Bring On Twilight: Why I Will Let My Child Read Whatever They Want

I've seen lots of posts on the internet about why children shouldn't read some book or another. Sometimes the reasons are about the quality of writing, and sometimes about the ideas the books espouse. Things like "No girl should ever strive to be Bella Swan, as she is a foolish child who purposefully puts herself in harm's way just to get the attention of an older, dangerous man". 

Well, I think a bit differently. If my children (of which I currently have none, but will in the future) want to read a book, they can read it. 

Now, I'm not saying that I want my daughter to want to be Bella Swan, or that I'd like my kids to be acting out The Hunger Games.  What I am saying, though, is that I want my children to have the most wordly views possible. I want them to be able to look at a belief or a concept from all sides, and then make a well-thought-out decision. So if my daughter comes to me and talks about Twilight, then I will give her Pride and Prejudice to read and compare. If my son shows interest in The Hunger Games, then I will also introduce Ender's Game and Lord of the Flies to him. Comic book? Cool, as long as it followed up by a classic. 

See, silly/idiotic books are not the root of all evil, just like violent video games or meaningless TV shows don't ruin a child's sense of decency.  Unless that is all a child is introduced to. Sure, if a 12 year old girl only reads romance novels, her views on love are going to be skewed. But completely cutting them out is not quite the answer either. 

Yeah, supplying your child with only the classics might save them from the pop culture obsessions with shiny vampires or zombie apocolypse theories. However, ignoring a part of the modern world just to make your job easier is not fair to your child. Want them to become high-functioning members of society? They need to see and understand all of the world. The good and the bad.

I am blessed in that my childhood was very enlightening. My parents have traveled and are well-educated. As long as it was age appropriate, there was never a book we couldn't read, or a movie we couldn't see. By having all avenues of information open to us, my brother and I were able to see and understand the complicated nature of life. Thus, we are also well-educated and worldly adults, and are able to make well-informed decisions. 

So what kind of adult do you want your child to be? 

Also, we were taught early on that stories were just that- stories. A person can write anything they want. There is no reason that a child cannot read any fiction story, as long as they understand that what they are reading is not real. Teach them- Fiction=Fake. Enjoy a story, learn from it, then move on. Read something else. Grow. 

Try it. Open your child's mind to the world. Who knows, they might be able to teach you a thing or two.

English Language Fun #2

Yet another set of hilarious English awesomeness.

Oh yeah, he is definetly someone I would hire to teach me English! Though, I guess if people don't have good English, then they wouldn't realize that he doesn't have good English..

Great set of rules! You could do a whole lesson on what each of those mean, and how to avoid them.

Total booklover here! I am a read-a-holic, so this cracks me up!

Ohhh to true to true.. I'd rather be full of awe, than just have some..

Shipception! I love giving setences like this to my ESL students, and informing them that this is in fact a correct sentence. Isn't English fun?!?!

More English Language Fun!

It's Crazy...

A Pronunciation Poem

"If you can pronounce correctly every word in this poem, you will be speaking English better than 90% of the native English speakers in the world"

From thepoke.co.uk


Dearest creature in creation,
Study English pronunciation.
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.
I will keep you, Suzy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy.
Tear in eye, your dress will tear.
So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.
Just compare heart, beard, and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word,
Sword and sward, retain and Britain.
(Mind the latter, how it’s written.)
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as plaque and ague.
But be careful how you speak:
Say break and steak, but bleak and streak;
Cloven, oven, how and low,
Script, receipt, show, poem, and toe.
Hear me say, devoid of trickery,
Daughter, laughter, and Terpsichore,
Typhoid, measles, topsails, aisles,
Exiles, similes, and reviles;
Scholar, vicar, and cigar,
Solar, mica, war and far;
One, anemone, Balmoral,
Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel;
Gertrude, German, wind and mind,
Scene, Melpomene, mankind.
Billet does not rhyme with ballet,
Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.
Blood and flood are not like food,
Nor is mould like should and would.
Viscous, viscount, load and broad,
Toward, to forward, to reward.
And your pronunciation’s OK
When you correctly say croquet,
Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,
Friend and fiend, alive and live.
Ivy, privy, famous; clamour
And enamour rhyme with hammer.
River, rival, tomb, bomb, comb,
Doll and roll and some and home.
Stranger does not rhyme with anger,
Neither does devour with clangour.
Souls but foul, haunt but aunt,
Font, front, wont, want, grand, and grant,
Shoes, goes, does. Now first say finger,
And then singer, ginger, linger,
Real, zeal, mauve, gauze, gouge and gauge,
Marriage, foliage, mirage, and age.
Query does not rhyme with very,
Nor does fury sound like bury.
Dost, lost, post and doth, cloth, loth.
Job, nob, bosom, transom, oath.
Though the differences seem little,
We say actual but victual.
Refer does not rhyme with deafer.
Fe0ffer does, and zephyr, heifer.
Mint, pint, senate and sedate;
Dull, bull, and George ate late.
Scenic, Arabic, Pacific,
Science, conscience, scientific.
Liberty, library, heave and heaven,
Rachel, ache, moustache, eleven.
We say hallowed, but allowed,
People, leopard, towed, but vowed.
Mark the differences, moreover,
Between mover, cover, clover;
Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,
Chalice, but police and lice;
Camel, constable, unstable,
Principle, disciple, label.
Petal, panel, and canal,
Wait, surprise, plait, promise, pal.
Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,
Senator, spectator, mayor.
Tour, but our and succour, four.
Gas, alas, and Arkansas.
Sea, idea, Korea, area,
Psalm, Maria, but malaria.
Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean.
Doctrine, turpentine, marine.
Compare alien with Italian,
Dandelion and battalion.
Sally with ally, yea, ye,
Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, and key.
Say aver, but ever, fever,
Neither, leisure, skein, deceiver.
Heron, granary, canary.
Crevice and device and aerie.
Face, but preface, not efface.
Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.
Large, but target, gin, give, verging,
Ought, out, joust and scour, scourging.
Ear, but earn and wear and tear
Do not rhyme with here but ere.
Seven is right, but so is even,
Hyphen, roughen, nephew Stephen,
Monkey, donkey, Turk and jerk,
Ask, grasp, wasp, and cork and work.
Pronunciation (think of Psyche!)
Is a paling stout and spikey?
Won’t it make you lose your wits,
Writing groats and saying grits?
It’s a dark abyss or tunnel:
Strewn with stones, stowed, solace, gunwale,
Islington and Isle of Wight,
Housewife, verdict and indict.
Finally, which rhymes with enough,
Though, through, plough, or dough, or cough?
Hiccough has the sound of cup.
My advice is to give up!!!

How much could you say?!

English Language Fun!

Who knew that English could be so funny?

8 New Punctuations

from Collegehumor.com

Practical English

In light of the meteor in Russia, this can be helpful for students!

45 People... 

...Who Should Not Be Allowed to Use the English Language

From Buzzfeed.com

Just one hilarious example.. click the link for more!

What it Means to be an Online Teacher

"What do you do?"

When I tell people I teach online, the reaction in their eyes says "Huh. Doesn't sound like a real job to me".

The first question is always about what I teach, the second is how.

The What

I teach English to people who are learning it as a second (or possibly 3rd, 4th, 5th..) language. Some students are learning just for the fun of it, others because their work requires it, and the rest, to take a test for University admission or emigration to an English speaking country. My current students range in age from 13 to 60, and are from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Saudi Arabia. 

The How

I currently use two methods of connection with the students. One is by Skype, which works well for one-on-one students. The other is WebEx, which is an online meeting software, and is good for multiple student classes. WebEx is the more advanced of the two, allowing easy file sharing and a "whiteboard" that can be written on as if you were in a real classroom. 

The Subjects

My lessons with my students are less of instruction, and more of practice and explanations. With those who are studying business English, I follow course books about the subject and tie in modern day examples. For those students who are taking language tests, we first study the structure of the test, how to construct appropriate answers, and then practice, practice, practice.

The students who are studying general English have the most interesting lessons. I rely on the news quite a bit, as it provides recent and relevant language to normal conversations. A great resource is Breaking News English, which provides daily lesson plans for interesting news stories. Some students follow course books in their lessons, and some are purely open conversation. For these lessons, it is all about the student- they want to talk about it, we will. I currently have a student having lesson about Russian history- not something I expected!

The Ease

I will be the first person to tell you that my job is not rocket science. No tests to grade, no parents to deal with. Compared with the normal classroom environment, it is a walk in the park.  Gathering materials is super easy, because if I need something, I can Google it in an instant. I teach from home, most of the time not even changing from my pajamas. I've been on many "working vacations"- if there is internet, I can teach there.

The Difficulties

That being said, there are some difficult parts to my job. Most of those being the same issues that any teacher faces- trouble with behavior, motivation, attendance, and assignment completion. In some ways, they are bigger problems; trying to get a student to do homework when it has no effect on the grade is extremely arduous. And telling them to stop playing with their phone? Don't even bother. 

Intellectually, it can quite a strain. Short of translating something into the native language of the student, there are only so many ways you can explain something. For example: the word "naughty". You can't Google it to get a picture, because it give you something inappropriate. Googling "bad children" is better. But then, the student thinks that only that situation (say a child breaking something) is bad. So you must give more examples. Examples of adults. Examples of countries. Sometimes, acting it out helps, or drawing a picture. I've had experiences of 20 minutes of explaining a word. It gets to you after awhile.

Physically? It's killer. I spend between 6 and 12 hours a day staring at a computer screen. I know, I know, people doing office work do the same thing. But when you combine having to stare at a computer screen, listen to someone rattle on with a thick accent, write notes on mistakes and advancements, and correct grammar and vocabulary at the same time, it really takes a toll. Oh yeah, don't forget how often there are issues with Internet. No technical support at my "office"!

The moral of the story...

If someone tells you they are an online teacher, be jealous but also sympathetic. We have a great job that requires little planning and no travel time. But the job itself is taxing on the mind and body, and you will never know the true value of colleagues until you have only Facebook to talk to for hours on end. 

International English Students Part 2- Russians

Something I am beginning to love about my job is noticing all the differences between the students, from different countries, who are learning English. The similarities between the students of one country are also fascinating. Particularly fascinating when it comes to my Russian students, because they are in one-on-one online classes, and have never met the other students. Yet, they make the same mistakes, and often have the same strengths.

The Students

My Russian students are all adults, with the exception of one 13-year-old (who is more mature than most 25-year-olds I know). They are all working (again, except the 13 y.o.), and interestingly enough most have careers in either banking or IT. Their levels of English are impressively high, with a few being almost completely fluent.

Motivation

The main motivations for Russians to learn English are for their career or for a language test. Those that are learning for their career are working at an international company (or trying to apply for one) and need the English for communication in a work atmosphere. As for the language test, it is most likely the IELTs. The IELTs (International English Language Test) has two purposes- testing for a level of English for University, or testing for general life. Most often, Russians are taking the test because they want to find a job in another country, Australia being the most popular choice.

Style of Learning

The Russian style of learning is probably exactly what you are thinking it is- strict and regimented. It is similar to Chinese schools, but carries less pressure than those in China, and creates well-rounded and obedient students. I tell them to do something, they do it. No matter how much homework I give them, they are always open for more. Sure, every now and then you get one that is a bit of a slacker, but overall they are eager to get as much practice as possible.  

Having been trained to teach children, I do find it difficult at times to match the Russian style of teaching. Not that I am usually trying, most students seem to enjoy my lighthearted teaching style. But, sometimes I do get completely blank stares when I make a joke, not from a lack of understanding, but from a confusion as to the point of it. I do have some students that have requested that I am more strict and praise them less, which is harder than you think!

Vocabulary

All my Russian students know an impressive amount of vocabulary. It is often quite random, as you would expect from anyone who picks up English from watching our movies or reading our books. One very interesting lesson came after a student read Bridget Jones' Diary, which is chock full of made up words and British slang. Yeah, that could lead to some very odd conversations during the IELTs!

Grammar

Russian students have a great grasp on grammar. Most of the students I have continue to have grammar lessons with a English-speaking Russian native. Does this hurt my feelings? Not at all! I hate trying to explain high-level grammar, and it is so much easier for students to learn in their first language. Think about a time you learned another language (my assumption for the Americans, Spanish). A teacher can show you a picture of an apple, and say the word apple in Spanish, and you get it. But when it comes to explaining the difference between "I have had an apple" and "I had had an apple", using the first language is a major help.

Pronunciation

You know that reallly thick Russian accent we hear on movies? Yeah, they don't really talk like that. The Russian accent is much lighter, and easier to understand. Their pronunciation is usually correct, though the do make some mistakes. The most difficult sounds for them to make are those where several consonants are together- "ing" never sounds quite right. Particularly words ending in "ths" or "thes". The best example? Clothes- they also say "cloth-es". 

Weaknesses

So from what I wrote, you probably think that Russians speak perfect English, yes? Niet. The Russian's downfall comes from their bad habits. Learning English from a Russian teacher, at a young age (like most of them do), creates many bad habits. The first and foremost being the issues with articles. There are no articles in Russian, which leads to a big problem with them always forgetting to use them. Also, Russian writing uses a lot of commas, so reading something my students have written means making a lot more pauses than needed. Prepositions cause a lot of confusion (and the differences between US and British English don't help- at the weekend? on the weekend?).

There are many Russian words that are the same in English, and even more that are almost completely the same. The problem comes when the students assume the ones that are close, but not exact, are the same. The best example for this is the world "celsius". The Russian word is "Celsium", so that is what they all say when speaking in English.

Oh, and something else..

All those stereotypes in your head about Russians? Mostly false. 

They don't keep bears as pets. Most have never seen a bear outside of a zoo.

They don't have vodka coming out of their faucets. For most it is only on special occasions (birthdays), and many don't drink it at all. It is drank by the poor people, and is seen as something that destroys your life. And they think it tastes yucky.

They don't wear fur hats with flaps on the ears (usually).

The mob doesn't control everyone. Yes, the country is quite corrupt, but hey, probably no more than your country :-)

They don't hate us- they are too busy making sure their recently rebuilt country survives, to worry about what those silly Americans are doing.  And they love iPhones. 

Part 1: http://gingerinuk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/international-english-students-china.html

International English Students- China

Thus far, I have had the opportunity to teach English as a Second Language to students from China, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and countries formally a part of the USSR. It has been very interesting learning all the things these have in common, and the many ways they are different.

Each group of students varies in many categories, including:

-Motivation
-Style of learning

-Vocabulary
-Grammar
-Pronunciation

China

In China, I taught ages 2 years to adult. I taught students and managers, teachers and scientists. The adults were either learning to help further their career, or so that they could move abroad. Since they were paying quite a bit for their lessons, usually the adults were attentive and involved. The children were there because their parents wanted them to be (to eventually further their career, or help them move abroad). I recall one mother brining in her 3-year-old for a lesson, saying the girl needed to learn because she was going to go to Harvard one day.


Chinese students are used to a very strict style of learning- Teacher lectures, students write. Thus, for students, our lessons had to be fun and interesting- more of a focus on entertainment, than English usually. We had to be more exciting than anything else, so that we could attempt to foster a desire in the children to learn. Sometimes we were successful, other times, not so much.

If you walked past any lesson at an EF school, you might be a little confused about what was going on. Students spinning in circles, racing over chairs, blindfolds, and water guns. Trust me, it was very easy to get wrapped up in a game and forget about the learning thing that was supposed to be going on. I cannot honestly tell you how much a 2-year-old was really learning in my class, but I do know for sure that they were more likely to want to keep learning than they would have been if they learned in their traditional way.

Vocabulary was the main thing we taught to children, while for adults it was grammar. Learning English grammar is difficult for Chinese people, because their grammar is much more simplified. No "I am, you are, He is.."- the verb is said in 1 way, always. The best thing for them was to have the grammar structure written on the board, so they could be sure they were saying it the right way, all the time.

The students (of all ages) pick up vocabulary easily, but being able to pronounce it is much more of an issue. Here's the thing- most Chinese words end with a vowel. Thus, when there is a consonant on the end of a word, they have difficulties trying to pronounce it. So to make sure they do, we would over emphasize the consonant. This is necessary, but also a bad thing to teach.  I say "doG', they respond with "dogah", "caT" becomes "catuh". The older students learn the difference after incessant repeating, but with the young students it's almost pointless to even try to get them to fix what they are saying.

If you have had any experience with Chinese students, leave a comment below! Did you notice similar things, or different?

Happy World Teacher's Day!

I hope everyone takes a moment today to think back on those educators that shaped their lives, minds, and hearts. I know everyone, me included, has had some teachers in their lives that they didn't like, or didn't agree with. Think about it, though.. You would not be the person you are today without all of the teachers you have had in your life- each one shaped us, whether only a little bit, or a lot. To take one teacher out would be like having a puzzle with one piece missing.

Education is the most important thing in this world. Today's children are tomorrow's leaders. Doctors, lawyers, politicians.. Each of these were once a student, and had it not been for some teacher taking an extra little bit of time to push them, they wouldn't be where they are today.

Please, as you go about your day today, think back on the teachers you have had in the past, and possibly will in the future, and send up a little Thank You to the universe for providing you with them and the opportunity to become more in your life.

Technology and Education

Do you remember the technology you had in your classroom as a child? The teacher rolling in the TV and VCR on very special days? Listening to a cassette tape read-along to a story? Laser disk players (precursor to the modern day DVD player, it seems)?

I loved when these things were used in class, because they were a welcome break from the norm. Obviously, technology today is much more advanced than before, and it is also developing into being the norm. Think about it- when is the last time you had a day with no cell phone? No computer? No technology at all? I know for me, the last time was when I was living in China, and our electricity had this nasty habit of going out randomly.

In University, my specialization for my Masters was the use of technology in Education. I am a firm believer that technology in the classroom is helpful and interesting for students, and also necessary to better educate our students for the modern and future world.

Now, don't automatically assume that I am against traditional methods of learning. I grew up reading books constantly, as will my (future) children. Children need to experience creativity and imagination, which can occur just as easily on an iPad as it can with a plain cardboard box.

I do think, though, that the future of education is intertwined with the ever-growing and evolving gadgets and gizmos that are coming into the world. Rather than looking at an iPod, and thinking that it is only something for use in a child's free time, we can harness it's amazing power to enrapture students, and use it to our benefit.

Technology in the Classroom

Here are some ideas for using different pieces of technology for learning. (For Teachers)

Digital Camera

- Picture Alphabet- A for apple (take a picture of an apple)
- Capture memories from a field trip
- Find examples of things discussed in science (rocks, clouds, track growth of something)
- Take pictures of students, photoshop their faces onto pictures of doing different careers
- Have students take random pictures, then give to another student to write about

Email

- Send documents to parents
- Have students scan and email their stories and essays to family and friends.
- Write pen pal letters- much faster responses than snail mail!
- Ask questions of famous people (first, email said famous person to see if they will respond)
-Easily provide each student with a copy of pictures from a field trip

iPod/iPad

- Listen to audio books
- Play on learning applications
- Do a gap fill exercise with song lyrics, can be used to discuss grammar, vocabulary, or author's (singers) intent
- Read books (Project Gutenberg)
- Voice Recorder- record student reading out loud

Computer

- Scan pages of a student's story, then add music and pictures in powerpoint.

- Learn on websites (multiplication.com)

- WebQuest (follow a set of instructions to find information)

- Compare research findings (have all students research one thing, then look at everyone;s results. This teaches about how the info on the internet isn't always correct)

- Typing games! Some say it is more important to learn to type, than it is to write...

Movies

- Create short videos, upload to Youtube

- BrainPop (short videos about different subjects)- Check, your county may have a subscription!

- Let students borrow movies from your classroom movie library. These may be videos that have nothing to do with school. Students take the movie home, but also have to complete some sort of exercise to go with it. (This is something I cannot wait to do!!)

Learning Online

Switching from traditional classroom learning to online learning. (For Parents)

My first interaction with online learning was in grad school, when we all had mini-internships with Florida Virtual School, which is an online school that caters to all of Florida. The style of the class depended on the subject. Some  courses were constructed like normal lessons, with daily or weekly class times, constructed via video calling. Others, had students reading and finishing activities at their own paces, and the teacher giving feedback when she received things. 

Out of the two styles, the first is definitely better for the majority of students. It simulates the normal classroom environment, and the students know what they need to do, and when they need to do it. They have regular contact with the teacher.

The second really can only be used on self-motivated students. I had courses like this in college, and they were difficult enough for a young adult. Imagine telling a student they have 10 assignments they need to complete, but not having daily contact with them to push for the completion of them. Since these students did not have to meet with their teacher at a pre-scheduled time, apparently, the times when they did connect with the teachers were varied and awkward. My mentor teacher told me all about her experiences with students calling her at 1am on Christmas morning- no thank you! This method does work for some, but this is an example of a parent really needing to be involved with the students learning.

As an online teacher, I definitely see the benefits of it. Students have an opportunity to learn, possibly one they would never had previously had. Students feel more comfortable in their learning, and feel more in control of it all. I will be the first person to admit, though, that it is not for every student. If your student is easily distracted, especially by the internet, being online for awhile, learning and not being able to switch over a fun website will be very difficult for them. Before switching your child's learning from classroom based to online, give them a little test. Ask them to research something for 30 minutes, and see how they do. Do they copy and paste Wikipedia? Do they switch from a search site to Myspace when they think you do not notice? Or do they manage to research the whole time?

Remember, online learning is fun for students, but that interest can die out quickly, since they do not have the motivation of other students and a teacher. If you are having your child learn online for all his/her lessons, then you, as a the parent needs to be very involved in the learning. 

"One day robots will take all of our jobs"

 For teaching, I don't think this is true. Sure, students learn a lot if they Google something or read a textbook. But they cannot learn everything, and texts and videos only explain things so much. I have tried to explain things to students 10 different ways, and they didn't get it. Then, explanation #11 made everything clear to them. A robot or book cannot do that!

Teachers and Parents, remember this- just because you provide a student with information, doesn't mean they understand. If they don't, they are not going to learn things that come after, either because they are so frustrated about not understanding that they cannot focus, or whatever they are doing second actually requires understanding of the first thing. It is worth it to spend extra time explaining (no matter how much it frustrates us).

What sets us apart from robots is our ability to care, and that's what it comes down to with learning. Students learn from us, because we care about them, and them about us. Add technology into a child's learning, but even for all it's attractiveness, do not think it replaces your caring.


What are your thoughts/experiences with technology in education?

Motivating Learning in Children

I believe that, to grow up to be a well-rounded adult, one must have a well-rounded childhood. This means spending equal amounts of time immersed in books, playing outside, and using technology. Equal time working hard, and hardly working.

Let me give you a little example. My first internship was in a 4th grade classroom in a school with 97% free or reduced lunch- i.e., extremely low socioeconomic class students. The teacher I was working with had been teaching for 40+ years, and made a comment to a student as to the effect of "You need to learn to work hard now, or you will never make it to college".

Instead of inspiring the hard work she hoped it would, the students responded with a defiant "I'm not going to college, it's too hard". My reply? "College is soooo much fun, you want to go!". The student, and others listening around, were very surprised. No one had ever told them they should and would want to go to college, only that they needed to.

We all need to remember what it feels like to be a child- we only want to do things that interest us. It isn't until later in life that we realize we needed our education to become the people we are today. Have you ever thought, that if you had enjoyed 1st grade a little more, that maybe you have succeeded more than you have thus far in life? Now, I'm not saying that doing better with the multiplication tables means becoming a CEO by the age of 30, but what I mean is that, if one likes learning and wants to learn when they are younger, that is going to have an effect on the rest of their educational life.

So how do we motivate children to learn? Every child is different, and ways of motivation should vary from student to student, just as from subject to subject. Remember, what works with one may or may not work with another.

Here are six tips for motivating children I have learned in my teaching experience. They are all basic, but using them can provide big returns.

1. Show your interest

The more you are interested in what you are teaching, the more the children will be interested. Children think of teachers as surrogate parents. We have a huge influence on the way they act and think- use that to your advantage! If you want them to do some work, do it with them. Write essays with them, read stories with them.

2. Provide extra opportunities

If the students seem to really enjoy learning about something, go with it! Offer them more information about the subject, more exercises to do. Remember, there are subjects that you learned in your school days that had minimal effect on your current career. Yes, students need to learn the basics of all subjects, but having their education skewed slightly in the direction of something that really interests them is not a terrible thing.

3. More than the books

As a teacher, I know how easy it easy to just stick with the provided materials you have. That isn't a bad thing, just can be a boring thing for the students. Take a chance, try to use your own things. Worse comes to worse, you always have the book to fall back on. I promise you, if you Google "....lesson plan" you will find some amazing lessons and classroom ideas!

4. Do what they want

I taught a 3rd grade classrooms which had weekly spelling test. Towards the end of the year, we had no more spelling tests provided for us. So, I had the students make their own. Some students made easy lists with types of foods, and types of animals, sure. But I also had students making lists of military words ("Teacher, how do you spell 'bombardier'?") and the periodic table of elements- and they learned them! Children, by their nature, want to learn. Maybe not what the government wants them to learn, but they do want it. Give them the power to decide what they are learning, and you will be amazed at the results.

5. Add a little fun

I taught English in China, which was an very interesting experience. See, Chinese children go to school for upwards of 10 hours a day, and have their entire future balancing on how they do in school. Needless to say, they hate school. We had to make the classes as interesting as possible, so that they would want to learn. Learning does not only happen while sitting at desks, writing and reading. Make a lesson into a game.  Working on sight words? Stick the words around the room, and call out the words. Have the students run to the correct word. Trust me, they will learn the words, and love you.

6. Add a little technology

Technology is everywhere today. Don't try and fight it, because you won't win. Embrace it, and use it in your class. Are the students writing their own stories? When they are finished, scan them, and let the students use a *class email account* to email them to their parents. The parents will love the idea, and the students will love the attention their stories get.


How else have you motivated your students to learn? Comment below!