Monday 1 February 2010

RTWeek!!!

Dear teacher/educator,



One of the best ways at keeping ourselves up-to-date and enthusiastic about our work as teachers is to make sure that we learn and get to be a student as well. What we study can be directly related to what we teach or it can be something completely different that interests and in some way nourishes us. When we learn we are opening ourselves up to new knowledge and to new understandings, we are exercising our brain and perhaps our body and we are establishing new contacts with others and new relationships in the context of the study situation. We are receiving and when we receive, it means we have something to give others.



When we feel stressed and burdened by our work or other factors in our lives, we can, of course, go to the mall and spend a lot of money, pig out on our favourite junk food or sit out the sense of sloth in front of non-demanding television programmes. These solutions can work very well for a short time but strangely some of the most contented and inspired educators are those who are busy studying for themselves. Studying for themselves and not simply to get an extra certificate or diploma. Studying to satisfy their curiosity or to become more fulfilled as a person. This time and energy invested on ourselves can be very precious as it gives us the fuel to face our classes with spark and vigour throughout the whole year.



At Resourceful Teaching, we (Laura and Jamie) take these issues into consideration when planning our February training courses each year. For us, it is important that RT Week gives teachers a bright start to the year with a sense of acquiring food for the brain, the soul and the body as well as practical ideas, tips and lessons that can be transferred to each person’s teaching context. We blend the latest research of education academics that we ourselves study, with classroom common sense, new trends in language and culture, wisdom from the great cultures of the world and mix it all together with proven techniques from NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) of which we are trainers.



This February we will be exploring some of the following topics:

How students really learn and why much of our understanding up to now has been based on assumptions and not actual evidence.

Can the ability to read facial expressions really help us with our teaching?

Is asking questions a dying art? How can knowing the best questions to ask help open the right doors?

Do we manage time or does time manage us? The importance of self-management in using our time effectively.

The state of the English language and English-speaking cultures as we enter a new decade. Is our view of English as complete and as realistic as it could be to help guide our students?

Learning to be creative and passing this on to our students.

The importance of emotions in learning and how as teachers we can harness the emotions to extend and fix learning.

The value of being present in the classroom, whether as teacher or student. How does this improve the quality of our study and our lives.



Come and join us for a fun and stimulating week in Buenos Aires from 8 -11 February. More information about the workshops and how to enroll follows beneath.



We look forward to meeting you and learning together!



Laura Szmuch and Jamie Duncan