Tweet all about it...

I'm all in favour of tapping into students' interests to engage them in the classroom.  Many of them have got Facebook or Twitter accounts so I use this well known format in my lessons when exploring a character.  They love creating profiles for fictional characters and sometimes they post on the character's wall in the wake of a notable development in the story.  Templates are readily available on the internet.  Here is a very realistic example, created by a student who used a template that I provided:

You may need to explain how Twitter/Facebook works to those students who don't use these platforms.  Yes, there are some of them out there...

Put a ring on it...

   If your digits need a makeover, beautiful and bold rings are the way forward. They add another dimension to your look and show the world that you're a ‘blingy' kind of gyal. I've even used them in the classroom as a teaching resource. On a basic level, learners can describe the ring(s) by selecting adjectives and thinking about the texture. Students could also introduce themselves using jewellery (and other random objects). For example: Like this ring, I am solid and sturdy. I am also quite flamboyant like the eye-catching flower. Unlike this ring, I am full of warmth. The youngsters may also be encouraged to build a narrative/drama around the ring.

Or, you could simply wear rings to accentuate your fashionista credentials.
Here is a selection of my favourites:

Review it, Post It...

  This post follows on from ‘Rest, relaxation, reading' (July 15th). I set most of my classes the challenge of reading at least 3 new books over the summer break. This was mainly to ensure that their literacy levels didn't regress, as can sometimes be the case. They picked up the gauntlet and bounced back into my classroom brandishing their Post It reviews. The students simply stuck them onto the designated board and the result is something rather special. I am especially pleased by the number of students reading their peers' recommendations. It's a masterpiece of a collage that I want to keep up as long as possible (although errant Post It notes float down regularly and keep us all on our toes!).

Snippets from an Indian adventure...

   Chic Teacher is back from her jaunt in the sun and very happy to be blogging again. I experienced temperatures that I didn't think humans could withstand; was charmed and captivated by a wedding that spanned 5 days; experienced the philosophy of ‘your guest is god';  did NOT pick up ‘delhi belly' or any variant of the tricky tummy and absorbed the fascinating and eccentric customs of the Indian people.

   The new academic year is looming but I'm not quite ready to remove the post-holiday glow. Here are tiny morsels from a most fulfilling Indian adventure:

Rest, relaxation, reading...

‘We're all going on a summer holiday,

No more working for a week or two (or six),

Fun and laughter on our summer holiday,

No more worries for me or you,

For a week or two...'

~ ‘Summer Holiday' by Cliff Richard

Special thanks to crooner Cliff for these timeless and apt lyrics. I am throwing items into suitcases as we speak and in the midst of packing chaos, I have taken a breather to share my holiday reading with you. The selection comprises a mixture of school-related books and books for simple reading pleasure (not to say the two don't overlap!).

The ‘simple reading pleasures' include ‘The Fault in Our Stars' (John Green), ‘Divergent' (Veronica Roth), ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy' (Helen Fielding).

The school-related books are ones that I am reviewing in terms of how well they suit the new English Curriculum that has been introduced. These are: ‘Two Weeks with the Queen' - play script, ‘Animal Farm' (George Orwell), ‘Forty short plays' (Ann Cartwright), ‘Brave New World' (Aldous Huxley) and ‘Whispers in the Graveyard' - the play.

I set all of my classes the task of reading at least three new books over the summer break. They have to write mini-reviews of each one on a Post-It note. They will stick these onto our Summer Reading board as soon as they return to school. I, of course, need to lead by example!

On that note, I must bid you a fond holiday farewell as I will be out of the country for a few weeks. The unreliability of internet connections abroad means there'll be a little blogging hiatus.

I wish you a happy holiday, however you choose to spend it.