Say 'No'

We live in a world in which agressive behaviour and lack of respect are naturalised. 

Jokes and comments that seem to be naive also show that we as a society find many ways to despise one another. Bullying is one. Bullying is the use of force, threat or coercion to abuse, intimidate or aggressively dominate others.

If you want to change the world, start by saying 'No' to bullying. Stop being just a human being. Be humane.

 Here I leave a link about a scene from the film 'I Am Number 4' in which  Sam is being bullied by Mark, 'the shool's tough guy'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlPRgegf7Zo

Introverts and extroverts

Where do you put your attention and get your energy?
Do you like spending time with lots of people or are you a loner?
Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
Watch this interesting video and see how your brain works (click on the link)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxZ1fPr9FJg

Help! Teachers in the 21st century

The 21st century is a challenging era for teachers. Technology shortens our students span ( it is even difficult for us to concentrate!) and we must be in constant search for appealing materials and activities. We must embrace technology but we also have to exploit it to the full, since the mere use of technology does not mean the students will benefit from it. We have to be selective and creative when choosing technological resources. We are the teachers, we are the ones who guide the students  but as teachers we must know computers and technological advancements are at our pupils' service.

The fact that our students spend so much time communicating with people who are far away make them find face-to-face communication difficult. We have to provide them with plenty opportunities to interact with each other and to pass on values that seem to be fading away such as empathy, generosity and tolerance.

Schools have to take advantage of the 'chaos' of these times and encourage students to be creative, to find their identity in a world that is constantly changing, to remember, to learn, to be patient in a world of instant buttonts. We teachers must encourage our students to form their own opinion but to be respectful and accept different points of view.

Well, we must be sort of superheroes, what do you think?

Study strategies

Hi there! exams are coming, are you ready to face them? Perhaps, these study strategies will be useful for you. Have a look to these more effective ways of studying:

Look for links:
'Everything is connected' a  teacher at the prof used to say. And she was dead right. Look for links between different subjects. Look also for links between what you are studying and the wider world. This helps develop understanding and memory.

Work with others:
Share ideas and clarify your notes with others. It makes studying more interesting and you gain different points of view.

Use the word limit:
As students of English we know very well about assigments that have a word limit. Take advantage of that and be very concise about the topic to be studied.

Have a break:
Whaaat? Yes, don't try to study without breaks. Otherwise, you will lose concentration. Take regular short breaks (15-20 minutes) and longer breaks when you need them.

Quiz yourself:
Use the same test strategy that will be used for the course. Go through your notes and make your own test. (This helps review your notes at the same time)

Use personal examples:
You are more likely to remember things if they are related to yourself.

Take care of yourself:
This include sleeping well, eating healthy, exercising, taking breaks, spending time with loved ones.

I hope this helps you. Go and get a 10 ;)