Teacher B said to teacher A, “The following things are important for the learner of English: serenity, peace, studying and practicing peacefully (if possible).  The point here is to be able to dream and think of the project of reaching far in the learning of English and holding communication with people all the world around. For those things ...

Teacher A said to teacher B, “I know a student that invests a lot of hours studying, but his grades [marks] are low, fail.  I guess he doesn’t know how to study, he doesn’t know how to develop his job now, which is being a student.  He has the school subject of science in English. A basic method to study is: first, a general reading of the ...

Teacher B said to teacher A, “One key point to learn/acquire a foreign language, like English, is just to invest effort, to study, to practice, to fight, to strive, to struggle, to rise if I fell.  For example, the list of irregular verbs. Every generation has had to study it by heart. Practice and use help a lot here. If you use an irregular ...

Teacher A said to teacher B, “So that teacher, the girl I was telling about, says that rules and mandatory things in the school are ok, but they need an explanation why.  The students should know the why of discipline and norms.  She also says that both the teachers and the students, and their parents alike, have to learn, in the daily work and ...

Teacher B said to teacher A, “We teachers need have fortitude to help and talk with a student whenever he needs some correction, but ALSO we can offer advice, suggestions to open up a broader perspective about really mastering English, or any other modern language.” / Photo from: rogersfoundation org.    

Teacher B said to teacher A, “Teaching as service. This is an interesting perception of teaching.  In English language teachers’ case they don’t just teach English. You don’t just teach and present a lesson and go home.  These teachers help their students learn or acquire English, in their unique ways: each student has his own particular ...

Teacher B said to teacher A, “Anxiety is something we should take into account as teachers.  Now I’m referring to kids’ tests. Some sane tension is good in life to survive, or some people can feel anxious when they’ve got to take a flight.  In our case - school - some sane anxiety can be good to improve the way students face their tests. It ...

Sometimes a student is going bad because either (or both) he doesn’t understand the textbook or he doesn’t like/wish learning. Or one could be the consequence of the other.  So, the teacher’s mission is helping the student wish to learn, but alas! with an amicable respect for his freedom. As soon as he wishes, he’ll run forward. / Photo from: ...

Teacher A said to teacher B, “Lucas got a Pass in the last test.  He looked not much satisfied, but he told me he used to fail so far.  Now he’s being more optimistic and positive: he has improved, and thinks he can go on improving the mastering of English.  All this is positive motivation and optimism: to see the good side of things. This ...

Julio Gallego Codes is an expert in studying, learning and motivation.  In one of his books he says that parents, or the father for instance, should talk to the kids, one by one, about their studying.  And this within an atmosphere of confidence, trusting, gently asking about today in the school. This makes an atmosphere of working well, of a ...