Keep Calm and Teach English

In the EFL classroom, sparking curiosity and encouraging students to think critically can be challenging. One technique that is gaining popularity for its ability to promote deeper thinking and engagement is “See, Think, Wonder.” This thinking routine, developed by Project Zero at Harvard University, is a simple yet powerful way to help students observe, reflect, and question the world around them.  What is "See, Think, Wonder"? "See, Think, Wonder" is a thinking routine designed to help learners make careful observations and think more deeply about what they see. It’s broken down into three steps: See:  Students describe what they see in a specific image, object, or scene without making assumptions or drawing conclusions. This step is all about observation and noticing details. Think:  Students share what they think about what they have observed. Here, they start making interpretations and forming ideas based on what they see. Wonder:  Students ask questions about...

The new curricula emphasize the need for students to acquire essential knowledge and skills, as well as to develop the necessary attitudes for the correct use of digital technologies for their personal and social growth. This requires educators who feel confident in their own digital skills. Visit our lesson in eclass  to explore a variety of digital tools and choose those that can be integrated into your daily practice in order to create an effective learning environment in your classroom. The material is the result of training received by members of the Imathia Teachers of English Association (Επιστημονική Ένωση Καθηγητών Αγγλικής Ημαθίας ΕΕΚΑΗ) as part of an approved Erasmus+ 2022-2023 project with reference code 2022-1-EL01-KA122-ADU-000075965. The project was fully funded by the European Union. The national agency for Greece is the I.K.Y. (State Scholarships Foundation).

Exit tickets are a simple yet powerful tool for quickly assessing student understanding. By taking just a few minutes at the end of a lesson, these brief prompts can provide valuable insights into student learning and guide future instruction. Additionally, exit tickets facilitate communication between students and teachers, encourage student reflection, and offer feedback on teaching strategies. Purpose of Exit Tickets In their book, "Improving Adolescent Literacy" (2004), Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey identify three categories of exit ticket assessment: Prompts that Document Learning: These prompts help students reflect on what they have learned. For example, "Write one thing you learned today" or "Discuss how today’s lesson could be used in the real world." Prompts that Emphasize the Learning Process: These prompts focus on the process of learning. Examples include, "I didn’t understand..." or "Write one question you have about today’s ...

AI tools can significantly aid teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) in various ways, enhancing both teaching and learning experiences. Here are some of the key ways AI tools can assist EFL teachers: Fokus AI, Credit: Phonlamai Photo/Shutterstock Content Creation:   AI can assist teachers in creating custom learning materials or adapting existing ones to fit the specific needs of their students. This can save teachers a significant amount of time and effort. Differentiated instruction and targeted teaching:  AI can help teachers create or adapt material to fit any teaching situation. Lesson Planning:  AI can help teachers create lesson plans by suggesting relevant materials and activities based on the curriculum and student profiles. Engaging Activities:  AI can be used to create interactive games, quizzes, and other activities that make learning English more fun and engaging. This can be especially helpful for younger learners or those who find tradit...

 A digital advent calendar. There is a new fun activity behind each door, from Kahoot quizes and filling in Christmas songs lyrics for the weekdays, to making easy Christmas crafts for the weekends. The doors open only on the relevant day so they can be a real surprise. If you are not sure how these calendars work you can  visit my page with my older calendars here  to get an idea.  

The Imathia Teachers of English Association implemented an ERASMUS+  ΚΑ1 project titled: Aligning English Teachers to 21st Century Challenges.  As part of the project, members of the Association, who serve in primary and secondary schools in our region, travelled to Prague, Dublin and Helsinki. There, we attended training seminars related to public speaking, digital tools and teacher empowerment. Our aim was to redefine and strengthen our goals and motivations in order to address the multiple challenges educators face today, challenges that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.  We had the opportunity to exchange views and good practices with colleagues from other European countries. We also explored aspects of the history and culture of the respective countries. As a result of the training received, we prepared a lesson in eclass aimed at English teachers  but not exclusively. The lesson is divided into three main sections: Teachers and Oral Communication...