2006-08-30

Teaching Tips


Be Patient !

Perhaps there is only one cardinal sin: impatience. Because of impatience we were driven out of Paradise,because of impatience we cannot return.

W. H. Auden



Allow sufficient time for students to make a smooth transition from one activity to the next, especially if directives are given in English.

Young children in particular need more time than adults to make a mental transition between processes, and mental transition is a prerequisite to successful physical transition. In the long run, you'll probably save time by taking an additional fifteen to thirty seconds to move students from one activity to the next instead of rushing students to a new project, only to spend several minutes trying to get everyone's attention and cooperation. Routine can be key to smooth transitions. I keep a small cassette player nearby and begin fading up classical music during the last ten seconds or so of an activity. [Music with words can be distracting....] When music reaches a comfortable hearing level, students know to stop whatever they are doing and wait for new instructions. After I have the attention of all students, I fade the music down and give the next set of instructions. Usually, this leads to the immediate cooperation of all students. (Another teacher slowly dims lights, waits for students' attention, gives instructions, increases lighting, and continues.)
Give students adequate time to answer specific questions.
Get into the habit of silently counting at least to ten before giving up on one student and asking the next. Remember, beginning students especially will have to mentally translate the question into their native language, formulate a response, then mentally translate the response back into English. This takes TIME! And even beginning students need to feel like they can communicate with some success. After all, if they can't process thoughts and communicate in class where they are supposed to be free to learn, where will they be able to practice English communication skills and develop the confidence necessary to function successfully in an English-speaking country?
Allow most students enough time to become comfortable with one aspect of language before introducing another.
Some schools seem to play a numbers game. They boast that students learn 500 or even 1,000 words a month. But rote memory serves no purpose if students cannot utilize the new vocabulary in a real-life situation. All too often, students will memorize words like history facts, then promptly forget them after the test. Try reserving one class per week for review. If more than 15-20% of students cannot remember information taught three to four weeks before, then you should probably slow down and allow more time for practicing each new language skill. On the other hand, if more than 15-20% of students begin to demonstrate boredom with a particular language skill, then you can probably increase the pace at which you are teaching.
Utilize the method of cycling.
Preview new material through songs, stories, crafts, games, videos, or casual conversation. The preview grants students some familiarity with the new vocabulary or syntax so that they may connect it with previously learned material when you actually teach it. (Some students will acquire the new language through the preview alone, and these students can later help you explain the new material to students who are struggling.) Teach material, using verbal, visual, and sensory approaches. For example you might teach the color blue by showing students various shades of blue, asking students to name objects that are blue, then calling on students to touch a piece of clothing that is blue or to color with a blue crayon. Finally, review the material on a regular basis. Provide an extensive review immediately after the lesson is taught, using open conversation, action games, songs, chants, and more. Provide a brief review at the beginning of the next class period. Review at least once per week for the next month, then once per month thereafter. (Regular review gives the "stragglers" additional opportunities to learn and keeps other students from losing the skill acquired.)
Allow patience to serve as one of your most effective tools in combatting undesirable behavior.
One of the teacher's greatest advantages should be maturity, the ability to behave in a more responsible manner than the children in his or her care. All too often, however, inexperienced or untrained teachers react "in fashion" to students' inappropriate behavior. The class makes too much noise, so the teacher yells. A preschooler throws a tantrum, and the teacher jumps into the fray. An elementary student makes a rude comment to the teacher or a fellow-student, so the teacher verbally attacks the student. But responses such as these are counter-productive, reducing the teacher to the same level as the student and stripping him or her of all control. By responding in patience, however, the teacher establishes his or her authority in non-threatening manner. Some suggestions include the following:
Respond to minor disruptions with silence.
Simply stop talking and silently wait for students to grow quiet. If questioned, tell students, "Class is not a contest. I will not compete with you." If it is possible to extend class for five minutes or so, the teacher may add any time he or she has stopped because of a disruption to the end of class. This is especially effective, causing students to become "jealous" of class time as well. After the teacher uses this method two or three times, most students will fall silent immediately if the teacher stops talking. A variation (if students must leave by a set time) is to routinely dismiss class one to two minutes early, but to revoke this privilege on any day when the class must stop more than once.
Respond to increased classroom noise by speaking softly.
Speak just loudly enough to be heard by the student furthest from you if the class were completely silent. Students will begin to quieten down as they try to hear what you are saying. You may tell students, "If you cannot hear me speak, then you are too noisy." I have on occasion quietly said, "If you want an M & M, raise your left hand." This rewards the students who are paying attention, while creating a small but appropriate penalty for those who aren't listening (generally the noise makers).
Respond to tantrums by doing nothing.
Tantrums are primarily a means of gaining attention, and the tantrum-thrower generally doesn't care whether attention is positive or negative. If a child wants to throw himself or herself on the ground kicking and screaming, simply ignore him or her as long as he or she is not in danger of self-inflicted injury. Quickly move other students and any assistant teachers away from the area, so that the disruptive child is the object of no one's attention. Try to engage other students in a fun activity like a quick review games, a favorite song, a story, or even play time. As soon as the tantrum thrower realizes he or she is not receiving the desired attention, he or she will stop and quietly join the other students. AFTER the tantrum-thrower returns to the group and engages in the assigned activity, offer a moment or two of positive attention. (Make sure that other students also receive the same attention so they don't perceive the attention as a "reward" for misbehavior.)If a student is in danger of self-inflicted injury (i.e. banging head against a concrete wall, hitting a hard object), quickly move the child away from object(s) on which he or she could be injured. Place the child in a safe area, and leave him or her alone until the tantrum ends. If necessary, you may direct other students to a learning activity or video, then gently but firmly hold the child's hands so that he or she cannot injure himself or another students. (Avoid holding the child on your lap or offering any other affirming action.) If physical contact, with its accompanying attention is necessary, the tantrum will probably last longer than it might otherwise, but the teacher must quietly hold his or her ground. (After all, the teacher should be able to outwait a three or four year old!)
Respond to inappropriate language or unkind remarks by politely asking the student to say five positive things about the person or thing he or she is verbally abusing.
This response forces the student to view the person or thing at which he or she is frustrated from a new perspective. It also boosts the esteem of any child who has just been insulted. Occasionally a student will simply refuse to cooperate. At these times, you may call on other class members to tell what they like about the person or student being attacked. This not only provides the other students with an excellent conversation exercise, but also makes the uncooperative student suddenly feel very alone in his or her negative sentiments. Although the student may "save face" by not altering his or her original position, he or she will think twice before making similar comments in the future.
Purpose in advance not to yell at, insult, or hit a student for any reason and plan mature responses to potential problems.
As basic as this may seem, too many teachers resort to the above tactics without thinking. Even teachers who have previously said, "I would never hit a child," sometimes react in an immature (and even abusive) manner when a situation catches them off guard, especially when the teacher is teaching in a culture that espouses shame and corporal punishment as effective means of maintaining discipline. Teachers should establish from the beginning at least two class rules: "In this class, no one speaks unkindly to anyone" and "In this class, no one hits anyone." They should then apply them to themselves before applying them to their students. The teacher should serve as model, demonstrating through his or her own behavior within the classroom appropriate interpersonal skills. (Even students who cannot understand a teacher's words can comprehend the teacher's example...)
Give at least one warning before disciplining for most infractions.
Young children tend to have short memories, and may disobey simply because they forgot the direction. Often a simple reminder like, "Chang-min, in English class we speak only English" or "Joo-ha, if you play with your eraser, I will have to take it away" bring an end to the problem. (The exception to this in my classroom is physical aggression toward another student. Hitting, kicking, biting, and so forth lead to an immediate time out. Students already actively involved in an emotionally charged situation generally will not listen until they've had time to calm down.)
Remember that learning is a process.
It simply takes time. Learning is also an individual process. Some students will take more time to learn than others. Don't get impatient (or at least don't let it show) when a particular student seems to making little or no progress. Remember that every child has different gifts, and all do not have a special aptitude for foreign languages. Making a child feel stupid or incapable of learning will certainly not improve his or her performance in your class and may significantly hamper his or her progress in other areas. Also keep in mind that you will never know just how much a student is really learning. One young boy made no visible progress for six months. The other students had all learned basic actions and objects, simple sentence structures, common questions and answers, the alphabet, and beginning reading skills, but Dae-won still responded to "What is your name?" with a blank stare. I had arranged for remedial tutoring after his first month, but this led to no visible progress. At the end of his second month, I met with his mother to encourage testing for hearing loss. At the end of the third month, I asked that he be tested for learning disabilities. Half way through the fourth month, I arranged a special meeting with the mother and explained that the boy was simply making no progress and his continued attendance was a waste of time. I suggested that she remove him from the class, allow him a couple more years to develop his native language abilities, then try again. She insisted that he wanted to be in class and left him in. Toward the end of his sixth month, he nonchalantly called out "Good-bye teacher! Have a good day!" as he left class. From that point one, he communicated as well as several other students. I still don't know what brought about the sudden change, but I was glad his mother had more insight into his development than I did!

A Simple Process for Creativity


DO IT - A Simple Process for Creativity

DO IT is a process for creativity.

DO IT is an acronym that stands for:
D - Define problem
O - Open mind and apply creative techniques
I - Identify best solution
T - Transform
These stages are explained in more detail below:

1. Define ProblemThis section concentrates on analyzing the problem to ensure that the correct question is being asked. The following steps will help you to do this:
Check that you are tackling the problem, not the symptoms of the problem. To do this, ask yourself why the problem exists repeatedly until you get to the root of it.
Lay out the bounds of the problem. Work out the objectives that you must achieve and the constraints that you are operating under.
Where a problem appears to be very large, break it down into smaller parts. Keep on going until each part is achievable in its own right, or needs a precisely defined area of research to be carried out.
Summarize the problem in as concise a form as possible. Robert W. Olsen suggests that the best way to do this is to write down a number of 2 word problem statements and choose the best one.
2. Open Mind and Apply Creative TechniquesOnce you know the problem that you want to solve, you are ready to start generating possible solutions. It is very tempting just to accept the first good idea that you come across. If you do this, you will miss many even better solutions.

At this stage of DO IT we are not interested in evaluating ideas. Instead, we are trying to generate as many different ideas as possible. Even bad ideas may be the seeds of good ones.

You can use the whole battery of creativity techniques covered earlier in this section to search for possible solutions. Each tool has its particular strengths and benefits, depending on the problems that you want to solve. While you are generating solutions, remember that other people will have different perspectives on the problem, and it will almost certainly be worth asking for the opinions of your colleagues as part of this process.

3. Identify the Best SolutionOnly at this stage do you select the best of the ideas you have generated. It may be that the best idea is obvious. Alternatively, it may be worth examining and developing a number of ideas in detail before you select one.

When you are selecting a solution, keep in mind your own or your organization's. Often Decision Making becomes easy once you know these.

4. TransformHaving identified the problem and created a solution to it, the final stage is to implement this solution. This involves not only development of a reliable product from your idea, but all the marketing and business side as well. This may take a great deal of time and energy.

Many very creative people fail at this stage. They will have fun creating new products and services that may be years ahead of what is available on the market. They will then fail to develop them, and watch someone else make a fortune out of the idea several years later.

The first stage in transforming an idea is to develop an Action Plan for the transformation. This may lead to creation of a Business or Marketing Plan. Once you have done this, the work of implementation begins!

DO IT was devised by Robert W Olsen in his book ‘The Art of Creative Thinking’.

2006-08-19

" The Bet " by Anton Chekhov


"The Bet" by Anton Chekhov

Overview
At a dinner party in the beginning of this story, an old banker and a young lawyer argue over whether or not "capital punishment and life imprisonment are equally immoral." To determine the truth in this matter they decide to make a bet, agreeing that the Lawyer will live without human contact for fifteen years, and in return, the Banker will pay him 2 million dollars. After providing the Lawyer with a cell, innumerable books, and other comforts for fifteen years, the Banker realizes he is about to lose the bet. Facing bankruptcy and humiliation, he decides to kill the Lawyer. The Banker is stunned when he learns that minutes before he would have received millions, the Lawyer renounced his prize and abandons civilization.

IssuesThis story addresses
1. capital punishment,
2. gambling,
3. greed,
4. violence.

Instructional Focus

To encourage students to examine examples of inappropriate feelings and desires.
the consequences of gambling
the value of self-respect
appropriate methods of resolving internal and external conflicts


Activities
Oral Reading
Read the story aloud. Pause to identify inappropriate emotions that result in inappropriate actions. Have students suggest the possible consequences of each. After the reading, ask students to identify alternative reactions that may have resulted in a more favorable outcome.
Class Discussion
Use the following questions as springboards to solutions:
What emotions and desires motivate the Lawyer and the Banker to make such a bet? What does engaging in such a bet reveal about each of the characters? Are these appropriate emotions and desires? Why or why not?
Do these characters respect themselves? Why or why not?
Do the Banker and the Lawyer respect each other? Why or why not?
Could the bet have led to a positive outcome?
What are the drawbacks of gambling in general? Are there appropriate forms of gambling?
During his confinement, the Lawyer had the opportunity to read and learn about the world. Meanwhile, the Banker had the opportunity to experience many pleasures in the world. In the end, both were driven to desperation. One man was willing to commit murder, the other despised "all the blessings of the world." What actions could either of these characters taken that would have helped them avoid this outcome?
Could anyone else in the story have taken an action that would have prevented this outcome?

Personal Perspective
Ask student pairs to share experiences. Have them focus on events that forced them to reevaluate their perspective. Have pairs work to identify the causes for the misperception. Ask them to evaluate the resulting "new" perception. For instance, a student's original perception may have been that there was no such thing as prejudice. Then the student moved to a new neighborhood where he/she became a minority. The student realized the inaccuracy of the original perception when he/she became a victim of prejudice. Lottery: Winner or LoserFormal debate is one method for determining the policies which deal with difficult political issues such as criminal justice, education, and taxes.
In groups of four or more, have students determine whether or not the state governments should continue to run a lottery. Have half the group gather and arrange evidence in support of the lottery and the other half of the group gather and arrange evidence against it.
Remind students to discuss possible counter arguments also.
Finally, have students present their debates and evaluate individual performances based on organization, evidence, and presentation.
Memories of the Rich and Infamous
In pairs, have students record a radio interview between the Banker and an investigative journalist. The interview should be set in the year 1905, twenty years after the Lawyer vanished from his cell.
The interview should contain a summary of the events of the story and the Banker's reflections on the lessons of these events. Encourage students to develop questions and answers that illustrate the Banker's thinking about the moral issues involved in the bet.
Real World Connection
Have students research supreme court rulings regarding capital punishment. Then have them select a case and identify the arguments for and against it by creating a brief outline of the main points. Encourage students to use a dictionary or a thesaurus to define unfamiliar words. Have students share their findings in small groups.

The Influence of Arabic on English


I found this question from an Iraqi woman named Rahma, asking a Sheikh to give her a suitable FATWA. Her inquiry is full of mistakes: grammatical, semantic and in spelling. The text reveals most the influence of Arabic Language over the English Language, especially when someone translates his thoughts.

" rahma – house keper
alsalam alaikum i am too tired please help me in your anser.. my parents are too old father (76 years) and mother(71 years), they are alone in iraq without any brother or sister or son or douter, they have only two douters ,me and my sister in U.A.E. ,my sister cant help them becouse her hasbent cant that, evrey day i feel die . i want to go to iraq to be beside them but my hasbent did not accept to go with me to leve in our country ,he is a good moslim ,but he refuse travel to leve in iraq, he leve here from 10 years ago,..when he come to iraq to maerried me he said that we will leve in canada and i accept that .. now we have a boy (2 years) and i am pregnent, i want to be with my parents what can i do ..now i try to sponser my parents to leave here with us ,,if the goverment refuse that can i travel to iraq and left my hasbent..? please help me i feel too gulty ..i cant at any way left my parent specally in bad situation alone.. "

2006-08-11


What do you think of the new Tawjihi English course, to those who have taken a look at it ??