Category Archives: Blethering

Learning is connecting

Posted on 20/04/2017 by fabenglishteacher

Photo via Foter.com Eureka! Ever since I started teaching I’d been secretly hoping to find the holy grail – the answer to the most important question ever, and no, not 42! I always felt that if I could discover what … Continue reading →

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“The less you do, the less mistakes you can make” – In Praise of Mistakes & Errors: more thoughts from #IATEFL2017

Posted on 12/04/2017 by fabenglishteacher

This is just a short post rant to share with you something Andrew Wright said during his workshop at the IP & SEN SIG Pre-conference day at IATEFL 2017 in Glasgow. Andrew talked about a boy who having only written a … Continue reading →

Posted in Blethering, Conferences | 1 Comment

Powerful (and fun) learning

Posted on 20/03/2017 by fabenglishteacher

  End of term exams and revision are upon us again and it’s a challenge to find new, interesting ways to  help the students revise. This time I gave each student a particular grammar point or topic to prepare in … Continue reading →

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What I learnt from reading Marie Delaney’s “Special Educational Needs”

Posted on 11/01/2017 by fabenglishteacher

An unexpected day off work was recently the perfect opportunity to make a dint in my reading pile and so I polished off Marie Delaney’s Special Educational Needs. A great, well –organised book for any teacher who has students with … Continue reading →

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What I’ve learnt from my teachers

Posted on 08/01/2017 by fabenglishteacher

The wonderful @stephanootis has recently posted on “Would I like to be taught by me?” – a very interesting question. She goes on to mention what she’s learnt from her Pilates teacher, so here’s what I’ve learnt from teachers who … Continue reading →

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Books to get your teaching mojo back

Posted on 31/12/2016 by fabenglishteacher

Don’t be put off by the picture, that’s just to grab your attention. Actually most of the books I would recommend for a bit of holiday reading are on my kindle of course. I say of course because recently I … Continue reading →

Posted in Blethering, Fab ideas, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

A reflection on the first month back

Posted on 02/10/2016 by fabenglishteacher

So, we’ve been back to school for a month now, and I finally have time to sit down and think about it. Here, in no particular order are a ramble of those thoughts. OMG It’s so hard and tiring!! I … Continue reading →

Posted in Blethering, survival tips | 3 Comments

Stop sexism in ELT coursebooks!

Posted on 26/05/2016 by fabenglishteacher

Look at the picture below and write the profession for each person: How do you know the profession of the person in the bottom left box? – Because she’s a woman of course. All the others are men, we couldn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Blethering | 2 Comments

Collaborative Revision

Posted on 28/04/2016 by fabenglishteacher

Sometimes before a test there’s nothing to do but get through a pile of practice exercises. This is never particularly motivating, and that’s even more the case when it is grammar, especially the present perfect. However… …there’s something quite powerful … Continue reading →

Posted in Blethering, teaching journal | 2 Comments

Some Ideas on differentiating homework

Posted on 20/04/2016 by fabenglishteacher

It’s hard enough to get homework right at the best of times. It’s the end of the lesson, school policies (and parents!) call out for it, kids loathe it and you end up wasting half your next lesson working out … Continue reading →

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