When teaching, I often think about the physical aspect of how teachers and learners begin the experience. From the very moment students enter the space there are overt and subtle messages about how this experience will unfold. This is also true with online learning as well. The instructor defines many aspects of the learning space; … Continue reading “Teaching and the Body”

We hear about the importance of creating a safe and supportive learning environment often. Typically ice breakers serve as a way to help students feel more relaxed, learn about each other and ease into learning. Thinking back to an ice breaker experience from a course about six or seven years ago, the prompt was “what’s … Continue reading “Don’t Break the Ice… Melt It”

Code switching is just a fancy way to talk about the way we use language – one or more – ways of speaking and choice of words to connect and fit in.  When I was kid I grew up in a very poor neighborhood with the kind of address that when you declare it (if … Continue reading “Code Switching”

Connie Malamed maintains a comprehensive, well organized and informative site called the eLearning Coach. I recently found this article and used this list of ten qualities to consider these qualities in relation to teaching and also determine how one might develop these qualities where needed. Three of the qualities stood out to me as a … Continue reading “Connie Malamed’s “10 Qualities of the Ideal Instructional Designer” as a guide.”

During the spring and summer I teach parents of English language learners in Massachusetts public schools. This is one part of my work that I enjoy immensely. I have complete freedom to determine curriculum and content and prefer to facilitate a discussion around topics rather than teach. Typically, twelve to eighteen parents attend and often … Continue reading “Teaching Parents of English Language Learners”