Regaining control of your classroom
Some discipline tips for when things start to go pear-shaped
The famous yellow and red card system is often a winner. Get some coloured cards and every time a student is bad, present them with a yellow card, football-style. Two yellows equal a red and a punishment. Works especially well in all-boy schools.
Tips for the newbie teacher
Keep these points in mind and you'll cope far better
Don't get stressed by the job. Remember that you are merely the latest in a long line of farang teachers who have come and gone. There isn't enough time to make any real progress with students' English so just try and make it fun for them.
Getting the kids hooked young!
My goal is to not frighten the lives out of my students
I'm stepping back from the serious, academic approach and working on making my classes something that kids look forward to - even if they aren't learning as much.
My classroom
A room away from home
A stimulating and educational classroom is what every child needs. It has to be simple, child centered and most of all caters also the needs of students who have learning needs.
The first days of the new school year
A new term usually means meeting new students
As you move into a new year with new classes, you may be considering what sort of impression you want to make on the students when you have your first lesson. What exactly should a teacher do in the first few lessons considering that these first impressions are so important?
My wishes
Reflecting on what I could have done better for my students
What had I achieved as a teacher, as a class?" "What had I given them? What had my students taught me during the past year?" So many moments of ups and downs, sheer joy and triumphs, but there were things I wish I could have done better.
The natural order of things
Not all students are created equal or should be treated as equal
In the best interests of the students who are capable, interested and who want to learn, some kids have to be left behind. That's why our school has streams.
My students don't even try!
The power of expectations
During my training as a teacher, we were told never to call a student stupid. Or lazy. Or bad. Or any other such pejorative. It seems like a sensible prescription, right? Criticize the behavior, not the person.
Enhancing understanding
Getting students to enjoy using dictionaries in class
Understanding is one of the keys in making a lesson interesting. Students stay tuned to the repertoire of activities presented, deepen their liking for the subject, and look forward to more English encounters.
On teaching classroom language
Getting students to use simple English all the time
Whenever confronted with students who speak Thai in class, I considered it an opportune moment to teach them the right structures.
