Revisiting my interview with Shelly Terrel for 30 Goals for Educators

   Last month I was surprised when I was tagged by Rose Bard  to be interviewed by Shelly Terrel for the challenge #30Goals EDU. I was scared, surprised, excited, happy and anxious, but at the same time, very happy and proud of being tagged by one of the educators I most admire.

   I was challenged to talk about teacher and students motivation. as I play a lot of roles on education, including teaching, e-moderating, teacher training , writing materials and mentoring. 

   As I stated in my other post about  Defining my moment, I was introduced to a brave new world of education , involving new approaches , technologies and a huge PLN on the second semester last year (2012), when I had big changes in my life. The turning point was the IATEFL  in Liverpool in April . There I met in person lots of people from my PLN such as Shelly Terrel, Malu Sciamarelli ,  Carla Arena and Dimitris Primalis, among other great people who inspired and still inspire me. In addition, I had the honour to share a room with Ana Maria Menezes, a personal friend,  mentor and one of the most courageous,  creative  and admirable women I have ever met!

   The purpose of this post is to revisit my interview in order to reply some questions made by another great educator Débora Tebovich  who will also be interviewed. 

   After watching the interview see my replies to the questions: 

   Question 1:  How do you get to know about your Students? Given my own scenario, I find it easy to know about them, but as time goes by, I have become aware the sometimes getting to know students is an ongoing process.

   Question 2: As we involve as teachers , they do as students. 

   Question 3: I love you said SS need to have fun to learn . A challenge question: Have you ever felt bored in class? Have you ever had more fun thank your SS? 

   Getting to know about my Students:

   Indeed, getting to know the SS is an ongoing process. It has all to do with a set of factors, including the first impression they have from us and vice versa. Good rapport is the key for development, learning and classroom management. And no matter how nice you are, you have to be assertive and make things clear from the very first moment. 

   What I do (at least  I try t do) with most of my students is to permanently bet in touch with them, mainly via the Edmodo platform, journal diaries as well as a lot of writing. 

   I also have an e-mail account  just to get in touch with  the SS who want to write e-mails. However. I let them know in advance that I'll read and reply their e-mails once a week in a certain day arranged in advance. 

   Another way to get to know my SS better is by using fun web tools and apps to engage them according to their age. For example, most of my SS love working with livetyping , voki  . glogster and padlet .  To use these tools students have to expose themselves and share feelings, thoughts, opinions, and we end up knowing little by little what they like or not , their feelings and a lot about their personality. This indeed help me a a lot to get to know them more deeply.

   As for the adult SS , I also use the Edmodo. However, I don't know why, they sometimes find it childish. As they are adults, I have Facebook  groups  as most of them have the app on their smartphones and it facilitates communication. 

   Regarding my online SS, I usually keep the track by interacting a lot with them . No matter what the platform is, I always get in touch with them by showing great interest in their assignments, reading  them and giving positive feedback even when I have to point out  areas of improvement . Online courses have a considerable number of drop outs because , at least in Brazil, there is this strong culture of seeing the teachers and having " the knowledge from them. " Interestingly, Ana Maria Menezes raises this issue in her upcoming dissertation. Having said that, I usually propose synchronous meetings via Skype or Google Hangout.  It's funny how the SS like seeing I am alive and that I am  just a real mortal hard-working teacher rather than a "computer ghost". It has worked well so far. 

   Getting involved:

   Being a teacher, gosh! There's no way we do not get involved with the SS and vice-versa. Of course empathy  does not  happen  all the time from both sides. This is when we need to use wisdom, behave as  real adult  professionals and bear in mind it's not personal. This is another mantra we should keep repeating: It is not personal. It has to do with the whole thing about education, studying, level of motivation and lots of  other issues which are out of our control. So let's not worry  too much and act as natural as possible. A  good strategy is to share the responsibility with the SS and  parents.  

   Having fun or feeling bored? 

   Both! Sometimes I have fun even when I am preparing my lessons and then I picture my SS faces in my mind! This semester, particularly this semester, I am teaching a variety of levels and ages and sometimes I do laugh a lot and pick myself  having a lot of fun and wondering what will happen in class.  It's said that I've got good interpersonal skills and usually it is not that difficult for me to approach  my SS. However, it is not always a bed of roses. Sometimes my SS get bored, I get bored and sometimes I think I had prepared that marvellous lesson and then I fail! It does not work at all. My fault? SS fault? It's not worth to blame anybody. Let's move on , try to figure out what was wrong and find solutions. If you need to change, change! There's no demerit on changing . On the contrary, changes make us grow! Believe me! 

Easy? Not at all! Time consuming, tiring,  frustrating sometimes ,but usually everything works well eventually and we are presented with effective results , happiness and the willing to go on. After all,  I was born to be a teacher. What about you? I look happy and motivated in the picture below, don't I?

Enjoy your teaching! 

How to help children love writing in English

Many if us don't  often use a pen and paper to write at length in our daily lives, yet this is what we expect of young learners. In this article I wrote for British Council Voices , I come up with some fun class activities that will help students between the ages of 10 and 12 learn and love to write. 

Have fun and Enjoy your teaching! 

How to help children love writing in English | British Council Voices via kwout

Defining my Moment: Goal #1 from the 30 Goals Challenge for Educators -

" God does not ask perfect work but infinite desire"

                                                                           ( St Catherine) 

photo by ELT pics

             

            Last weekend I was invited by Shelly Sanchez Terrel to be interviewed for the 30 Goals Challenge for Educators. I could not describe the feeling of happiness and scare at the same time; a mixture of happy feelings and a bit scared by the challenges we have to face just when you think the Earth had stopped spinning and nothing else will happen to challenge you. Well, it has not stopped and it will never stop! And this is the reason why I decided to make a change in my life, for better, I hope, and share this moment with you here. 

            2012 was a very peculiar year in my life as I would never expected so many changes were to happen. I had to change my job after 18 years working in the same place. At first it seemed that there was no life outside, no light , no floor, nothing. And I thought , innocently, that I was ready for such a big change. I was not ready at all. However, it was about time for a change. It was time to innovate, to see the outside world with other eyes. Time to make new friends, to get to know new people,  to reinforce old and solid friendships, to cover the mirrors , forget the outside and look at me inside. 

            As an educator, it was time to re-start, to find something different to make me feel motivated and to find new ways to motivate the others rather than giving up. 

                                            photo by ELT pics

" There's nothing permanent, except change"

                                          ( Heraclitus 535 BC - 475 BC )

               

         Thanks to all these changes and to the priceless support of my family, friends and colleagues, I started to get familiar with a brand new world full of wonders and wonderful people. I met friends and people from everywhere .Some of them I have never met face to face. However , it's as if we have lived our lives together for a long time. What a great world full of amazing people!  I also had the opportunity to visit lots of new places and make my PLN grow. In addition, I have tried to make the most I can of my teaching and learning. 

  

        So here I am a year later, on August 2013. Now I find myself completely different, still facing a lot of big challenges and having to be wise when making choices. This is how I would like to introduce  goal #1:" Define your moment". 

     

        The word cloud below shows a bit of  what my moment is like:

                                                picture created by Roseli Serra

        

        2013 has been a very special year, indeed! A hard-working year, but still very special! The first surprise was to become a blogger and have my thoughts read by people from all over the world. In addition, I had this blog nominated twice for the respectful Teaching English British Council award as the blog of the month. And this is just my 9th post! I could never imagine this could happen to me the same way I would never imagine I would be here writing this post thanks to Shelly's invitation. 

         It's not that easy to define your moment, specially when your moment is a complete mind map full of things to do , deadlines to meet and dreams to come true. This is the moment I should start thinking about how I can perform my plans and achieve my goals. This is my turn, my moment to become a more independent professional. It does not mean I do not want to or that I am not bound to an institution. I am,  and I am really thankful for the place I work and I am happy to work there. I am also happy for the SS I have and for what I do. However, it is time to make things more independently, by myself. 

        I have heard, from a lot of colleagues, a kind of mantra which says:" I am not only an English Teacher". Yes, I am not, although sometimes I feel this is what I am most of the times: An English teacher, an educator and an educational psychologist. Being all this, this is my moment of producing and discovering the new. I  am trying to bear in mind that I should never worry if I am impressing people by doing extraordinary things. I am not doing any extraordinary things at all and this is not my goal. I am just trying to be a better person and a better professional. This is my goal for the moment. 

      How could I become a better educator? I am a believer. I believe in studying, in better practices, in caring and sharing. Yes, I am a believer. And I think caring and sharing make me feel great both as a person and as a professional because if I care and share, I will be able to  make my SS feel they are progressing and lead them to learner independence. 

                                                                                                                                  

photo by ELT pics

 " Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school. "  (Albert Einstein)

This is my moment of reflection and there are lessons I do want to apply to my life:

1. Never, ever be afraid of the new
2. Be brave to share, be brave to try, be brave to recognise your mistakes and learn from them . 
3. Intelligence is a gift, but wisdom values more
4. Unpack the standards and use them to develop new teaching and learning goals. 

To sum up, if I had to pick a defining moment as a teacher and/or as the learner I am, it would be something that began last year and which is leading to something even greater next year. You all get the idea: Nothing is too small! 

Enjoy your teaching!

The “Dos and Don’ts” for children -Teaching Young Learners – Part 2 The final thoughts

I’d like to start this new post about YLE by giving you some food for thought:

                

                                                                     photo by ELT pics

Remember the days when you were kid. What did you most like doing when:

You were at school?

You were not at school?

What the best memories have you got from your childhood?

Is childhood a magical time? Why? Why not?

Watch the video.  Do you think children from those times were different from today´s children? Why?  Why not?

Who are  young learners?  

They are our students and they’re children.  

                                                                            slide by Roseli Serra

Teaching YLE is different from teaching adults. Young learners tend to change their mood every other minute and they find extremely difficult to sit still.  On the other hand, they are usually the most motivated learners who are easily engaged to do things that appeal to them. 

And what do we  really know about children? What do they like? What do they need? How do they learn? 

Characteristics of YLE:

• Body control – moving from uncoordinated movements to precise movements – gross motor activity to fine motor skills – gaining control of body – developing ability to synchronize hands, feet and body – better spatial organization – STILL we have pencil cases falling on the floor during our lessons
• Kinaesthetic – accompanying actions help SS memorise words / anchor meaning. They need both physical and mental stimuli to develop learning. Children bring into the classroom motor skills which can be applied to the process of learning a foreign language. The ability to t mime, sing and get engaged in activities which involve music and movement. Asking a child to repeat words is not as profitable as asking them to GO and TOUCH and repeat.
• Distractible /concentration span – the ability to keep on task and to ignore distraction is a symptom of the child’s intellect, and changes in concentration span are related to intellectual development. For children to pay attention and concentrate on tasks, we have to provide concrete, perceptual support ( e.g: flash cards). We have to embody the material to be learned and remembered in a task that makes sense to a child. 
• Imperatives to concentrate, memorise or learn are almost bound to fail. According to Vygotsky, mature mental activity involves self-regulation and these self-regulations are developed through social interaction. In this view, instruction and schooling play a central role in helping children to discover how to pay attention, concentrate and learn effectively. 
• INTERNET/ GAMES/ Apps/ Web tools -affecting concentration span? No if they are used with a purpose and monitored by wise adults. 
• Holistic – YLEs will probably pay attention to the main words in a message and not notice every single word. It means SS do not learn a language analysing its parts, but are interested in it as a whole, in what they can do with it. They don’t see language as an intellectual game involving an abstract system.
• Logical thinking / Problem solving skills / Language ability to analyse, plan, categorise, etc. And develop concepts. The younger the children are the more they will behave in a trial and error way to solve problems. They are not likely to plan a strategy to tackle the problem and consider each part of the problem.  Piaget has certainly contributed to the understanding of how logical thinking develops (adaptation + assimilation processes – soft ball v hard ball / pre-operational and concrete operational). Vygostky claims that language and the social relationships have a major role in the development of logical thinking. (ZPD - Zone of Proximal Development – the role of adults + peers in one’s development) à Language – learners are developing concepts and the meaning of words.
• Social skills – co-operative behaviour in play starts developing when children are about 5. Gradually, the peer group becomes more and more important as a source of motivation. Gradually they become more able to accept the rules of a game and to work collaboratively towards a shared goal. Greater interaction seems to take place within same –sex groups- it seems to be a feature of children’s social and emotional development à learning about oneself  as a social being through identification with the same-sex peer group. They understand what is good and bad, acceptable or not.

Having said all the above, I  reinforce the idea that children learn through
play – They need to play because this is how they interact with the world
and learn it. For this they need motor -sensory activities which involve the

use of imagination, language, and the interaction with others.

slide by Roseli Serra

So, our big challenge as EFL teachers is to bring the element of fun and play into the classroom. And how do we do that?

The younger the learners the more physical they tend to be and the more they need to make use  of all their senses. ( Brewster , Ellis and Girard, 2003)

According to Berman (1998),  if children can draw or visualise an image, hum it , or move through it first, they may be able to more easily talk or write about it. On the basis theory of multiple intelligences, in this regard, children can also draw a picture while listening to a description, act out  a nursery rhyme, follow instructions or make a shape or simple model while they listen to a description of it. This draws on learning by the ear and is good for those with bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence. Motor -sensory activities involve the use of imagination, language or interaction with others.  

" Learning does not occur in a vacuum. Learners discover and construct meaning from information they experience on their unique perceptions, thoughts and feelings."   

                                                      (Brewester, Ellis and Girard, 2003)

                                                                   photo by ELT pics

What about classroom activities? They should...

• be short, enjoyable & stimulating.
• allow learners to experiment with the language.
• require various responses from learners (linguistic, physical, musical etc).
• provide opportunities for individual & group work.
• provide opportunities for imitation & repetition.
• be conducted in   an anxiety-free environment.
• allow room for personalisation.
• be fun and offer challenging opportunities for learners to accomplish something through interaction using the target language.
• have clear purposes and aims in order to enhance learner’s sense of achievement. 

slide by Roseli Serra

• Appropriacy - to the target age
• Language pay-off  - how much the activity encourages the use of the language, either productively or receptively / communication
• Level of challenge -  how much the activity will engage SS and involve them in the task
• The element of fun - it brings to class à no anxiety / stress free environment

                                                                                     Picture (word cloud) by Roseli Serra

                                                                                
Final thoughts:

Although teaching kids demands from us a lot more effort, creativity and energy, it brings us a lot more fun and positive feedback.  Let’s never forget that:

Learning takes many intelligences - Learning becomes more effective when learners get involved in tasks which stimulate a multiplicity of intelligences. The activities and tasks proposed in Fun Factory encourage students to speculate on the language, to solve problems, and to be creative, among other things.

L1 as an ally -  As we are aware of our learner’s language system features, we find ourselves in a position which allows us to anticipate difficulties. Although teachers and learners are encouraged to use English as much as possible, using L1 in the young learners classroom may prove to be an effective tool to offer learners affective support and enhance their self-confidence.

The learning process is cyclical -Learning does not take place in a linear way . Learners need time and lots of exposure to the target language to be able to internalize it. Instead of massive repetition in one go. Consistent recycling through dynamic and lively activities is crucial.

Grammatical & lexical - achieve communicative competence - it’s important to develop accuracy in order to enable learners to communicate

The digital generation: YLEs are used to multi-tasking (they have the ability to do many things at one go) – they zap the world  , so, they do not have much patience or tolerance and they seem to read the world in a complete different way - hypertexts

Language is a means of communication - Classroom activities  should aim at promoting interaction among learners. Bear in mind the focus on essential language for immediate communication.

Vocabulary is the major tool to carry meaning - the use of language in meaningful chunks most of the time. This provides learners with useful tools which meet their immediate need to communicate from the very beginning.

Learners need to have motivation and to develop a sense of achievement from the very beginning- In order to nurture students’ motivation and a positive feeling towards the process of learning, learners need to be exposed to challenging but comprehensible input in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere in which they feel at ease, confident and ready to learn. 

The teacher should build an anxiety-free environment and present activities that are useful to the learners, relevant to their needs and within their capability, which should ensure motivation and foster a sense of achievement.

Last but not least...

                                                                                             

                                photo by ELT pics                                                    

Enjoy your teaching! 

The “Dos and Don’ts” for children -Teaching Young Learners – Part 1

 ‘Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.’ 

              Dr Haim Ginott 

photo by ELTpics

For a couple of weeks I have actively participated in several discussion forums upon different topics carried by Professor Willy Renandya. This group of teachers have enriched me with wonderful reflections and teaching practices. 

Recent survey made in Korea showed high level of demotivation of YLE to learn English.  Having discussed the results upon kids'  demotivation to learn English I was inspired to blog upon the subject. According to the survey: 
   Almost 50% of the children  said: “I don’t want to study English.” 

Why? 
They said: “English was interesting at first, but I lost interest because it required too much work.” If we ask those children learning English in Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, etc. Perhaps we hear the same answer too? 

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2013/07/116_139689.html

Along the discussion forum Professor Wily Renandya  claimed: "The children in the survey probably wanted to say the following, but didn't have the language to say it: 
         1. If English were a lot more fun, we'd want to learn it; 
         2. If my English teacher were fun to be with, we'd want to learn more from her; 
         3. If my English teacher gave us more fun exercises, we'd learn English in no time: 
         4. If the course books contained more fun-filled activities, we'd do a lot more practice on our own at home; 
         5. If learning English were more like learning how to play the piano (and not like learning Maths or science), we'd be more interested; 
         6. If ... etc.” 

So how could us teachers change this reality? What’s peculiar about YLE? 
See below some steps I suggest for successful lessons I have learnt by both observing teachers and by teaching YLE ( and teens , I believe) 

1. When kids learn a foreign language : 
      • They focus more on meaning, rather than form 
      • They need a variety of activities. 
      • They benefit from being actively involved. 
      • They are curious and active. 
      • They use language creatively. 

 2. Connecting with children: Rapport is the key to successful communication.  

• It may be that the teacher’s relationship with their pupils is more important in the end than the particular teaching method used. So make sure you establish eye-contact with your learners and show you are a good listener.      
• Be aware of your posture, the tone of your voice, and where you stand in the classroom.                                                                                  

3. Respect their age and level of maturity : Do not treat your nine-year olds as if they were little babies for they are not, but do not assume they are like teenagers either. 

4. Children come in all kinds. Some are quiet and may look quite shy (just do not act as if they are, instead ask yourself what you can do help them build self-confidence. Whatever you do, don’t use labels). Some are naughty and may show disruptive behaviour, but won’t challenge you or strive for confrontation. So beware of the subtle behavioural manifestations. Some others can be showy or simply highly-motivated. Still others will do as asked and show a lot of dependence while others will require room for their independence. 

 5. All of your students need your individual attention 

 • Children are very spontaneous and creative, so be open to join them, and ready to step out to control a situation whenever necessary. 
 • Show your good-humoured nature and laugh together with your learners. Sharing moments build trust. 
 • Remember children are very sensitive. Be sincere. And be there 100%. 

6. Building a supportive atmosphere : To enhance language learning: Build a strong sense of security where the children can strengthen their sense of belonging and self-esteem for better emotional well-being which will provide them scaffolding to back up learning and motivation as well as resilience. So: 

• Make your classroom a lively place 
• Motivate pupils to want to learn English 
• Help pupils to develop personal reasons for learning English. 
• Enjoy the lessons and be a real listener 
• Praise your students.
• Establish routines. “Children’s self-esteem largely depends on the experiences, positive or negative, that they have in their environment, on how they are viewed by the people they see as worthy: parents, teachers, peers. Their repeated responses are mirrors through which children see and judge their image.” 

photo by Cândice Guzmán

7. Making lessons meaningful: 

“In the early stages, before the child has developed a full awareness of language, language is embedded for him in the flow of the events which accompany it. So long as this is the case, the child does not interpret words in isolation – he interprets situations. He is more concerned to make sense of what people do when talk and act than to decide what words mean.” 

Margareth Donaldson 

We have our preferences, we have our own very personal style(s) and uniqueness – the way we learn, the way we represent the world is dependent on our preferred style(s). We learn better and more easily when we feel comfortable in an environment that favours our preferred style(s) and facilitates the development and blending of the others. When planning your lessons consider having a balanced amount of activities which cater for the various learning styles. Have a look at  “The Spiral Approach”

Slide by Roseli Serra 

8. What kind of English should I speak? 

Children learning a foreign language often use complete phrases of language they have picked up from someone else. (...) Children may not have been taught these chunks formally, but they help them to communicate ... 

Jayne Moon 

Talk to your young learners at normal speed. Speak the English you want them to speak. Be ready to repeat, rephrase, paraphrase, make gestures, draw, give examples, ask if a peer can help,and be ready to translate a word or two if necessary. Encourage your learners to speak English as much as possible. Insist on their doing so, otherwise they never will. Teach your students chunks of classroom language to get them to start communicating in English. 

9. Working on discipline: 
“Children benefit from knowing the rules and being familiar with the situation.” 

Wendy Scott and Lisbeth Ytreberg 

The video below show us some of the “dont’s ". Why does the teacher behave like this? What’s the amount of STT versus TTT in this lesson? Why is that so? 

• The teacher’s high level of anxiety. 
• The teacher asked purposeless questions. 
• The teacher did not allow the SS to think before answering – No waiting time The teacher’s poor response and rapport. 

So In order to run a smooth classroom, we should establish routines to give the children a good sense of order. To enforce rules consistently and always with our students’ help is a good way to have them closer to you. It’s crucial to allow them to take part in everything we do in the classroom. This will teach them commitment and responsibility. 

In the second snippet, we notice a change in the teacher’s behaviour as the teacher finds a way to maximize STT. Why? Do you believe in magic? There's no magic!

• He admitted his mistakes 
• He asked meaningful and open questions 
• He paid attention to body language 
• He tried to bridge the gap 
• He gave them a reason to speak 

The affective side builds up the students’ confidence: 

The teacher:

• Started to trust the student! SS know more, they can do more than people usually expect them to. Do never underestimate them! 
• He set the student free by not allowing her to read the score. Autonomy! 

Some last tips: 

• Establish a comfortable atmosphere free from stress 
• Do not ask the obvious 
• Make them proud – activate their previous knowledge 
• Respect your pupils and their different styles
• Repeat, recycle, rephrase 
• Respect the silent moment
• Don't be afraid of noise or silence. 
• Take into account pupils’ concentration span 
• Be flexible and open 

 Enjoy your teaching!

The final thoughts :Working with Teenagers to Build Success – Part 2

                                             

                                

              Continuing  the previous post, let's deepen and conclude our reflections upon the challenge of teaching teenagers. 

              Teenagers have a greater learning potential than that of young children but they are considerably more difficult to motivate and manage. It also takes longer to build a trusting relationship with a teenager, but once a teacher finds the correct balance of respect and authority, teaching teenagers can be a rewarding, and fun-filled experience. 

         There are several reasons why it seems to be so difficult to deal with teenagers. At this age, dealing with all the physical changes and psychological pressures of adolescence can seem overwhelming. As they journey through puberty, criticism, academic, athletic and peer pressures, dating challenges, hormonal changes and a host of body concerns mixed with their own search for self cause many teens to struggle with self-esteem issues which may affect their lives for a long period of time. 

 

Photo from ELTPics

         
        

SEEING THROUGH THE VENEER OF HIP

Teenagers often seem so cool, but deep inside they are just scared human beings who are going through a moment of transition – and a very difficult one at that. They put on masks and put up walls to hide their true feelings. They will attack you because they feel threatened by the world at large, not necessarily by you, the teacher. 

I took the picture below last Saturday, 1st June,  when, in São Paulo, I visited a museum called Pinacoteca.  

Photo by Roseli Serra -São Paulo June 2013

In a room full of traditional oil paintings full of adults (most of them middle-aged people) I  suddenly noticed these four girls. At first sight I thought they were ready for a party.  A few minutes later, lots of people, including my husband and daughter,   approached them and to our surprise they said: "This is our fashion style. It's the way we believe we should dress, like Lolitas (probably  a mention to Wladimir Nabokov's character Lolita  so that people pay attention to us. After all, we are different, aren't we? Interestingly, one of them was carrying a book ( hung as if it was a bag), and I happened to notice it was a beautiful edition of " Alice in Wonderland" written by Lewis Carroll .   

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the way they chose to dress. Not at all! On the contrary, it's nice, cool and beautiful! In a follow up conversation they said to be shy girls.  They cannot deal with so much  youth , creativity and beauty and then they hide their feelings by wearing different clothes as masks . It then made me reflect a lot about how tough must be to face adolescence nowadays. Perhaps it is even tougher than 35 years ago when I was at the age of 15.

        For ages teens have tried to call the world's attention either by their attitudes or dress code . Can you not sense the fear behind their masks ? In order to overcome their fears, teenagers need to publicly vent whatever issues are bothering them, and the educational system should be open to that.

I strongly believe that teachers need to be trained to listen to their students in a neutral way (very much like a psychoanalyst would). This means our role as teachers is not to convince teenage students to see things from our perspective but rather to allow students to form their own, guided opinions. We are not in the classroom to show students we are right and they are wrong. Ultimately, what we should be trying to do is to discuss a subject from as wide a perspective as possible.

TAKING THINGS PERSONALLY

As a corollary of the above, if one of your teenagers decides to “put up a fight”, don’t take it personally. Remember that his/her anger is not likely to be directed at you personally. Think of Alice in Wonderland being attacked by the Queen of Hearts: “Off with their heads.” It’s not usually as bad as that. Unfortunately, you represent the establishment and could be seen as one of the expanders of the horrors of the status quo. (You’re right: the classroom is like Wonderland at times.) My tip here is – don’t even try and confront him/her in front of his/her peers. Talk to him/her after the lesson. Give him/her your unconditional support at this difficult time. (Then “lose it” with your shrink later!).

PATRONISING TEENAGERS

Even if you often find your teenage students’ attitudes to be childish, give them the benefit of the doubt and treat them as “near-adults”.  In other words, try not to be too condescending towards them. Condescension is often read as an attitude of superiority and we all know how much teenagers hate that. To be honest, I don’t blame them for that, do you? Remember - your tone of voice will be particularly important here. Try not to sound as if you know better.

Allow them to surprise you. Teenagers will rise or fall according to our expectations, so if you intend to pre-judge them, assume then that they will live up to your highest expectations! To see them soar is total bliss.

SHARING THE FLOOR             

  Photo from ELTPics by Roseli Serra -Rome- May 2012 

         Teenagers are generally considered difficult to motivate. In our desperate urge to make ourselves popular and win teenagers over, we teachers tend to hand over ownership of content of extra materials entirely to them. I don’t personally subscribe to that point of view. Giving teenagers ownership is indispensable as long as the teacher’s own sense of ownership is not diminished because of that. Negotiate your ownership rights carefully with them. I am convinced that teenagers (like children) are willing to expose themselves to the excitement of learning and discovery provided that teachers have managed to establish a classroom culture of mutual trust and constant negotiation of boundaries. As a matter of fact, with mutual trust, respect and goodwill, almost anything becomes possible!

                                                                                                                             

      Having taught teenagers for a long time, I noticed some peculiarities about them and my pieces of advice (reminders, actually) based on my own experience are:

     

• Be flexible, firm, coherent, friendly, do not be over-sensitive (they are not against you). Remember that shouting at SS will make you weaker. Don’t take things personally, SS may have had bad experiences in the past and you are the nearest target. 

• Teenagers crave to authenticity and " real people". A teacher pretending to be someone else who he feels may impress teenagers will be spotted in a second and lose respect of his class even quicker. 

•  Avoid personal confrontation in front of the others. Talk to the disruptive student one-to-one after the class.

•      Maintain calmness in the face of aggression or rudeness.

•      Encourage them to work as a group (adolescents love having the feeling of  “being part of a tribe”)

•      See that pedagogical content is not dissociated from group dynamic.

•      Connect language to their own lives and value their opinions (Take them seriously).

•      Encourage SS to learn not only from you but from their classmates,  books and all the outside world available for them , including the web

•      Encourage SS to listen to each other (don’t keep echoing your SS).

•      Talk about personal experiences (successes, failures).

•      Make contact with them.

•      Try out different activities.

•      Get into their world of interests and emotions.

•      Encourage them to ask questions and link answers to real life.

A BRIEF AFTER-THOUGHT:

When things get a little rough with your teenage students, I urge you to remember some of my thoughts on the matter.  If things get totally out of hand, do not fall into total despair. Simply invoke the Bard or remember his words in “As You Like It” ,   a Shakespearean  comedy: 

“Sweet are the uses of adversity which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head; And this our life exempt from public haunt finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones and good in everything.”


Shakespeare is definitely hip – not even a grumpy teenager will have the courage to deny that! 

Enjoy your teaching! 

Cheers! 

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. HARP,  Richard -  The Effective Rapport .  Edimburg 2000

2. PARROT, Martin – Tasks for Language Teachers – CUP  2005 
3. Puctta, Hebert - Teaching Teenagers: Model Activity Sequences for Humanistic Language Learning, United Kingdom, Longman, 1993.
4. SERRA, Roseli – What Teenagers Want – workshop presented at the British Council – Summer Course, February 2007.