Learning to Learn Cooperatively

This article gave me a great insight on how Cooperative Learning can be a recipe for success when teaching.
The way I see this article is a set of instructions for preaparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required.
Our dish here is  the learning of our students, is when we see the results.
Our ingredient list is:
- make the students aware of the purpose and benefits of learning cooperatively;
- practice cooperation skills with nonacademic games;
- change the culture of our classroom;
- establish ground rules for all cooperative learning activities;
- balance students status;
- assign roles;
- provide demanding tasks.
As in all recipes the right ingredients are very important but the detailed information about how it should be done is what determines the final result. We teachers play a crucial part when we follow the instructions, we have to be able to recognize cultural and individual differences in order to manage the needs of our students. It is important to balance situations and not make assumptions. We want to make use of cooperative learning to create a rich environment for our students to learn language and at he same time develop their capacity for collaborative twenty-first-century communication and problem solving.
We can get our perfect dish! By doing so we gain happiness and satisfaction.

What Is Learning Autonomy And How Can It Be Fostered?

My initial impression of the article was "What a daunting task!" Throughout the reading my impression was proven right, it is by no means an easy article to read.
On the other hand the reading is very rich and without a doubt worthwhile.
When it comes to learning autonomy I concur with the idea that autonomy is attained when students show a capacity for detachment, critical reflection, decision making and independent action.
I believe that the process of becoming autonomous is a constructive one and is achieved when certain conditions such as cognitive and metacognitive strategies on the part of the learner, motivation, attitudes and knowledge about language learning are obtained.
The role of the  teachers is paramount  in the process of building learner autonomy up, provided they are well prepared and able to deal with the difficulties in the transition from teacher-control to learner-control, when they stop  being the purveyors of information and start being the counsellor and manager of learning resources.

Learning a language is

The title of the article made me think that learning a language is like climbing the tallest mountain ever. It requires hard work, perseverance and time.
Each day represents a small victory. Every effort, every strategy carefully planned matters. The desire to reach the summit and the results achieved every day are what keep one going.

Dede Wilson's tactics are simply great. By putting them into practice a teacher gets to know the students and their interests, encourages interaction among them and have them expressing themselves in English.

Articles like that are an invaluable source of information and ideas for us teachers. Let us make the most of it.

Ten Characteriscs of a Good Teacher

This article took me back to my years as an English student. It brought memories of the teachers I had along the way.

I had very good teachers but there was one who stood out.

She was pleasant and funny. Her lessons were, without exception, creative, dynamic and really good. She had a way of explaining  the subject that was unbeatable. It seemed that she could see the language in the eyes of the students. She could easily turn a rather boring subject into an interesting or intriguing one. She knew her students well and cared for each one according to their needs.

We, students, had the impression that she knew everything. Besides covering the book she also managed to find time for discussions about different  topics such as art, politics, history, events on the newspaper, etc.

Professionals like her have what it takes to be good teachers.

I have always liked English but that teacher made me like it even more, she instilled in me a desire to learn more. She made me believe that I could do better.

Confidence tricks

Reading the article “Confidence tricks” made me realize how confidence plays a crucial part in the process of achieving success as teachers. Getting the confidence necessary to be a distinguished professional is no mean feat, but it can be gained with dedication, organization, preparation, practice and a great attitude to life. One thing leads to another. Dynamic teachers are the dedicated ones who organize and prepare their lessons in order to offer the students the best they can. Such professionals are always improving through  practice.  Practice makes perfect.  The whole article is useful  and the confidence tricks should be put into practice. I must say that I was impressed by trick number four: before you start, imagine yourself in the classroom teaching the lesson.  I trust that if I can do that I will start believing  in my own ability to do the job.