Can we motivate our learners or should they motivate themselves?
We all have learners that come to class but just don’t seem to be that motivated to be there. Don’t worry, it’s got most of the time nothing to do with you. In general, making learners stay focused and motivated is one of the biggest challenges (Healey, 2021). According to Scheidecker and Freeman (cited in […]
Problems-solving for future-proofing
Problem-solving is essential in our ever-changing world. In this interactive session, Anna explored what competences learners need to successfully solve problems and introduced how ‘Get Involved’ uses project-based learning to engage learners and integrate these key competences into English lessons. Watch the webinar here.
Focusing on Engagement
I’m obsessed with the brain. How it works and maybe even more so by how it doesn’t work. Whilst brain research has made headway in the past 15-20 years, there is still a lot we do not know about the brain. However, one thing we can say for sure is that our students’ brain certainly […]
Every cloud has a silver lining: professional learning from teacher educators
If COVID-19 has a silver lining, it undoubtedly is the learning opportunities the shift online has provided. Even though there have been challenges, most ELT teachers and teacher educators have developed digital knowledge and skills, pedagogic beliefs and confidence with technology which would not necessarily have happened without the forced transition online. This blog post below, […]
How to choose from a PD smorgasbord?
As a practicing teacher and teacher training, I very much believe that our learning should never stop. English language teachers have continued to develop their own practice, formally but mostly informally for generations (Richardson & Maggioli, 2018). And the recent shift online has reinforced the importance of this: the pandemic became a huge learning opportunity, […]
Reflecting in times of COVID-19: keep calm and keep GROW-ing
In this blog article written for CAE, I explore the benefits of reflective practice. Learn the benefits of reflecting, to promote a self-improving culture of learning and increase your ability to adapt during these unpredictable times.
Young Learners and grammar: how can we make it work?
Telling your young learners that they are going to learn all about the ‘past simple’ this morning, will be met with absent-minded stares and is unlikely to fill them with excitement. However, most schools and parents do expect young learners’ teachers to enable learners to get their ‘head around’ grammar rules. In this webinar, we […]
Testing and Assessment
In this blog and podcast, the Pearson English panel and Anna Hasper discuss what testing and assessment really and why they are so important. We continue our chat about assessment options available and end with some tips about teaching exam classes.
Professionalising global TEYL practices – Focus on global skills
Although some teachers might wonder if global skills have a place in teaching English to young learners (TEYL), I am a strong believer that we, as English language teachers, have an important role to play in raising learners’ awareness of the significant challenges the world is facing. Focusing on global issues in an age-accessible way and […]
Reflections as Professional Learning
Happy 2022! A new year has started offering us a chance to develop some new good habits: regular reflections! Dewey stated it clearly “we don’t learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.” Reflective practice is a powerful tool and key for development because it enables ‘continuous learning’ as Schön highlights. Teachers who want […]