METHODOLOGY

REFRESHER COURSE
MRC

• A course for teachers of English with experience who want to

reinforce and update their knowledge.
• This is the first course of the “External Programme for
Teachers”
 SESSION 1
BEING A TEACHER
 1. What do you learn from your parents that you don’t from your teacher?

2. What difference does it make, if any, being taught by a male or female teacher?
3. Does expert knowledge of a particular subject necessarily imply an ability to teach that subject?

4. Is the teacher always right? Should students question what the teacher says?
5. Why is it important for teachers to have a sense of humour?
6. Do you prefer strict teachers or easy-going ones?
7. What do you think a teacher’s classroom nightmares are?

8. What subjects are the easiest and most difficult to teach? Why?

9. If you were a teacher trainer, what would be the most important things to teach
your trainee teachers?
Teacher’s Roles

What is the role of a teacher?

 Controller 2

 Evidence gatherer 4

 Editor 7

 Tutor 3

 Monitor 8

 Prompter 6

 Resource 1

 Organiser 5
Teacher’s Roles

Which role(s) do you identify with?

Is there any role you think you need to work on?
Do you think it will be challenging to adopt it/them?
Being a teacher

What is the most important characteristic a teacher

should have?
AU T H E N T I C I T Y
Carl Rogers
authenticity
1
Don’t try to be a ‘teacher’
5 steps to
authenticity
2
Have real conversations
5 steps to
 3
authenticity

Don’t pretend omniscience

5 steps to
authenticity

4
Be wary of staffroom advice
5 steps to
 5
authenticity

Be appropriately authoritative
5 steps to
Don’t try to be a ‘teacher’

Have real conversations

Don’t pretend omniscience

Be wary of staffroom advice

Be appropriately authoritative
Being a teacher

• How much am I myself in class? Are the learners seeing

something like the ‘real’ me or am I acting how I think a
teacher should be?

• In what ways could I be more honestly myself?

• Am I worried that students don’t respect me if I let

down my guard; if I let them see me as me, rather than
a teacher, the knower or the figure of authority?
 SESSION 2
ICE BREAKERS
Ice Breakers

What makes you different from other people?

RUSSIAN ENGLISH SPANISH
Ice breakers- Worksheet 1 - Answers

1. awkward 6. challenges

2. judgmental 7. rapport

3. little 8. cooperative

4. issues 9. meaningful

5. beneficial 10. entertaining

Ice Breakers

• Ice breakers help the teacher to…

• Ice breakers help the learner to…

Ice Breakers

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the

following ice breakers?
 Activity 1
Asking questions for
a minute
 Activity 2
You in pictures
 hare

four-leaf clover

darts
 Activity 3
Horoscopes
Capricorn: organised & patient; pessimistic & shy
Aquarius: adaptable & energetic; crazy & a little rude

Pisces: sensitive & sympathetic; moody & lazy

Aries: brave & good leaders; impatient & careless
Taurus: like comfort and careful with money; stubborn & selfish

Gemini: curious & active; two-faced & don’t like routine

Cancer: sentimental & like to stay at home; nervous & messy

Leo: creative & generous; vain & love power

Virgo: perfectionist & calm; not romantic & don’t forgive easily

Libra: sociable & charming; lazy & arrogant

Scorpio: strong & brave; stubborn & jealous

Sagittarius: open-minded & optimistic; impatient & not careful

with money
Ice Breakers

• Which activity did you find most attractive? Why?

• Would you like to try them with your students?
• Do you have any idea of how to adapt them?
 LEARNING &
TEACHING
1. By learning you will teach, by teaching you will understand. ( Latin proverb )

2. Teaching is truth mediated by personality. ( Phyllis Brooks )

3. The secret of education is respecting the pupil. ( R. W. Emerson )
4. Spoon feeding in the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon. ( E. M. Forste )

5. We think too much about effective methods of teaching and not enough about effective methods of
learning. ( John Carolus S. J. )
6. Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths pure theatre. ( Gail Godwin )
7. Once pupils learn how to learn, nothing is going to narrow their mind. The essence of teaching is to make
learning contagious, to have one idea spark another. ( Marva Collins )
8. Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers. ( Josef Alberts )
9. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality. ( Dalai Lama )

TEACH! THERE IS NO APP FOR THAT!