Sometimes our students need a little nudge when it comes to writing. It would be lovely if they all came to our classrooms excited about putting pen to page, but when they aren't, there are several things we can do to jump start their creativity. One of my favourite ways to get my students'…
Read moreFOSTERING AN OLDER CHILD
NO-ONE EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION I have to keep this one short, because it's just an inkling. Our new placement, Glenn, has been with us a couple of weeks and is settling in. And then again he isn't. And the ways in which he isn't settling in leads me to an unsettling thought. In …
Read moreTravelling in India: The Spiritual Way?
A couple of weeks ago we were in Rishikesh and the place was filling up with participants for the big International Yoga Festival; these people had come from all over the world to attend the event, and one person we asked said that around seven thousand people were expected to be …
Read moreHow Many Ads Are Too Many?
As a jock, pressing the button to start a long commercial break is a depressing moment. You suspect that listeners are unlikely to enjoy the next few moments quite as much as the rest of the stuff you are doing. At the back of your mind, you fear you may never see them again. There is little poin…
Read morePreparing Students for Standardized Tests
By: The Daring English Teacher Right about this time of year, teachers really start to feel the pressure that comes along with high-stakes testing. Personally, I know that as an 11th grade teacher, my colleagues, my school, and my district are all counting on me to prepare my students for the test …
Read moreSUPERMARKET SURPRISES
Fostering is great, but anything that offers opportunity comes with challenges. For me, and most other carers I speak to, the biggest bane is the thing called Contact. Which can take many forms. Contact (If you're a reader who doesn't foster) is an arrangement whereby the real parents (or &…
Read moreEvery Time We Say Goodbye
Listening back to Howard Bentham's farewell announcement on BBC Oxford, I heard him dwell on all the things he promised he wouldn't dwell on, and do many of the things he suggested were not his style. His listeners would have inferred what he implied, and I'm not sure it was a good mov…
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