Blog

Effective classroom teachers tend to have strengths in classroom management efforts. Teachers who know how to manage their classrooms create an effective environment that is conducive to educating students. The challenge for some teachers is knowing how to organize their classrooms so they have minimal behavior problems. In college, teachers are generally taught how to put together a discipline plan for their classrooms; this plan is supposed to resolve any behavior problems in their classrooms. We know that effective classrooms require more, and teachers who are successful end up creating a classroom environment that is caring, thought-provoking, challenging, and exciting. These classrooms serve as examples of how effective teachers run their classes.
One strategy these teachers use begins on the first day of school. Veteran teachers have learned that how they start the year off will determine the success of their classes for the entire school year. Initiating classroom procedures on ...

~~It can be said that a lot of what happens during the lesson in the act of teaching is unknown by the teacher, this is because teachers are often unaware of the many of the moment-to-moment decisions they make during the class.
It can be argued, therefore, that teachers need to be more aware in the classroom and how to self-monitor. One way of doing this is through action research focused on classroom discourse analysis. In analyzing classroom language it is possible to examine and assess objective data on both teacher and learner output. In considering and transcribing language teachers can easily identify when they might be limiting or facilitating communication. This can be invaluable in raising awareness about what actually happens in the classroom, leading to any required adjustments to maximise communicative potential.
This self-monitoring of spoken discourse analysis is vital in young learner classes as these individuals are far less likely to challenge the teachers’ style. ...

~~Pictures and photos are a valuable resource for stimulating classroom communication and can be used for more than setting the scene and eliciting vocabulary. Rather they can provide numerous opportunities for learning English while communicating about real-world events.
The activities listed below are merely some examples and can be easily modified and adapted for use with different learners, a wide range of target language, communicative goals and learner needs.
As with all activities these need clear, imaginative demonstrations to encourage learner participation. Using 2 or 3 pictures as examples when setting up the activities will help learners see how they can adjust for different situations. Eliciting ideas during the demonstration helps engage the learners and avoid misunderstandings. Learners need to feel safe in the classroom before they are willing to be creative and play with the language and activity.
• Alternative Scenarios – learners create a story to go with a picture ...

~~
NB: The information contained within these notes is generic and while is relevant for Asian learners, not just Japanese, not all learners will have the problems outlined below. Learners are individuals and these notes are not meant to be exhaustive but an introduction to the issues faced by Japanese/Asian learners.
Despite studying English for at least three years in Junior High School, three years in High School and the possibility of two-four years at university, many Japanese adults still have real problems using English. Although recently teachers have been using more communicative methods in Junior High Schools, translation is the main method of teaching in High School and this is the system most of our adult learners have been through – where the focus has been on grammar and reading. Most Japanese English teachers are reluctant to speak English themselves, or may not have high communicative ability, as most learning in schools is aimed at getting students through exams.
...

~~There are similarities and differences between Adults and Young Learners (YL) as language learners. It is important to remember that learners are all individuals so the ideas below are general not specific to a learner type.
Adults
 Can deal with abstract concepts
 Can deal with metalinguistics
 Can work independently
 Understands discourse e.g. will listen to what the other person says & use that to shape their response
 Generally internalize all language during individual tasks
 Have decided to study English for their own reasons
Both
 Need drilling
 Need clear goals & purpose for all tasks
 Needs language presented in context
 Require a variety of learning styles to be present in a lesson
Young Learners
 Need concrete (not abstract) vocabulary
 Need a lot of emotional support
 Must have clear, obvious meanings to all phrases
 Enjoy playing around with language, inc. non-grammatical utterances
 Often externalize language during individual tasks
 Are ...

When a school looks for a new teacher particularly at the junior level, they create a picture of the teacher they desire. Every school has certain considerations for the teaching staffs and these depend on the setting of the school and the children. While the traits considered for teachers may be different, there are some essential teacher training courses that are mandatory for every novice teacher to ace their competency. Below I have discussed some of the most popular and obligatory teacher training courses.
Pre Primary Teacher Training- Training for the preschool teacher has gained a lot of acceptance as it lays strong establishment for later learning of a kid. With the international teacher training coming to light, the requirement for teachers who possess necessary qualification to teach worldwide classroom has increased enormously.
Montessori Teacher Training- The training focuses on the method of teaching developed by Dr. Maria Montessori. The child-oriented educational ...

Craft activities
Craft activities are great fun in the classroom and are especially effective young learners. Activities can take more time to prepare in advance, and can turn out to be messy, but they also create meaningful learning opportunities and help make language seem more real. Below are some of the advantages of doing craft in the EFL classroom as well as some top tips for carrying them out.
Advantages of craft activities
Creativity
Craft encourages children’s creativity and allows them to express themselves and their own designs. As with all creative tasks, this works best when children are given a clear template or outline of what they will do and all they need to do is personalize small parts for themselves.
Kinaesthetic
Young learners especially tend to be kinaesthetic. They interact with the world by touching and exploring, which make the objects more real for them. Craft activities tap into this natural inquisitiveness by getting them to work with things they can ...

What is the purpose of a school trip?
 
A school trip should have great educational value. School trips can provide a wonderful opportunity for students to gain experience and see and take part in something they are learning about in the classroom. There are obvious limitations with a classroom environment but with a school trip you can bring the lesson to life. 
The benefits of school trips include:
 
Visual awareness and enhancement of a school subject
Conquering challenges
Problem solving
Boosting personal and educational development
Developing leadership skills
Encouraging teamwork
Learning about a new culture (especially when travelling abroad)
Building trust
Aiding memory
Increasing self-confidence
Improving school performance 
Cultivating friendships
Sparking interest
When the trip is over you could hand out rewards to everyone who attended or even medals for special achievements during the trip, such as any fears conquered.
 
What has to go into school trip planning?
 
...

Common English Grammar mistakes:Well, you can start by reading through this post to see which common grammar mistakes resonate with you the most. (It’s okay — we’re all guilty of at least one.) Make a mental note to avoid that mistake in the future, or heck, just bookmark this page to remind yourself of them over and over (and over) again.
Misplaced apostrophes:
Apostrophes aren’t difficult to use once you know how, but putting them in the wrong place is one of the most common grammar mistakes in the English language. Many people use an apostrophe to form the plural of a word, particularly if the word in question ends in a vowel, which might make the word look strange with an S added to make it plural.
The rules:
Apostrophes indicate possession — something belonging to something or someone else.
To indicate something belonging to one person, the apostrophe goes before the ‘s’. For instance, “The girl’s horse.”
To indicate something belonging to more than one person, put the apostrophe ...

   Essentially, as ESL teachers, we need to focus on our students' success in mastering speaking, reading, writing and studying in English. Teaching is a two-way process. As we are all aware, we learn from every student, as they seek to learn from us.
     Here are some tips for a balanced approach to become more effective ESL education.
(1) Determine who each student is, from which land they have migrated, which language is their native tongue, which customs they practise, and what their goals are, as they master the challenge of learning English in a different culture.
(2) Develop a 'sharing is caring' approach, to acquire cultural awareness. This is applicable to an ESL classroom, or to a one-to-one ESL tutorial.
(3) Aim for visual prompts, and non-verbal gestures. Dress with smile, a global language. Our students may experience 'culture shock', but are ready to embrace their new country, a new culture, a new language. Teachers who are teaching English in overseas lands, may expect ...