No words are enough to welcome students back this year.

The school year has had two false starts here in Thessaly. Schools are closed in Trikala, where I live and work; the date for the annual blessing postponed first by one week, and then another. The same is true for Karditsa, Larissa and Volos, and all the villages surrounding these cities, in the aftermath of storm Daniel.

It deeply saddens me to think that many Thessalian children gathering their school supplies together are going to be grateful for anything they have this year. Thousands have lost homes and possessions, their school books and bags, pencil cases and folders have all been washed away along with family livelihoods, homes and even schools. (Children from some villages will be bused into  nearby towns until repairs are complete). School gyms have become temporary homes to those who were not able to lodge with family or friends and when they are finally accommodated, it will be in short term solutions such as hotels and guest houses until cleaning and repairs are carried out.

Frontisteria (tutorial schools and foreign language centres) are open though. In one of my first lessons, a student had a damp text book rescued from the flooding. This child still had a smile on his face and joined in the lesson as if nothing was out of the ordinary. It made me realise that the stability that going back to school will bring, is going to be crucial this year. Back to school with it's timetabled regularity, familiar faces and catching up with what friends have been up to over the summer is a staple of childhood Septembers. Even when all else is lost, school puts a semblance of order into chaos. As such, it should always be a place to feel safe and welcome. Provide opportunity for a pupil to explore who he is and is to become. A space where a child can spread his wings and see how far they will carry him, knowing that should he fall there is a safety network of teachers and classmates to catch him.

Do not underestimate the role school has on your life, be you pupil, teacher or parent. Let's be grateful that we are able to return.

If you want to donate school supplies (see list below), furniture or clothes, collection points have been set up around Greece, check with your local authority for details.

• School bags/pencil cases
• Exercise books
• Pens and pencils
• Felt tip pens and coloured pencils
• Organizational equipment, folders, ring binders and files etc.
• Drawing books
• Canson craft card
• Photocopy paper 
• Glue, glue sticks and sellotape
• Geometry sets and compasses
• Lunch boxes
• Water bottles and cool bags
• Wet wipes, tissues and antiseptic hand gel

A school complex at Farkadona, the gate and yard strewn with debris from the flooding, which reached around two metres and only subsided enough in the last few days for residents to start cleaning.

ABBREVIATIONS - THE INITIAL POST! (PUN INTENDED)

When I'm teaching students who are taking the Michingan Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE), one of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) is what does * INSERT SEEMINGLY RANDOM LETTER SEQUENCE HERE* mean? If your answer is IDK (I don't know) look no further!

Image by Freepik

So here are a few of the most commonly found on the exam, plus a few more common ones just for good measure.

COMMON COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY QUALIFICATIONS (in order of degree)

Dip            Diploma of Higher Education (Usually, first 2 years of a degree course)

BA            Bachelor of Arts (Arts being all academic course that are not science)

BSc           Bachelor of Science 

MA            Master of Arts 

MSc           Master of Science

MBA          Master of Business Administration

PhD            Doctorate

YEARS, TIMES AND DATES

BC        Before Christ

AD        Anno Domini, Latin for "In the year of our Lord" or more easily, after Christ

But now, as it is better to take a more inclusive view of the world, these are more frequently used, 

BCE      Before Common Era

CE        Common Era

a.m.       ante meridiem, Latin for "Before midday"

p.m.       post meridiem, Latin for "after midday" 

mm/dd/yy (US) OR dd/mm/yy (UK) month/day/year OR day/month/year

TYPES OF BUSINESS & TITLES

Co.           Company

Ltd.          Limited

Corp.        Corporation

Inc.           Incorporated

LLP          Limited LIability Partnership

LLC          Limited LIability Company

CEO          Chief Executive Officer

CFO          Chief Financial Officer

OTHER COMMON ABBREVIATIONS YOU MIGHT COME ACROSS

FAQs        frequently asked questions

RSVP        Répondez s'il vous plaît, French for "reply if you please"

ASAP        as soon as possible

ETA           estimated time of arrival

n/a             not applicable

AKA          also known as

DIY           do it yourself

CV             curriculum vitae Latin for "life timetable" , but used for a resume.

DOB          date of birth

RESOURCES

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

https://careersblog.enterprise.co.uk/business-acronyms-a-beginners-guide/

https://manuals.ipaustralia.gov.au/trademark/annex-a1---abbreviations-of-types-of-companies-recognised-as-bodies-corporate

Top 9 Teachers on film!

There are many things that inspire someone to become a teacher. One of those, in my case, was  movie teachers. So I thought I'd share a few of my favourites with you. They're most certainly not all good examples of what a teacher should be by any means, but I have soft spot for them all.

9. Mrs. McClusky, head mistress of Grange Hill from the BBC TV series of the same name. She spent her school years battling both unruly teachers and students and dealing with a huge variety of problems. Click here for a tribute to her.

8. Jack Black as Dewey Finn, a failed rock guitarist posing as Mr. Schneebly, a substitute teacher in School of Rock. This is a loser-makes-good movie. Jack Black loosens up the unnaturally mature children of a snobby preparatory school and their lives suddenly take on meaning. The great thing is that Black's character is also on the learning curve.

7. St. Trinian's Headmistress Miss Millicent Fritton (played by Alistair Sim in drag) from the 1954 film The Belles of St. Trinian's, has to be one of my earliest memories of a film teacher. Despite being absolutely useless at trying to rein in hordes of screaming, hockey stick waving school girls, (most likely due to her gin drinking and total indifference to the surrounding chaos) she always ends up on top.

6. Arnold Schwarzenegger as John Kimble in Kindergarten Cop (1990). He's an undercover agent who replaces a kindergarten teacher colleague. With absolutely no experience in dealing with small kids, Kimble has the tots marching in line in no time. I'll tell you, there's a few classes where I could put such skill to good use!

5. & 4. The duo of teachers in the life of Matilda The Good, and the Bad and Ugly of teaching, Miss Trunchpole and Miss Honey are polar opposites in teaching. 'The Trunchpole', as she is known literally tortures her charges with chocolate cake or swinging them around her head by their pigtails, where as Miss Honey is sweetness and light, who loves reading and brings joy to learning. There were few who didn't know how to spell difficulty after this movie.

3. Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid is the epitome of patience and virtue, the teacher who just knows that composure and determination are the way to get what you want. If you have never seen the 1984 original version of the movie, it is a cult masterpiece; wax on, wax off my friends!

2. Then, of course, Robin Williams' performance as John Keating in Dead Poets Society, comes in a very close second. Here is a teacher that inspires his students to 'seize the day' and do what they have thus far only dreamed of! Do not be food for worms!

1. Those of you who have ever seen me dressed up for Halloween, will not be surprised by number one on my list. Minerva McGonagall, like many other favourite teachers here was first introduced to the world through the pages of a novel (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone), however Dame Maggie Smith's portayal literally brings the character to life just as I had imagined her. I really hope that I have even half the skill and talent, the fairness and strictness as a teacher.

Do you have a favourite fictional teacher? Comment below and let me know!

Back to School after Lockdown

Whether you are raring to get back into the swing of things, reluctant, cautious or scared, we are going back to school. May 18th 2020, here in Greece at least, we're restarting school. Whichever reaction describes yours, there's one thing that is true, this school year has been like no other any of us have experienced.

I've got a few pointers for your academic progress and performance in English. Please bear in mind that I am assuming you have done nothing since March 11th when school closed. (If you are diligent then this blog post is probably not for you!)

All students:

Make sure you have all your equipment in your bag: course books, exercise books, pens, pencils, hand-outs. Throw away the mouldy sandwich that has been festering there for 2 months! Add hand sanitizer, masks and optional single-use gloves.

Young learners:

What do you remember? Have a look at the course books you've been using. Do you remember the character names? Can you still read the dialogues? How many words do you remember? Do you still know the grammar rules? If you have ebooks listen to the recordings again.

Pre-Intermediate + non-exam takers: 

Read all the texts again to familiarise yourself with both the grammar and vocabulary. Catch up on the homework you left until after Lockdown. (That time is now!) 

Pre-Intermediate + exam takers:

Revise vocabulary and grammar. Re-familiarise yourself with exam style tasks. Check the website or social media sites for your exam board, see if there are any online revision exercises or sample tests you can do. Find a friend who's taking the same exam as you and do some mock interviews from your course book or test book. Record the 'interview' and then be your own examiners; what did you do well? What could you have done better?

Most of all, stay safe, study hard and focus on the task in hand. Wear your mask, wash your hands, keep your distance. You can do this!

Five Notes on Back to School.

So, it's after August 15th, which here in Greece means teachers turn their thoughts to getting back to work, (if they ever stopped in the first place)! I thought I'd give you a run down on some things going through my brain at this time of year and then we can compare notes. (Please add your views in the comments below!)

I love going back to school, I always did. As a kid it meant new shoes, bag, supplies and an outfit, catching up with my friends after a long summer break and learning new stuff. As a teacher, things are a little more complicated. Super duper new supplies (I will be looking at this in a future post) do come into it of course, but there are more urgent concerns for me as a teacher.

#1 New Routine:
If you are working in a ''frontisterio" - Greek foreign language centre, you will have your time table to consider, as you will in any other educational establishment of course, but the frontisterio often feel obliged to pander to their clients needs and thus you know that your timetable will be altered at least three times before the end of September. If you are a peripatetic teacher, you'll be juggling your hours and judging how much time it'll take you to get from one lesson to the next. That can be from a few minutes up to half an hour depending on where you live. Whatever, your teaching situation you'll soon get into a familiar routine.

               

#2 New Books:
And I mean the books you use to teach with. Of course, you might not get a choice in what to use, but if you do, you need to consider quite a few different things in the selection process. Look at the level, age and interests of your students.

LEVEL: Look at the grammar and vocabulary covered; is it sufficient for the progress you wish to make with your class? If you have a class you want to fast-track. - you know those kids that just 'get' the language, you might want to consider jumping a level and supplementing with some fun vocabulary lessons. I find slow cooking classes (the ones where you find yourself explaining basic grammar for the umpteenth time) often like a book with a standard layout in each unit. Here it is important to check that grammar and vocabulary are recycled throughout the book.

AGE: Layout is important here. Adults tend to like plain, clear exercises in neat neat columns, and a traditional typeface, teens/tweens/infants like a busy page with wacky pictures and cartoons. Look at the age of the characters if there is a story theme, aim a little older rather than younger. Look at technology in the books, kids are very discerning and will be quick to point out ageing tech in photos, again adults are usually a little more tolerant.

INTEREST: Remember to choose objectively. (Personally, sports leave me cold, but give me nature and I'll prick up my ears.) If a unit you thought was fabulous hits a flat response, remind yourself that your students will not necessarily like the same stuff you do, accept it and get over it, after all you are there to help them. Of course, this tailoring of taste isn't always possible given that you may be teaching a large class. If that is the case, try to find a course book that has multiple topics that will appeal to many interests.

#3 Targets:
I know several teachers who get into the office on the first day and check their academic calendar to see when public holidays fall and which classes they'll be missing. (I'm naming no names!) Joking aside, this is only partly because they'll get a welcome break mid term (no half-term/autumn/spring breaks in Greece), but also because if you have an exam class you need to plan lessons and material and know exactly how much time you have to cover that material. If you are in a state school, you'll also have to contend with school trips. If you are a home tutor, ask about family vacations in advance. Count days, and lessons according to the pace of your classes and do a rough calculation. Add in a few extra days if you you want to do extra activities for celebrations and so on.

#4 Extra activities:
I'll be honest, this is my favourite part of teaching (I'm already scanning Pinterest for classroom decor and fun activities). The thing you need to think about is what you want to (re)present. Most teachers deal with major American and British celebrations. Don't forget there are also cultural heritage activities or International Days that you can look at. Again, depending on how much leeway you have, you can teach these things in many ways. In schools it's fun to see older kids teaching younger ones after a few years of following a celebration like Halloween for example. You realise you've brought another culture into their lives then and even if the customs don't have the same significance, it's lovely to see them being appreciated. *NOTE* Always respect parental views on these lessons; some will not wish their kids to participate in certain activities for whatever reason. You may think it's odd, but they're ultimately in charge. Check with the parents first if you are unsure. (E.g. Are kids allowed to have sweets? Are there any religious beliefs to be considered?)

#5 The first day:
It's an old one, but I have to remind myself every year; start as you mean to go on. I've taught all ages - toddlers to pensioners and it's the same in every instance. Don't give the impression that you are a pushover - believe me chaos will eventually ensue! Don't be old-school strict - you do not want to hear kids ''complaining" about you to their friends/parents/your boss. Try to strike a balance so that your students know you are fair yet fearless. (You are, even if you don't feel like it all the time.)

Have a great school year 2018-2019 everyone!

Organisation or Organization?

Some of my students have been quizzing me on my spelling of the word organisation. Now I tend to fall back on the "It's British spelling" in answer to this in class, but in the case of organisation, z is also British spelling. So I thought this was a great opportunity to expound upon this and briefly delve into the issue of spelling in the English language over time and the differences in English between continents as well as reassure my students I am perfectly capable of spelling!

Language, by its very nature, is mutable and malleable. This is what allowed such a huge array of written English over the centuries. Think Shakespeare juxtaposed with Kerouac, or Charlotte Bronte with J.K.Rowling to get even just a glimpse of the scope in classic and popular literature let alone all other types of writing out there. Then take a glimpse at how each writer has stretched and played with words to find just the right nuance of meaning.

So it is with spelling. English is a mishmash of invader influence, necessity and idiosyncrasy. There are Latin words, German words, Greek words to name but a few, there are hybrids (chocoholic, aquaphobia or beatnik)  and even acronyms that have become accepted as words in their own right (laser). There's rhyming slang that sounds like gibberish (old china plate or apples and pears), regional words for things that are not understood elsewhere in the same country (ginnel, gennog, jetty or alley), there are words that have reversed their meanings over the passage of time (nice or bully), not to mention street speak, text speak, and good ol' jargon. 

But where am I going with all this, you ask me? How does that justify the pesky, errant 's'? 

Flexibility, change and variety. 

If you visit the Oxford dictionary on line, it may indeed appear I am mistaken in my spelling (unless you read the small print!); here's what you get when you put organisation into Google. 

Oxford Dictionary entry.

If you look in companions from teaching material that I use, it might also seem that I have not done my homework.

Here's an entry from Burlington book's Stay Connected B2 course book for example.

However, if you search a little deeper, you will see that my choice of 's' over 'z' is perfectly acceptable. According to the Oxford Living Dictionary, the s form, although not the original spelling, has been in use since the mid 1700s.

Nor, indeed, is it archaic; you will see that I am using the favoured spelling of the British press. (I read The Guardian most frequently.)

So I will continue to write organisation, and you may choose to use 'z' when you write. We are both correct. Of, course that will undoubtedly change!

Should you feel the need to delve deeper into English spelling you might like these links below.

British and American spelling.

Words that need to be spelled -ise.

-ise or ize?

Australian spelling.

Winners of the B2 & A2 Levels!

This will soon turn into the Nightmare Before (or rather After) Christmas Competition! I've still had very little time to type up these stories. Apologies to those who've been waiting. Here are the winners of the B2 level. And my only entrant at A2 level. Enjoy!

(If some of these have the same beginning it's because they were written from a prompt in their exam book.)

B2 LEVEL

Untitled 

by Izabela Bazima

I was feeling bored and was looking out of the window onto the street when I saw something strange. It was a shadow and then disappeared. I was scared and I was closed the window. I went down to tell my mom and my brother but they wasn't there. I called tomum and I said "Mom where are you? I'm scared because I saw a shadow and suddenly it disappered" My mum said" Izabela lock all the doors. The police are chasing a crazy man who kills little girls who are alone in the house." I locked all the doors and called the police. I remembered I jhad forgotten to lock the back door. I ran to the back door but I found the door open. I was scared so much. I locked the door and I ran to my room and I locked the door. I was hiding under my bed. Then I heard the voice of a crazy man. He said "Oh little girl I know where you are and I found you I will kill you!" He tried to unlock the door. I was beginning to cry. Suddenly the door opened and the crazy man entered my room. He stood in front of my bed and ducked. He pulled me out from under the bed and then he was pushing me. He tried to kill me with a knife in my leg. He injured my hand. He tried to slaughter me. It would have happened but the police entered my room and they saved me. When I found my mom I began to cry again because I was very scared. Anyway, everything went well. The police caught the crazy man and we moved house. I'm better now but really I'll never forget that day.

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by Maria Psarri

I was feeling bored and was looking out of the window onto the street when I saw something strange,there was a team  of people which was very different. Many of them had big nails, many fur around their face amnd also had wrinkles. They looked like werewolves. I decided to go out and see what had happened. I went outside my house and I saw around until I had found them. Suddeny I hear a loud noise it was a big monster he was coming towards me. I screamed very loudly and I was very afraid But I felt a hand pull me back and I hurtmy hand. Moreover the strange people that I had seen before fought the big monster. One, a boy, was coming to me and helped me to hide. He asked me" Are you okay?" and I said "Yes I am but I feel very tired." AlsoI asked hime Also I aske dhim "What are you?" he looked at me strangely and said " What do you mean?" I replied " You dn't look like people What are you?" He told me "Relax, we are only people." I was angry and asked him one more time" What are you? And be careful, this time telll me the truth." "Okay. We are werewolves" I was shocked and I told him "No I don't believe you! tell me now the truth." He told me  " This is th truth if you want to believe it, or you can believe whatever you want." After that I didn't say anything and I didn't look at him ether. When the fight was over, all of them came and the captain asked "What is your name?" I answered "My name is Maria." He told me "What did you see." I said "Do you want the truth?" He said "Of course" I said "Everything." He begged me not to tell anyhting about them and I promised I would. After day I saw all of them in school but they weren't werewolves and also I saw the boy who helped me and saved my life.

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by Zoe Gianni 

Last year a boy went to a party. He was all alone, but after a few time he met a girl and she was beautiful. He fell in love with her. After a few days they became a couple and the boy wanted to to marry the girl. "Would you marry me?" he asked the girl."Of course, sweetheart." she answered.
They were very happy for that decision. But one night when they were sleeping, the boy heard a horrible sound like an animal wich was breating very loud. He went to the kitchen to see where the sound came from but he didn't see anything. Then he went to his bed again. Suddenly, he realised that the sound came from the girl. He went closer to her but she didn't woke up. This continued for many weeks and the booy didn't have any problem any more with the sound.

Two days before the wedding he had a nightmare. He saw a lot  of people injured and most of them were dead. Then in his dream appeared a woman. "Don't marry this girl if you want to stay alive." she said to him. "Why?" he asked. "Just don't do that. Wake up and run and don't look back. Leave this girl behind you and run." she said to him. Suddenly the boy woke up and saw the girl was watching him. "You are going to leave then?" the girl asked him. "No baby," he asnwered and they fell asleep again.
The next day the boy thought about the words from the woman in his dream and at midnight he decided to leave the house house and the girlfriend who was sleeping. He took his clothes and some important things and started to run away. In the morning, when the girl woke up, she realized that the boy had left her. She went to find another boy to fall in love with her so that she could drink his blood to live. The boy was so happy that he was safe and he never fell in love with a girl again.

A2 LEVEL

The Cursed Knight

By Nick Sargiotis

Once upon a time there was a good knight who cared for his people. A night when our hero was looking at the stars a witch cursed him to be bad every night with a blood moon. One night with a blood moon the knight almost destroyed an entire castle he lived in. Gladly they put him into the dungeon before he could destroy it.
After centuries some students wanted to go to the scariest place that ever existed. They chose a haunted house, but it wasn'r scary enough for them. The next night they went to an abandoned mineshaft which was abandoned 34 years. But it was nothing compared to what they wanted. Next night they searched on the internet for the spookiest place on earth and they found a ruined castle which was destroyed by a cursed night. On the internet said that every night with a blood moon the knight comes from the dead to kill people who tresspass his territory which was his castle.The students thought it would be the spookiest place on earth and they waited for a night with a blood moon. The next night - with a blood moon - the students went into the ruined castle to feel the spookiest experience they have ever experienced but one thing they didn't know was that the curse was real and their life would be in huge danger. The knight almost killed them but the soul of the king heard the students and defeated the knight. After that the students never wanted to go back again.