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Personally, I like to learn, although I don't really like being taught.

No, it sadly wasn't me who said it,  Winston Churchill did. Yet, I'm sure these very words resonate with you just as much as they do with me, and resonate in a hurtful, sad way. Ironically, chances are most of you, dear readers, are, just like me, first of all a teacher, by profession, and/or vocation. Are we then, according to Churchill, doomed to an eternity of people disliking us for what we do, teach?  Not when you make your teaching about learning, and this is exactly my agenda for this blog and my professional life. When I am to create a bio/ a profile, I always have the urge to write 'a keen learner', rather than mention my experience as a teacher. It is the culture of learning that I long for, root for and subscribe to. A learner-centered, brain-friendly environment that nourishes motivation, enthusiasm, autonomy, responsibility and the joy of academic discovery and personal growth.  Baby steps, by the day, I strive to become less of a 'sage on the stage...
Recent posts

Habits of an Effective Teacher

New year, new me;) Who are we kidding, right?  New year resolutions tend to disappear and bring us down, that is why it seems more sensible to think of changing habits and developing a system of effective routines than dream to big and fail miserably…. It is my firm belief that to be a more effective educator we need to work on certain habits. WHY IS WORTH IT?  Benefits for us, Teachers: • Saving time and energy: Automated actions require less thought. • Reducing stress: Predictable actions build confidence. • Increasing efficiency: Routine tasks are performed more effectively. • Better organization: Structured activities create a cohesive system. Benefits for  our Students: • Sense of security: Predictable teacher actions provide stability. • Role model: Students learn through observation and modeling. • Self-discipline development: Good practices transfer to their own learning. • Improved outcomes: Learning becomes easier in an ...

Unpacking the English B HL paper 1 tasks

How to help students to identify the the right text format and plan their paper 1 text? Students often struggle with choosing the right text type and identifying the key factors in criterion C- conceptual understanding- context, audience and purpose. Here are two activities that might help your students unpack the task effectively: A sample task could be unpacked as follows: Then, you could ask them to analyse the task in more detail, for example using such table (courtesy of Camille Gautier for Toddle): Based on my answers to the questions above, the most suitable text type is __________________. Concept Breaking down the task further Context What is the initial situation that is leading you to writing this text …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Audience Who is your text addressed to? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. How will this influence the language you will use (formal, informal, semi-formal)? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...