TeacherEr

6 Lessons From Failure - Embrace your mistakes

2009-10-21T20:42:00.004+08:00

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Today at 6:36pm
It wasn't a mistake - it was a lesson! Learn it well.

Lesson 1: Acceptance. When things don't go your way, it's natural to feel sad and angry - but it's also important to realize that if you let your emotions taint your behavior, you'll likely strain your relationships with others. In the long run, this will only make matters worse, and increase your stress level. So accept the realities around you, and deal with the facts "on the ground." Only then will you be able to figure out what factors you do have the power to influence.

Lesson 2: Remember to laugh. Maintaining a sense of humor in the face of a "failure" will prevent adversity from damaging your self-esteem too deeply. All of our experiences contribute to the richness of our life stories - every single one of them. Being able to laugh - especially at your own imperfections - demonstrates wisdom and maturity. This isn't a license to be cavalier about the situation, but it will keep you from taking yourself so seriously that you ignore the take-home lessons.

Lesson 3: Get perspective. Most of us place great importance on material wealth, but having an abundance of "stuff" has never truly made anyone feel loved, fulfilled or happy. In fact, wealthy people are often at much higher risk of clinical depression! Unemployment sometimes prompts people to seek out volunteer opportunities, and in those circumstances many confess that working with people who are sick, abused or living far below the poverty line has shifted their values in a truly positive way. Likewise, layoffs sometimes inspire people to pursue entirely new career paths - regardless of the earning potential - simply to follow their dreams. Maybe it's time to reevaluate your life's purpose: if your hours at work have been cut back, for instance, this could be a moment to cherish that extra time you have with friends and loved ones - and discover what really makes you happy. Perhaps it's the moment to blaze a new trail in your personal or professional life. Do something new that will help you gain a fresh perspective. Destiny doesn't always conform to our schedule. As you set your goals, remind yourself that accomplishing what you set out to do may take longer than you'd prefer - and that's okay.

How To Learn English!

2009-10-12T18:34:00.000+08:00

Here are some tips which may help you to master the English Language!

Speak without Fear

The biggest problem most people face in learning a new language is their own fear. They worry that they won’t say things correctly or that they will look stupid so they don’t talk at all. Don’t do this. The fastest way to learn anything is to do it – again and again until you get it right. Like anything, learning English requires practice. Don’t let a little fear stop you from getting what you want.

Surround Yourself with English

The absolute best way to learn English is to surround yourself with it. Take notes in English, put English books around your room, listen to English language radio broadcasts, watch English news, movies and television. Speak English with your friends whenever you can. The more English material that you have around you, the faster you will learn and the more likely it is that you will begin “thinking in English.” .

Watch English Films and Television

This is not only a fun way to learn but it is also very effective. By watching English films (especially those with English subtitles) you can expand your vocabulary and hear the flow of speech from the actors. If you listen to the news you can also hear different accents.

Listen to English Music

Music can be a very effective method of learning English. In fact, it is often used as a way of improving comprehension. The best way to learn though, is to get the lyrics (words) to the songs you are listening to and try to read them as the artist sings. There are several good internet sites where one can find the words for most songs. This way you can practice your listening and reading at the same time. And if you like to sing, fine.

Study As Often As Possible!

Only by studying things like grammar and vocabulary and doing exercises, can you really improve your knowledge of any language.

Do Exercises and Take Tests

Many people think that exercises and tests aren't much fun. However, by completing exercises and taking tests you can really improve your English. One of the best reasons for doing lots of exercises and tests is that they give you a benchmark to compare your future results with. Often, it is by comparing your score on a test you took yesterday with one you took a month or six months ago that you realize just how much you have learned. If you never test yourself, you will never know how much you are progressing. Start now by doing some of the many exercises and tests on this site, and return in a few days to see what you've learned. Keep doing this and you really will make some progress with English.

Finally

Have fun!

How to Be an Excellent Teacher

2009-10-03T19:16:00.000+08:00

Teaching is the most wonderful, exciting and rewarding job in the world, but it takes time, skill and dedication to do it right. Here are a few basics designed to guide new entrants to the profession...

ons carefully. Start with what you want them to learn, not what you want them to do. Lessons should always have a central learning objective, and any activities you plan should be focused on achieving this aim. So start with, "I want the children to learn that..." and then decide what they will do.
Plan for a variety of learning styles. One simple way to think about this is VAK. You can (very crudely) divide learning styles into three parts: Visual learners who learn by seeing, auditory learners who learn by listening, and kinesthetic learners who make associations by doing something. Have something for everyone in your lesson.
Create a sense of order. Decide upon classroom routines and stick to them. Do you want children to line up outside or come straight in to your classroom? Where should their bags and coats go? Do you want them to stand behind their chairs before they leave? Once you have established the routine, stick to it! Children appreciate this more than you think - especially children with special needs. Autistic spectrum disorder children, the visually impaired, those with behavioral difficulties, will all do better if they know what they are supposed to do.
Use a starter task. Get pupils used to the idea that there will be a 5 minute task for them to do straight away when they come in to your classroom. Make it fun and stimulating, with a time limit to not let it drag on.
Share your learning objectives with your pupils. They must be very clear about what you want them to learn. Write the learning objective on the board in child friendly language. Refer to it throughout the lesson and return to it at the end. Learning objectives should be framed in language like: "Our Learning objective is to... discover how, explore, learn, revise, reflect on, think about, discuss, develop..."
Give clear success criteria for tasks. Children want to know exactly what you want them to do, and how they will be assessed! Ideally the success criteria should rise from the learning objectives in the lessons building up to the task - that way there are no surprises. The children should actually be able to work out what the success criteria are! Sometimes it is appropriate to let students nominate their own success criteria.
Use a variety of assessment methods - teacher assessment is great, but don't neglect peer and self assessment.
Give the lesson pace - motivate pupils and move them on. Put time limits on activities and watch for the "fidget factor". If your pupils are bored, change the activity type. Switch between learning styles to keep everyone on their toes! Remember that kids like to be challenged - they don't want to be patronized with easy stuff - give them something to get their teeth into.
Praise, praise, praise! Tell the children what they are doing right - praise them for it and try your best to minimize the attention you give to unwanted behaviour. Kids like to know when they are doing what you want.
Ask pupils what they have learned at the end, and listen to them.

Wonderful Salt

2009-10-01T10:47:00.000+08:00

Life without salt would be more than bland
Salt either comes from evaporating or is mined
Most salt fields (spots of very salty water) are near ocean.Nearby salt fields include those in kampot,Cambodia and Nha Trang,Vietnam