The Frightening Conclusion

The Frightening Conclusion
Haim Ginott

I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom.
It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather.
As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous.
I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration.
I can humiliate or humour, hurt or heal.
In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.

List of Participants - Melipilla

List of Participants - Melipilla
Carol Alarcón, Colegio El Sembrador Puente Alto, ceal56@latinmail.com
Marcela Alvear, Liceo Guillermo Feliu Cruz, cheloalvear@hotmail.com
Andrea Arancibia, Liceo Carmela Carvajal, anaryz@hotmail.com
Mercedes Araya, Colegio San Cristóbal de Las Casas, mercedesarayat@hotmail.com
Gonzalo Araya, Colegio Bellavista La Florida, gmozzy@hotmail.com
Carlos Arévalo, Liceo Municipal 860 María Pinto, carevalod@hotmail.com
Betsabé Barrera, Liceo Gabriela Mistral Melipilla, tabecyta@yahoo.com
Paola Calderón, Instituto San Pablo Misionero, paolacald@gmail.com
Germán Cona, Liceo 523 La Pintana, German.writer@gmail.com
María Alejandra del Río, Escuela Ecuador, aleja762@yahoo.com
Rosario Fuenzalida, Liceo Polivalente San José de Maipo, rosifh@gmail.com
Josefina González, Colegio San Cristóbal de Las Casas, josephina@vtr.net
Sol González, Liceo Polivalente C82, Solgon63@yahoo.es
Macarena Guajardo, Liceo Salesiano Manuel Arriarán Barros, macaligula@yahoo.es
Sylvia Hernández, Liceo Los Almendros, shivi@123mail.cl
Belia Iturbe, Colegio Corazón de María de San Miguel, tiamixx@yahoo.com
Teresita Pino, Internado Nacional Barros Arana, teresitapb@yahoo.com
Elizabeth Ponce, Colegio Arzobispo Crescente Errázuriz /Belén Educa, clauelita@hotmail.com
Cecilia Rojo, Centro Educacional Mariano Egaña, ac.soto@uc.cl
Sandra Rubina, Liceo Francés, rubisan2000@yahoo.com
Marcela Salgado, Colegio Los Nogales, msalgado8@gmail.com
Ethel Salinas, Colegio Lourdes de Peñaflor, ethel_cl@yahoo.com
Alejandro Tan, Colegio Iberoamericano, alextan63@gmail.com
Nayaret Toro, Liceo Politécnico Hannover, nice_rayen@yahoo.com
Isabel Valdés, Liceo J.V Lastarria, isavalj@hotmail.com
Alejandra Valencia, Liceo Carmela Carvajal, piovalencia@hotmail.com
Leyla Velasco, Liceo Froylán Yáñez de la Barra, levelzo@yahoo.es
Eduardo Zúñiga, Liceo el Ballenar Melipilla, 831474/8323140

Melipilla Comments and Gallery

"It was a great experience to share our problems or difficulties that we, as teachers, have. Thanks to Susan and the British Council for giving these opportunities to improve as English Teachers" Betsabé Barrera

"There's nothing better than sharing with your colleagues, it's the only way to omprove and take advantage of what we have". Andrea Arancibia

"Impossible is nothing" Leyla Velasco

"there's always time for learning a bit more" Carlos Arévalo

"Thanks for the opportunity of being here sharing and learning more about teaching". Alejandra Valencia.

"Dear friends: teach with love, teach with effort, teach innovating and be happy" Rosario Fuenzalida.

Thanks Carlos for taking the pictures!

"It is very important for us to be part of an experience that forces us to face different situations that make us to feel the same our students feel. It is a real experience of learning and feel the same our students feel. It is a real experience of of learning and feel better and willing to change many or at least some aspects of my teaching". Sandra Rubina

Melipilla Report

28 teachers from the Metropolitana Region participated in the first workshop "Stand and Deliver". It was a very active and rewarding day.

The programme included four sessions. The first one started with an introduction to what the expression "Stand and Deliver" means. This expression comes from the stories of old, when the bandits would assault the rich people, travelling in their horse and carriage through the forests of England with "Stand and deliver", meaning "Give up all your goods", leaving the victims with nothing. The metaphor is that teachers participating in the sessions will become aware of their need to stand and deliver quality active lessons using drama techniques and stagecraft. In this way they should be able to better motivate their students to also "Stand and Deliver" with confidence, and a certain presence, their growing repertoire of English language competence.

Part of the first and the second session included an "active activity" called the layers of the onion, where teachers reflected on and shared the problems they face everyday in their practice and expressed why they had decided to attend this workshop.

There was also a revision of theoretical concepts, like

*what is drama?

*how does confidence relate to liking and motivation

*which is more important? fluency or accuracy?

We also discussed the different skills and resources a teacher should reflect on and use in the classroom.

After lunch, Susan had the teachers participate in some activities in order to wake students up, since after lunch everyone was thinking about a siesta! Once the participants had been "refreshed" we went through different activities that can work in large, mixed-ability classes (40-45 students). Teachers became students, and, we have to say, they behaved very well and participated actively. There was lots of activity, laughter and learning.

Who's Susan Hillyard (CV)

• Susan Hillyard
  hillyard@ciudad.com.ar
  
  Susan has a B.Ed. Hons (like a BA but in Education) from the University of Warwick, UK. Even though she is British she is currently living in Buenos Aires.

Key Areas of Expertise:

• professional experience in education and ELT in fourteen countries;
• materials development for teaching and training;
• writer and moderator on two on-line courses for teachers, with two more in preparation
  2008
• Associate Trainer for NILE, UK
• accredited examiner for course work and oral examiner for English Language for Cambridge IGCSE (CIE)
• managing the secondary section in two international and three bilingual schools;
• writing for the RBT series for Oxford UP (UK) “ Global Issues”
• writing articles for teacher magazines;
• developing leadership skills and global understanding;
• inspiring teachers towards Lifelong Learning;
• speaker at national and international conferences/seminars;
• educational adviser to The Performers Educational Theatre
  
  Countries of Work Experience:
  UK, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Brazil, China, Peru, USA, Mexico, Colombia

For a full CV go to the British Council website.

Programme

Stand and Deliver

Speaker: Susan Hillyard B.Ed.(Hons)
e-mail: hillyard@ciudad.com.ar

Abstract
Stand and Deliver: Using Drama Techniques to improve the Teacher’s and the Students’ Productive Skills in large mixed ability classes.

Without doubt much of what goes on in schools all around the world goes on through the spoken and the listened to word. Theatre and Drama relies on just those media with the addition of learned and practiced techniques to make the speaking and the listening more effective. In this workshop we will look at how stagecraft can offer a number of useful techniques to improve both the teacher’s and the students’ presentation skills. Into the bargain we will see how classroom management skills and students’ responses can move towards more meaningful exchanges. There will be lots of practical work and an element of microteaching for the teachers to experience and practice the skills for successful active learning.

Programme

Morning session 1
1) Warmers
2) Sharing concerns in discussion groups
a) Layers of the Onion
b) Inclusive brainstorming
c) Rainbow grouping
3) Short powerpoint presentation on Interactive Teaching and Learning: Stressing confidence first, fluency second and accuracy third.
4) Experiential activities covering the essential components of the oral skill
a) Pronunciation
b) Voice control and breathing techniques
c) Body language
d) Use of visual aids , cue cards and equipment

Morning Session 2
5) Sharing concerns about classroom management in active learning classrooms
6) Techniques for teachers
a) Getting and maintaining silence
b) Giving instructions and explaining activities X 3
c) Arranging classroom furniture
d) Grouping
e) Preparing essential materials
f) Teaching concentration and listening skills

Afternoon Session 1
1) Games
2) Role play
3) Speaking activities
4) Readers’ Theatre

Afternoon Session 2
1) Rehearsing for microteaching in pairs
2) Presenting microteaching: Each teacher must conduct one short game ,role play or speaking activity with the audience
3) Round up with discussion and a final closing activity.

Bibliography

For teachers self improvement

Viney P. and K., Handshake, A Course in Communication, O.U.P.
Comfort J., Effective Telephoning, O.U.P.
Effective Presentations, O.U.P.
Effective Meetings, O.U.P. ( with Video)
Pietro R.J., Strategic Interaction, C.U.P.
Dufeu B., Teaching Myself, O.U.P.
Pedlar M. Burgoyne J. and Boydell T.,
A Manager's Guide to Self Development, Mc Graw Hill
Jarvis P. Paradoxes of Learning, Josey Bass, S. F.
Jarvis P., Adult and Continuing Education, Josey Bass.SF
Bowman DP, Presentations, Adams 1998, Massachusetts
Hughes D and Philips B, The oxford Guide to Successful Public Speaking, Virgin, 1988 London.

For practical teaching ideas

Maley,A and Duff A: Drama Techniques in Language Learning (Cambridge University Press)
Games for language Learning (CUP)
McGregor, L., Tate and Robinson K: Learning Through Drama (Heinemann)
Mc Gregor, L: Developments in Drama Teaching (Open Books, London)
Holden, S: Drama in Language Teaching (Longman)
Morgan N. And Saxton,J: Teaching Drama, a mind of many wonders (Stanley Thornes)
Smith, S: Theatre Arts and the Teaching of Second Languages (Addison – Wesley)
Wessels C, Drama OUP

Stand and Deliver - Susan Hillyard

What is "Stand and Deliver"?

Stand and Deliver is an 8-hour workshop developed for teachers of English in Chile by Susan Hillyard, who has a vast experience working and motivating teachers of English. The workshop will tour around Chile.
The workshop will teach our teachers of English to use drama techniques to improve the Teacher's and the Students' Productive Skills in large ability classes.
This workshop has been organised by the British Council and Inglés Abre Puertas (Ministry of Education)

What is this blog for?

The idea is that teachers participating in this workshop will share their experiences during and after the workshop. If you want to be part of it and be a blogger, please contact gabriela.silva@britishcouncil.cl

When and Where will the workshops take place?

Monday 5 November 2007: Melipilla
Wednesday 7 November 2007: Antofagasta
Friday 9 November 2007: Puerto Varas

Who will participate?

This is a joint event between the British Council and Inglés Abre Puertas (IAP)IAP will invite teachers working in municipal and subsidised schools in the areas where the workshops take place. If you want to participate and you're not sure if you can, please contact mariapaz.gatica@mineduc.cl