At this time of year I should be looking forward to the Tour de France.
Since Lance Armstrong's retirement after last year's event I have been wondering who would be the winner this time round. Sadly the world of cycling has been rocked by the latest in a succession of doping scandals, and the two riders most likely to succeed, Ivan Basso and Jan Ulrich have both been suspended today by their teams pending investigations.
I have lost interest in the event now. I find it hard to believe that there are any clean riders in the top flight of professionals. I do not know what it will take to rid the sport of doping, and to restore the confidence of the public and the sponsors in the sport.
Friday, June 30, 2006
More teaching.
My teaching at the Summer Course went well. The students were very keen, and I think we all enjoyed ourselves. My two-week stint finished with a lesson in which the students worked in groups to produce a presentation and report on one of a range of contemporary issues such as "How people spend their leisure time" and "The effect of smoking on health". I thought that preparing a presentation like this during their first two weeks was a bit of a tall order, but they all worked hard and produced some good presentations.
One of the other teachers is unable to take her lesson on Wednesday morning so she has asked me to stand in for her. It will be good to work with the class again. I have also been asked to act as facilitator for a Speaking and Listening exam on July 17th.
My teaching at the Summer Course went well. The students were very keen, and I think we all enjoyed ourselves. My two-week stint finished with a lesson in which the students worked in groups to produce a presentation and report on one of a range of contemporary issues such as "How people spend their leisure time" and "The effect of smoking on health". I thought that preparing a presentation like this during their first two weeks was a bit of a tall order, but they all worked hard and produced some good presentations.
One of the other teachers is unable to take her lesson on Wednesday morning so she has asked me to stand in for her. It will be good to work with the class again. I have also been asked to act as facilitator for a Speaking and Listening exam on July 17th.
It is almost a month since I last wrote here. The reason for my silence is that Malcolm, a friend of mine, was seriously injured in a cycling accident nearly three weeks ago. I was riding with him and his partner, Janice, when it happened although he was a little way behind us so we didn't see him fall.
Malcolm has been in a coma since the day of the accident, and although he seems to be out of immediate danger, the doctors don't know the extent to which he will eventually recover.
Malcolm and Janice have many friends who have rallied round to give what help and support they can. Still, this is a very upsetting time for all concerned.
Malcolm has been in a coma since the day of the accident, and although he seems to be out of immediate danger, the doctors don't know the extent to which he will eventually recover.
Malcolm and Janice have many friends who have rallied round to give what help and support they can. Still, this is a very upsetting time for all concerned.
Monday, June 05, 2006
The first day
Today was the first day of the Summer Course. There are three classes at different levels, but they were all combined in one room for the enrollments and examination paperwork. My students are at a level where the basic form-filling was no problem for them. The teacher of the entry-level class had to do a lot more handholding.
After enrollment I was able to set my students to work on a 'get to know your partner' exercise as an ice-breaker, which took us up to the end of the first session. I then started work from one of the set books for the second session. The students all seem keen and are very friendly, and I was pleased with the way today's lesson went.
The college allocated lessons slots at the Summer Course to all of the existing teachers who wanted them, which meant that the new teachers are mainly covering for teachers who are on holiday.
I am one of three new teachers, and have been given a block of work from Monday to Thursday this week and Monday, Tuesday and Friday next week. This is less work than I had initially hoped for, but the fact that it is a solid block of work makes it closer to a full-time teaching experience than if I had been given a single morning for six weeks. Now that I will have more free time in the summer I am investigating the possibility of going to Prague for August rather than waiting until September.
Prior to this I have never had to plan for more than one lesson at a time. For this week I have had to plan a block of 8 lessons. I'm sure that I will become more efficient in my lesson planning but over the last week I have been struggling to keep my head above water. I think I have done enough to ensure that everything is in place for this week's lessons, but I had to revise tomorrow's lesson plan to take account of the pace my students were working at today. I may have to revisit Wednesday and Thursday's plans, too.
Today was the first day of the Summer Course. There are three classes at different levels, but they were all combined in one room for the enrollments and examination paperwork. My students are at a level where the basic form-filling was no problem for them. The teacher of the entry-level class had to do a lot more handholding.
After enrollment I was able to set my students to work on a 'get to know your partner' exercise as an ice-breaker, which took us up to the end of the first session. I then started work from one of the set books for the second session. The students all seem keen and are very friendly, and I was pleased with the way today's lesson went.
The college allocated lessons slots at the Summer Course to all of the existing teachers who wanted them, which meant that the new teachers are mainly covering for teachers who are on holiday.
I am one of three new teachers, and have been given a block of work from Monday to Thursday this week and Monday, Tuesday and Friday next week. This is less work than I had initially hoped for, but the fact that it is a solid block of work makes it closer to a full-time teaching experience than if I had been given a single morning for six weeks. Now that I will have more free time in the summer I am investigating the possibility of going to Prague for August rather than waiting until September.
Prior to this I have never had to plan for more than one lesson at a time. For this week I have had to plan a block of 8 lessons. I'm sure that I will become more efficient in my lesson planning but over the last week I have been struggling to keep my head above water. I think I have done enough to ensure that everything is in place for this week's lessons, but I had to revise tomorrow's lesson plan to take account of the pace my students were working at today. I may have to revisit Wednesday and Thursday's plans, too.
Friday, June 02, 2006
I've been away
We spent a week in the north of England. We took our walking gear and spent time on the Northumberland Coast, at Hadrian's Wall, and in the North Pennines.
On the days we weren't walking we did some gentle sightseeing, visiting places we've often intended to see, but haven't quite managed. At Escomb the ladies of the church were preparing tea and coffee for a party of visiting US students that they were expecting. They very kindly offered us a cup while they were waiting.
While we were away, Sue's car developed a problem, too. The engine warning light came on, and so we had to get it checked by a dealer. It wasn't severe enough to need immediate repairs, but we spent most of the week driving it gently. It got us home in the end, though.
I have spent most of this week planning my lessons for the next two weeks as I start teaching on Monday morning.
I have been discussing start dates and accommodation with the people in Prague. I may be going out there in August rather than September.
We spent a week in the north of England. We took our walking gear and spent time on the Northumberland Coast, at Hadrian's Wall, and in the North Pennines.
On the days we weren't walking we did some gentle sightseeing, visiting places we've often intended to see, but haven't quite managed. At Escomb the ladies of the church were preparing tea and coffee for a party of visiting US students that they were expecting. They very kindly offered us a cup while they were waiting.
While we were away, Sue's car developed a problem, too. The engine warning light came on, and so we had to get it checked by a dealer. It wasn't severe enough to need immediate repairs, but we spent most of the week driving it gently. It got us home in the end, though.
I have spent most of this week planning my lessons for the next two weeks as I start teaching on Monday morning.
I have been discussing start dates and accommodation with the people in Prague. I may be going out there in August rather than September.
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