|
CREATIVE WRITING |
|
English |
AS TEACHER, AS LEARNER |
15 |
||
March 2013 |
|||
1. Multiple Intelligences
This task is based on the theory of Multiple Intelligences developed by Dr Howard Gardner. He claims that there are 8 kinds of intelligence, not one. If we ask our students to choose the most intelligent person on the list – Albert Einstein, David Beckham, Pablo Picasso, Margaret Thatcher – it will be impossible, because they all achieved impressive results in their respective fields. People are smart in different ways, and this has a direct bearing on the process of learning.
The types of intelligence singled out by Dr Gardner are as follows:
•linguistic;
•spatial/visual;
•bodily-kinesthetic;
•interpersonal;
•intrapersonal;
•logical-mathematical;
•musical;
•naturalist.
The teacher can define these terms and adduce some ex-
amples of outstanding writers, artists, athletes, politicians, scientists, and musicians to illustrate each type. Then students are given the task to create a project of modeling an English school for students with a particular type(s) of intelligence. When doing the task, they may be guided by the questions below:
•What is the name of the school?
•Where is it located?
•What does it look like (exterior, interior)?
•What kind of facilities does it have?
•What kind of lessons do the students have?
•What extracurricular activities are offered?
2. My Philosophy of Teaching
In the USA, candidates who apply for a teaching job have to write an essay describing their philosophy of teaching. Ask your students to write a composition expressing their views on:
•what teaching is,
•what the do’s and don’ts of this profession are,
•what qualities a teacher must have, and
•what a teacher can expect from his/her students.
3. Teach me something!
Tell your students to make a speech on the subject that they are experts in. Topics may range from cooking to fan fiction. Surely, there’s something that each one of them is particularly knowledgeable about. It’ll be a way to help group mates learn more about this subject, teach them a new bit of information, and for the speaker to put himself/herself into the teacher’s shoes. This may be an instructive speech, with a step-by-step “how to do it” guide. The task may be given a humorous twist.
For example, a student of mine gave us a lecture on the art of procrastination!
4. As Teacher, As Learner
Read and discuss Olivia McMahon’s poem (see the CD for an audio recording of the poem). Then ask your students to recall a time they had to teach someone something (a younger brother/sister, mother, friend etc.). Give them the task to compare their experience as a teacher with that of a learner. Ask them to write an essay describing how they felt in each of these capacities.
(An EFL teacher enrolls for beginning Arabic)
As teacher anxious to give them their money’s worth, Reluctant to stop once started.
The 50 minutes grow, become 55, 60. How time flies!
As learner the hour blinks slowly by, sly references to watch, Only 35 minutes gone, only 5 to go, now 4, now 3...
As teacher careless of appearance:
Hair barely combed, shoes unpolished, finger-nails short of impeccable.
What does it matter? It’s the teaching that counts. As learner the idle noticing of details,
What was she wearing the other day? A lilac dress, I think. Skirt a little tight, maybe, but, all the same,
Today she is better dressed. Yes.
As teacher keen to get through a substantial amount, So pushing on to keep boredom at bay,
Avoiding silence at all costs.
As learner the luxury of doing nothing, while teacher writes it up.
Delighting in strange sounds, in simple communicative acts “Can you come to tea tomorrow?” “No, but the day after, Inshallah.”
The pleasure of saying “Here is my passport”, “This is not my camel.”
As teacher, like a hostess, happy when all are there, But not too fussed if one or two are missing.
The others will have more of me – more chance to practise. As learner more conscious of the gulf that separates teacher from taught,
The comfort of belonging to a group.
Panic as numbers dwindle, and feeling of abandonment. The awful possibility of being the only one.
As teacher teaching a class of imaginary people who are: Confident, intelligent, industrious, serious, critical and impatient.
As learner lazy, timid, vulnerable, and rather stupid, Craving niceness, tolerance, encouragement, and entertainment.
Human at last.
Olivia McMahon
By Yulia Klimenova, MSU
Listen to an audio recording of the poem on CD.
|
English |
|
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES |
|
|
|
|
|
16 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
SCHOOL VOCABULARY TEST |
||||||||
|
March 2013 |
|||||||
1. |
Match the professions with their meanings. |
6. EBRAK ________________________________ |
||||||
1. |
teacher |
a) the teacher who is in charge of |
7. INNGERLA _____________________________ |
|||||
|
|
|
a school |
8. OWRMKHEO ___________________________ |
||||
2. |
tutor |
b) a teacher at a university or college |
9. KPCBCKAA _____________________________ |
|||||
3. |
lecturer |
c) someone who gives private lessons to |
10. STMHA _________________________________ |
|||||
11. DERGSA ______________________________ |
||||||||
|
|
|
one student or a small group |
|||||
|
|
|
12. OOSBK _______________________________ |
|||||
4. |
professor |
d) someone who teaches a sport or |
||||||
13. IWNTRGI ______________________________ |
||||||||
|
|
|
practical skill |
|||||
|
|
|
14. NSRFDEI ______________________________ |
|||||
5. |
instructor |
e) someone whose job is to teach, |
||||||
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
especially in a school |
Key: 1. PLAYGROUND; 2. SCHOOL; 3. TEACHER; 4. |
||||
6. |
coach |
f) someone who gives lectures, |
READING; 5. SEPTEMBER; 6.BREAK; 7. LEARNING; 8. |
|||||
|
|
|
especially in a university |
HOMEWORK; 9. BACKPACK; 10. MATHS; 11. GRADES; 12. |
||||
7. |
trainer |
g) someone who trains a person or team |
BOOKS; 13. WRITING; 14. FRIENDS |
|||||
|
|
|
in a sport |
5. Match the American English word with the correct Brit- |
||||
8. |
head teacher |
h) someone who trains people or animals |
||||||
|
|
|
for sport or work |
ish English word. |
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Key: 1. e; 2. c; 3. f; 4. b; 5. d; 6. g; 7. h; 8. a |
American English |
British English |
||||||
1. grade |
a) public school |
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
2. |
Match the words with their meanings. |
2. eraser |
b) timetable |
|||||
1. |
student |
a) a student in their last year of high |
3. vacation |
c) lift |
|
|||
|
|
|
school or university |
4. schedule |
d) rubber |
|||
2. |
pupil |
b) a student who is in the second year |
5. fall |
e) infant’s school |
||||
|
|
|
of study at a college or high school |
6. elevator |
f) form |
|
||
3. |
freshman |
c) a student in the first year of high |
7. private school |
g) holiday |
||||
|
|
|
school or university |
8. kindergarten |
h) autumn |
|||
4. |
sophomore |
d) someone who is studying at |
Key: 1. f; 2. d; 3. g; 4. b; 5. h; 6. c; 7. a; 8. e |
|||||
|
|
|
a university, school |
|||||
5. |
junior |
e) someone who is being taught, |
6. Write the words teacher, coach, trainer, referee, in- |
|||||
|
|
|
especially a child |
|||||
|
|
|
structor in the sentences. |
|
||||
6. |
senior |
f) a student in the year before the final |
|
|||||
1. The __________ made the athlete train for five hours. |
||||||||
|
|
|
year of high school or college |
|||||
|
|
|
2. The __________ blew his whistle to start the match. |
|||||
7. |
graduate |
g) someone who is studying at |
||||||
3. Her brother works as a racehorse __________. |
||||||||
|
|
|
a university to get a master’s degree |
|||||
|
|
|
4. One of the players was sent |
off for arguing with the |
||||
8. |
postgraduate |
h) someone who has completed |
||||||
__________. |
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
a university degree |
|
|
|||
|
|
|
5. Svetlana’s the __________ of the volleyball team. |
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Key: 1. d; 2. e; 3. c; 4. b; 5. f; 6. a; 7. h; 8. g |
6. Do you want to be a professional teacher __________? |
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
7. She worked as a fitness __________ in Australia. |
|||
3. |
Match the types of schools with the definitions. |
8. Her dream was to become a primary __________. |
||||||
1. |
nursery |
a) a school for advanced education, |
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
especially in a particular profession |
Key: 1. coach; 2. referee; 3. trainer; 4. referee; 5. coach; 6. |
||||
2. |
kindergarten |
b) a school in the US and Canada |
trainer; 7. instructor; 8. teacher |
|
||||
|
|
|
for children of 14 or 15 to 18 years old |
7. School Rules |
|
|
||
3. |
primary |
c) a school for children aged two to five |
|
|
||||
4. |
secondary |
d) a school for children who are between |
Here are some school rules. Match the halves of the sen- |
|||||
|
|
|
three and five years old |
tences to make the school rules. |
||||
|
|
|
1. You must put all rubbish... |
A) and not disturb others. |
||||
5. |
junior high |
e) a school for children between the ages |
||||||
2. You should tell a teacher... |
B) in the school canteen. |
|||||||
|
|
|
of 11 and 16 or 18 |
|||||
|
|
|
3. In the library you should |
C) when your teacher |
||||
6. |
high |
f) a school for children between five |
||||||
work quietly... |
|
is talking. |
||||||
|
|
|
and 11 years old in England |
|
||||
|
|
|
4. You may only eat... |
|
D) for each lesson. |
|||
7. |
elementary |
g) a school in the US and Canada for |
5. You must arrive before 8.30... E) mobile phones in class. |
|||||
|
|
|
children aged between 12 and 14 or 15 |
6. In the classroom you should |
F) and be punctual for |
|||
8. |
college |
h) a school in the US for the first six years |
not talk... |
|
all lessons. |
|||
|
|
|
of a child’s education |
7. You should always bring |
G) about any bullying |
|||
Key: 1. d; 2. c; 3. f; 4. e; 5. g; 6. b; 7. h; 8. a |
the things you need... |
|
straightaway. |
|||||
8. You must not run... |
|
H) in the litter bins. |
||||||
4. Unscramble School Words |
9. You must switch off... |
|
I) during school hours. |
|||||
10. You may not leave |
|
J) in the corridors or on |
||||||
1. UGNPLODARY __________________________ |
the school building... |
|
the stairs. |
|||||
2. OHLSCO _______________________________ |
|
|
|
|||||
3. RHEETAC ______________________________ |
Key: 1. H; 2. G; 3. A; 4. B; 5. F; 6. C; 7. D; 8. J; 9. E; 10. I |
|||||||
4. DNERGAI _______________________________ |
|
|
|
|||||
5. EERSBETMP ____________________________ |
|
Compiled by Tatyana Makhrina |
||||||