ALESSANDRA FIFE

HOW TO THINK
OUTSIDE THE
BOX
AND BE THE MOST WANTED
ENGLISH TEACHER
ALESSANDRA FIFE

HOW TO THINK
OUTSIDE THE BOX
AND BE THE MOST WANTED
ENGLISH TEACHER

WHAT TO EXPECT

THE JOURNEY..................................................................................4
Join me on an illuminating journey as I tell you a story about
a guide and a special portal.

WRONG BELIEFS........................................................................14
Find out three wrong beliefs that keep you from teaching
your best classes.

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX................................39

Be inspired to be innovative, confident and successful in your
career.
INTRODUCTION
THE JOURNEY
ALESSANDRA
FIFE
THE JOURNEY
The
Journey
Before we start, would you
come with me on a special
journey?
Picture a beautiful place in a
beautiful maze. Think about
the colors, the nature around
it, the view, the smell and the
beautiful surprises that each
corner of the maze brings you.
Now, imagine there is a very
special, but locked door, in the
center of this maze. 
PAGE 4
This door is beautiful, very
large and works as a “portal”
to a new world of possibilities.
The key to opening the special
door is knowing each aspect of
this beautiful maze, to the
point you are able to walk
around it without getting lost
and find the door by yourself,
without any help from local
guides.
ALESSANDRA PAGE 5
FIFE

THE JOURNEY

“Some people look for

a beautiful place,
others make a place
beautiful.”
Hazrat Inayat Khan

Imagine there is a group of You think about what is

people coming over to get to important to meet first, second
know this place in hope of and prepare a book with notes
passing through the portal. to organize the tour.

Considering that you are the Suppose that as soon as you

one who knows every aspect of start guiding the first group,
this maze, you will be their they see some flowers, get
guide, until they are able to curious about the garden and
find the portal by themselves. ask you to take them there.

As you get ready to welcome However, the garden is not in

this group, you take your time the plan for that specific
to plan each step these people moment. 
will take. 
ALESSANDRA PAGE 6
FIFE

THE JOURNEY

“If you fail to

plan, you are planning
to fail.”
Benjamin Franklin

You notice that they did not

Therefore, instead of leading
take in as much information as
them towards what they
you had hoped.
wanted to know, you led them
according to your plan. After
Then, you repeat the tour for
all, you believed the book you
as long as it takes, until a few
had created had the best tour
people from this first group
order. 
get to open up the special
door.
By the end of this first tour,
you realize that the group is
Still, some of the remaining
still not prepared enough to
ones believed that they were
pass through the so expected
not capable of achieving their
portal. 
goal and gave up on the way.
ALESSANDRA PAGE 7
FIFE

THE JOURNEY

“If you are always

trying to be normal,
you will never know
how amazing you can
be.”
Maya Angelou

explore all the wonderful

Finally, the first tour is
opportunities it offers you,
officially over and you find
meet some of the people from
yourself free to enjoy this
the first group and enjoy your
beautiful place again.
time with them.

As you walk around the maze,

Despite all your joy, it saddens
you realize how lovely it feels
you to remember those who
to be free from your plan and
have given up on opening this
enjoy this beautiful place
special door.
spontaneously.
You truly believe that everyone
You enjoy the view, the
is capable of enjoying the
sensation of the breeze, you
maze and learn their way to
pass through the portal, 
the portal. 
ALESSANDRA PAGE 8
FIFE

THE JOURNEY

"Stand up for
what you
believe in, even
if it means standing
alone"
Andy Biersack
both you and the people who
So, you reflect on what could were with you, you decide to
have been better with the first make a different plan: go with
group and see this experience the flow, let the group show
as an opportunity to learn and you what they are curious to
innovate. learn.

After a while, you receive a As soon as you start this new

second group. You can tell that tour, people can hear the
they are eager to get to know waterfall and show interest in
this wonderful maze and open visiting it.
up the special door in it.
With this in mind, you guide
Considering that the first them towards that wonderful
experience was tiresome for  place as they happily 
ALESSANDRA
FIFE
THE JOURNEY
"Wisdom begins
in wonder. "
Socrates
internalize every information
you share with them.
After that, they feel attracted
to the tall trees in the garden.
So, you guide them through it
as they take in all the details
with pleasure.  journey curious, interesting
You continue the tour at this
pace, keeping the group’s
interests as your compass.
The journey feels lovely and,
PAGE 9
before you know it, you get to
the portal. To your surprise,
the entire group is able to pass
through it.
Amazed by how much people
have learned on this second
tour, you realize the
importance of keeping the
and useful to the group.
You become aware that the
people you are guiding are
your best compass as to where
you should lead them.
 BACK TO REALITY

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

ALESSANDRA
FIFE
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
"The world is big and
I want to have a good
look at it before it
gets dark."
John Muir
Picture that each aspect of this
beautiful place means
something in the English
language and that the portal is
the door you open when you
are able to communicate in
English.
Indeed, being able to
communicate in this global
language opens up a number
of opportunities worldwide.
Many people whose mother
tongue is not English dream
about having such  language teaching career.
PAGE 11
opportunities available to
them.
Fortunately, there are great
English teachers/guides like
you, who are willing to help
these people succeed with
their dream of speaking
English as a second language.
I have been an English teacher
for over ten years. I have made
mistakes and felt frustrated so
many times. But, once I
started to reflect on my
experiences, I have become
more successful in my
ALESSANDRA
FIFE
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
“We do not learn from
experience... we learn
from reflecting on
experience.”
John Dewey
The more I reflected about my
teaching practice, the more I
researched about the best
teaching methods.
I realized that knowledge,
when combined with creative
thinking, can turn you into the
most wanted and valued
language teacher among
students.
Since I started thinking
outside the box, I have made
some daring changes in my
teaching approach.
PAGE 12
Such changes have allowed me
to feel more confident, more
fulfilled and be more
successful.
As a result of innovative
teaching practices, planning
lessons have become easier to
make than ever, finding good
quality teaching resources is
not a time-consuming problem
anymore, my students have
been more engaged during
lessons and I have never been
happier with what I do for a
living.
ALESSANDRA PAGE 13
FIFE

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

“Knowledge without
reflection is a waste
of time; reflection
without knowledge is
dangerous.”
Confucius

You and your students can Enjoy your tour as your

also have a new, fun and students' guide and realize
engaging experience regarding how wonderful and light your
studying or teaching the journey with your students can
English language. be.

You can become the most
successful language teacher
when you free yourself from
wrong beliefs and start
thinking outside the box.
You can have the time of your
life while teaching and be
valued by your students.
Are you ready to bring out the
best in you and in your
students?
Then, take notes of all the
insights you will have while
reading this material.
Be inspired.
FREE YOURSELF FROM THESE

3 WRONG BELIEFS
 WRONG BELIEF #1
TEXTBOOKS = COMPASS OF
WHAT I SHOULD TEACH NEXT
ALESSANDRA PAGE 16
FIFE
SHOULD TEXTBOOKS BE THE COMPASS
OF WHAT I SHOULD TEACH NEXT?

❝One language sets

you in a corridor for
life. Two languages
open every door
along the way.❞
Frank Smith
guarantee a better learning
Concerning the illustration in experience.
the introduction part of this
eBook, I would like you to In fact, many teachers use the
consider the guide’s first tour textbook as their compass
book as the textbook, a tool while guiding their students
often used by language through language learning.
teachers.
In the beginning of my career,
Just like the guide in the I was part of this group of
illustration had planned the teachers who plan their
best order of places to lead lessons based on the grammar
the first group, language topics suggested by the
experts around the world textbook.
believe that grammar can be
taught in a specific order to 
ALESSANDRA PAGE 17
FIFE
SHOULD TEXTBOOKS BE THE COMPASS
OF WHAT I SHOULD TEACH NEXT?

"Failure is not the

opposite of
success, it’s part of
success."
Arianna Huffington
However, over the years, it
bothered me to see some of
my students give up on
speaking English as a second
language because grammar
rules and grammar practice
were too hard for them.
After much reflection
combined with research, I
realized that I was reading the
wrong compass and guiding
my students through
unproductive paths.
With this in mind, I started to
analyze the most efficient and
universal language acquisition
process: how children learn
their mother tongue.
Instead of being introduced to
grammar beforehand, the child
is surrounded by people who
speak to them and around
them from the moment they
are born to the moment they
are able to successfully
communicate with others.
ALESSANDRA
FIFE
SHOULD TEXTBOOKS BE THE COMPASS
OF WHAT I SHOULD TEACH NEXT?
"If you talk to a man in a
language he
understands, that goes
to his head. If you talk to
him in his language, that
goes to his heart."
Nelson Mandela
In the meantime, the child gets
familiar with the sounds
people make. Then, they start
to imitate some of the sounds
as they make connections to
their meanings.
Consequently, the child starts
communicating with others by
trial and error, word by word,
sentence by sentence, up to
the point they become fully
able to communicate with
those around them.
PAGE 18
Regarding the process of
learning English as a second
language in adulthood, I
strongly believe that it should
be as natural and efficient as
when we learn our mother
tongue.
Learning a language goes
beyond words and grammar.
Language is about
communication. It is about
understanding and making
yourself understood. It
involves curiosity,
experiences, 
ALESSANDRA
FIFE
SHOULD TEXTBOOKS BE THE COMPASS
OF WHAT I SHOULD TEACH NEXT?
“You’re never going
to learn something as
profoundly as when
it’s purely out of
curiosity.”
Christopher Nolan
meaningful interactions,
cultural knowledge, body
language, voice tone, etc.
An American linguist has
developed a theory that
supports this line of thinking.
Stephen Krashen states that
there is substantial difference
between acquiring a language
from learning it. According to
him, 'learning' is less
important than 'acquiring'.
PAGE 19
Krashen defines “language
learning” as the product of
formal instruction. It
comprises a conscious
process, which results in
conscious knowledge 'about'
the language, for example,
knowledge of grammar rules.
On the other hand, “language
acquisition” is the product of a
subconscious process, very
similar to the one children
undergo when they acquire
their first language.
ALESSANDRA PAGE 20
FIFE
SHOULD TEXTBOOKS BE THE COMPASS
OF WHAT I SHOULD TEACH NEXT?

“Words are a pretext.

It is the inner bond
that draws one
person to another,
not words.”
Rumi
In other words, language
acquisition does not require
extensive use of conscious
grammatical rules and it does
not require tedious drill.
Instead, it requires meaningful
interaction in the target
language, in which speakers
are concentrated not in the
form of their utterances, but in
the communicative act itself.
According to Krashen, the best
learning methods are those  learning capacity.
that supply 'comprehensible
input' in low anxiety situations,
with messages that students
really want to hear.
Going back to the illustration
from the introduction, the
reason why the second group
succeeded in their journey
faster and better than the first
one was that they were able to
explore their curiosity.
In fact, studies show that a
healthy dash of curiosity helps
us take full advantage of our
ALESSANDRA PAGE 21
FIFE
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX 
USING THE CORRECT COMPASS

“Before you can ever

inspire, motivate, or
influence, you must
connect first.”
Greg Smith
to understand and acquire the
target language in their terms.

With this in mind, I invite you

Each student / group are
to think outside the box and
eternally interested in solving
consider if textbooks and
their problems with learning a
grammar should be your
new language. If you show
compass or if they should be a
them that you will not only
tool used while you explore
solve their problems, but also
your students’ curiosity – the
turn the learning process more
real compass.
natural and fun, you will be the
teacher they want for life.
As a teacher, you can truly
connect with your students
After you start reading the
through tapping into their
right compass, you will save
culture and interests. This
precious time for yourself and
way, you will not only gain
for your students and have
their trust, but also lead them 
lots of fun along the way.
ALESSANDRA PAGE 22
FIFE
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX 
USING THE CORRECT COMPASS

"Listening is an art
that requires
attention over talent,
spirit over ego,
others over self."
Dean Jackson
The first step to think outside
of the box is to listen to your
students!
The world is full of people who
are self-seeking. So the
rare individual (you) who
unselfishly tries to serve
others has little competition.
Your students are eager to be
heard and feel understood.
Give them the opportunity to
tell you what they are
interested in, so you can guide
them towards what they are
ready to learn.
By doing so, you will have the
unique opportunity to choose
the learning tools that your
students already appreciate
and are curious about.
Now is the time to provide an
interesting immersion
experience in the target
language. Let your students
dive in and experience a virtual
English-speaking world from
their homes.
ALESSANDRA PAGE 23
FIFE
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
USING THE CORRECT COMPASS

“Creativity is
intelligence having
fun.”
Albert Einstein

Let your students be

In case you are wondering
what kind of immersion tools
you should use with your
students, to fully grasp their
attention, the internet provides
a number of meaningful and
fun teaching resources.
For instance, you can
use music, TV shows, movies,
TED talks etc. Be creative and
explore these fun and
engaging tools.
surrounded by the target
language and internalize its
structures and vocabulary
while they have fun.
Through immersion, they will
acquire the correct sentences
structures and meanings.
In the meantime, you can use
grammar as a tool to lapidate
your students’ communicative
skills.
 WRONG BELIEF #2

I NEED TO PROVIDE EXTRA

GRAMMAR PRACTICE
TO
LOW PERFORMING STUDENTS
ALESSANDRA PAGE 25
FIFE
I NEED TO PROVIDE EXTRA GRAMMAR
PRACTICE TO LOW PERFORMING STUDENTS

"A mind can be empty

of thoughts but a
heart cannot be void
of feelings."
Raheel Farooq
Even though education is often
associated with cognitive
domains only, latest research
in Educational Psychology has
shown that not only thoughts,
but also emotions play a key
role in one’s language
acquisition process.
The classroom is an emotional
place. Students (and teachers)
frequently experience
emotions in classroom
settings. For instance,
students can be excited to  necessary information.
discuss about their favorite
movie, hope for success while
communicating in English, feel
pride in their
accomplishments, be surprised
at discovering new vocabulary,
feel bad for making mistakes
or be bored during lessons.
Do you remember those
people from the illustration
who had given up on opening
the special door? They did not
fit in to the guide’s plan and
the drills were not enough to
help them internalize the
ALESSANDRA
FIFE
I NEED TO PROVIDE EXTRA GRAMMAR
PRACTICE TO LOW PERFORMING STUDENTS
“If you see
someone without a
smile give them
yours.”
Dolly Parton
As a result, they started to feel
frustrated and felt incapable of
achieving their goals.
The same frustration takes
place in the classroom. With
this in mind, you realize that
there is more to the low-
performing students than
meets the eye.
In 99% of the times, students
who struggle with learning a
second language do not lack
the ability to learn it, nor do
PAGE 26
they need extra study or drill
on the matter.
In fact, their low performance
might be due to having a high
affective filter, which affects
their learning process by
blocking it.
Affective filter is a term
originally created by linguist
Stephen Krashen. His theory
attempts to explain the
emotional variables associated
with the success or failure of
acquiring a second language.
ALESSANDRA
FIFE
I NEED TO PROVIDE EXTRA GRAMMAR
PRACTICE TO LOW PERFORMING STUDENTS
“Let’s build
bridges, not
walls.”
Martin Luther King Jr.
It describes an invisible
psychological filter that can
either facilitate or hinder
language production in a
second language.
Affective filters can be raised
or lowered as a result of the
environment that individuals
find themselves in, interactions
with peers and/or teachers or
due to personal factors such
as insecurity and anxiety.
PAGE 27
When the affective filter is
high, it means that a wall has
been built around the learner
to prevent input or output.
At this stage, individuals may
experience stress, boredom,
anxiety, and lack of self-
confidence, thus inhibiting
success in acquiring the target
language.
On the other hand, when the
filter is low, it means that the
invisible wall has been 
ALESSANDRA
FIFE
I NEED TO PROVIDE EXTRA GRAMMAR
PRACTICE TO LOW PERFORMING STUDENTS
"You must first
touch the heart
before you can
teach the mind."
Kim Strobel
lowered, allowing more input
and facilitating successful
language acquisition.
A low affective filter results in
increased self-confidence, the
desire to take a few risks and
explore the target language.
As the expert and the guide,
you must be attentive to your
classroom ambiance to identify
the possible reasons that are
causing your students to have
a low performance in class.
PAGE 28
Then, you can provide tools to
improve their development.
I have put three key principles
into practice, which have
helped turn my low-performing
students into high-performing
ones without the need of
assigning extra grammar drills.
Principle 1: Don't criticize,
condemn or complain.
Principle 2: Give honest and
sincere appreciation.
Principle 3: Arouse in your
students an eager want.
ALESSANDRA
FIFE
LOW-PERFORMING STUDENTS
PRINCIPLE 1
Principle 1
Don't criticize,
condemn or
complain.
A very common fear amongst
students is of making mistakes
and being laughed at.
With this in mind, be careful
with overemphasis on error
correction or placing the
students in awkward or
embarrassing positions.
Students tend to increase their
affective filters and inhibit
language development in such
scenarios.  kindness.
PAGE 29
An important way to lower
your students’ affective filters
regarding this topic is to
consider mistakes as a natural
part of the language
acquisition process.
Create a classroom culture in
which people do not criticize
one another for making
mistakes.
Encouragement is a lot more
profitable and intriguing than
criticism; and it breeds
sympathy, tolerance and
ALESSANDRA
FIFE
LOW-PERFORMING STUDENTS
PRINCIPLE 1
“Abilities wither
under criticism;
they blossom under
encouragement.”
Dale Carnegie
Whenever you feel like you
need to correct a student, be
inspired by the sandwich
feedback technique.
It consists of praise followed
by corrective feedback
followed by more praise.
In other words, the sandwich
feedback method involves
discussing corrective feedback
that is “sandwiched” between
two layers of praise.
PAGE 30
For instance, once your
students make a mistake, give
them a compliment for trying,
and then show the correct way
to express themselves
followed by an
encouragement.
By doing so, your students will
feel at ease to participate in
class. It is a very efficient way
to make corrections without
raising your students’ affective
filters.
ALESSANDRA PAGE 31
FIFE
LOW-PERFORMING STUDENTS
PRINCIPLE 2

Principle 2

Give honest and

sincere
appreciation.

Arouse enthusiasm among in a person is by appreciation

your students.  and encouragement.

A great businessman, Charles Have a positive attitude

Schwab has declared: "I have
yet to find the person, however
great or exalted his station,
who did not do better work
and put forth greater effort
under a spirit of approval than
he would ever do under a spirit
of criticism."
That said, remember that the
way to develop the best that is 
towards your students. Find
out their strengths and make
them feel proud of it.
When placed in a safe and
affirming environment, your
students will blossom and
succeed in becoming fluent in
English.
ALESSANDRA
FIFE
LOW-PERFORMING STUDENTS
PRINCIPLE 3
Principle 3
Arouse in your
students an
eager want.
Owen D. Young, a noted lawyer
and one of America's great
business leaders, once said:
“People who can put
themselves in the place of
other people and who can
understand the workings of
their minds, need never worry
about what the future has in
store for them."
In light of this, I invite you to
put yourself in your students’  she enjoyed watching series in
PAGE 32
shoes and understand what
drives them to study a second
language. Ask yourself what
they wish to talk about, learn
about, etc.
One of my students would not
do a single homework
assignment and was falling
behind class. She was very
open about disliking studying
English, though it was
necessary for her.
Only after I realized how much
her free time was I able to
ALESSANDRA PAGE 33
FIFE
LOW-PERFORMING STUDENTS
PRINCIPLE 3

“Educating the mind

without educating
the heart is no
education at all.”
Aristotle

change such scenario. work, your classes will become

Since I started assigning
homework related to certain
episodes of her favorite TV
show, she not only did all the
assignments, but also started
to develop her language skills
at a fast pace.  media, you have the
As soon as you understand
how your students’ minds
not only meaningful, but also
irresistible to them.
Pro tip
Through entertainment
opportunity to
lower affective filters and
turn your students into
high-performing ones while
having fun!
 WRONG BELIEF #3

MY STUDENTS HAVE TO ADAPT

TO MY WAY OF TEACHING
ALESSANDRA PAGE 35
FIFE WRONG BELIEF #3
MY STUDENTS HAVE TO ADAPT TO
MY WAY OF TEACHING

"One looks back with

appreciation to the
brilliant teachers, but
with gratitude to those
who touched our human
feelings."
Carl Jung
We have already discussed
that if the person is capable of
communicating in their mother
tongue, they are also capable
to acquire a second language.
However, some students still
struggle with communicating
in the target language despite
your efforts to implement
immersive tools and to lower
their affective filters.
Teachers have unique ways of
teaching. And that is great!  and adapt yourself to them.
What we have been taking into
consideration throughout this
eBook, is that the most
successful teachers – English
guides – are those who are
sensitive to their students’
needs and interests – their
compass.
Even though I realize that you
have your own teaching style,
if you want to be the most
wanted and valued teacher,
you will need to understand
your students' learning styles
ALESSANDRA
FIFE WRONG BELIEF #3
MY STUDENTS HAVE TO ADAPT TO
MY WAY OF TEACHING
"Everyone is a genius. But
if you judge a fish by its
ability to climb a tree, it
will live its whole life
believing that it is stupid."
Albert Einstein
People have different learning
styles, which are related to the
preferential way the person
absorbs, processes,
comprehends and retains
information in general.
As a teacher, you might have
noticed that while some
students learn better once
they can relate the meaning to
a certain picture, others learn
better by writing down
everything they can. It is
important to highlight that
there is no right or wrong, only
PAGE 36
 a variety of learning styles.
The main ones are:
Visual: Students learn well
when aided by images,
pictures, and spatial
organization of elements;
Auditory: Students learn
well when aided by music,
sound, rhyme, rhythm,
speaking or listening;
Reading/Writing: Students
learn well by reading or
writing the material they
want to learn;
Kinesthetic: Students learn
well when they can move
their body, and/or use their
hands and sense of touch.
ALESSANDRA PAGE 37
FIFE WRONG BELIEF #3
MY STUDENTS HAVE TO ADAPT TO
MY WAY OF TEACHING

“If a child can't learn

the way we teach,
maybe we should
teach the way they
learn.”
language without having to
Ignacio Estrada
leave their homes.
In light of this, identifying your
students’ learning styles is At the same time, it allows you
part of the compass reading to embrace your students’
process. learning styles.

After you become aware of For instance, you can assign a

what your students’ learning TV show your group enjoys
styles are, combined with what wacthing as homework.
immersive tools they are
interested in, you are set to While watching it, your
guide your students towards students will see the images
success.  (visual), listen to the characters
(auditory), read the subtitles or
As I have mentioned before, scripts (reading/writing) and
entertainment media allows role-play their favorite parts
your learners to experience an from the TV show in class
immersion in the target  (kinesthetic).
ALESSANDRA PAGE 38
FIFE WRONG BELIEF #3
MY STUDENTS HAVE TO ADAPT TO
MY WAY OF TEACHING

"Tell me and I forget. 

Teach me and I
remember.
Involve me and
I learn."
Benjamin Franklin
Once you know your group,
you can adapt your classes for
their benefit. Their success
means your success.
I realize that textbooks make
teachers’ lives easier in terms
of grammar/vocabulary
teaching. However, they will
never be as appealing to your
students as the internet, TV
shows and social media are.
Let your students show you
which subjects move them. It
can vary from watching a  
certain TV show and
discussing about it, to
analyzing a song lyric.
When your students can:
 relate and connect with the
discussed subject,
absorb the information
according to their learning
styles and
feel like there is a meaning
to what they are learning,
they engage a lot more in class
and improve their language
skills faster.
THINKING OUTSIDE
OF THE BOX

THE POWER OF
SELF-REFLECTION
ALESSANDRA PAGE 40
FIFE THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX
THE POWER OF
SELF-REFLECTION

“Self-reflection is
the school of
wisdom.” 
Baltasar Gracian
In this e-book I share with you
some of the most meaningful
insights I have had while
reflecting on my teaching
practices.
To fully think outside the box
and be the best teacher you
can be, you must reflect on
your own teaching practices.
By doing so, you will collect
valuable information about
what goes on in
your classroom. Once you 
 analyze and evaluate this new
information, you will identify
and explore what works well
for you and your students and
what changes need to be done
to make it even better.
This illuminating process will
lead you to changes and
improvements in your life as a
whole.  
I can tell you from experience
that this road is not always
easy, but it is endlessly
rewarding. I have never felt
more accomplished than I do 
ALESSANDRA PAGE 41
FIFE
THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX
THE POWER OF
SELF-REFLECTION

“Why fit in when

you were born to
stand out?”
Dr. Seuss

now, as I witness my students’ What did I do with my

successful journey towards
becoming fluent in English as a
second language.
If you wish to be the best
version of yourself, I strongly
suggest that you keep a
journal (it can be daily or
weekly) reflecting on the
following questions:
students that was right?
In what way could I have
improved this class
outcome?
What mistakes did I make?
What lessons can I learn
from this experience? 
ALESSANDRA PAGE 42
FIFE THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX
THE POWER OF
SELF-REFLECTION

"If you have

knowledge, let
others light their
candles in it"
Margaret Fuller
Even though looking at
ourselves and finding mistakes
is not as pleasant as one
would expect, I assure you it
will bring you to your glory
days as a teacher.
Finally, remember that your
insights might be very helpful
and inspirational to fellow
teachers.
As Margaret Fuller has
brilliantly said: "If you have
knowledge, let others light
their candles in it".

As you make your reflections, I would love to hear from you

your list of mistakes will and your insights. Get in touch
eventually decrease, as your through e-mail, Facebook or
list of successful practices will Instagram.
increase. You will feel more
confident to innovate and be Sincerely,
the best version of yourself
every day. Alessandra Fife 
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ALESSANDRA

FIFE

Alessandra is a passionate teacher of English as a Second

Language who believes that everyone can have an
extraordinary journey while teaching or acquiring foreign
languages.

After struggling to "fit the box" of traditional teaching, she

realized she was meant to not only think, but also live
outside that box.

Thanks to her incredible students who put their faith in her,

she has had the opportunity to develop new teaching
strategies; which have led her towards fulfillment and
success.

Join her in a new journey outside the box and teach you best
classes.

For more information, visit her website: alessandrafife.com .

ALESSANDRAFIFE - TEACH YOUR BEST ACADEMY