Keep Calm and Teach English

Happy December!  The twinkling lights are up, the cocoa is warm, and it’s time for one of my favorite traditions: my yearly Advent calendar. Let’s count down to Christmas together! 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 visit my page with my older calendars here to get an idea. You can make your own digital Advent Calendar in  adventmyfriend.com/ . It's free and does not require registration.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)  is a teaching framework that helps us design our lessons in a way that all students have equal access to learning, ensuring that every student has an equal chance to succeed. It originated in the field of special education but can be applied across all classrooms. It is grounded in the science of learning and neuroscience.  The aim of UDL is to use diverse teaching methods that remove barriers to learning. It focuses on creating flexibility so instruction can adapt to each learner’s strengths and needs. In this way, UDL supports all students.  Although UDL is not designed only for students who learn and think differently, it can be especially valuable for them - even for those without a formal diagnosis. It can also be very helpful for English language learners. Why is it important? It addresses student diversity: different interests, abilities, and language backgrounds. It creates flexible learning environments. It supports neuro...

Developing reading comprehension in the EFL classroom requires much more than vocabulary practice or grammar explanations. To help learners truly understand a text, teachers need strategies that promote deeper thinking, engagement, and meaningful language use. One highly effective framework is the Four Levels of Questioning—Robot, Detective, Judge, and Inventor. Although not part of Bloom’s Taxonomy, these four levels align closely with Bloom’s hierarchy of cognitive skills, making them a practical tool for EFL teachers who want to build higher-order thinking skills while strengthening English proficiency. Robot questions form the foundation. These basic recall questions—Who? What? When? Where?—support the Remembering and Understanding stages of Bloom’s Taxonomy. For English learners, this stage ensures comprehension of essential information and key vocabulary before moving on to more complex tasks. This makes Robot questions ideal for early stages of reading comprehension activities....

An Advent Calendar is a special calendar used for counting the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas.  Advent calendars are usually a large rectangular card with "windows", one for each day of December leading up to and including Christmas Eve (December 24). Consecutive doors are opened every day beginning on December 1. The calendar windows open to reveal an image, a poem, a portion of a story, or a small gift, such as a toy or a chocolate item. The advent calendar that follows is a digital one. 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 visit my page with my older calendars here to get an idea.   You can make your own digital Advent Calendar in adventmyfriend.com/ , free and without registration. 

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...

"eTwinners Behind the Scenes" is an eTwinning project that has exploited the power of the theatre as an investigative tool to make our pupils discover the cultural background of the partner countries and develop creativity, critical thinking skills, and the ability to work together in the process of writing an original drama. After considering several outstanding stories, pupils chose to dramatize Renata Fonte’s story and worked in transnational teams to write a 3 act play about this passionate mother, teacher, and advocate for women's rights and environmental justice. This topic made them appreciate the values of justice, activism, and community engagement as crucial for achieving the SDGs outlined in Agenda 2030.  We worked with students from two schools in Italy: Scuola Secondaria Statale di I Grado “Materdona-Moro” di Mesagne and Liceo Statale “San Giuseppe Calasanzio” and two schools in Spain: Fundación Educativa Jesuitinas Pamplona and  Colegio Internacional Eurovil...

Talking about Shakespeare and using his works in the EFL classroom can always be risky as we all know how difficult they are to understand without adequate guidance not to mention that the original works feel overwhelming for anyone who is less than a literature student. However there is no reason why we should deprive our students of the pleasure to experience some of Shakespeare's magic that has stood the test of time and is still meaningful today. Romeo and Juliet, Frank Bernard Dicksee (1853–1928), Southampton City Art Gallery The following learning scenario was designed entirely for the e-class (a digital learning platform for the Greek schools) during the quarantine but it can be used in the classroom provided that there is a computer lab available or a classroom with a wireless connection and enough laptops and tablets for the students to work on.  Students are going to learn about William Shakespeare, the greatest English playwright, and why he is so significant. They are ...

An Advent Calendar is a special calendar used for counting the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas.  Advent calendars are usually a large rectangular card with "windows", one for each day of December leading up to and including Christmas Eve (December 24). Consecutive doors are opened every day beginning on December 1. The calendar windows open to reveal an image, a poem, a portion of a story, or a small gift, such as a toy or a chocolate item. The advent calendar that follows is a digital one. 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, but you can find a list of all the activities below. If you are not sure how these calendars work visit my page with my older calendars here to get an idea.     Day 1: Print and solve a Christmas crossword puzzle  Day 2: M...

Escape rooms - or escape games are a relatively recent entertainment phenomenon that became popular globally in the early 2010s. Typically, an escape room is played by a small team of people who are ‘locked’ in a physical room and have to solve puzzles within the time limit in order to escape.  photo by  greece-is.com The global increase in recreational escape rooms has inspired teachers around the world to implement escape rooms, physical or digital, in educational settings. There are a number of pedagogic reasons why playing educational escape games offers a valid and engaging approach to learning as it requires significant 21st century skills such as:   Communication and collaboration: Escape rooms offer the opportunities for groups of students to work together to solve the puzzles.  Problem-solving: Players are presented with a variety of puzzles/problems that they have to solve, gaining skills in developing approaches to solve them.  Resilience: Player...

A learning diary is a personal record that you use to track your progress in learning something new. It's more than just summarizing information; it's a tool for reflecting on what you've learned and how you've learned it. Here are some key aspects of a learning diary: Reflection : It helps you think critically about the material you're encountering. You can analyze it, make connections to your own experiences, and identify areas where you need more clarification. Self-assessment : By reflecting on your learning process, you can identify your strengths and weaknesses. This can help you adjust your learning strategies for better understanding and retention. Goal setting : You can use your diary to set goals for yourself and track your progress towards achieving them. Learning diaries can be used in various settings, such as: Formal education: Students can use them to keep track of what they're learning in class, ask questions, and identify areas where they need h...

It's the most wonderful time of the year again and here in Greece, as in most European countries, we are spending it at home in quarantine. However this is no reason not to be festive; in fact we should try to keep our spirits up as much as possible so as to be able to support our students as well. So why not share an online Advent Calendar with our students as a treat? photo by  JillWellington An Advent Calendar is a special calendar used for counting the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas.  Advent calendars are usually a large rectangular card with "windows", one for each day of December leading up to and including Christmas Eve (December 24). Consecutive doors are opened every day beginning on December 1. The calendar windows open to reveal an image, a poem, a portion of a story, or a small gift, such as a toy or a chocolate item. The advent calendar that follows is a digital one. There is a new fun activity behind each door, from Kahoot quizes and filling in ...

800 million Europeans are represented in the Council of Europe's 47 member states and all are encouraged to discover more languages at any age. This stems from the Council of Europe’s conviction that linguistic diversity is a tool for achieving greater intercultural understanding and a key element in the rich cultural heritage of our continent.  The general objectives of the European Day of Languages are to: alert the public to the importance of language learning and diversify the range of languages learned in order to increase plurilingualism and intercultural understanding; promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe; encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school. In keeping with these rules, people, young and old, are encouraged to take up a language, or take special pride in their existing language skills. Also, those responsible for providing access to language learning are encouraged to make it easier for people to learn a range of languages, and...

The past school year was a difficult one for teachers and students. We had to adapt to new ways of doing things in a very short time. However teachers who have been involved in eTwinning projects all these years, have probably adjusted to the new reality more easily. eTwinning projects gave students and teachers the opportunity to collaborate from a distance using digital online tools way before the quarantine!  During this ordeal and, most importantly, despite it, we managed to complete our project "Green entrepreneurs" with schools from Turkey, Italy, Croatia and Romania. Our project logo The aim of the project was to encourage students to act for the good of the planet, to become "Green Entrepreneurs" and to realize their responsibilities towards nature and the world. Through this project, we wanted our students to look at their daily habits and realize how they affect the environment, to learn what the causes of climate change are and what they can do to stop th...

Symbaloo is an interesting application that allows its users to visually organize their online resources and make them available anywhere, on any device. With a bookmark package (Webmix), you can organize a lesson or presentation with all the required resources available on your screen, without having to look for them.  I started using Symbaloo during the first quarantine as a way to help my students access all the digital resources they needed for their lessons easily and quickly. In this way Symbaloo can help support student organization so they don't get lost in the web.  To get started, visit the official Website , sign up (or use your Google or Facebook account). After logging in to your account you will create a new Webmix from the menu bar (press +). All the work from here on has to do with assigning the desired bookmarks to the tiles. You can change their appearance (colour, image), move them around, put them in groups, delete them. The material you collect on Webmixes...

February has officially been designated as Black History Month in the U.S. since 1976. Also known as African American History Month, it is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of blacks in U.S. history. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating black history. To celebrate Black History Month I have prepared some worksheets on a video from Free School , about Dr Martin Luther King, a famous Civil Rights leader, pastor, and humanitarian. Martin Luther King is best known for his peaceful, nonviolent protests and speeches calling for change. One of the most important figures of African American History!