The Need for Extensive Reading

How often do you see a child these days holding a book or owning a book collection of different topics and genres to read JUST FOR PLEASURE? and not part of a school assignment?

I believe not very often. 

Unfortunately, most of the students have replaced the pleasure of reading a book with using i-pads to play games or scroll-down on social media applications. Although technological devices can be a useful source of knowledge, most students use it for less beneficial purposes. However, it is still possible for teachers to attract a student's attention back to reading books. One way to achieve such a great goal is implementing an extensive reading program. 


ER provides students the opportunity to self-select their reading material, which they do not usually have the chance to do as part of the intensive reading done in class. They can choose topics and genres which interests them unlike being forced to read a specific passage.

Moreover, students who read extensively are not expected to turn-in assignments related to the read materials. These components can be attractive to the majority of students.

Many schools and language teachers lack the needed knowledge of how to implement such programs efficiently. I believe more awareness is needed towards this issue.

Good Luck!

Who doesn’t aim or wish to have a good luck? People seek for good luck, even if sometimes they have to do crazy things to get it.

    People follow several practices to have good luck, even though most of them are myths and do not work. Good luck customs existed since forever _ Our grandparents used to wait the month " MAY" to start a business , or to get married or what so else because they have faith that this month brings positive vibes and good luck along with it. Many other activities are practiced like spreading salt on the top of your house, eating rounded fruits, having a lucky number, not washing your hair... etc. Mostly older people believe in the power of these practices. Young generations like us, do not believe in this things. I personally do not practice any of these, because I think they are myths not more.

A Real Friendship

       

The most wonderful relationship that every person can have if he or she is loyal, dependable, kind, caring, and loving is friendship. Each person views friendship in a different way; some thinks that a good friend is the one who makes you happy and gives you what you want, others think that a good friend is the one who shares with you every happy and sad moment and helps you when you need help. However, a famous philosopher Euripides once said, “Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness”. The presence of friends makes our life worthwhile but it is really difficult to write a good friend who will be with us in all the circumstances of life.


Do you have such a real friend in your life and do you think that having a real friend is necessary nowadays?

Classroom Management

   When I was an undergrad student, I learned many classroom management techniques that teachers can use in classrooms to deal with discipline problems. But when I taught for the first year, it seemed to me that most of the methods we learned weren't applicable in our schools. I felt very frustrated most of the days although I worked my best at following what I learned in theories.

I think we should have workshops that bridge the gap between theories and practice especially during this year while students are being affected by the overall revolutionary climate of the country, causing discipline problems to escalate.

  How was your first year of teaching regarding classroom management? What are some strategies that you found useful in managing our classrooms? 

How I chose teaching

      

      When I finished my school education, I was thinking of the major I would choose to continue my journey. I thought of all the possibilities that are available for me, and was interested in more than one. But I had to consider whether I was really passionate about each domain, talented in it, and whether I would be able to find job opportunities related to the major upon graduation. After thinking about many aspects I decided to pursuit Teaching English major. I entered this domain and have completed all its courses and requirements in three years. My love and passion about teaching and dealing with students grew stronger during those years especially after being engaged in a real-life classroom through observing it for seventy five hours and working on practical activities and skills that I can apply later on. Also I have enjoyed planning lessons and applying them with the students I observed.
       

My Passion

      English wasn’t the only domain I was interested in. I was passionate about different forms of art. During my primary years, I was chosen to participate in “Dabki Folklore” show at the UNESCO palace in Beirut. My team won the first place among other Lebanese schools. My confidence to present on stage allowed me to take active roles in school parties and ceremonies. Later on, during my elementary years of cycle II, I was also competent and a higher achiever in most subjects. I was elected to represent the school in an Arabic Competition for Poetry in Dar AL-Hanan for two consecutive years. Luckily I won the third place and the first place respectively among the participant schools. During the same stage, my Arabic teacher discovered that I had a singing talent. He encouraged me by asking me to sing in different occasions.

    

A Journey of Perseverance

A bright future is a long journey of consistent trials for success. It includes ups and downs and might include failure.  But what is important to know, is that future success isn’t a step born in a moment sometime in the future.The future is an accumulation of moments, minutes, hours, days and years of perseverance starting from now, and perhaps it has started even before in the past. I’ve learned that if you want to create a successful future, you need to work hard, be persistent, seek opportunities and stick to your goals by never giving up even when obstacles arise and seem to block your way. There will always be light at the end of the tunnel. But those who allow the darkness of the tunnel to suck their positive energy, will, and determination, will remain stuck in the tunnel and would never dare to move forward to reach the light.