With summer school wrapping up, I am having a difficult time transitioning from a work to a vacation mindset. Some people might not have a problem with this, but I do.
When the semester is finished, it is hard for me to stop thinking about my work and students. I am driven to come up with new teaching strategies, check my emails, and worry about my students’ continued learning. Continue reading
In general, teachers have an unwavering commitment to their profession and an unparalleled work ethic; when COVID-19 hit, they applied this to online learning. However, the hours spent learning how to teach in this new environment have taken a toll on both their mental and physical health. Many teachers have had to strike a whole new work-life balance.
During an in-person lesson, it is natural to take a break, whether that be leaving the room briefly or stepping into more casual conversation between teachers and students. But what happens in the online classroom when we take a break? For most of us, continuing our work is the norm. How does this ultimately make us feel? Are we better off working through our breaks for the benefit of our students? Continue reading
COVID-19 has taken its toll on people’s mental health.
Recently, I decided to teach my students more about the topic. We were going into lockdown before the Christmas break and I thought it was relevant.
ESL teachers and students alike had a hard time transitioning online when COVID-19 hit.
As a TESL Ontario guest blogger and ESL teacher, I was excited to attend the TESL Ontario 48th Annual Virtual Conference held November 5-7. Called Resilience: Re-envisioning Language Education Together, the conference was held online using PheedLoop.
A virtual conference—who would have thought it?
Like many of my colleagues, I was teaching online this summer using Zoom. My adult ESL class (CLB 4) had about 14 regular students. By the end, we had become quite close and it was sad to see them go. Along the way we had a few adventures related to online learning that I’d like to share with you.
When coronavirus hit, we all had to adjust. For many ESL teachers, this meant navigating uncharted territory – teaching online. Continue reading
When COVID-19 hit, I spent a lot of time with my students keeping tabs on the latest news and reviewing hand-washing procedures.
Then, we were told to stay home, and my focus shifted to spending time with my family and keeping busy.
I work as an Adult ESL and LINC teacher, and soon enough, I was asked to teach online.
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I’m looking forward to the summer months. Even though there’s still snow on the ground, I recall my adventures teaching ESL at a children’s summer camp. I learned a lot, as I do every year. I enjoyed adapting existing material and creating my own instead of working strictly from a textbook. It was challenging and time consuming, but I would argue better, more student-centered, and fun.
Continue readingThe 47th Annual TESL Ontario Conference is quickly approaching, and I am gearing up for a great time.
This will be my first conference as a newly certified teacher. I am looking forward to seeing my colleagues – some new faces, and, hopefully, some I have seen before – and learning something new.
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