Activity 1: What’s in Your Pocket/on Your Desk?

Another title for this activity could be ‘What Are You?’ Invite students to look at their bags, pockets, or even desks. What objects do they see? Are they all random objects? Are there any special ones for them, for any reason? Let them pick three to five items to focus on. 

One way to illustrate this is to show what you have in your bag. This may, however, limit the students’ choices and creative thinking. Another way would be to remind them that no correct answer exists, and as we are all unique and different, the items we pick will be different, too. This is what makes the task interesting!

Ask students to outline their hands, right and left, on a page of their notebook. Inside the right hand, ask them to draw the selected items (instead of drawing, they can make a simple outline). 

Offer some questions to think about. If the level of the group is B1 and higher, encourage them to make brief written notes in the other hand’s outline:

Two out of three items surprised me today. Can you guess which ones?

• What do/might the objects tell you about your values? How do they show what you feel is important for you in life (not only school)? For example, if you have a water bottle, you care about a healthy lifestyle and also try to be more ‘green’ in your everyday choices and avoid plastic.
• Do any of the items reflect the dreams you have or your vision about who you want to be or become in the future? How can you add such a reminder to your everyday things? 
• Do any of the items tell us about who you are?

Let students work in pairs or small groups and show the items to each other, answering all or some of the questions. Depending on the amount of time you have, you can let them talk in a new pair. 

As a follow-up and reflection, especially if time allows, let students read the questions below and choose one to discuss in their pairs or small groups.  

• Having talked to the others in the group, is there anything you would like to add to your items (for example, you also have a key ring that brings a special memory, etc.)?
• What have you noticed (about your objects) just now that you have not thought about before? Are there any new insights about yourself?
• Out of the three questions, which one was the hardest to answer? Why do you think this is? 

A couple of thoughts at the end

It is quite possible that not all the students would come up with a deep reflection about the items around them. Not everyone carries a list of important items around, and the objects in our pockets do not always represent a special symbol or hide a big meaning. I would say follow your instinct here, knowing the students in the group and the culture you are in. You can modify the questions to ask (e.g., ‘What is the most surprising object found in your pocket?’ could be fun to explore) or you can ask students to add their own. 

One idea students may find interesting is how a small item in their bag, such as the key in my picture, could be there for a reason and serve as a reminder (the key to making decisions and to being the author of the responses I make to what is happening). Sometimes, small things can be in our hands in terms of how we act or think, and this activity can help them (re-)discover this. 

So… what’s around you today? I am curious how this goes in your classroom in different parts of the world (online or offline). Let me know!

Thank you for reading! 🙂

**More activities from ‘It’s in (Y)Our Hands!’ series can be found here.

2023 in Books

December is an excellent time of the year for reflecting on various aspects of our lives: How was 2023 for you? If you could imagine it in the books you read, movies you watched, songs or words that touched your heart, people you met, wisdom or truths you understood, pieces of advice you needed (or was given without asking), how would you describe it? 

If I were asked such questions in one go, I’d need some thinking time. Fortunately, we have my ‘It’s in (Y)Our Hands!’ collection to imagine a simple format for such a reflection. For example, you are thinking about books you read. Can you recall any five that you found particularly meaningful in the context of your life, or in the circumstances you were in? You draw a hand outline and brainstorm the titles and authors. Let’s see if I can have my five. 

The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig. I bought it in the summer of 2021, right before my long weekend of running a mountain trail race in the Carpathians. Needed something to read on a bus, thought of Zweig’s short stories, and thought the books would be similar. It was very different, and I never went past the first twenty pages. And then the war… and suddenly, reading about the writer’s life before, during, and after WWI in Europe, and then about the beginning of WWII and his emigration. Life between two world wars, watching the huge changes, managing to keep writing through the tough times. To me, the book was a chance to talk to someone who lived through the war and to hear advice. This quote is written in the Ukrainian and English translations and in my journal:

In the last resort, every shadow is also the child of light, and only those who have known the light and the dark, have seen war and peace, rise and fall, have truly lived their lives. 

“Різнотрав’я. Гербарій саду життя“ (in translation from Ukrainian, Mixed Herbs. Herbarium of the Garden of Life) by Myroslav Dochynets’. It is a collection of personal notes and life observations, written in the beautiful language, with amazing vocabulary, and endless love to readers. 

This is what the writer says about the book (The translation below was patiently negotiated with Chat GPT.)

“Our life is a constant collecting. From mushrooms in the forest to treasures of truth in the thickets of global chaos. Accumulating crumbs of emotions and impressions, thoughts and judgments, love and affection, memories and hopes, words and silence, dreams and fantasies. Collecting ourselves into wholeness. Tireless, eager pursuit of Wholeness, being substituted with such verbal chimeras as happiness, fate, mood, and success. We are eternal and tireless collectors because the true wholeness of life is hidden. And this writing is also a kind of collecting.”

The Doctor and the Soul: From Psychotherapy to Logotherapy by Viktor E. Frankl deserves many, many posts. The author completed the book and did not publish it because Austria was occupied by Nazi. The first draft was taken away from him in the concentration camp. He still managed to publish the book when he was freed from the camps, years later. One of the reasons for surviving the horrors was the author’s desire to complete the book.

As I delved into the book, actively taking notes and marking pages, I realized that I needed a deeper understanding of the Method of Logotherapy and Existential Analysis. The Method that was tested by its author in the places that could be described as ‘Hell on Earth’.

I searched for the Ukrainian Association and found out that we have had one since… 2022. The registration address was my native Dnipro. I made a call and found out there was just one week before the Foundational Course began. 

“The full gravity of the responsibility that every man bears throughout every moment of his life: the responsibility for what he will make of the next hour, for how he will shape the next day.”

‘The Choice: a True Story of Hope’ and ‘The Gift: Lessons to Save Your Life’ by Edith Eger. They are different but both powerful. The author is one of the most inspiring people I have ever read about. They say, books find you when you need them. Or they call you. When I saw ‘The Gift’ in English on a bookshelf in Lviv in 2023, it was a clear sign. Reading ‘The Choice’ was harder, and without it being our homework on the course, I might not have taken it. But I am glad I did, and highly recommend it. 

No one can take away from you what you’ve put in your mind.

Perfectionism is the belief that something is broken – you. So you dress up your brokenness with degrees, achievements, accolades, and pieces of paper, none of which can fix what you think you are fixing.

Looking at my journal notes, I see that I have been reading more this year than in 2022, and I take it as a good sign. One book I wanted to mention is One Life: How We Forgot to Live Meaningful Lives by Morten Albaek. I noticed the word ‘Meaning’ in the full title just now! 

How would I describe my year with the help of these five books? I think this could turn into another 500 words of thoughts and reflections. I was planning to offer this as an activity in our Saturday meeting with the Reflective Practice Group, but I wonder if it can be too hard as a spontaneous question.

This also prompts me how hard it may be to reflect on the whole year in its many aspects all at once. Maybe, part by part is a better approach. We still have time this December! 

What were you reading in 2023? Besides your reading log, how else do you reflect on the year’s events and experiences? 

Thank you for reading! 🙂

P.S. I started adapting my Activity 43: Gratitude, Books/Movies, but realized this example in this post is indeed for one year only. In Activity 43, the main focus is on ‘What [books or movies] helped you become who you are?’ so the list would be different. Except that every time we are asked to share a ‘favorite’ book or movie, our answers may be different as we go through a different stage of life. More philosophy coming! 

Activity 74: One Word

If you could condense your 2024 New Year’s Resolution into just one word, what would that word be? What would you like to explore more or reflect on in the new year? How could one word offer a lens for this journey?

The idea is not mine: it comes from OneWord365 community where people would come and share their resolutions and word choices at the beginning of a year, and then reflections at the end of the year. You could see people with the same word, and exchange your progress and insights as the year unfolded. The website is on pause now, but as the introduction says, it does not mean that we can’t continue choosing a word and seeing where it leads us.

I learned this idea from a colleague about 10 years ago. Between then and now, I tried this approach with the following words: 

• 2014: Attention
• 2016: Kindness
• 2018: Curiosity
• 2020: Focus 
• 2021: Playfulness
• 2022: Energy
• 2023: Freedom

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

To me, the experience has been rewarding and exciting. I can’t say I was ever disciplined to do regular reflections or take notes on the word, however, it did bring focus when I needed it. I must say it was especially useful when life seemed to ‘go wrong’ in so many ways: with the pandemic in 2020 or the war in 2022-2023. At the beginning of 2022, for example, by ‘energy’ I meant a productive state of body and mind, an ability to be efficient and effective in how I spend time and communicate with others. Instead, my word helped me notice how to find and manage energy (physical, emotional, intellectual), and how to choose activities that give energy but do not drain you out. This way, I discovered the role of doodling, sketching, drawing, and painting, and noticed the additional value of running long distances. I am aware that some of these insights look obvious or trivial, but as they are a result of ‘lived experience’, they are important to me. I am grateful to the word ‘Energy’ for leading me towards the Art Therapy Course. 

My 2023 word was Freedom. I chose it for many reasons and wanted to learn more about the concept at various levels: philosophy, law (as in Human Rights), culture (Ukraine and abroad, ‘Eastern and Western’ understanding), art, etc. It may be a whole new post, or… it is too personal to share. I can say that I started with ‘freedom from’ idea, and gradually came to ‘freedom to’: freedom to choose, make a decision, take responsibility, act, think, speak. I am grateful to the word Freedom for guiding me towards the Logotherapy and Existential Analysis Course I started two months ago. 

Not surprisingly, my word for 2024 is Meaning. According to Victor Frankl, the founder of this school of psychotherapy, the search for meaning in life is the primary motivation in human beings.  

As promised in the title, this idea can be turned into a classroom activity (‘It’s in (Y)Our Hands’ series): students outline their hand and write the word they choose in the middle of the mind map. Then, for each finger, they think of an area or a question they could focus on in connection with this word. Some more space can be left for future insights about the experience. Also, not all five fingers can be filled with ideas: actually, it is even better if there are 2-3 empty areas so that the word could ‘teach’ us something very new and unexpected. Having done this for several years now, I learned to trust my word and how it can bring intention into my reflection. 

This can be done twice: at the beginning of the year, as a resolution/planning, and at the end, as a reflection on the past year.

Oh, and you can change the word (mid-way, if needed)! It is your life, your goals, your journey, and sometimes, the change is so big that it dictates a new word. In any case, there will be more to reflect on at the end of the year. After all, this is not a Promise to Self, but rather, a chosen destination. 

What would your word for 2024 be? Let me know in the comments if you would like to try the idea with your students, or for yourself. 

Thank you for reading! 🙂

Paper Sizes, Ecology and Mobility

If you were offered several sizes of paper to create a craft (for example, a painting, a drawing sketch, or collage), which one would you choose: A-3, Tabloid/Ledger in the U.S., A-4, or roughly U.S letter size, A-5, or even A-6? What would be your rationale for the choice to make? What do you think this choice might say about you? How does it reflect your beliefs and values? 

As I am taking an art therapy course, we are trying out various techniques in our classes, and then reflecting on the experiences (as clients and therapists). In one of the sessions, we were preparing to make a collage on the topic ‘My Life’ (or ‘This is Me’). It was an individual assignment, and we had about 30 minutes to work on our product. There were two paper sizes to choose from: A-3 and A-4. Most people picked A-3 (the bigger paper), and only two of us, me and one other participant, took an A-4. This other woman later changed her mind and took an A-3. She said something like ‘I think I need to indulge myself in (more) luxury.’ I kept my A-4.

Chose A-4 but needed more space, obviously! :-). The full piece was shared here.

At a later reflection stage, we discussed this moment. When I was asked to reflect on the reasons for my choice, I named a very practical one: A-4 (letter size) fits into my backpack and a laptop bag, so I can carry it easily. I thought about it later, and realized there was another reason, or even habit, which I picked up through the years of teaching and training: using less paper, when possible, or not using any at all. Opting for paperless solutions, planning material-light activities, ‘going green’, and developing ‘eco-awareness’. 

And what about the interpretation part of the paper size? In general, choosing a larger piece for a collage is seen as a need to express oneself more fully and openly, and possibly, to expand, go ‘beyond the situation’ or current context. Opting for the ‘standard’ size may mean that a person is used to limiting oneself, or prefers safe and familiar solutions. But… there is no ‘general’ in working with people: each of us is unique, with our own experience and context, and what we do depends on so many factors. It is exciting to explore them! 

I later heard that there is a term ‘ecological approach’ in therapy, and I thought it was about eco-awareness. I doubted that art therapy is particularly ‘eco-friendly’ in its style, as paper is actively used for making arts and crafts in sessions with clients. Quoting this Good Therapy blog post

An ecological approach recognises the wisdom inherent in all human beings. It focuses on the whole person and the experiences that have shaped and influenced them. It celebrates a person’s will and their ability to adapt and survive a lifetime of challenges.

Beautiful idea, which I think many of my teacher and trainer colleagues would agree with. Another proof of how much we can learn by looking beyond the surface and our assumptions, or by asking questions. 

Finally, my most recent insight (about the paper size, too): professionally, I value flexibility, ‘mobility’, speed, and creativity. Using smaller paper sizes, such as pocket notebooks, or even Post-it note pieces, allows me to use various techniques more flexibly. I don’t depend on the location or don’t need to carry a large set of materials around. We can spend 15 minutes on the ‘micro-product’, and have a productive discussion afterward. We can also do more than one in a session, and possibly, a client would want to try something similar in their own time and space. I shared one example in a recent post about my daily micro-journal activity. 

The largest piece is A-1 (594 x 841 mm). The landscape sketch is A-3, and the black one is A-4, the girl picture is A-5, and the smaller ones are close to A-6.

Hopefully, this would not stay at an idea level only: we need to produce our own art therapy exercise as out end of course art-therapy project. I think I know what I would like to explore in mine: micro-genre activities, easy to implement, carry around, and share.

I am learning more about art therapy, becoming more aware of the rationale for various activities, the way how materials and tools can help people achieve their goals or satisfy their needs. I start to like A-3 size much more. I now know how powerful it can be to have more creative space, and the importance of trying something ‘less attractive’ and experience something new.

What’s your favorite paper size and why? How does/might your preference impact the planning choices in the classroom? And in your life?

‘But Blogging is Old-Fashioned!’

I am grateful to my readers: for the ‘likes’ and comments under the posts, the warm private messages about this blog, and for answering my questions. I realized, after sharing my thoughts about the ‘ELT Supervision’ meeting idea, that the tone and mood of that post might have been too dark or depressing. This is not the case, at least not at the moment: I feel lots of energy, and new ideas keep coming. Getting back to this blog is my way of structuring my thinking and sharing how I am (hopefully!) building a new professional activity in my working story. 

This blog is my safe space, on the one hand, and an open reflection lounge, on the other. I can invite you to think along with me, without the pressure of reacting or responding. My urge to write things out is pushing me to take a risk and take these texts out of the quiet comfort of my notebooks. My search for ‘soul mates’ prompts me to share this transition with others so that you could share a similar experience or a piece of advice. It may also appear that some of you are considering changes and looking for someone to talk to. In this case, let’s get in touch!

And yet, I have lots of doubts about writing this often: do you feel annoyed every time there is a new post from me in your inbox or WP Reader? Do the posts’ themes feel irrelevant to you and your context? What exactly am I offering to the readers checking Wednesday Seminars updates? 

One piece of feedback I received was that writing on WP means keeping the texts away from the other (more popular, more accessible, more visited!) social media channels. To add a comment here, people need to register, and this is too much in the world with no extra minutes to spend. I must say I agree with this, and I am considering being more active on LinkedIn, for example. But… to me, platforms like LinkedIn are spaces to share success, achievements, and results. A place to impress others, to show how wonderful you are as a professional. At times of learning and transition, it may be harder to go there. 

For now, I will add short entries here, and they will reflect the patchwork of my thoughts and questions: about Art-Therapy, Existential Analysis and Logotherapy, blending them both with education, and crafting a new professional activity I am searching for. To make it a little closer to classroom experiences, I will shape some of the texts into the ‘It’s in (Y)Our Hands’ activity form. 

Picture taken at PinchukArtCentre in Kyiv, Ukraine, in January 2022.

Is blogging old-fashioned? Maybe so. Just as paperbacks, newspapers, and zine books. Or maybe, blogs are the ‘New Zines’ brought online? 

Do you read any blogs these days? Do you keep writing yours? How is the ‘post-pandemic’ writing, learning and sharing similar or different to the world you we knew before 2020? 

Thank you for reading!

Firsts (Activity 95)

Do you remember the very first time you entered a classroom as a teacher? 

I taught the very first lesson in a public middle school in my native Dnipro in Ukraine almost 25 years ago. I was about to turn 20, and my students were 14-15 years old. Those of you who know me in person might have heard the story: how afraid I felt the night before the lesson and even called my friend looking for moral support. Instead, he reminded us how we, being middle-school students, ‘tested’ new teachers by misbehaving and even (sadly!) ruining their lessons.

My first lesson was okay, but I can’t remember any single activity from it. We had a Music classroom for the lessons at the end of the long hallway. When I asked for any directions or teaching recommendations, I was told to do what I thought ‘needed to be done’ to motivate the students to learn some English. I felt lucky and took it as permission to experiment. 

As a third-year college student, full of enthusiasm and fresh memories of ‘what school should not be like’, I enjoyed those classes. We had ‘home reading’ sessions and read an abridged version of Stevenson’s ‘Treasure Island’ book chapter by chapter, with a variety of activities. We loudly role-played scenes from the book (well, we were far from any other classrooms to disturb other teachers), and I think all of us had fun. The kids were sweet, and even though they seemed to plan on skipping my lesson one morning, as the girls reported, all of them showed up. I have fond memories of the group.

In my list of ‘It’s in (Y)Our Hands’ activities, this one is number 95. If you are thinking of trying it in your lesson, it can take about 10-30 minutes, depending on how much discussion you would like to have. I am sharing these illustrations instead of instructions, and hope they are self-explanatory.

If students (or teachers) feel like developing a story into a piece of writing, they can pick a skill or activity and use. As a brief pre-writing activity, they can add notes asking and answering Wh-Questions about the memory. 

As a follow-up and reflection, you can ask the following questions: 

1. Which activities from the list were ‘Once and Only’ for you (in other words, you tried them only once in your life)? Think about the reasons for not trying again.
2. For you, how important is it to be successful at something from the very beginning?
3. Which of the activities have become your favourite, or even ‘second nature’? 
4. Which of the activities from the other group members (or your teacher) would you like to try yourself?
5. What can people learn from trying something new for the first time? 

An ELT Supervision Meeting

The full title would say: ‘An ELT Supervision Meeting I Need but Don’t Know How to Arrange’, or something along the lines. To give you a fuller picture, I will briefly describe my ELT path so far. So…

I have been in teaching and education since 1999 when I gave the very first lesson in a public middle school in Ukraine. Later that year I took my TEFLA Course (aka CELTA) with International House Kyiv and had official skillset permission to teach communicatively. I joined an IH school in our city and prepared and planned about 10,000 hours in 6 years. I became the Director of Studies (and later the Director for Teacher Education and Development), learned that management is not what I liked, and got a teacher training license with World Learning/SIT Graduate Institute. This new path helped me travel to many places and meet wonderful colleagues worldwide. The role I acquired later was called ‘Trainer of Trainers’ and was about helping new trainers to get started. Between projects and trips, I would do some writing, curriculum design, presenting and co-organizing, facilitating Reflective Practice Meetings, applying for grants, and writing this blog.

Training online started a long time ago for me as well: in 2006, I took a course with the International House World Organisation called IHCOLT (Certificate in Online Tutoring), and it gave me a great advantage of seeing how discussion forums and learning at your own pace can make a difference. Between 2009 and 2012, I facilitated several fully online and blended versions of the IHCTYL, or International House Certificate in Teaching Younger Learners and Teenagers.

In 2020, just before the pandemic hit the world, there were two important professional development events in my life: the first one was a PCELT course for teachers in Kuwait, where I worked with two new trainers and one new Trainer of Trainers (ToT). Yes, you read it right: it was my honor and opportunity to work as a mentor, or rather, a learning peer, to a wonderful colleague becoming the regional ToT, or Trainer Coach, helping new trainers, and facilitating courses in several countries. The second event was a World Learning TESOL Symposium in Washington, D.C., where I was invited to share experiences and ideas as a local partner, with a perspective to further develop WL-facilitated projects in Ukraine ‘on the ground’.

Well, I don’t need to explain how many plans and initiatives were corrected and changed by what followed: the pandemic (2020-21) and the war (2022 – ??). Covid-19 closed borders and brought learning, teaching, and training online (or into ‘live-session’ mode, in many cases). The war made Ukrainians change their priorities and often, mindset, worldview, and life goals.

So, you may wonder: what was the ‘ELT Supervision’ in the title about? Well, while I am able and skilled in online work settings, I am not a huge fan of the whole teaching/training process being fully on the screen, via Zoom (or other platforms), and at a distance. While I understand how getting online can reduce costs, I see certain drawbacks in the process and outcomes (which could grow into a new post, so I will stop here!)

Photo by Helena Lopes on Pexels.com

Having had my first art-therapy supervision meeting earlier this week made me want a similar meeting for the ‘ELT’ part of me. My [imaginary] Supervisor could spend an hour with me talking about the current challenges in my ELT roles, and together, we could discuss possible ways to answer my questions. We could think about the pros and cons of staying in ELT, combining ELT and Psychology, leaving the field and starting fresh, or even… creating a somewhat new field. Ideally, this person would have also had an experience of either interrupting their long and varied ELT career, or U-Turning, changing their role completely, and doing something very different now. Or leaving and coming back. 

This idea wanted to be shared with you, readers of this blog. I think it is somehow easier (to me, at least) to write ‘success stories’ and share what I was able to create or achieve. Thank you for reading my ‘December Writing’ posts, and if they touch on some of the questions or thoughts you also have, let me know in the comments!

P.S. If you know someone who can be my ‘ELT Supervisor’, do let me know! If it is YOU, please get in touch! 🙂

P.P.S. In Psychology and Psychotherapy, there is another meeting type: Intervision. In such meetings, peers learn from each other, and share challenges, insights, techniques, and ideas. Does it sound familiar, Reflective Practice Group or Community of Practice facilitators and attendees? I am grateful that such a group exists in my life, and hope to write more about our 2023 experiences later this month!

Exclamation Marks: a Micro-genre Activity

According to Wikipedia, a microgenre is a very specialized genre of music, literature, film, and art. As a teacher, I value time, and I try to consider how it can be used well as a resource. I sometimes ‘feel’ the time, and it becomes tangible to me. Yes, I hear you thinking it is my ‘déformation professionnelle’! Professional Deformation is a term used to describe how the job we are doing changes our behaviour and thinking patterns, or even distorts us a little, and how we don’t notice this when we are with colleagues). To satisfy this part of me, I am always on the lookout for some exciting but short classroom ideas to experiment with. Even not being in the classroom as such recently, thinking about these simple ideas is what I like. 

Let me share an example. Earlier this year I was looking for a quick and efficient start for my writing and online training day. I needed something creative and easy to do, but at the same time exciting and fun. It had to be a task for no more than 2-3 minutes of my time. Less was fine, longer was not accepted.

With the Art Therapy course I have been taking, and with my search for practicing creativity, I had an idea. Every morning, I drew one small exclamation mark, visualising the main task for the day. I was using the colours I felt ‘right’ for me at the moment, and trusted my hand to come up with a new pattern, shape, or even size of the picture. 

I noticed how much this small activity gave me at the beginning of a work day: I felt more focused, refreshed, alert and concentrated. The fun part was to turn the page over immediately and not to look at what I had. I basically forgot about the picture as soon as it was created, and went on with writing or responding to course participants’ assignments and forums. 

A fun fact: when my 6-year-old nephew was visiting us, I decided to share the idea with him. He listened very attentively to the idea, and took it seriously. I asked him to predict how many I could draw, and when I saw the pile in my hand he started… laughing very happily! His reaction prompted me to share the pictures on social media, and it was warmly welcomed. 

I wonder if there is something more in this small technique: could it be done at the end of the day instead, as a kind of journaling task? Does the paper size matter in this case (mine was 9×12 cm, but it could also be an A-5 or A-6 pieces, with more time to spend on the drawing process)? What materials could be used? I had pencils and markers on my desk and I did not take the choice of materials seriously. I wonder if paints would make it much harder in terms of logistics (getting water and brushes, etc.) but at the same less predictable. Or perhaps crayons could bring a variety of lines and patterns. Instead of exclamation marks, those cold be question marks (Readers may remember my 2020 creative micro-project.) There could be other objects that are easy to replicate, e.g., pencils (for writing/writers, for example), umbrellas (for planners who need to see a bigger picture of a project), windows, mugs, buttons, and many more. 

What (micro-genre) ideas come to your mind when you are reading these lines? Is there anything you would like to try out with your students, teachers, or by yourself? 

Activity 162: Grow Your Tree

Have you ever asked your students to draw a tree and tell a story about it? Or perhaps used a tree outline as a mind map, for example (a trunk of ideas, branches as bigger areas, leaves as examples, fruits as results, etc.)? Or perhaps as a metaphor or analogy for power, resilience, protection, kindness, learning, life, and many more? 

Even before I got into Art Therapy, I had my favourite activities that worked great in many different contexts. The Confidence Tree Activity is one of the ‘all-timers’ for me, and while I am not teaching or training at the moment, I use it from time to time. 

In my post yesterday I mentioned that I learned it from the book, but I checked today and it was not from there. I can’t name the author, but I remember observing a training session in Daegu, Korea. My co-trainer was Wilma, and this photo in our earlier post is a proof 🙂

Trainer Conversation with Wilma Luth

These are the stages of this activity as my memory holds it. I hope my readers can correct inaccuracies and add extra ideas in the comments!

1. Introduction/Lead-in. People sometimes plant trees when there is an important event or change happening in their lives. Some examples can be getting married, having baby in the family, losing a family member, and other situations. Sometimes there are smaller changes, such as a new job, a challenging project, or learning a new skill. These events may shake our confidence, and we may need support. The support can come from others, and it can also come from within. 

2. Example. We can grow a tree of self-support and reflection, our own Confidence Tree that would help us stay strong and resilient in the face of a challenge. Let me give you an example. At this stage, the facilitator is drawing own Tree and explaining each step with their own situation and context. Choose something relevant, e.g., if it is a training course for teachers learning to work with kids, you can recall how you prepared for the first lesson, or if you are working with new managers, look back at the very first team you were leading, etc. Start drawing from the bottom and ‘grow’ the tree upwards. If this is done online, prepare a slide with a tree and go through the parts, from bottom to top. 

My example can be taken from the post I shared yesterday: preparing to step into a new role of an art-therapist.

The roots will be the core values or beliefs that won’t change over time (or at least the ones you see as more fundamental in your life). Mine were described in this old post, and having skimmed through it now, I still agree with the ideas there.

The trunk will be the Whole You as a human-being. To represent this, you can write your name in it. 

The big branches will show the experiences, or competency areas you have had in your career so far. Such examples can be teaching, training, writing, and they can also be additional skills you have. Your choice would much depend on the topic for the session, and the needs of the audience. 

The leaves can show some concrete places where your experience took place, OR the challenges you overcome in this or that area. Alternatively, you can draw smaller branches for the places and then leaves for the experiences that helped you grow in each area. 

3. Participants or students work on their trees individually.

Be mindful of time: the more detailed you example is, the more questions participants could have about it (right, you wanted them to be curious!), and the more detailed their products will become. Depending on the time on your hands, and the engagement level, this session can turn into two. 

If someone in your audience says they can’t draw, or don’t feel comfortable doing it, suggest an easier version by drawing a hand and arm outline and using it as a tree template. 

4. (Optional Stage) Working in pairs, describing own trees, listening to the partner. Comparing the trees, sharing the most significant challenge faced and overcome. Possibly, offering ideas on what else can be added into the ‘possible experiences’, learning from each other. If this is done online, think of Breakout Room time in 2s or 4s, depending on the class size. 

5. Wrapping up: What has your tree taught you? How can your tree help you in the new stage of your life/new project, etc.? Can it grow further? What else would you like to share? 

As a visual follow up, if your are teaching in a physical classroom, you can ask students to place their tree on the wall or on the board, for a class picture. If the lesson or session is taught online, you can either ask them to hold the poster with a tree in front of the cameras for a class picture, or ask to add the picture to the profile photo and do the same. 

What else can you use the Tree Metaphor for? I can think of Gratitude Trees, Resource Trees, Achievement Trees, and many more. As you can ‘grow’ your trees, you can grow the ‘class garden’ or ‘school forest’, etc. The examples I am sharing are from my art-therapy sessions as a client, all produced earlier this year.

Me as a Tree. March 2023.

My Resource Tree. April 2023.

My support and community.

What would grow out of your heart if it was a seed? What would you like to plant there? I can’t remember where I heard these questions but I find them inspiring and interesting to think about. It may be a new lesson topic, or a journal entry at this time of the year, when we observe the end of a calendar year and plan something new. 

P.S. You have probably heard about The House-Person-Tree Personality Test (initially created in 1949). If you have done it before, how can you use it in a lesson? If you have not, draw a tree of your own on an A-4 or A-3 piece of paper, and check the part about Tree in the article below.

Practical Psychology. (2020, April). The House-Person-Tree Personality Test. Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/house-person-tree-test/.

My First Supervision Meeting

Today I met with my Art-Therapy Supervisor for the first time. 

It was interesting to initiate, prepare for, and reflect on the meeting. Supervision meetings are important for psychologists and therapists as they offer support and guidance, especially when professionals are new (to the problem, or context, or – like myself – are making their first steps in the field). My main question was to discuss if there is a demand for the skills I have (briefly: yes!), and ask for ideas and suggestions about ways I could get started. 

While I would have loved to enjoy more learning and reflecting time before ‘diving into action’, I agree that learning from experience can teach much more than reading. Well, it sounds very familiar for someone like me doing teacher training for the whole past decade 🙂

The first question I was asked is how I see my potential art-therapy work. I described a dream scenario, which is facilitating groups of (young) adults helping them to activate or (re)discover their self-support and abilities to focus on inner resources and strength, reduce stress, develop coping skills and resilience. 

The second question to discuss was my fears or doubts about getting started. Among the ideas I could think about were my lack of relevant experience (the transition time between education and art therapy work), knowledge gap (as I am now in the middle of the course), and as a result, lower confidence level and being careful with what I can help with, or promise my potential customers. 

The third question to answer was about my previous work experience and expertise. I had to make a list of competencies and skills I think I have, even if they are not fully related to the new area. These were the items in my list: 

• experience in teaching adults (language teaching, teacher training)
• language teaching experience (kids and adults, groups and one-on-one classes)
• facilitating learning online and face-to-face
• international and intercultural teaching, training, team-leading, and project coordinating roles
• management experience (as an academic director/DoS at a language school)
• freelancing/independent work
• ELT-related coaching and consulting
• organising and facilitating professional development events of different scale
• creative approach to tasks and projects (inventing exercises, activities, tasks, etc.)

(I can also add Reflective Practice skills). 

This is the part I think I needed most in the meeting today: to notice how these skills can (all) be used in the new field.

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com

The next question was more of a suggestion and advice: what if I start my group practice with teachers as my audience? This looks and sounds obvious, taking into account my previous experience, right? It ‘clicked’ today: I can do more research and reading on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), Trauma-Informed Teaching, and Psycho-Education. These can be the topics to offer a group training on. Quite possibly, I actually have something to share with others. 

My homework for the coming month is to plan a short course for teachers. These will be 4 meetings each focusing on a set of self-support exercises, an art-therapy technique, reflection, and insight collection. Would you imagine taking a course like this yourself? 

P.S. While making my list, I was reminded of my old-time favorite Confidence Tree Activity from the Mentor Courses: A Resource Book for Trainer-Trainers by Angi Malderez and Caroline Bodsczky (Cambridge Teacher Training and Development). Generally, a metaphor of a tree is truly rich and can be used in various ways in our classroom or training room. Do you have a favourite way for it? I hope to share a separate post about it in the coming weeks.

Bridging Art Therapy Course and Teaching

As the readers of this blog might know, I started learning Art Therapy. The full 460-hour course I am now taking is called Art Therapy Theory and Practice: Variety of Approaches, and it is offered by the Ukrainian Art-Therapy Association.

The first part took place between November 2022 and October 2023 is the Foundational Course, and happened in seven face-to-face modules over this year. Each module lasted for 3 full days of group work, often with some homework to prepare, and meetings or online lectures in-between. 

During the course, I was wearing lots of ‘hats’, in other words, was thinking about the content and ideas from different perspectives: What am I learning about myself? How can these ideas help me make my future professional decisions? Is there anything the teacher and trainer in me can ‘borrow’ for the future courses? Etc. As you can see, the learning has been multi-dimensional, and I would like to share some of my insights during this December Writing Challenge series of posts. 

I will share some notes I took and explain how and why I can see their application or potential. Looking back at my learning from the first module, I will ‘bridge’ it with an ELT classroom by adding possible questions or insights.

1) Breaking ice: During the first meeting, ask people (students, teachers, clients) to make an abstract drawing, or a simple collage, but not ask to draw or paint something more concrete. The main reason is that some people believe they can’t draw, and can feel uncomfortable when there is a task do this in a group setting. It made me reflect on one of my all-time favourite Ice-Breaker ‘A Window into Self’ I used to offer on the first day of a face-to-face training. A seemingly simple idea to draw a schematic picture of one’s favourite or important (places, people, goals, etc.) was wonderful to many participants, but clearly, not for all. Questions to self: Is it always important to offer comfortable activities in the classroom? How can we measure or control the level of (desirable) discomfort? How can we offer some choice to the people we are with?

2) Closure: at the end of Day 1, ask everyone to reflect on the experience and share a metaphor or analogy that comes to mind, with or without explanation. In my notebook, I can see a sketch of a road and a suitcase, and a note saying: ‘I feel as if I have just started a long journey. A vacation.’ The other people were sharing very different images, e.g., a plate of fruits, a bunch of flowers, a calm lake, etc. I think this can be a simple and short closure of the day for everyone, and some food for thought for the facilitator. Questions to self: Had I used this simple activity before? What can be a small task for the listeners (e.g., draw an image you feel is important to you)? What can be a short follow-up after everyone shares (e.g., adding something to the picture you first created)? Could it be a meeting starter, not a wrap up (e.g., share how you feel, or what you brought to the meeting, or what you would like to find an answer for, etc.)?

3) A Collage can be a wonderful variation to drawing or painting and still work with images and emotions. In simple terms, collage is an artistic piece made by sticking materials on paper or cardboard. These materials can be photographs, magazine pictures, pieces of paper or fabric. A question I had was about the way the materials we bring for this session impact the choices and even emotions people creating a collage may experience: are the magazines, for example, reflect or reinforce any socio-cultural stereotypes and assumptions (e.g., women’s magazines, travel magazines, display ads, etc.)? What are some pros and cons of letting students/clients to bring their own materials for collage making? [Note to self: I’d like to write another post about using collage in the classroom, as I think it has a huge potential for various activities.]

4) When working in pairs or small groups, we were reminded to treat each other’s work (e.g., a picture or collage, etc.) with respect, by asking for permission to touch or relocate the products during the discussion. The work people produce is an extension of who they are, and we don’t know about the meaning and sense they associate with this product. It was interesting how this simple reminder became my new habit in everyday life. I don’t know if it is more about the culture we are from, but I had never been conscious and even careful with other people’s possessions. 

5) This quote was important to me: ‘Under pressure, you don’t rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training’. After my brief search, I can see it is attributed to the Navy SEALs, or Greek philosophers. Interestingly, in the conditions of the ongoing war in Ukraine, and in the context of our course, these words were more than relevant. We were reminded to practice breathing, grounding, and centering techniques not just under stress, but at the calm moments. So that the techniques became our habits, skills, second nature. So that we could use them under pressure, ‘sinking’ to the level of our training. It reminded me of how I was trying to explain to the language learners that in the stress of an actual presentation or important negotiations, they may be more stressed than in the classroom, and their L2 confidence may ‘let them down’. The same applied to working with new teachers and helping them overcome the stress of the very first lesson in their lives, or stepping into a new job. Practicing more in the safe and supportive environment can’t be overestimated.

Do any points in the list resonate with you? Seem obvious? Remind you of anything you were recently thinking about?

Thank you for reading!

Activity Idea: Why or What for?

This blog keeps record of different ideas and projects. Some of them were a celebration of success, some were just ideas, and some were left unfinished. ‘It’s in (Y)Our Hands‘, a collection of reflection activities using a hand template, is one of my abandoned ideas.

We on Day 647 today, and I don’t think having this many activities of one type would be interesting. I stopped adding to the list here a long while ago but I am still collecting ideas in my notebooks. I also use them when I think the situation is relevant, and would like to share one with you.

Last year, before the start of the first three-day module of our Foundational Course in Art Therapy and Psychotherapy, I had to complete a couple of forms and surveys. One of the assignments was writing a short essay about the reasons I would like to take the course. As a brainstorming act, and as an attempt to ‘loop input’ what my work in education can look like, I drafted this in my hand outline.

It was much easier to create an essay having this draft, and it reminded me about one of the activity titles in the list: Activity 12: Five Whys. ‘Why’-s, or ‘What for’-s? Is there a difference? The most simple way to look at it is thinking of ‘Why’ as looking into Past, and ‘What for’ as imagining the future. ‘Why’ can be about the reasons, and ‘What for’ describes the purpose. For this essay, I needed both, so I see them as a mix now.

I see a certain potential in not making them 100% clear for the other person to interpret. If there is a gap in understanding, there can be more curiosity and urge to talk to each other.

By the way, can you guess what was in my draft? I hope yes, but let me write the list to compare, from left to right):

1. An official qualification, a course certificate, awarded by the Ukrainian Art-Therapy Association, allowing me to help clients in Ukraine. I have not yet decided whether I want to get started in this area, and this ‘December Writing’ process should hopefully help me figure it out. What I am fully aware of is how easier it is to express pain or strong emotion through arts, not words. 
2. Game element, creativity, which I firmly believe in when I teach or train. Art Therapy adds a lot of ideas, materials, techniques and tools to my repertoire. [A note from me in 2023: Not only ‘games’ in this approach, and much more holistic and powerful impact than I had imagined while making this draft!]
3. Application in teaching and training, or other educational group setting, is an excellent platform for experimenting and creating new activities. This would, by the way, be our final project this year.
4. I myself love the process of creating a simple artistic product and then reflecting on how it shows something about my emotions, feelings, life story or challenges. I love the element of surprise a pleasant process of creating can bring, and how learning from this experience can be meaningful and deep. 
5. I was, and I still am, curious about so many things in Art Therapy, and have a lot of questions to the peers, tutors, supervisors, and myself. The exciting part is that the process has different elements (lectures and practical sessions, individual and group therapy sessions, supervision meetings, homework and practice assignments, reading, and lots, lots of reflection). 

As I am writing this and thinking about an ELT application for the activity, I wonder if students can share a similar set of reasons or ‘what-fors’ before they start a new course, for example, and then get back to it in the mid-point or at the end, checking what was (not) achieved, what new items can be added and what can be already removed as ‘done’. The process worked for me as an essay brainstorm time, so could help you or your students.

What do you think of this idea? (And did you guess all the items in my drawings?) 🙂

Thank you for reading!

December Writing Challenge

After more than a year of silence I think I am ready to be back to writing. I started this blog ten Decembers ago, and I feel this is a strong motivator to reflect on how things are on my end these days,  professionally and personally. 

Winter 2023, Latvia

Visiting Family

My country has been in an active and cruel war for the last 92 weeks. I feel lucky for so many reasons: my family members are all safe and in good health. I am living in a place that is about 800 kilometers away from the active combat. I have been able to work online through all the 20+ months of war. I was also able to become a student again and get deeper into Psychology, continue running and exercise, and support/donate to volunteering initiatives and events. 

Spring 2023

Summer 2023

I don’t want to be using this War as an excuse for not writing. It was a needed pause to step back and think about the work I am doing, or want to be doing. Have I ever shared how my career seems to somehow depend on ‘Eleven Years’ milestone? For example, I worked at International House in my native Dnipro between 1999 and 2010, teaching English, then managing a Young Leaner Department, becoming the Director of Studies and Professional Development Coach, etc. I then actively freelanced as a teacher trainer/educator, new trainer coach, course and curriculum desinger, online or face-to-face, between 2010 and 2021. I first thought that the COVID-19 pandemic would ‘break’ this continuum, but managed (as many colleagues I know) to fully switch online. And then 24 February 2022 brought a new challenge. 

The pause in writing was initially forced caused by power cuts and (partial, thankfully) blackouts Ukraine experienced last winter, between October 2022 and February 2023. In the two 4-hour slots of time when we knew we would have electricity in our area all the work online had to be done, and other life matters managed. I had never realized how much we depend on electricity, and how noticeable its absence would be. So anything that could be postponed had to be postponed, and blogging was one of such things to me. After the pause of several months, I decided to give myself a longer writing break. 

Fall 2023. Feeling nostalgic, thinking of Asia.

December 2023

I am now in the process of figuring out what my Next Eleven Years could look like professionally. To do this, I plan to put together the various pieces of my ‘patchwork’ of projects and activities in the past years, and brainstorm some possible strategies or ideas for the future. Ten years ago I started this space and wanted to post every day in December. I think I did 16 out of 31 then, and would like to do better this time. 

I don’t know if anyone is still reading this blog, but if you do… thank you! 

P.S. Life is going on, no matter what. The pictures in this post are used to illustrate that.

Community of Practice, or Reflective Group: Questions

As someone who believes in the importance of trying a task you set out to others (students or teachers), I would like to share my answers to the Discussion Forum Questions for CoP (Community of Practice) Group Leaders based in Libya. Each of them is an experienced teacher and trainer, passionate about CPD and eager to contribute to the community of teachers around them. My role in this pilot project is to help them gain skills and confidence in being the leaders of their own groups. Most of them have already started and even had several meetings, and some are still in the planning stage. (if I get a permission, I will share more information about this exciting project, I promise!)

In my answers I am focusing on our group in Ukraine which paused in 2020 (and is still on pause in this time of the war in Ukraine). One of my (secret?) goals for posting my answers here is to perhaps get us re-unite and re-start the group, in a new look and with a new(er) purpose. If I have the courage to share it with the group members in Dnipro, I will.

So…

1. What motivates (motivated) you to be a CoP Group Leader? > > My strong belief in the power of reflective, creative and critical thinking, and the idea that teachers can be autonomous in their development and growth, teaching their learners to become independent thinkers.
2. If you have started your own group, tell us about the members. Who are the teachers? How many of them are in the group? Where do they work? > > In the meetings, we had about 4-10 teachers, and in our group on Messenger, there were about 20 people. Teachers came from very different contexts: some taught in private language schools, some were self-employed, or working in a specific company with employees. Here is an older post sharing more about the group.
3. What motivates (motivated) the members to join your group? > > I think it was curiosity, desire to develop, the idea of having meaningful focused conversations  with colleagues, and a desire to belong to a cool community.
4. How do you see the aims/goals of your CoP Group? > > Actually, my answer is similar to what I said in #1. In other words, we were trying out a different (alternative) form of CPD, where teachers have more time and space to think about the ideas (as opposed to having more ideas or ‘content’)
5. How do you imagine your CoP Group in a year from now (that is, in the summer of 2023)? > > This is a tough question for me now, as the Ukrainian educational context, or anything in Ukraine now, is very different during the war time. There is no certainty if the new academic year begins online or in person (although the big plan is to have kids back to school on 1 September), and many of our group members are abroad at the moment (saving their families, kids and parents from the war). Many (if not all?) keep teaching distantly, but most likely, they don’t have energy or space for the active professional development right now. For a lot of them, helping Ukraine is priority # 1. Having said all this, I wonder if the year ahead can be crucial for us all to see the role we can play in the Ukrainian education in these circumstances, and how (if at all) a group like this can be helpful. I imagine our group meeting again in the summer of next year, in an open-space cafe in our native city on the beautiful river Dnipro.
6. How many meetings have you already had? What were the topics of those meetings?  How did you come up with the meeting topics? > > We were meeting for 3 full school years once a month, and you can see a summary of all the topics on this page (scroll to Discussion Topics, linking to a more specific list in other posts). The topics were often suggested by the members, and we took turns in facilitating the meetings. The first year (about 10 meetings) I facilitated all of them myself.
7. What have your successes as a CoP Group Leader been so far? > > Even though the project is on a pause, this experience was something I am genuinely proud of. We had amazing discussions, we bonded together as a community, and we ended up offering teacher gatherings for colleagues from our city and beyond. Most importantly, people keep in touch even now, even though many of us are in different parts of the country, or the world.
8. What challenges have you faced working with your group? > > At first, it was harder to explain the idea of the group for someone who joined. It did not work for everyone, and sometimes, the attendance was not ‘perfect’. There is a summary of more obstacles in this post. Since the post was written before 2020, it does not mention the pandemic and the need/push to switch online. We only had a couple of online meetings, and realized it was hard to spend yet another hour in front of the screen. So this was one challenge which our group did not overcome.
9. How can our CoP Community here help you overcome the challenges, learn to be a confident, successful CoP Group Leader, and bring your group to the vision you shared in question 4?* > > This question is very specific to the project. In 2016, I did not have a ‘formal’ community to work with, but had several colleagues who were leading similar groups in a different part of the world. They were kind to share the process of their meetings, the topics they came up with, and useful tips for getting started.
10. (ask your question) > > I’d like to ask my blog readers if a similar initiative/community of practice (reflective practice group) is something they have tried in their contexts. What worked, and what did not? What advice would you give yourself if you were talking to yourself in the past and helping to create a group of this kind? And if you would like to share your answers to some or all the questions above, it would be an amazing learning for the wonderful colleagues I am starting to work with.

Taken in December 2021 when I last visited Dnipro. In my mind, still winter there. In all Ukraine since 24 Feb 2022…

Thank you for reading!

P.S. Members of RP Dnipro, whenever you are reading this post, I am wishing you strength, resilience and energy. Ukraine will win. Слава Україні! (and big hugs!)

Activity 70: Haiku Attempt

Last week I was listening to the recording of this inspiring webinar delivered by  Claire Steele and Sarah Smith. The topic was ‘What’s Creativity in the Classroom?‘ My plan is to watch it again (more than once), as there are several fantastic ideas for teaching and training. Thank you British Council for the generous sharing, and for offering more of such sessions between April and November 2022. Can’t wait!

One of the activities was creating a Haiku Poem, which I first drafted during the session. This morning I was cleaning my kitchen and thought about that activity, in a slightly different light. Then I thought about my ‘It’s All in (Y)Our Hands‘ project, and I shaped it differently.  Can you guess the steps of the activity I have in mind?

I know, I know, not an easy guess (reminds me of the many times I said in class that an activity called ‘Guess-what’s-in-my-head‘ does not lead anywhere…).

The activity steps could be the following:

1. Find an object in the room you are in (something that stands out to you for any reason): in my case, this was a plant.

2. Draft a simple haiku poem.(This part very much depends on how familiar everyone is with this format, and an example or two can be created all together. If you decide to go deeper and learn more about creating a haiku, I can easily see the whole lesson planned around this activity.)

Mine say this (all true story):

Leaving Ukraine, Mom

Left this small plant in my room.

Hope we win this war.

3. Editing/proofreading time.

4. (optional) Peer reading/editing.

5. Design time: with the help of your Hand Outline, draw the Object you were writing about. This step is a curiosity point for me, and a pure experiment, as it worked with my plant (well, sort of, as you may not have been able to see a plant in the picture above 🙂 ) 

6. Share/Publish time (the way you like it). I’d be very curious to see what students can come up with. I secretly believe that our students are much more creative than we teachers are. That’s a theory to test of course. 

7. Reflection Time (possibly, combined with step 6): read about the genre of Haiku, decide if what is created meets the criteria. Add 1-2 more variations to what you (or your peers) created. Keep a ‘haiku journal’ for a week (or as homework for the next lesson). Translate your haiku into L1. Brainstorm several more reflection ideas…

Thank you for reading, and #StandWithUkraine!

P.S. Life is relatively calm where I am but the War affected people in many other regions of Ukraine. You can support my country by learning about what is going on, sharing the truth, and donating if you choose to. This site is called Defenders of Freedom and it is sharing stories of Ukrainians.

P.P.S. Here is the plant I was talking about in my example. 

Activity 57: What Keeps You Alive?

I was listening to an interview this morning (this is the recording on a YouTube) It is in Ukrainian and for Ukrainians who like me need such conversations and support at the time of this war. This time Andriy Kozinchuk, a military psychologist, among other questions, answered this one: What makes you feel alive? 

The speaker mentioned emotional and whole-hearted reactions/responses to what is happening around him, savoring a cup of coffee (feeling the taste, the smell, etc.), spending time with the loved ones, being able to hug someone, crying over a touching animated cartoon, and being able to feel you are contributing to something important and worthwhile. 

Would my answers be the same? What makes me alive? How different would my answers be from my the fellow Ukrainians at this very moment? 

Spring is here, and it makes me alive!

Would your answers be the same? What about your students’ and colleagues’? Am I only asking these questions now because of the war in Ukraine? And only at the time of this war? And can all these (blue and brown) questions be used as a follow-up reflective pause if the activity is used in the classroom? How can changing the question from the activity title, just slightly, make the answers different? 

Last summer I bought a hard copy of Stefan Zweig’s essays (stories? journal pages?) called ‘The World of Yesterday’. Started reading it on the bus in August, thought it was so sad, irrelevant, disconnected with (my) reality. Well, I have been reading this book lately, and find it as important and meaningful as it can only be. Just yesterday these words caught my eye, and I would like to leave them here: 

“Only the person who has experienced light and darkness, war and peace, rise and fall, only that person has truly experienced life.”

Thank you for reading, and #StandWithUkraine!

P.S. When in doubt how to help Ukraine, donate to ‘Come Back Alive‘ (not only because the name of the NGO correlates with the activity title, but because they contribute to peace and democracy in Ukraine and around the world)

Activity 40: News Report

This idea for this activity kindly shared with me by my colleague from Serbia Svetlana Gavrilovic. In our conversations on this blog and emails we talked about ways to adapt it for different contexts and levels of English learners. Hopefully, it will be interesting for you to try (a version of it) out. 

[Note: this post is a part of my ‘It’s in (Y)Our Hands’ project, and you can learn more about it by visiting this page, reading this post, and browsing through the list of ideas.]

Image credit: from the Creative writing course for ELTA Teachers, November 2015.

The goal/aim of this writing activity is to provide the readers with information about what’s happening in the world/country/city. Students are learning to create a single piece of news item, which will focus on a specific event that has just happened.

Svetlana got the idea on one of the course she took part in, and then adapted it to the classes she taught. These are possible activity steps: 

1. Headline of the actual/local new item, asking students to brainstorm the purpose of it (for this activity, the news)
2. Brainstorming questions a good news item would usually address (the Wh- Questions, as in the Hand Image above)
3. Predicting the answers to the questions (this can be done individually or in pairs, or even as a whole group with teacher making notes on the board/on the slide)
4. Group work and drafting the news story/report* (some variations can be a comic series, or a TV/YouTube Interview script). *This choice would certainly depend on the proficiency level of the learners, and how prepared they are for this type of task and familiar with the genre of writing.
5. As an extension to this activity, the actual role play/interview can be arranged, and students can work on more input from the ‘parent’, ‘witness’, ‘government official’ or other contextually appropriate participants of the event being described. 

We also discussed the following points to focus on in this activity/lesson:

• the age of learners and its impact on the time they need to come up with the ideas, and the writing itself
• the nature of the news item they are writing: real or imaginary, for example
• comparing the news formats in L1/L2​ (some L1-s are quite different in their writing culture)​
• ​this activity can lead to a fantastic writing lesson​ (with Drafts 2 and even 3) where students create quality news pieces about their city (school, country, etc.) and maybe share with wider audience
• a question I now have is how we can modify the focus of writing/speaking in this activity by changing the ‘big’ question in #6 on the template: what if it is the ‘Why?’ that has the larger space? Or the ‘Who?’ 

I am grateful to Svetlana for the inspiration and conversation, and hope we can keep new ideas coming. 

As for the helping hand for Ukraine: I know I promised to share educational and cultural project links, however, there are more urgent needs that come up in the highly affected  areas. My amazing Ukrainian colleague Natasha is currently working with the team from Soborna Ukraine and they are running a campaign* to raise funds for these projects:

1. Providing the city of Mykholaiv with ten water drill wells.
2. Providing the city of Chernihiv with basic construction materials for restoration/renovation there.

*at the time of writing this post*

There is more information and donation options on the website.

Thank you for reading, and #StandWithUkraine.

Activity 13: How do you recharge (yourself)?

This is another post featuring an activity from my ‘It’s in (Y)Our Hands‘ series. There will be as many reflective activities with a Hand template as the days in the war in my country. Writing these posts and sharing some links to donate to is my humble way to #StandWithUkraine. 

As usual, you can use a hand outline (yours, or the student’s) as a writing template, with or without the questions I am offering. 

How do you recharge yourself? In response to this question you can make simple drawings showing what you do to regain your energy and/or spirit. You can think of your typical working day and analyze what kind of breaks may offer some energy to your body and mind. It may be helpful to imagine something active (something to do), e.g., reading, going for a walk, listening to music, etc.

If you are preparing this activity for a lesson, the pictures in your own example don’t need to be perfect or even 100% clear, so that students could have questions about them, and feel okay to make their own attempts. Ideally, students need to feel they can draw much better than you :-). It can also happen that people refuse to even try and draw something, so you can leave them a choice to write one-word answers, or ‘code’ them in some signs (you can see a question mark in mine, as one example). The more open they are to various interpretations, the better.

Here is my example (don’t judge to strictly!)

I personally used this activity as a quick ice-breaker for a meeting/session, and we had a brief breakout room chat where people talked about their preferred activities. There was no special follow-up, or even a summarizing word in the template. I’d add the word ‘you’ there now, asking to reflect on one’s own battery: what makes it ‘charged’? Does each activity give the same ‘percentage’ of energy? Which one(s) is/are planned for the coming week? 

Potentially, if there is time or mood for this, more reflection time can be spent discussing these questions: 

1. What do you notice about the activities you added to the template? > > For example, I can see that most of mine are ‘solo’ activities, and while it is hard to remember what exactly I meant by ‘?’, it could indicate creating, finding/discovering or answering interesting questions in conversations with others. 
2. Were you reminded of an activity that can re-charge your energy? Is there anything new that you would like to try out? 
3. Is there anything in common about the activities your peers chose? > > This question may lead to interesting insights about culture (Does everyone coming from the same culture chooses the same things to do?) or occupation (How are ways to recharge depend on the job we do, or the role we play at work?), etc. 

Other thoughts

I drafted this activity idea in January this year, well before the invasion began in Ukraine. Looking at the picture now I can see how easy it was to answer this question then. What changed in the past 42 days? To be honest, engaging in either of the ‘solo’ activities brought up some feeling of guilt (how can I even think to ‘recharge’ if everyone else is working so hard to help the country fight in the war, etc.) I can’t say it went away completely at this point, but I am learning to structure my day and insert some moments of those ‘energy recharges’. As for the questions on my mind… Answering them does not add energy any longer: many of them don’t have an answer at all. Many of the questions on my mind demand more energy, so my strategy now is to write them down and leave them aside. I may have the strength to share them here, but not now. 

What’s giving true energy to me these days is learning about the support the world is offering to Ukraine and Ukrainians. 

One example is Caroline McKinnon with her FELT Education team offering classes to refugees. Not only Ukraine as their mission is ’empowering an immigrant or refugee’ from around the globe, but from our conversation I know how much they are doing for the learners of English from my country. More information about this volunteer-based community and donation options are on the website. 

Thank you for reading my blog, and yes, #StandWithUkraine!

Activity 38: (Y)Our Critic’s Voice

As promised in my recent post, I will sharing my notes on ‘It’s in (Y)Our Hands‘ activities from time to time. For the activity, you can use a hand outline (yours, or the student’s) as a writing template, and a speaking follow-up. It can also work without the ‘hand’ just as well, I think.

So, who is the ‘Critic’ and what is his/her voice saying? I think you have heard the term ‘inner critic’ described as a part of our personality criticizing or diminishing what we are doing, or even ourselves. I don’t know about you, but I often hear this voice when I start something new. It gets especially loud if it is a ‘solo project’ of mine (e.g., planning a course, writing or organizing something, etc.) and it literally screams if this kind of project is more creative than work-related. As you may guess, this was the case with this blog, and even the ‘It’s in (Y)Our Hands’ activity series.

One thing I learned at a coaching session about Perfectionism is that we need to find ways to accept the Critic in our head, and (even!) to make friends with him/her. Having asked myself ‘What is the Critic (actually) saying?’ I started writing down what I ‘hear’, and actually thought it was fun. I would like to share the list with you:

1. The idea is too simple, even obvious. It’s not serious to be doing this!
2. The activities you are collecting need some research basis, which you don’t have.
3. No-one needs it, especially now. 
4. They are too ‘light’ (to the students, for example), and hold no intellectual challenge. Or any challenge. 
5. No-one cares about drawing in the digital world.

These can be easily arranged into a ‘Hand’ template. One fun part can be finding a picture of ‘Your Critic’s’ hand, if you or your students are crating a digital template. I’d use something like this for mine:

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Having written the list, the idea to go through it, read it several times (someone said reading it out loud was helpful) and… accept it. Imagine someone has said it to you in person, or wrote a comment on Social Media. Can you imagine how you would feel? How you would react?

It may sound weird, but this exercise may be a small motivation to actually get started on your project. Why? Well, you have already ‘heard’ the worst criticisms you imagined, and it is likely that others won’t be as ‘creative’ or critical to your work as you are to yourself. Also, some of the ideas from the list can offer a wonderful learning opportunity: for example, I may actually search for some research supporting the use of creative metaphors/analogy for classroom activities (note: I am doing this!) or ask someone who draw better than me for help with quality template (note: there are many, many people who drew better than me!)

As a follow up, you may want to write some responses to the Critic’s ideas. This may work better in the classroom where students work in pairs, ‘switch’ the notes and ‘respond’ to the other person’s notes. It can still work for your own journaling. I won’t bore you with more details about mine, but will only mention which response surprised me: to #3 (‘no-one needs it’) I realized I was the one who needed it. Now, more than ever, with the war in Ukraine in progress, I need a creative outlet on my blog to jump to and ‘hide behind’, even for a very short time of creating this post.

I also recalled my plan to share a link to the people or organizations helping Ukrainians in different ways, especially in the context of culture, education, mental health support, etc. This time it is Mindly offering free mental health support for the people in Ukraine who have been affected by the war. There is more information on their website.

And the Critics… they are our friends as they can help us see where some more work is needed, what else is overseen, and how we can be learning while we are creating something. The key idea is that it ‘while’ we are creating and not instead.

Thank you for reading, and #StandWithUkraine!

It’s in (y)our hands (or… is it?)

Well, where do I start? A lot happened between my previous post and now. It is Day 36 since the Russian invasion began in Ukraine. At the moment I am not ready to write about the war (yet). All I can say is that I am in Ukraine, in a relatively safe city in its western part. I know I am luckier than many of my colleagues and friends who had to leave their homes (often saying goodbye to their husbands, brothers or fathers), or stayed in their home cities being bombed for a month. My country is in pain, and all the Ukrainians are fighting for their independence and a better future. #PrayForUkraine.

In this context, blogging, sharing ELT ideas, or celebrating creativity do not seem timely or appropriate. At the same time, I am inspired by the Ukrainians who continue the fight for freedom and​ make voices heard. My friends, family members and colleagues in do it by sharing their stories, making pictures/collages, writing poems, organizing ELT events (check out this 8+hour Teacher’s Voice ELT Marathon session recording from the past weekend), teach lessons in the shelters, interpret sessions for doctors and nurses, volunteer, host families in their apartments, and do a hundred more big and small things. Colleagues abroad help the Ukrainians who left their homes by offering places to stay, dinner to share, language lessons to attend (English, or the language of the country they are in), connect with the language centers offering positions, collect and send humanitarian aid (and evidently, do a lot more than I can list here).

At times, I feel very small and helpless, unimportant and weak. In such moments I feel as if nothing, literally nothing is my control (is there anything in this life truly ‘in our hands’?) At other times, I think of ways I may apply my skills, professional background, and creativity in a constructive way. Maybe, what I share in this project will help someone with a classroom idea, an insight for a training session, an activity to chat about with a colleague on a break or even a someone in a family. Or maybe it will just offer an idea to think about.

A couple of years ago I was planning to create a set of Reflective Practice Activities so that teachers could use them with their students, with each other, and for themselves. I never found the time, discipline or motivation to sit down and get started, even though I have lots of notes and even sessions/presentations with practical examples. I hope to get that done some time in the future.

For now, I am starting a small personal project sharing activities you can easily do in class, or for yourself. All is needed is a piece of paper and your own hand to make an outline. Here is a sample template, to show the idea.

Sample Template. A-4/letter-size.

You can use an A-4 (letter size) piece of paper, as in the example above, or you can work with a smaller-size (A-5) notebook, as in the example we created with my 4-year-old nephew.

Zhenya and Erik #StandWithUkraine

You can even use a pocket-size (A-6) notebook, as you can see in the picture below. [Note: it is activity #13 in the list]

I know that many of my readers would easily get the idea for these activities by just looking at the template and the activity titles: many are self-explanatory and do not need an extra note to add. At the same time, knowing the creativity and reflective skill of my colleagues, in addition to the variety of the contexts they are living and working in, I can see a lot of potential for expanding each one and exploring the topics in more depth. They can be quick ice-breakers, or 30-minute speaking and writing activities, or possibly, last for the whole lesson.

Here is one (slightly modified) example shared earlier this year (and yes, it can be a slide, and you can use most of the activities if you teach remotely).

This new page on this blog offers the list of the ones I have brainstormed for now. I hope to be adding new posts and making each item an active link. There are 36 of them at the moment (yes, you guessed right, it is the number of days the war lasts here). Some were written before 24 February, and some were created during the time in a shelter, with air alarms on. Important note: these are not the activities meant to be used as a way to help students or colleagues process the trauma from the war, or to offer to the people who are now in the conflicting areas. Some can be adapted for that, but this needs to be done with lots of thought, care and awareness. It is a subject for a separate conversation.

I hope the list of activities war ends soon. And I know that if I fail to keep adding new ones, there will be more ideas from my readers, colleagues and friends. I hope to add posts on how to use the ideas in class, and why this Hand Metaphor/Analogy seems to be so appropriate for the context now. Or for education in general.

In 2022, it seems to me that the Reflective Practice skills, especially in the intercultural context(s) are vital, and the absence of them can lead to dangerous consequences.

Thank you for reading, stay tuned and #StandWithUkraine!

P.S. ‘Come Back Alive‘ is an NGO where I personally donate. They started their project in 2014 when Crimea was annexed and the first part of the war began. Here is their site and donating options: https://www.comebackalive.in.ua/

In the future I will be adding links to the educational and cultural projects in or for Ukraine, for those of you who would like to contribute.

Reflection: Making Theory (More) Practical

In May and June I facilitated two sessions about Reflective Practice. The first one was about appreciating reflection (approaching it with the ‘right’ attitudes and open mind), and the second session focused on the practical part where the participants ‘tried on’ one specific reflective practice model. As you may notice, the ‘input’ or ‘theory’ part is missing in the previous two sessions, so I’d like to add more and fill this gap in. 

Last week, on 15 July, I was invited by the amazing TEFL Development HUB team, Teresa Bestwick and Simon Pearlman, to facilitate one more interactive session on Reflection. This time we called it ‘Reflective Skills: Making Theory (More) Practical’, focused on several models for reflections and thought how they can be used in practice. 

I’d like to share my slides for the session  and you can read a recent post on this blog co-written with Teresa where we talk about EFl Teacher Training, writing, and many more exciting things (you can watch the recording in the TEFL Hub Facebook Group). By the way, if you decide to join the group, you will have access to a variety of very useful professional development activities that can suit any taste or experience level. Also, follow the Hub on Twitter: @tefl_hub. 

This post is an invitation to continue the conversation about reflective practice in teaching and beyond. Sharing some questions (from the session and beyond):

Questions to Discuss (further)

1. How do you reflect on your experience and practice?
2. What reflection models or frameworks do you use for reflection?
3. What are some of your favorite reflection tools, activities, formats, ways of recording?
4. What other questions about reflection in teaching and training do you have?
5. What other topics for online webinars/meet-ups about reflective practice would you like to attend or host?**

This slide (below) is a summary of what I wanted to highlight in the session: having a structure, or model for reflection on our experience is key, and there can be a whole variety of formats, tools, interactions and processes to make such individual learning meaningful and creative. 

Some more reflection thoughts:

This post closes down my mini-webinar series, and I am not planning any new ones for the time being. I think I need to reflect on my ‘webinarring skills’ and explore more formats to try out. It was interesting to see how three different formats worked out: the first session was a ‘webinar’ through Zoom with a very active chat conversation, the second one was a more interactive event with a chance for the attendees to talk and share the ideas in practice. The third session was the newest format to me, as it as a ‘live’ broadcast on Facebook, with not so many people attending at the moment of the session but with hopefully more teachers catching up in a more ‘asynchronous’ format. 

**I am thinking of a couple more sessions about Reflection. One can be about the benefits Reflective Practice Groups (sharing my own experience) and ideally, I’d like this one to be co-hosted/facilitated with the other members of the online group we all take part in. I am adding this comment in the hope they read this post, and we start planning something cool soon. No promises, only intentions shared. 

Another topic I would like to explore more is about specific reflective practice activities teachers can offer their students, or so in pairs/trios/small groups as their professional development exercise. 

 

I think there can be an additional session for each of the three that I have already shared, as there is much more to think/talk about. I think you will read more posts about that in the future. 

Thank you for reading!

Practicing Reflective Practice

In May I had a chance to present about Appreciating Reflective Practice. This Sunday, 13 June, I invite you to join me on a session with the ELT Workshop team. The session title and description are below, and here are the slides to take a look if you are interested.

How to Practice Reflective Practice

This topic can be a bit tricky for a webinar, as we can’t offer a magic recipe to practice reflective skills. Learning to think reflectively takes time, and it can be hard to get started without seeing the ‘bigger picture’, or the reason for doing it.

In this session, we will think about the following questions:

• What are some obstacles and challenges to practicing reflection on a regular basis?(and do all those challenges have some solutions?)
• How (else) can teachers practice reflection?
• What can teachers reflect on?
• What are (y)our favorite reflective practice tools?
• (and what are your questions about reflective practice?)

It may happen that you will leave the session not having the answers to all the questions. Or even with the new questions to think about.

Here is the session registration link and all the other important details. Also, if you have not yet done it, sign up for the regular newsletters and updates not to miss the other cool events being regularly organized!

To help you get started thinking in the direction of the workshop content, I would like to focus on the first question in my list. In preparation to talk about reflection in teacher training I ran a small survey among teacher trainers and experienced teachers. All of them are in my #PLN and all appreciate and actively practice reflection. What obstacles do you see for working on teachers’ reflective skills during a training course?

Coincidentally, Rachel Tsateri, a colleague from my online community, teacher trainer and blogger at #TEFLzone, wrote a post called Reflective Teaching and Training. At the end of it she asked ‘Why is [Reflection/Reflective Teaching] challenging?‘ and offered several ideas based on her experience and research. In response to her invitation to add more ideas, I am sharing some quotes from the survey below.

• Often there is ‘I-can’t-see-the-wood-for- the-trees’ reaction. Some people perhaps don’t know what to focus on.
• Difficulty focusing on the specifics of an experience, and this lack of specificity limits teachers’ ability to learn from their experiences.

• Not having a shared idea/definition of reflective skills, different teachers having different skills to work on, teachers having different opinions of the value or importance of reflective practice.
• It takes time and practice, both teaching experience and practice reflecting, for teachers to learn to reflect productively. In teaching contexts where learning-centered inquiry is not encouraged, or where job status is at risk, teachers must be willing to consider that there may be room for personal improvement in their teaching practice.
• Very often teachers are aware of the importance of reflection and they do try to reflect but this process is not deep enough, limited by general questions which don’t lead to any further analysis.

• The focus on ‘right’ ways of teaching has one of the biggest obstacles to learning-centered reflection for me.
• Reflection requires time as it is a special type of thinking (different from impulsive reactions or groundless beliefs). 
• Lack of experience in (personal/professional) self-reflection.
• Resistance because of history of negative evaluation process.
• Negative prior experiences towards reflection.
• Teachers’ ego especially for those who have been doing things in a certain way for a long while (some teachers’ fossilized practices).
• Reflection is all about critical thinking, and teaching critical thinking is considered one of the hardest skills to teach and it needs a very critical and skilled teacher/trainer.
• A superficial understanding of what reflection is, how teachers can actively use it and the impact it can have in their own teaching practice.

• Most teachers, consciously or unconsciously, look for ‘right answers’, not open questions. And the arbiter of right answers is authority (teacher trainer, supervisor, etc.) Education is too many “answers,” not nearly enough “wondering,” and it poisons people towards reflection.

Finally, if you would like to start thinking about some ways to practice reflection, I highly recommend Rachael’s recent post called 15 ideas for reflective teaching and training where she generously shares a great list of very practical ideas and resources (Hint: some or all can solve quite a few challenges listed above). I am very excited to read more of her blog posts about reflection in teaching and teacher training. 

P.S. Mike Griffin’s post in his blog about learning Vietnamese is an illustration how a rich description (the post itself) can bring reflection depth (the post and the comments) 

** All the images above are taken by Zhenya and will be used again in the Sunday Workshop in the part where we talk about challenges and obstacles for reflection. Hope to see you there, and thank you for reading the post!

Trainer Conversation with Hakan Cavlak

This is a new Trainer Conversations series post in which I am talking with Hakan about being an ELT trainer and an EFL teacher, and how moving into a new country brings a new perspective into both of these roles. By the way, if you have read my earlier trainer conversation posts, you may have already ‘met’ and seen Hakan (check our interview with Burak). 

Happy reading!

Z: Where are you based? What has your ELT journey been so far?

H: I am currently based at home 😊 in Kuwait. This is my third year in Kuwait; two years at university and a year at home [teaching online]! Previously I had the idea that it was going to be a great experience for me working in a different culture and context, then I got online teaching in this new context as a bonus. Well, to this end, I might call it a never-ending learning experience with full of surprises. You got to be prepared all the time. Thus, Professional Development matters!

Z: What do you do in ELT?

H: I am an instructor of English and a teacher trainer for the World Learning SIT TESOL Certificate program.

Z: Where are you teaching now?

H: I am teaching at a private American University in Kuwait.

Z: How similar or different are the educational cultures in these 2 countries: your native Turkey and Kuwait?

H: Well, when I first came, I thought it would be easy for me to adapt as I believed there would be more similarities than differences. Yet, it is just the opposite especially when you get into the classroom. First of all, I had never taught gender-segregated classes before teaching here. Now, I have huge classes of male and female sections separately, at different levels. This has been quite a challenge. Besides, the cultural attitude, perception, and behavior are totally different. Your approach in class, the material you use, even the tasks you prepare differ depending on the class. To illustrate, you can perfectly form the groups in male classes and let them work together on the carpet and this will boost the interaction among them as they feel comfortable. No one will bother as it is acceptable in their culture.

So… even though I want to share the examples and photos, I can’t. Nothing about classroom practice. At the same time, all the things I value and learn here are about culture. All the things I reflect on are about my teaching in this context, not training. 

The ‘trainer side’ (of my personality) is different. I have never worked with the local teachers in Kuwait, so I will be responding from my teaching perspective. Everything is new, everything is surprising.

Kuwait 2020 (before the world paused…)

Z: I remember when I got an SIT TESOL Cert Trainer license it was hard to understand the Culture Module in the course before I started actively training outside my native Ukraine. Was this the same for you?

H: Exactly! I believe, the SIT TESOL Certificate course distinguishes itself among the others by giving participants this important perspective apart from the teaching abilities they need to gain throughout the course. In the cultural module participants raise their awareness on the concept through Four Cultural Knowings framework and reflection. I value it more now. When I trained teachers in Turkey, I worked with international students (e.g. from Europe or the United States). At the same time, what you teach in that module can be quite generic unless you are really experienced with it. And ‘experience’ is only the first step. You really need to internalize it. Hence, I now understand that every trainer needs to know it, and to have had some cultural experience. That’s why I mentioned that I want to work with the Asian participants and students as well. Because it is about putting more bricks to your wall, unless you are reaching the top of the framework you are trying to reach.

Working with a lot of people (who come to your country) is great, but working with the local people in their culture is amazing. Before coming here, I heard stories, e.g., ‘teaching Arabic students is like XX’ or ‘This is what working with Arabs is like’, etc. Now I know: it is totally different. 

Z:  So, what have your Kuwaiti students taught you (as a teacher, and as a trainer?) 

H: My number one principle in teaching and training has always been ‘Know Your Learners’ (The 6 Principles of Teaching, TESOL). Working with my current students has proven this to me once again. You really have to adapt yourself, your teaching, your material, and your activities accordingly. You should know what you can or can’t discuss or what you can or can’t ask your learners. 

Working with students who use a different alphabet in their daily lives is also another thing that gave me a lot of ‘A-ha!‘-moments in my writing classes. Every lesson, every reflection after the lesson teaches me something new. It is always important to test what students already know or don’t know before you plan your lessons as they might easily surprise you. 

Z: How would these ideas inform or impact your training practices and beliefs?

H: I haven’t been doing any teacher training since I moved to Kuwait. However, in my future training courses, I would definitely pay more attention to the culture module and reflection. You know reflection is one of the core skills in the SIT TESOL Cert course and I love how it is applied in every part of the course. 

I am now filling my bag with more experiences and have more scenarios in my mind about the things that might occur in classes and that will be more helpful for the trainees, I presume. I hope to better guide them while helping them to reflect on their classes.

Z: What is your ‘ELT Identity’ like: are you a teacher, a trainer, or both? Why so?

H: None. I am always a learner. I love learning because who dares to teach must never cease to learn, as John Cotton Dana said. Then, I guess I am a teacher. You can’t be a trainer if you can’t teach. As a trainer, I see myself as a teacher who has things to share with a bit more experience and knowledge. My main role as a trainer is to guide participants to be more aware reflective practitioners so that they will learn from their experiences when they are all alone. I believe having this skill is the key and my responsibility is to guide them through this path.

Z: How do you keep your training skills up these days?

H: I take training courses myself. I always look for something that will improve my skills and give a different perspective. During and after the pandemic there has been a massive amount of online courses for teachers. I tried to take as much as I could. I read blogs, but mainly follow people on Twitter. I love Twitter. I get ideas from there, adapt them and try them in my classes. Then I reflect on them. 

Co-presenting at ASLA Sweden.

Z: What question(s) about teacher training have you always wanted to ask other colleagues?

H: What is one experience or moment that changed your training approach totally? Why?

Z: I would love to answer that one [note to self: a blog post idea!] What questions about teaching or training have you always wanted to be asked about?  

H: Loved this question but I don’t have an answer😊 I have to think. Maybe: what is your teacher or trainer superpower?

Image by Christian Dorn from Pixabay

Z: That’s a wonderful one! So… what’s yours?

H: I was thinking about this, about myself. I’d say my rapport with people is my superpower. Teacher rapport, human rapport. I am a ‘people person’. I generally have positive feedback from my trainers, co-trainers, participants, and students. Because I really like what I am doing, either training or teaching, I give my full energy to what I do, and I really like to help (sometimes more than it is needed). I like guiding people, I like touching their lives, I like changing things in their lives. I like this Change. That’s why, it was a great opportunity for me to be a trainer, and I am missing those days.

I like working with new teachers. I like seeing where novice teachers start out, and where they arrive towards the end of the course. It is a great moment (to watch). I also love working with experienced teachers sharing their insights and saying what they used to think or do, and how they see the same things at the end of the course. I love this, and I miss the training days. So my training superpower is working with people, changing their lives, or offering a different perspective to them, or learning from them. Participants teach me a lot, too, shape me. I love learning! I can say that strong rapport and being eager to learn are my two superpowers. They keep me alive. 

Z: What about co-training? Do you like working with other trainers in a team?

H: I learned about the need and power of reflective practice at the SIT Certificate Course when I was trained up for a license. My co-trainer was Hande. We ran several courses together, and always worked in harmony, and learned a lot from each other. Working with Hande has always been a blessing for me. Those co-training experiences were amazing! I also have to mention Susan Barduhn as my TOT (Trainer of Trainers). Though I only worked once with her, she has always been a great support to me. She is a true inspiration that everyone should meet. Her knowledge and experience is incomparable. 

Z: And to me, it feels like we have co-delivered courses together (although we have not)! I first heard about you from Hande, so I can say I ‘met’ you through her eyes.

Certificates!

 

Poster Presentation – SIT TESOL Cert Course

• [Note to readers: you have already met Hande in conversation with Burak. 
• [Note to self: hope to share a post with her later this year]  

H: Every single person has a superpower. We are all Avengers, and together, we co-create it. I miss that. Let’s hope for a new chance in the future. Collected wisdom and beauty. You only see it in co-training. About liking the job we do. I hope the days will be back. Waiting for the next chapters. The book is not over yet.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Hakan, thank you for the conversation! No, the book is not over yet: there are more pages to come, and more learning from the writing process is coming, I am sure! And… we may well run a course all together, in the future. 

About Hakan

Hakan Çavlak is an experienced teacher of English, a licensed teacher trainer for SIT TESOL Certificate program and a speaking examiner for Cambridge YLE, KET, PET, and FCE. He is also a proud founding member of TESOL Turkey Association. He holds an MA in ELT from Ege University, Delta Module 2 certificate from Cambridge English Language Assessment, and a management certificate from H&E. After working 15 years in Turkey, he moved to Kuwait and pursues his career as an instructor of English. He is an avid learner who continuously seeks new ideas in the profession.

Appreciating and Practicing Reflection

On 1 May 2021, I had a chance to present at a one-day online conference organized by IATEFL Teacher Training and Education Development SIG. The theme of the event was ‘Reflection and Reconnection in the Changing World‘. You can read more about it here , and if you are an IATEFL and SIG member, the recording should be available soon.

This is the topic and description of my session:

Appreciating and Practicing Reflection with Teachers and Trainers

Reflective practice is a challenging skill for both participants and new trainers, and sometimes seems underappreciated or misunderstood. During the session we will think about the following questions:

• Why does reflective practice need to be an integral part of a training course?
• Can thinking reflectively be taught online? (A)synchronously? Live?
• Why/How can teacher trainers practice reflection on and between, or outside courses?

If time allows, I will share some of my favorite tools and practices.

You can download the session slides here, and/or watch the recording. Or do both 🙂

One example of a full cycle to share.

Describe: in the summer of 2020 I took part in an online 10k run in Lviv, Ukraine.There were three of us: my husband, his colleague and myself. Before the event, after the payment was processed, I received a parcel where, among other things, was a sealed envelope with a note to open after the race. It felt heavy (could be compared to a smart phone weight) and hard. The size was small (about half the phone), so it fit into a running belt along with my keys, etc. Right after the race, the three of us decided to open the envelopes together. When we did it, there was colorful confetti all around us.

Interpret: Before the event, I was very curious and eager to open it right away, but decided to do as instructed. Actually, the envelope helped me get up and run (on the rainy Sunday morning). I knew it would be a medal, but had not checked the design online, to keep it as a surprise (which made me even more curious!) In fact I forgot about it during the run, which made the surprise effect even stronger. And at the time of opening… all of us were totally excited! This immediately reminded of the feeling of a real race, when you are surrounded by people (who either run or support you, or wait for you at the finish line). Thinking back about that moment now (almost a year after) makes me a bit nostalgic. One thing that really surprised me was my own excitement. It got me thinking about the role of surprise in teaching (and training)…

Generalize: … and confirmed an idea I often think about that a small playful element, even when we work with adults (students or teachers) makes a huge difference. It can make one’s mood better, leaves warm memories, and gratitude. I think small playful elements support our motivation to keep going (with the skill, sport or habit we are working on).

Plan action: In my future sessions or courses for teachers I will add at least one playful element to the slide deck I will be using, or the examples I prepare. I might share this memory, too 🙂

Here is my earlier post about this experience, if you are curious.

Reflective mood. Kamianske Reservoir, Dnipro Region, Ukraine.

The School for International Training (SIT) Training of Trainers Course by Kevin Giddens and Susan Barduhn (2018) The Teacher Trainer Journal Vol 32 No 2.

More links and resources:

• The model of the Reflective Cycle by Graham Gibbs (1988) has six stages, and includes Feelings.
• The ORID Method (questioning and listening) helps to develop thinking in a logical manner and draw conclusions in respect to the situation or topic in question. The Art of Focussed Communication by B. Stanfield (2000).
• The Ladder of Inference by Chris Argyris (1990) describes the thinking process we go through.
• John Heron and Peter Reason’s ‘Ways of Knowing‘.
• Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process.
• Supporting the Development of Reflective Skills by Josh Kurzweil, SIT TESOL Trainer and Trainer of Trainers, the author of “Understanding Teaching Through Learning“.
• Mann, Steve J. and Walsh, Steve (2013) RP or ‘RIP’: a critical perspective on reflective practice. Applied Linguistics Review, 4 (2). doi:10.1515/applirev-2013-0013.
• Farrell, Thomas & Baurain, Bradley & Lewis, Marilyn. (2020). ‘We Teach Who We Are’: Contemplation, Reflective Practice and Spirituality in TESOL. RELC Journal. 51.

There are various models and methods to structure reflective thought.

Reflection is dialogic and social practice, so we all need a community where regular meetings or conversations with fellow trainers to talk about training experience can happen. We do that not only to improve our professional skills (that’s a side effect) but also to practice and deepen the skill of reflection itself. Through the active and conscious use of the reflective cycle we can make our training and living experience richer and fuller. I feel fortunate to belong to the international SIT Training Community, my source of professional inspiration, training insights, and long-lasting friendships.

Post-Session Update: it went well! I had very enthusiastic people in the audience, and managed to ‘catch’ the questions asked during/after the session. Sharing them here, and hope to add some thoughts in another post.

• Is there a danger of reflection becoming a routine activity if it’s done out of compulsion or if it’s overdone?
• What is an example of a ‘good’ reflection and a ‘not-so-good’ one?
• How can we assess one’s ability to reflect?
• How can we make the reflective practice an interesting option for the ones who are resistant to the idea?
• How can/do student teachers reflect on their teaching practice when their knowledge and experience are limited? How much reflection can they do with their limited knowledge?

Thank you for reading!

Hands up for Peace…

… Infinite Classroom Activities for Your Hands

This time, it is not about the war in Ukraine. Sadly, there are several wars happening in the world. Having encountered what it’s like to live in a country during the war, I find we are becoming more empathetic to others in similar conditions. Except that wars can’t be ‘similar’, nor they can be compared to each other.

Instead of just feeling bad, sad and angry, there are actions that can be taken. As teachers and educators, our creative thought and energy can make change happen. And when we get into teams and collaborate, something even more exciting can appear.

So… I recently had a chance to contribute to a resource for teachers sharing minimal preparation ideas designed by ELT professionals. Each activity uses the theme of hands to bring you a unique, fun and infinite classroom resource which you can use anywhere.

Created to raise money for the children of Gaza #HandsUpForPeace

Emily Bryson, thank you for the energy and time, creative thought and care you put into this resource. Sandy Millin, thank you for connecting me to Emily’s team. Readers of this blog, thank you for buying the book and supporting the Hands Up Project. And please check the Hands Up Project website connecting young people and English teachers in Palestine with an international volunteer network.

Thank you for reading!