11 Things

So… I’m really slow and have only just discovered this blog challenge from a couple of years back! But I think it’s a great chance to use my blog from some professional networking, so I’m joining in anyway, and hope that I can somehow revive it!!

Here’s the challenge:

1. Acknowledge the nominating blogger.
2. Share 11 random facts about yourself.
3. Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.
4. List 11 bloggers.
5. Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer, and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated.

And here goes:

1) I don’t actually know Kevin, whose blog I nicked this idea from, but stumbled across his his 11-things challenge whilst reading another post. And so he didn’t actually nominate me. Here’s the link to his: https://kevingiddens.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/11ish-things/#comments

2) 11 random facts about myself:

One:  I have A-levels in French, German, Psychology and Contemporary Dance. I “only” got a B in French, though, and cried on results day.

Two: I’ve lived in Germany for 9 years and still import British tea-bags!

Three: My younger brother travels around the world to watch England play football, but he has never been to visit me in Trier

.

Four: I used to work at Greggs Bakers, and still always eat a Cheese & Onion Pasty whenever I’m back in the UK!

Five: I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a teacher – as a kid, I used to line up my teddies and dolls and teach them by writing on my little chalk board! 😀

Six: I am blessed and very grateful to have very supportive parents, who have never doubted my life choices, are so proud of everything I’ve achieved, love me unconditionally, and don’t seem to mind that I’ve set up home in a foreign country.

Seven: I’m also very bless to have such a great partner who is behind me no matter what, understands my passion for teaching and my general madness, supported me through burn-out and depression, has seen me at my worst and has still recently asked me to marry him!

Eight: I still like to go out partying, getting dress up, dancing the night away, enjoying a few cocktails, singing some karaoke, and generally not behaving the way people in my village think a woman of my age should!! I still feel too young to have children. And anyway… I’ve got parents-(nearly)-in-law instead!

Nine: Some of the best support and inspiration for my teaching has come from people with less teaching experience than me. (As opposed to what I always expected – experienced colleagues, ‘big names’, textbooks, etc.)

Ten: I have recently decided that the PhD route is probably not for me, but I would like to move into materials writing for ELT / EAP. I’ve started out by reviewing some textbooks, like here: https://clareseltcompendium.wordpress.com/2016/05/28/review-part-1-keynote/ and sharing some of the worksheets I’ve made, like here https://clareseltcompendium.wordpress.com/2016/04/27/facilitating-peer-feedback-on-essays/     I’m still waiting / looking for my big break though…

Eleven: This list was the hardest things I’ve had to compose in a long time. I’m sitting here wondering who will read it and/or care. But at least I’ve made it to number 11!

3) Kevin’s 11 Questions:

One: What’s your earliest memory of using the internet?

AOL chat rooms after school in an internet cafe!

Two: What games did your grandparents used to play as children?

Well what I used to play with my nans was tiddly-winks, connect four, ludo, and, when we were a bit older, Mastermind! Ah, tiddly winks reminds me of one of my first posts on here: https://clareseltcompendium.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/everyday-examples-of-mental-lexicon-representations/

Three: Who is your favorite social theorist and why?

I’ve never thought about having one. But I supposed I could say Karl Marx, as I live in his birthtown!

Four: What are three teaching/learning beliefs that you hold dear?

 – A teacher is not better at everything ever than the students; and both can learn from each other.

 – The deepest learning happens without a teacher.

 – A certain level of challenge keeps the classroom alive.

Five: What’s one life lesson you’ve learned from a student?

There’s so much support out there, so many people willing to help, if you just ask.

Six: What’s your favorite teaching tool/object and why?

The old-fashioned over-head projector. Because it’s quick and easy, and you can face the students whilst writing on it. You can use different colours. You can prepare transparencies in advance and write on them during the lesson. And because in most of the classrooms here, the alternative is a chalk board!

Seven: Where do you see yourself in five years?

Hopefully with my name on a new published ELT book! 🙂 But still doing this amazing job that I love!

Eight – 2008 : iphone :: 2058 :

Worryingly, I guess by then we’ll all have implants which communicate everything about us to anyone else who might want to know it. Or, we might have got sick and tired of technology and gone back to basics? Here’s hoping!

Nine: If you could eliminate one of your five senses to substantially strengthen the others, which one would you choose to eliminate?

Definitely sense of smell. I think you can manage your everyday life pretty well without smelling things. And nice things like memories can also be saved and triggered by images, touches, sounds, etc.

4) List 11 bloggers

James – https://jdmtesol.wordpress.com/

Joanna – https://myeltrambles.com/

Sandy – https://sandymillin.wordpress.com/

Nathan – https://eltreflections.wordpress.com/

Rachael – https://rachaeltesol.wordpress.com/

Hanna – https://hanatichaeltblog.wordpress.com/

Gemma – https://earlyreflections1.wordpress.com/

Jennifer – https://jenmacdonald.wordpress.com/

Dan – https://furtheredagogy.wordpress.com/

Zhenja – https://wednesdayseminars.wordpress.com/

Anna – https://annazernova.wordpress.com/

5) Questions for nominated bloggers (and anyone else who fancies answering!)

One: How are you feeling today?

Two: What book is closest to you as you write this? And would you recommend it to others? Why (not)?

Three: What’s your top tip for de-stressing after a hard day at work?

Four: Have you ever learnt any foreign languages? How has this helped you be a better language teacher?

Five: Describe your teaching style by comparison to an animal, and explain the similarities!

Six: What are your areas of specialism & expertise within ELT / teaching, and your strengths as a teacher?

Seven: Which are the most recently used smiley/emojis on your mobile phone/whatsapp or instant messenger programme?

Eight: What was the most recent photo you took?

Nine: Where are you based, and would you recommend working there to others?

Ten: What’s your best memory of a lesson you’ve taught?

Eleven: What would you like to say to me, now that I’ve nominated you for this challenge?!

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