Compiled by Marja Juhola
The new school year is just around the corner and we are (almost) ready! You can find some last minute tips and ideas below, as well as info about upcoming conferences.
Getting ready for the new school year
- Although we don’t have the yellow buses here in Europe, much of the emotions and rituals surrounding getting ready for the start of the school year are the same in the US. Check out the Holderness family’s great music video on the event that awaits us all in the next week.
- Have you ever heard about the International Children’s Digital Library? It’s a place where you can read children literature not only in English. Read all about it and find perfect stories for your classroom.
- Roseli Serra has a new blog post on how to integrate extensive reading with creative writing. How much creative writing and reading are you able to work into your classes?
- Lacking ideas for decorating your classroom for the upcoming year? See here for some great ideas.
- Great help from Adam Simpson on how to teach prepositions.
- Icebreaker ideas for the new school year.
- Looking for some free YL teaching materials? Don’t miss out on Mrs Pancake!
- You can use google drive in many different ways in the classroom – here is a list of 38 of them.
- Have you ever used comics in the classroom? Maybe it is time to give it a go. Ideas available here.
Language
- English is a complex language and sometimes we all need a little help. See this article by Stephanie Allen on mnemonics and memory rules.
- Unsure about comma rules – help is here. By Ben Yagoda.
- The English language is full of amazing words – some of them sound rude but actually aren’t. See here for a list.
- Which English exactly are we teaching? This Guardian article discusses the evolution of English.
- 19 jokes for teachers … or grammar nerds … the same thing?
Random interesting stuff
- This is a good place to go to for teaching related articles: the British Council Featured blog of the Month.
- Ever tried the flipped classroom model? Catlin Tucker knows all about it.
- Duolingo is a great place to learn languages at home. Livemocha is another online forum that you can recommend to your students.
- A bit of practical psychology for us, teachers. First impressions, halo effects, body language and more.
- Useful general guidelines on teaching vocabulary.
- Do your students struggle with misplaced commas or muddled tenses? Here are the best lesson resources on teaching good grammar, compiled by Emily Drabble.
- Teaching business English and searching for extra materials? Check out this list of ten great sites.
Coming up
- Romanian Association of Teachers of English Conference 31 Oct-2 Nov – details here.
- After a relaxing summer break the time has come to get yourselves ready for a very creative process. And if you are wondering for what, Tesol Macedonia Thrace Northern Greece has the answer: The speakers’ application form is now open for all of you who are interested in presenting a talk, a workshop or a Pecha Kucha at the the 22nd TESOL Macedonia Thrace, Northern Greece Annual International Convention!
You can find the online application form here or visit their blog. - IATEFL Slovenia Conference is taking place in Terme Topolšica from 5th to 8th March 2015 – the registration form can be found here.
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