does your school or organization reflect? How often does your school or organization reflect?

Now it is your time to wear your leader of learning hat and share these questions to your peers and staff. Good luck!

References:
Levy & Muname - Dancing with Robots

Warm-up for busy teachers

Hi mates,

If you are on that bad hair day and you cannot think of anything to set the mood to start the class, share this post with your students or display the collage I made with some of my favorite English memes. Just have your students telling their favorite one and say why. I've done it with some of my students and it proved to be a high energy activity. Have a try!

The X-ray of successful English learners

Hi fellow teachers,

Have you ever considered how the study habits of your students can affect their level of ability and performance?
So on this post, I will share with you relevant research information about it. Researchers have categorized students into 4 different groups:
1) the weekenders: if you belong to this group, you only study on the weekends. So, keep your eyes wide open because this habit may make you lose motivation as you feel you can't learn at the speed you want to. You are probably binge studying and this does no good to your motivation and performance.
2) The 9 to fiver: if you show this study habit, you usually study at work, at those short moments you get some free moments. No good! Studying requires a specific moment of concentration and attention and your work environment is not the best place.
3) Daily students: if you take some minutes every day to study you are on the right path to succeed. You will see more positive results in your performance and that will make you feel more motivated towards learning. Beware that a 15-minute study routime is good enough! Remember, don't binge studying.
4) Daily student at bed time: according to research, students who take 15 minutes studying English at bedtime are the ones who show better performance results. Studying at bedtime is a brain-friendly habit so why not giving it a try?
Check below a graph which contrats your studying habits and your abily.

CULTURE: The right pronunciation

Hi fellow teachers and students!

For today, I will talk about the pronunciation of a word I am always correcting in my students. The word is CULTURE. And this is a word we tend to use quite a lot!!!

Below, I send a link with the correct pronunciation.

https://youtu.be/KPGF6aLxfQc

Lesson plans. What I planned vs. What happened

Do you know that only 8% of New Year’s resolutions are only?  41% of tasks on people’s to-do lists are never completed. 

Plans are regularly ignored or discarded as life happens. Plans don’t tell you anything except people’s intentions. But my goal today is not talking about your personal plans and resolutions. My point is to make you reflect whether your lesson plans make part of these statistical figures. So I invite you to answer the questions below:

How often are you capable of meeting your lesson plan? I hope more than 41%!!!!!!! It's advisable that teachers can accomplish their lesson plans something in the area of 80%. If you are writing your lesson plans and not accomplishing it on a regular basis....there is a couple of thing you had better take into account:

Does your lesson plan fit your students' interests and not yours?

Are you attentive to your teacher talking time? The overall TTT during a class should be 30%

Are your instructions clear enough so that you don't need to repeat them many times?

Are the group arrangements effective? Sometimes I see teachers tendind to teacher-whole group format too much. This arrangement can be very time consuming if you want everybody to have a say. 

And last but not least, disruptive behaviour... I dare say this is reason number one for teachers losing focus and energy in class...so if this is the reason for you feeling frustrated about not meeting your lesson plans needs, ask for help to find the best strategy to solve it.

I hope I shed some light on this topic for you... And remember....the reason your lesson plan is not working may not be the lesson plan itself...there are other things to take into account. 

Count on me if you need help. I hope you enjoyed the reading. 😀

Levels of Fluency Explained

Hello,

Many of my students have a wrong idea about what and how long it takes to be fluent. They think they will just be fluent when they achieve C2 that is mastery in the language. So my purpose here is to provide you and your students with a brief explanation on the topic.

According to this table (Common European Framework for Languages), there are six levels and there is also an expected score for Toefl and IELTS.

A1- basic user (you are studying the basic strutures of the language. Listening and speaking are limited to class situations.

A2- you already know how to communicate in the present, past and future. Your vocabulary is very limited, though. You are still a basic learner.

B1- Here you are already considered an Independent User of English. You can talk  about several topics with retrictions in vocabulary and  grammar irregularities.  Your answer to questions are short and direct. Good news: now you already pursue the minimum to work in a bilingual environment.

B2- if you achieve this level, you are  valued by employers. You can talk about several topics fluently but the vocabulary you use is still simple and can be improved.

C1- this is the level most students want to achieve. Here you are extremely valued by employers and you have what it takes to be a university student.

C2- this is mastery of the language and here you have full command of it. This level is required mostly for professional who want to be an English teacher.

My advice: never quit your studies before you achieve B2, so that you don't miss the fluency you have just acquired 😉😉😉