One more monthly summary is here! In this one, you can take a look at 3 blog posts which made me reflect on the way I teach and manage my classes. Make sure to check out 2 very useful websites that have been recommended to me by my students and feel free to read about the eye-opening, yet quite odd, teaching moment I experienced last month.
Teacher’s Toolbox
Visual prompts: my 3 favourite illustrators
In this post, I am coming back to the issue of organising my classes around images rather than topics and lists of conversation questions. I am sharing the list of my 3 favourite illustrators and some tips on using their work during lessons.
5 ways to end your class on a high note
In this post, I am describing 5 ways to end your English class on a high note. I have been using these ideas with my young learners (11 and 12) but, hopefully, some of them may resonate with other age groups as well.
March 3-2-1
March, I rediscovered the power of Twitter which has now become my go-to place when looking for anything ELT. It was thanks to Twitter that I’ve stumbled upon two great websites which I’ve started using with my younger students (ages 11 and 12). Still, some of my problems remain unsolved and here comes my never-ending struggle.
February 3-2-1
In February, I spent a lot of time looking for reading and listening resources my students could use for some after class language practice I teach several elementary and pre-intermediate students and finding level-appropriate online resources was more difficult than I’d expected. I also stumbled upon two interesting apps for teachers and learned about a potentially incredible learning website which I’m not quite sure how to use. Take a look!
Cambridge exams: 7 speaking practice twists
In this post, I’m sharing 7 ideas about making Cambridge exams speaking practice more fun and engaging for the students. These ideas work best with learners preparing for Cambridge First and Advanced exams.
First Certificate Mad Libs
In this activity, students fill in the blanks in the text with the appropriate type of word. Each blank notes what kind of word should go there: noun, verb, adjective, or adverb. This activity is based on a popular party game, Mad Libs, and is suitable for FCE students who need more practice differentiating between various parts of speech.
Voscreen: teaching with video clips
I might be a bit late to the Voscreen party as I discovered this free platform a couple of months ago. I’ve been experimenting with it quite a bit and I’d like to share my 10 ideas about using it with English learners in and out of the classroom.
January: 3 highlights, 2 challenges, and 1 burning question
You know how January often goes: we go back to work full of energy, new ideas, and willing to start giving our best. As a blogging teacher, I also decided to start summarising each month, looking at my teaching highlights, challenges, questions, doubts, and whatever else I might find worth sharing. Here’s what happened in January.
5 phrasal verbs revision games for advanced students
Making students even remotely enthusiastic about learning and using phrasal verbs has been one of my biggest challenges as a teacher. These 5 games have proved to be effective as far as consolidating and revising my students’ knowledge of phrasal verbs and encouraging their use. I have been using these games with upper-intermediate and advanced learners, especially those preparing for their FCE and CAE exams.
