How To Celebrate Diversity In The Classroom

  The dynamics of classroom interaction is often dictated by the arrangement of the classroom itself and the way in which the classroom is arranged could depend upon a number of factors and they might include things such as the age of the students, so for example we're unlikely to have the same arrangement for adult learners as we would have for young learners. It could also depend upon the actual physical space available. The physical space may determine how we have to arrange our classroom to maximize the opportunity for interaction and so forth. It will also depend on what material is available and by material in this case we're talking about the actual desks and chairs and so on and so forth. Perhaps the final thing we might put here is that it could also depend upon the...  [Read more]

A classroom created online via a learning platform such a Google Meet or Zoom. The class is conducted as a live video call. An explosion of virtual learning has been forced on the world due to recent events. The consequences of this have yet to be analysed. It is clear that virtual classrooms are currently not the same as face to face arrangements.  [Read more]

  Using games in your lessons is a great way to liven up the class and get students excited and interested in using English in the classroom. Not only do they provide a welcome break from the usual activities, they also help to create a relaxed environment where even the most reluctant student can be persuaded to take part. There are many games that can be used in the TEFL classroom, from simple games that only require a pen and a whiteboard to more elaborate board games. There are some games that have been specifically designed to be used in English language classes, while other, everyday games that we usually play for fun can also be adapted to be used with your students. You can even create your own games! Are you ready to live and teach abroad? Click here and get started...  [Read more]

Songs in the Classroom The use of songs in the ESL classroom can be a fun and innovative way of covering a range of English language topics. Songs can be used for vocabulary, grammar, dictation, pronunciation (stress and intonation), phonetics, speaking, writing, listening, integrative skills, and many other ESL points. Furthermore, songs can invite the non-native speaker into the English speaking culture. For instance, pop music gives the learner a taste of what is trendy at the moment. Meanwhile, the lyrics to classic rock songs can give a sense of history and the attitude of the country at the time of recording (for example, “Give Peace a Chance,” John Lennon, 1969). Additionally, children’s songs are crucially important for the young learner as they are an easy way to encourage...  [Read more]

Multiculturalism In The Classroom In light of the increasing number of diverse people groups moving to the United States the complexion and complexity of our society is changing. Approximately 32 million people speak a language other than English at home (Nieto, 2000). The impact of this growing cultural and linguistic diversity is nowhere more visible than in our schools. More than 3 million or 7.4% of students in all public and private schools are limited in their English proficiency (Macias, 1998) and is a reality not just in the urban schools, but suburban and rural as well are experiencing this tremendous diversity. Based on the philosophy of Paulo Freire (1998) “to study is not to consume ideas, but to create and recreate them” (p.4). Educators and leaders of our society must...  [Read more]

Games in the Classroom Teachers and researchers have moved away from the separation of linguistic skills as the best and only way to instruct students learning other languages. Today, more emphasis is being placed on purposeful games in the classroom which create a more carefree and fun environment for its learners. This method, when carefully chosen, produces confidence, creates competition and teammanship, and promotes a desire to win the prize...which is fluency of a 'once' strange language. In the end, everyone wins, since the goal is fluency of a foreign language with a teacher who becomes the hero, because she makes her lessons meaningful and entertaining at the same time. Games can be wonderful communicative device in the classroom setting and should be a central part of educating...  [Read more]

Classroom Management The meaning of classroom management is the skill of organizing and managing a class whilst maintaining a friendly relaxed manner and maintaining discipline. I am going to begin by sharing my experiences of being on the receiving end of classroom management and stating what I found effective and what I didn't find effective. I think as a teacher you have to adapt to the level and age of the students you are teaching. When I was in first school I was treated very differently to when I was in high school. During middle school and high school especially, we could analyze and estimate what our limits would be with certain teachers. I found that the teachers who maintained discipline from the beginning had a lot more control over a class as opposed to a teacher who didn't....  [Read more]

Discipline in the Classroom Eight out of ten TESOL teachers who do not return after their first year of teaching drop out because they are unable to control their problem in the classroom. According to the researches, that have done recently, discipline ranked as the number one problem in the schools. What is discipline? According to the Webster’s dictionary discipline is the “training that corrects, molds, or perfect the mental faculties or moral character.” How can a teacher maintain discipline in a classroom? There will be many ideas to maintain discipline in the classroom. For sure those suggestions will be helpful, but first of all, teacher should know the main reasons for students’ misbehavior. The students have not learned the behaviors that are expected of them Good...  [Read more]

New Technology in the Classroom Just 20 years ago, cell phones, internet, laptops and digital cameras, to list a few, were restricted to scientists and the science fiction world. Today, these technologies have gained public acceptance and it is almost impossible to imagine our lives without them! It is clear that, in today’s Digital Era, students must learn how to use technology to live, learn and work successfully. As teachers, we hear the call to provide our students with the skills and access to technology they require as citizens of the information and communication age we live in. As a consequence, we have ended up adding one more duty to our list: “The development and use of new educational technologies in our classrooms.” We are constantly exploring ways of incorporating...  [Read more]

Cultural Sensitivity in the Classroom The topic we have decided to address is cultural sensitivity in the classroom. Living in Toronto is extremely different from living anywhere else on this earth. One reason why, is the cultural diversity of Toronto. Even in today’s workforce there is a massive amount of cultural diversity that is why having cultural sensitivity in today’s classrooms should be a huge asset. Canada is a country that is now relying on immigrants coming to our country to help run the economy. It is an extremely good thing that people from different cultures are trained to speak English before they come to Canada or having them take an English learning course once they arrive in the country. By doing this, they are given an equal opportunity in Canada. Luckily we were...  [Read more]

  This presentation is going to focus on the use of course books, materials and teaching aids. There are many materials that we can bring to our classroom that will help with the teaching of our lessons and these include, though they're not limited to, things such as the wipe board, similar to the one that we're using here, various types of visual aids, created or bought worksheets, the use of cassettes CDs and DVDs and the use of video and in these classroom materials, we can also include things such as dictionaries and course books, various types of resource books that we'll have a look at and other materials such as photo copiers, computers, OHPs. So what we'd like to do is just to take a general look at some of the issues relating to each of these types of materials. Below you...  [Read more]

  Throughout section on the teaching of productive skills and the teaching of receptive skills our activate activities will usually involve some form of game and our final consideration here will be the use of games in the classroom. We can start with a definition of what we actually mean by a game and it basically has three components. A game is an activity that has rules it should have for its purpose in the classroom a teaching point and by nature to the fact that it's a game it should also include an element of fun. So that will be our working definition for a game that we're going to use in the classroom. There are many different types of games and they range between the competitive and those will require cooperation and there are all sorts of games that involve both of these...  [Read more]

Seating Arrangements in the Classroom Choosing a seating arrangement for a classroom is one of the most important decisions a teacher can make. The proper plan can facilitate the learning process, while a poor choice can all but render a lesson a failure. Nicole Cusik wrote a research paper about the implications of classroom arrangement for her Instructional Strategies and Reflections class at the University of Delaware. This paper can be found at. Her main point states that a teacher needs “to be sensitive to the learning objective of the lesson, as well as the interpersonal dynamic that exists among the students in the group.” There are several options when it comes to arranging a class, including rows, circles, clusters, activity zones, and pairs. Each can work well in some...  [Read more]

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  When choosing a TEFL certification course one of the first decisions you need to make is whether to complete it online as a distance learning course or in-class by attending a training center. Both have their pros and cons so it is down to the individual to decide which best suits their own personal situation. So what are the main differences to consider between an online TEFL course and an in-class TEFL course? Probably the most significant difference is the inclusion of Observed Teaching Practice (OTP) in classroom based courses. Throughout the four-week course you will spend many hours practicing your teaching skills in a real classroom with genuine English language learners. These practice lessons are observed by an experienced course trainer who will provide instant...  [Read more]

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{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ [ ] ] } Maintaining discipline in the ESL classroom is crucial for effective teaching and learning. Drawing from common experiences in school, it is evident that discipline is often rooted in the student-teacher relationship. Here are key strategies to ensure discipline: By incorporating these strategies, teachers can create a disciplined and conducive learning environment in the ESL classroom. Discipline is not just about managing behavior but also about creating an atmosphere where students feel valued, engaged, and motivated to learn. A further consideration here in terms of discipline is how you respond to problem behavior. Your responses to any bad behavior will have great bearing as...  [Read more]

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