Reading

Gina (胡靜), a student in Class 314, is reading Stephenie Meyer's Twilight.  She told me that often she dared not open the book for fear that once she started reading, she couldn't stop.  However, I encouraged her to read a few pages every day for entertainment, which at the same time improves her English reading ability.

Presentation on How to Conduct an Advanced English Class

This afternoon I went to a workshop at Xisong Senior HIgh School (西松高中).  The presenter Mr. Chien-chou, Chen (陳建州老師) demonstrated and told us how he conducted an advanced English class.  The following is his course outline:

The Last Lecture--a Fantastic Book

I finished reading Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture this morning. A fantastic book. Rich in life lessons. With the book closed, the following is what I remember I've learned from the book.

1. Fundamentals! Fundamentals! Fundamentals!

Thank you, Ken

A few days ago, I got a text message from Ken (王慶剛), a former student who graduated about three years ago.  He greeted me and offered help to my students who are applying to college.  I texted a message back, thanking him and asking if it was OK for me to give my students his phone number.  He answered "Yes" and said that he was willing to help. 

Let Students Learn on Their Own

Today Chris (林詠梅老師) told me that around three years ago, when she was teaching third-year students, each class had 7 classes a week.  After March, she spared one class period for students to learn on their own.  They could read their own English boos/magazines, study their textbooks, or do some practice tests for the UEE.  When the students had questions, they just raised their hand, and she would go to them.

He's Finished Two Readig Books

Today after class (314), Alex (張智堯), came up to me and told me that he had finised the Classroom 7000 Reading Comprehension book, a prize from me for being one of the first ten to finsih Six-Way Paragraphs (Advanced Level).   I was impressed by his diligence.  He won another book from me: Reading Master II.  I told him that after he finishes this one, I have no choice but to give him an English novel as a prize because I cannot find other reading comprehension books more suitable for high school seniors than these three. 

What can be more rewarding for a teacher to know his/her students are working hard?

 

Exhausted But Delighted

For the past three days, my evening life pattern is like this:

After dinner, I went to sleep until 9~9:30pm.  Then I started to work, grading students' compositions or translations, and preparing lessons until 12:30am.

"I think so I am."

I really enjoy discussing the questions on tests with students. Classes 310, 313, and 314, they all participate actively in the discussion. I could have saved more time if only I talk, giving one-way explanation. However, I believe in the power of thinking. As Descartes said, "I think so I am." In fact, we often forget what we are told. We remember what we try hard to figure out.

"Let's saddle up and ride."

How I love this sentence!  Short and powerful.  It is from Chapter 19 of Randy Pausch's book The Last Lecture.  The title of the chapter is "A New Year's Story."  When I turned to page 88, I was immediately captivated by the words at the beginning of this new chapter:

"No matter how bad things are, you can always make things worse.  At the same time, it is often within yoru power to make them better."

The Interview and the Personal Profile in College Application

Today's UDN runs an article which I think offers some useful tips to students who are applying to college.  It's about the interview and the personal profile.

Blog Contest

 

 On March 18, I made a big decision. I finally decided to enter the blog contest sponsored by National Teachers' Association.

Listen to ICRT News

At the beginning of today's class, I had Class 314 listen to a piece of ICRT news which I recorded this morning before I left for school.   Listening to English news used to be a very common activity in my class several years ago. 

A Test-free Morning

This morning, when I entered Class 314, I sensed a different atmosphere.   The students seemed happier than they used to be in a typical first class on Friday.  Usually on Friday morning they had a quiz from 7:30 to 8:10, so when I entered the classroom at 8:10, everyone would be quiet, appearing to have been weighed down with unbearable pressure.  But today, many of them were chatting like delighted chirping birds.  I asked them why they seemed so happy.  They answered that they didn't have a quiz.  What a heavy burden tests seem to students! 

I often told my students to take the test as a game, which they play to score.   I also told them that without tests they would never know if they had really learned or remembered something.  However, tests still seem formidable to many of them.

 

Challenge the Authority

I always encourage my students to challenge the authority.  In class, if they correct me, they can win 2 points for their team.  I love the sporadic challenges from the students in class.  That means they are thinking critically.

The Spell of Interlanguage

Today in each class, I spent about 80 minutes discussing the items on the 1st mid-term.  The students kept asking questions, and I just couldn't say "Stop!"  I was glad that they were eager to learn from their mistakes.   However, I was wondering why more than half of the students still couldn't write the correct answer to the translation question:

Attitude

This afternoon, Chris told me about the attitude of her student Wei-rou, the one who has been admitted to the Department of Accounting at NTU.  Last Friday, when Chris was discussing a Meow-meow test, only a few students showed interest.  Among them was Wei-rou, who already knew she was an NTU student-to-be.  As usual, she paid undivided attention and took notes.  We believe it is her attitude that decides where she is going to be.

Copyright

I'm really puzzled by the copyright law.  For example, for fear that some day some articles I introduced in my blog might be removed from the website, I copied and pasted them on my blog, with the source cited, so that my readers will never miss them.  I did it not to gain any profit, but to serve my readers.  Did I still violate the copyright law?

Good 2009 SAT Compositions

This year, CEEC posted good SAT compositions at its website, including 12 Chinese ones and 13 English ones.   I believe it can serve as a benchmark so that students have a clearer idea about what a good piece of writing is. 

To read the compositions, please copy and paste the following URL on the URL bar.

http://www.ceec.edu.tw/98學測/98學測國英佳作/98學測國英佳作.htm

 

Poor English, Good English, Why?

This is an article I just read on the Net, which was posted yesterday.  It discusses why students in Taiwan are poor in Engish. 

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=184154

There Is Not Short Cut to Learning English

Just now while I was searching for an article I read in today's UDN, I found this article, which is about ways to learn English.  The article points out the importance of exposure to English, reading, and practice.

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=164899