Just a Tiny Idea

I'd like to share with you an idea that I used with my students today.As it's monday and I love to chat with my students I found a different way to chat with them about their weekend instead of asking  'How was your weekend?' 
So I give my students a sheet on which the letters of the alphabet is written. I ask my students to write a word for each letter .These words should be related with their weekend. I give my students five minutes. I start sharing ideas with the student who has the most word. So we start chatting about their weekend. Sometimes they remember the funny things that happened at the weekend and laugh again(which is very nice on an early monday morning). Sometimes we talk about the food they ate so we have fun and be ready to start the week.

Fun Class Activity

It's very hard to make your students speak in English especially teenagers. They're afraid of being bullied by their peers but games, warmers or fillers have a magic effect on teenagers. while they're playing or doing the activities they don't think that they're speaking or writing in English.

Here is an activity that I've learned from a workshop that I attended and I  use in my classes. It can be used as a warmer, filler or you can extend it to a writing activity.

TANGO SEATED CHAIRS

This will be a pair work activity so students find their partners and sit opposite to eachother as they're doing tango. One of the students can see the board but the other can't.The student who can't see the board has to have a pencil and a sheet with him/her.

I draw a picture on the board, the student who can see the board has to describe it to his/her friend and the other has to draw it.

To prevent the describing partner to use his/her hand I ask them to sit on their hands.

The picture can be anything you can draw no artistic talent needed.For example I draw a beautiful shore with the sun above with full of trees and people sunbathing.

To extend the activity I ask the pairs to note down ten adjectives that this picture reminds them. As a follow up activity students can write a poem using these adjectives.

SETTING GOALS

This year I'm going to have classes with our 12th graders. They're going to graduate from high school and to be a university students they're going to take several exams. Many of them still don't know what to study at university so they will be really anxious this year.
As a teacher we have to help them to find their way out. We have to release their tension so, as a result of it I'm planning to do an activity on the first week of school that will help them to make up their minds a bit.(I hope it will help)

I'll ask them to create a wallwisher or glogster or an animoto to share their goals with their peers.First they'll decide what they'd like to study at university this year.They have to write this with big bold letters and they have to make a list of things they'll do to achieve their goal.

We'll publish it in their class blog and I'll also ask them to write their goals on a cardboard so we'll stick them on our classroom walls. It'll be like an agreement that they do with themselves.
We'll see what will happen!!!

Sites and Ideas

Here you'll find the sites and ideas that I'm planning to use in my classes this year. Thanks to my PLN I've learned many sites that I can use in my classes.

Bubblesnaps- This is a great site to make pictures talk. Students can upload their pictures or any picture they like and make the talk. Lots of fun.

Go Animate- Create cartoon for everything you need. To teach a new grammar unit, a new vocabulary or students can use it as a virtual role playing. Just use your imagination or make your students use their imagination.

Glogster- You can create any kind of posters for your classrooms. If you want to give a homework to your students just write it on glogster and it'll seem nicer.

Kako messenger- Two singers singing for you. Just type your words and say something to your students in a funny way.

Talkingpets- Make pets talk. Students can present their ideas using the pets.

The Adventure of My Life

This is my second attempt of blog posting. First one was about a year ago and I failed but this time I'll try again and extend my PLN.

The thing inspired me to write a blog post again is the trip I've made to the house of generous and hospitable Berni Wall. I've been in her house from the 1st to the 8th of August with a bunch of enthusiastic teachers like Eva Büyüksimkeşyan, Alexandra Francisco and Blanca Morales. Our aim to be there was to cover some parts of ELT like; reading, writing, speaking and vocabulary. We've also learned some new ideas from Gapfillers and thanks to Alex and Eva we've learned lots of new Web 2.0 tools.

In these eight days our lessons were held at the beautiful house of Berni's with its exteremely beautiful scenery and heartfelt members of the family.

It was also like a Bronte week to us. Through the week we watched Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of the Wildfell Hall. We made a trip to Haworth. We walked along the moors to get the impression of how The Bronte sisters felt and to see where did they get their inspiration from.

It was the adventure of my life. Being there, meeting new people, learning new things, breathing and feeling the breeze of England is an experience I'll never forget.