Young Teens: our Pledge of Quiet

12th May 2023

Today I start a new class, and I’m very lucky; they are great. The class has some outstanding students who display motivation, respect and diligence.

That being said (however), they are still young, the hour is still early, so some ground rules need to be in place from Day One.

I encourage joking and having fun – the students will learn much more if they enjoy the class. But there is a time for joking and a time for working.

At the beginning of our new semester, my students will recite and sign this pledge:

I PROMISE TO BE QUIET IN CLASS AND TO LISTEN TO THE TEACHERS

No talking, shouting, animal noises, clicking of pens, stamping of feet, slamming of books, whistling etc.

You will get ONE Black Star warning. The second Black Star means you go out of the class. You will have a short meeting with the Manager. The meeting will not be fun for you.

We can not help you improve your pronunciation if there is so much noise that we can not hear you.

You signed the Pledge … now keep to your word.

Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.

What’s in a name ?

5th April 2023

The Shins have a ‘Name for you’ … and I have some rules for students choosing English names for our English classes.

First, the name has to be ENGLISH, so no ‘Sans’ (a French preposition), no ‘Lavie’ (French for ‘life’, also the name of a bottled-water company).

No totally made-up names (Valhana is one example that comes to mind).

No titles (‘King’, ‘Christ’ … yes, I’m serious, one parent expects us to call his kid ‘Christ’)

and, in the name of all that’s gracious, no more:

Kelvin

Ken

Kenny

Nick

Nicky

The above names are DENIED

English is such a rich language, there is no need for every Tom, Dick & Harry to be called Ken (English humour).

Instead, choose from this list of short names:

Andy // Don // Fred // Guy // Ian // Jay // Jim // Len // Mark // Mick // Ray // Roy // Seb // Sid // Tim // Vic // Wes // Will// Zack

Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.

Young Learners – our Pledge of Quiet

1st April 2023

For noisy and disrespectful classes – a short speech to be recited at the beginning of every lesson:

I PROMISE TO BE QUIET IN CLASS AND TO LISTEN TO THE TEACHERS

No talking, shouting, animal noises, clicking of pens, stamping of feet, slamming of books, whistling etc.

You will get ONE Black Star warning. The second Black Star means you go out of the class.

We can not help you improve your pronunciation if there is so much noise that we can not hear you.

You signed the Pledge … now keep to your word.

A message from Monkey Mike

4th September 2022

Always wear a mask in class and at school, please.

Wear your mask over your nose and mouth.

Do not touch your face or mask.

Always wash your hands.

Thank you

Thank you my little princesses

30th July 2022

We just finished an extra, four-week summer school, which meant working from 8.30 – 10.30, then coming back for two evening classes, 17.10 – 21.00. This schedule, for all of us, was exhausting.

However on my last day, three girls gave me some presents: two notebooks and some chewy sweets. The sweets soon went the way of all flesh, but I will use the notebooks for ideas, songs and lyrics.

Thank you so much. A teacher NEVER forgets any gift from a student.

“Because it’s my nature.”

2nd June 2022

The fable of the frog and the scorpion

One day a scorpion was out walking when it came to a river. The scorpion, who couldn’t swim, wanted to cross the river, and saw a frog resting on a stone.

“Hello, frog, can you carry me to the other side ? I can ride on your back.”

The frog refused.

“You are a scorpion. You will sting me.”

“Why would I do that ? We would both die,” asked the scorpion.

The frog thought, then agreed. The scorpion climbed onto the frog’s back.

However, half way across the river, the scorpion stung the frog. The frog, in pain, asked the scorpion,

“Why did you do that ? Now we will both die.”

“I know,” replied the scorpion, “I couldn’t help it because it’s my nature.”

A modern day tale

Classes of students who are undisciplined, disrespectful and physically or verbally abusive.

The centre makes rules. The students start each lesson reciting them.

Rules such as not saying, “No,” to a teacher when asked to do something, not calling a teacher by a disrespectful name, no running, no eating in class.

Yet, forty minutes later, masks are off and half the class are eating, running in the halls, shouting. Students say, “No,” to polite requests, and call teachers disrespectful names.

They have been told if they break these new rules, they will be sent home, and if the offense is repeated, they will be expelled. Still they continue.

Why … because it’s in their nature.

Mr Orson Welles in ‘Mr Arkadin’ 1955

I shouldn’t have to write this, but …

24th May 2022

Do not ever hit or touch a teacher

Always wear a mask at school

Wear your mask over your mouth and nose

Do not eat in the classroom

Class starts exactly on time

If your class is at 10:00, it starts at 10:00

10:01 is LATE

Thank you

Young Teens: Three British Legends

13th May 2022

You have read about three famous people from British history.

Question 1: Who are they ?

Here is a short video about Robin Hood.

Watch it twice, the second time write down any words you don’t know. I want at least five words.

Question 2: Returning to our three famous people, who was real, who was based on a real ruler and who is maybe only a legend?

Question 3: Match the pictures with the legends. EXAMPLE:

Sir Lancelot is part of the King Arthur legend.

Now … Your turn

Picture 1 is Friar Tuck

Picture 2 is Black Bess

Picture 3 is the sword Excalibur

Picture 4 is Maid Marion

Picture 5 is the Green Man Pub in London

Picture 6 is Sherwood Forest, Nottingham

Picture 7 is Camelot Castle

Creative Time – which character do you like most ? Which one would YOU like to be ? Alternately, tell me about someone from YOUR country’s history.

Write a short story, and feel free to draw and colour. You may make a comic book, if you like. If you can’t draw, no problem, just write.

Vocabulary bank:

brave / cheerful / cruel / dangerous / disrespectful / greedy / honest / intelligent / legendary / loyal / punish / ruler / ubiquitous /

extremely / amazingly / unbelievably

I wish I could be … // In my dream, I would be …

Answers

1 – King Arthur / Robin Hood / Dick Turpin

2 – King Arthur was based on a ruler but probably a Duke, not a King. Dick Turpin was real, while we are still not sure if Robin Hood was real.

3 – Robin Hood / Dick Turpin / King Arthur / Robin Hood / Dick Turpin / Robin Hood

Zoom Rules Revisited

11th September 2021

A polite note for your consideration

The employer is responsible for providing a safe working environment for staff.

In the physical workspace, the teacher should not be physically or verbally harmed in any way.

Kicking, hitting, being jumped on etc are unacceptable, and the offender needs to be punished.

In the online workspace, the teacher should not be expected to work with an unreasonable amount of background noise.

TAs and senior staff need to be more proactive in both recognising and addressing these problems.

The situation is clearly very stressful for all involved.

Let’s work together and make classes a fun, happy and, most importantly, appropriate place for learning.

Suggestions:

Any student in a noisy environment should have their mic muted.

Any student who interrupts the class on a regular basis will be placed in the Waiting Room. Repetition of the offense will result in the student being barred from the class.

Postscript

I have happy to report that my centre has taken action, and changes were implemented within a few hours of this posting. My Manager is pretty amazing that way – your help and input can not be overstated. Thank you.

Lockdown Lessons: A respectful reminder.

11th February 2021

Firstly, may I wish you all …

Image result for i/en|chuc mung nam moi 2021

Due to the return of COVID to Sai Gon, schools and language centres have been closed down, and online classes have restarted.

A big shout out to the staff at my centre. Instead of taking things easy in the build up to Tet, and enjoying time with their family, they had to work all hours to prepare for the change to distance learning.

To make these lessons work, we need students, and their parents, to follow these simple rules:

Respect your teacher and your teacher will respect you

tôn trọng giáo viên của bạn

You HAVE TO turn on your camera. If your camera is not working, you HAVE TO inform the centre.

Answer your teacher when you are asked a question.

Please control your background noise. No music, computer games or talking. Try to find somewhere quiet for the class.

Let’s work together and make the best of this situation and hopefully, we can all meet at the school in the near future.

Stay safe, stay well