Thrive in ELT

Are you providing online instruction again this academic year?  By now it's been a year and a half of teaching classes online for many in the ELT profession. We've certainly learned a lot, but there are still challenges that cause overwhelm and frustration. Probably like you, I spent much of last year teaching online. While things did get better, it wasn't always easy. In this episode, I talk abou...

How often do you reflect on your teaching and students' learning? Do you ever unfairly critique yourself? When was the last time you celebrated your ELT life? Each of these questions relates to the third phase in the Plan, Do, Thrive Process, which I'm talking about in this episode.  We often think of thriving as being successful. While success is definitely part of it, thriving doesn't necessaril...

What do materials, sequencing, and timing all have in common? They're the components we use every day to create quality, engaging lessons and courses for our students.   There are many things that may come to mind when you think about instruction -- giving information, asking and answering questions, or providing students with time to practice, think and discover rules and ideas on their own.  You...

Do you have everything you need to provide quality instruction to your students throughout the term? Is there anything in your course or lesson that requires students to know how to do before they can practice what they've learned? How many days prior to the start of a course or lesson do you usually begin planning? These are just some of the many reflective questions I'll be posing to you in toda...

Do you ever feel like you're not as focused as you'd like to be when it comes to planning, instruction, and reflection? The ELT profession requires an ability and willingness to adapt to a variety of changes. What doesn't change, though, is the need to support our students and ourselves so we can continue moving forward.  A focused process is necessary to get you through all of the weeks, months,...