Keep Calm and Teach English

Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, "They don't pay me to like the kids." Her response: "Kids don't learn from people they don't like.'" She calls to educators to believe in their students and actually connect with them on a real, human, personal level. I am posting this incredible talk in TED  as a reminder of what our most important role is.

Every school year there will be students who question the necessity of learning English or in fact any foreign language. The problem here in Greece lies, among other things, in the fact that children start learning English at a young age (as soon as they start primary school) both at school and in foreign language centres, with the aim of passing their B2 and C2 exams before they are 15 years old. Many become overwhelmed and resent English classes. Taking into account my students, (middle schoolers, 12-15 years old) I created a video in PowToon explaining why learning Foreign Languages and in particular English is important. Feel free to use it with your classes if it is applicable. I wish you all a creative school year. P.S. There is a spelling mistake somewhere in the video but I cannot edit it now without losing basic features from the video. So either play "a spot the mistake game" or just please ignore it....

A Thinglink by Kornelia Lohynova