In this issue

As we move into the new millenium we have the chance to look back on what has happened in the field of teaching English and to look forward to what is planned for the future.

The biggest change in the teaching of English will come as a result of the New Curriculum. The New Curriculum opens up a world of possibilities for English teachers. It makes us look at what we are doing in the classroom from a new and different perspective. It does not mean throwing out the old in favour of the new but it means looking at our work through different lenses.

We are offering this year three courses, in Haifa, Hadera and the Krayot in which we will be working with teachers using the New Curriculum. The final outcome of this course will be the three Regional Exams which will be held before the Pesah holidays in the 5^th, 7^th and 10^th grades. The principals of the New Curriculum, we will be empowering teachers so that together we can prepare items for the exams. The material produced at these workshops will be put up on the Internet so that they can be viewed and used by all the teachers in the Region.

The Internet and e-mail will be used for announcements of different kinds. Of course the Grapevine is also on the Haifa English teachers’ site. (URL-see above). Please make it a habit to look at the site to find out what is going on in the Region.

The Hadera Teachers’ Center will be opened this year and will provide courses for the professional development of teachers in the Hadera Area.

In order to try and help pupils who have difficulty in reading in the 5^th grade we are implementing a small pilot programme – The Sunshine Programme, which will involve 50-80 Perah students from the University, Technion and colleges of the area. The students will be responsible for working on a one- to-one basis with pupils in the 5^th grade using a specially designed kit produced by a team of counsellors. This kit will provide material and instructions for working with the pupils, thus even students who are not in a teaching program will know how to work.

As in the past, special in-service courses are being held for new teachers at the beginning of their teaching career. Educational Television is also offering instruction and courses for English staffs and individual teachers. In various areas in the Region, we are offering support groups and on-site workshops for staffs and groups of teachers.

As always, we are very anxious for your input and reactions. Please write or e-mail us with your comments.

With best wishes for a very successful and healthy new year,

Yours

                                   Miriam


 
 
 

The Haifa Region Counselors
Miriam Melamed, Inspector	melamed@carmel.zvulun.k12.il
Gail Mann	gail@kfar-olami.org.i
Gaby Shoshani	gabysh@bezeqint.net
Hava Santo	06-6345622S   S_HAVA@hotmail.com
Naomi Shalev	8228660 f6sv@netvision.net
Lindsey Gutt	06 6277110 reut_en@inter.net.il
Dee Stein	9833454 scotland@inter.net.il
Naomi Roffmann	8256180
Ruth Silbermann	8758295 Bonbon@sitcom.co.il
Debby Wolkinson	8320057

Why does failure bother teachers so much?

When the student fails, we feel we have failed. Over the years I have found that one of the biggest problems my colleagues have is the feeling of personal failure that comes when their teaching doesn't work, when they teach, but some students just won't learn. I always encourage them not to ignore the problem, but instead to make it their responsibility to try to help those failing students find a way to succeed. Success does not always mean passing a class or even learning the material. Sometimes it means students must learn other lessons about themselves and how to work in school and the world. Sometimes the results of your work still seem negligible or even negative, but trying to help is our solemn responsibility. Looking at the whole student and trying to help him learn how to accomplish his goals or choose other goals is a major part of our jobs.

What is failure?

Failure is when a student doesn't leave the class knowing more than when he entered. There are many types of failing students. They all deserve our help.

Helping Students to Succeed:

A Twelve Step Program:

1. Identify failure early and act on it. This includes getting evidence of students' level and abilities within the first week of class through testing, in class writing, and interviews.

2. Confront the student privately with facts (test papers, lack of study and homework, class requirements including time, etc.) Many students are anxious to deny there is a problem. "Don't worry, teacher. No problem." Be specific and blunt. "There is not a single correct sentence in this composition." Also use your good judgment. Some students need this more than others.

3. Get the student to verbalize her own problem and identify causes and solutions. Don't allow the student to minimize the problem. Analyze the problem with the student. This self recognition is the key to any self help program. The student must recognize the problem and decide she wants to fix it.

4. Listen. Be honest and direct in your responses. Offer respect and encouragement. Listen and look with great attention. Look at the distance a student holds the book from him as he reads. Listen to what she says about her study time. Let the time you spend with this student be exploratory. You may have only seen symptoms of the problem, but not have any idea of its source.

5. Help the student create a plan of action with realistic goals. Help her to move back to a reasonable starting place. Help her develop steps to reaching her goal. Don't guarantee her a passing grade. Offer her a chance to make progress.

6. Make sure the student adopts the plan as his own set of goals and responsibilities. Let him write or articulate his plans. Check carefully to see if you are on the same track. Make sure he includes his own ideas.

7. Follow up on the plan daily or each time you meet. Let the student know you are interested in her success. Congratulate her on daily successes in front of others if it's appropriate. "Your grammar was much better in this paper." "This is your highest grade this term." Your reinforcements can become less regular as the student improves.

8. Remind the student of his goals. Be positive, but firm. Don't reinforce the student's bad reputation. Don't make negative comments in front of the class, but do ask him to come and see you. He may need help. Watch for backsliding. Old habits are hard to break.

9. Be a resource. Offer or locate additional instruction and materials at an appropriate level. Keep files to help you come up with materials easily. Peer tutors are another valuable tool. Know what other classes and community resources are available to help a student in need.

10. Vary your approach to help keep students interested and to accommodate varied learning styles, and intelligences, Give your failing student a chance to shine. Don't lower your standards to accommodate a student who is "working hard." Your whole class will benefit from this step.

11. Acknowledge growth even when it does not include passing a test or class. Make sure you spend time with that student before she receives an F on a major paper, a test, or the class. A minute before class begins is all it takes to say, "Those passive verbs are still really hard for you, but I could see you worked on them. Let's try again." Once again, let the student verbalize his own growth. "Do you read better now than you did nine weeks ago?" "Yes, I do. I know more words, and I read better." Don't give a student a passing grade for trying hard. It only takes her to a harder, more impossible level.

12. Keep a professional outlook. If you have followed this plan, you have done your best. The student is responsible for his successes and failures.

http://www.aitech.ac.jp/~iteslj/

Paging through the New Curriculum and checking the Benchmarks of the different levels, one notices the importance of exposing our students to different kinds of media and the importance of using language which is as authentic as possible. Educational Television provides the learner with all the above. Both the books and the videos provide an interesting content whereby English can be learned through real-life situations and interesting topics. Viewing the videos, the context, educational

messages and different dilemmas posed in the pupils books will provide the learner with a richer and more varied language environment within which learning takes place. Pupils will become aware of language, and expressions vocabulary and functions learned from the

viewing, which they will eventually produce in the spoken language. Listening passages heard as a listening activity when using the Pupils Book become more realistic in the video, with the moving pictures added to the soundtrack. In the Video we don't only hear the realism of different voices and sound effects, but can become aware of how people communicate visually. Watching videos the learners can recognize the different types of registers in oral speech and how relationships between people affect their speech.

Teachers who would like to learn more about materials produced by Educational Television can call:
 
 
 
 

Ruth Silbermann Phone Number 04-8758295 e-mail bonbon@sitcom.co.il

Materials produced by Educational Television

Class 3 + 4 Candy Can Do It
Class 5 Seven In Heaven
Class 7 Signal CQ
Class 7 Signal C for non-readers
Class 8 Radio Fever
Class 9 Take 5
Enrichment: (Junior High + High) Street Life.

Getting started…

1. Give compliments to 3 people every day.
2. Remember the dates of others' birthdays.
3. Watch the sunrise at least once a year.
4. Don't forget to say: "Thank you" or "I'm sorry".
5. When you talk to people, look at their eyes.
6. Sing in the shower.
7. Plant flowers every year, in the spring.
8. Buy a wonderful stereo.
9. Be the first to say, "Hi" or "Hello".
10. Forgive others and yourself, too.
11. Keep secrets.
12. Don't delay the pleasure that you can have today, for tomorrow.
13. Don't give up. Real miracles happen also today.
14. Don't focus on unnecessary details.
15. Be friendly.
16. Prefer the simple instead of the difficult.
17. Organize your room. It will help you to organize your thoughts.
18. Look at the sky, and see how beautiful it is.
19. Don't complain when it is not necessary.
20. Don't lose your hope, and don't take the hope from somebody. It can be the only thing that he has.
21. Wish yourself health and happiness.
22. Accept the disappointments and the failures as a part of life.
23. Give help when someone needs it.
24. Know when you have to talk.
25. Be loyal.
26. Smile a lot. You don't have to pay for smiling, and the value of a smile can’t be counted.
27. Keep your good name. It is your best asset.
28. Remember that success is like a ladder… We have to go step by step.

Problem:

I have so many new pupils that I don’t remember their names.

Advice

1. Brainstorm the subject of names, then have each pupil write a short presentation of their name stating what it means, who chose it, whether they like their name. Each pupil can write a funny story about their name to be presented in forthcoming lessons. This can be done with pictures, a little play, a song, a speech and a poster.

2. Roll call is helpful. Look and focus on each pupil for a moment.

3. Each lesson learn the names of one row or one group of pupils. You will be surprised because the pupils really cooperate and help you. Tell them it is important for you to learn their names as quickly as possible.

4. Develop a memory peg which enables you to remember names. As a name is added repeat all the names and by the end of the lesson you may still remember everyone.

5. Video your pupils. Ask each pupil to give his name. When you forget look at the film and recall the names.

6 All pupils should have name cards, prepared by the pupils or in 3^rd or 4^th grade prepared by the teacher. The pupils have to put their name cards on their desks at the beginning of each lesson.

7. No one answers a question without saying his name first and having the teacher repeat it.

8. Students sit in the same seat everyday so that the teacher can remember their names.

9. Play a guessing game after the 3^rd or 4^th lesson by going down the rows and trying to repeat pupils' names. The kids have lots of fun when you make mistakes.

10. In most junior high and high school all pupils’ files have a photograph attached to its cover.. The teacher can always resort to pupils’ files and remember the pictures with their names.
 

Life is like a cactus

You can’t always sit on it