Book Day 2014

Today we are celebrating the International Book Day. My students know that it is so because we also commemorate the death date of two of the greatest writers of all times: William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes. We are also about to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth date and I came across this blog that shows how Shakespeare's Twitter would be today.

 I think that we have a lot of quotes and funny sentences that come from Shakespeare's works that fit into 140 characters, we can try and look for some. You can leave them in a comment and I will publish them in my Twitter account. 

Have you thought of any??If it is difficult for you to remember any, you can find Shakespeare's works online in English and in Spanish (for example, his sonnets). Have a look and choose your best!!!

Holidays at last!!!

Dear Students,
At last you are on holidays, after a few months of hard work, we have two months and a few days to recover ourselves and enjoy life. Some of you will have to study still because you did not get good results, not many in English, because this year many of my students have passed.

In the month of August I will be visiting the United Kingdom and I will probably be telling it to you here in the blog.

I wanted to say thank you to all of you who read this blog and follow me on Twitter. I always have you in mind when writing these posts and most of the times when twitting. I know I said in class I would follow you when holidays come, but I changed my mind: I will look at your timelines and decide, but probably, will wait until you go out of school, that is, until you are ex-students. I tell you this just to make things clear and also to let you know that I completely understand if you want to unfollow me.

It has been a pleasure teaching you this year and I wish you a great holidays full of experiences. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

International Day Against Homophobia

"Flowers" by Lucía R.B. to whom I talk about homophobia

On the 17th May 1990, the World Health Organization took out homosexuality from the list of illnesses, that is the reason why today we celebrate today the International Day Against Homophobia.  There are still some countries in which it is a crime to have homosexual relationships and in many others, they feel bullied or discriminated.

I am a bit fed up of listening to people saying that everything should be treated in schools, but I think this topic should and this is why:

 I see them everyday, 

even though they are a minority, they do exist.

 Most of them, both boys and girls, 

do not want the rest of the people to know, 

so,

 while the rest of their mates are experiencing their first intimate relationships,

 they cannot.

 Even if they are brave enough to have a relationship during their high school years,

 they do not kiss each other, 

they do not hug each other,

 they do not hold hands in public.

One day they will.

We won't even look back.

They will kiss,

they will hug,

they will hold hands...

And I will love to teach in that high school.

We have to acknowledge them in high schools, give them our support as teachers so that they are as free as the rest.

Worker's Day, Why today?

On 4th  May 1886, in the city of Chicago, workers were demonstrating to make working days last only up to 8 hours. Amongst them, someone threw a bomb (the first dynamite bomb in the USA)  and the police thought it was a reaction to them -they were trying to dissolve the demonstration- and started shooting to the strikers. This was called the Haymarket Affair, Massacre or Riot.

For this affair, eight anarchists were blamed and sentenced for conspiration, this was understood as an attack to the working movement. The trial was soon argued because some of the accused were not even at the place!!

As a commemoration of this strike and other movements organized among others by Lucy and Albert Parsons, the 1st May is the day to ask for better working conditions in many parts of the world and it is even a holiday in many countries. In USA and Canada is widely celebrated in September.

Did you know this? 

Holidays, at last!!!

On my way to work

This is a photo taken in a hurry from my car this morning, I had seen the rainbow as soon as I left Seville heading to the village where I work every day. As you can see, the sky was very dark, grey and brownish blue; it almost hided a beautiful rainbow. It made me smile.

Even though I was really happy to go to work because it is the last day before our little break for the Holy Week -and I reeeeeally need to rest a little, I do need this break. I am also a little sad because it seems that it is going to rain during this week. You may think it is not that awful, just a little rain, but the truth is that if it rains many of the events happening during this week in my city, Seville, cannot happen: during the Holy Week (starting on Palm Sunday, 24th March this year and finishing the next Sunday, 31st March), the life of Jesus Christ is represented  on top of beautifully carved wooden structures (pasos) held by men who carry hundreds of kilos on top of the backs of their necks. Besides, magnificently dressed Virgin Marys accompany their child on top of another structures usually surrounded by candles and flowers that fill our streets with wonderful scents. These "pasos" are accompanied by hundreds, if not thousands, of people; some of them belong to the brotherhood that takes care of the images, many other accompany them, sometimes in religious or artistic fervour, others just to enjoy the ambience and get hooked on the beauty of the images mixed with the smells and the magnificent music of the walking orchestras. 

I hope it did not rain... 

I want to seize this opportunity and invite all the people who read this blog from all parts of the world, to come and visit Seville, this is the best time of the year to do so. To my students, get a little rest too, you are going to need it to finish the course!!! Have a nice holiday!!

Saint Patrick's Day in Chicago

Tomorrow is a great day in many parts of the world where  Irish people live because they celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, the patron of the Irish country. They celebrate it everywhere wearing their flag's colours, especially the green one, wearing their traditional shamrocks and many other things. In Chicago, USA, where one of the greatest celebrations takes place, they have a parade, they choose a queen and they even dye their river in  green for that day!!!, you can see it in the video.

Do you know the name of the river?

Do you know the other two colours of the Irish flag?

If you want to know more about Saint Patrick's Day, read:

Saint Patrick's Day.

International Women's Day 2013

Tomorrow many of us will be celebrating International Women's Day. In these hard times, it is important to remember all the things women (and also men) have achieved since almost a century, the time which we have been celebrating this date. Women can vote now, we can work... and many other things.

This year, the United Nations have united some women across the world to sing this song called One Woman. I just want to say HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY!!! to all those who believe a better world is possible having women and men working and living together.

International Women's Day 2012

What did the Three Wise Men bring you?

In Spain, the tradition is that during the night of the 5th to the 6th of January, the Three Wise Men bring presents to those who have behaved well. In my house, we often leave our shoes so that they know whose presents they have to leave at our place.
Getting back to work is hard for adults, but even more for children and students who have had some days off after a great last effort, so we should try to have some interesting and entertaining ideas for the first class.
They love talking about what they have received and about what they have done in the past days, so we should take advantage of that:

• Give them some vocabulary to talk about the presents they have received and some minutes to organize themselves and ask structures or vocabulary; then ask them to make a conversation of two friends that meet on the 6th and tell each other what they got.
• Ask older students to choose the best day of the holidays and talk about it in the past.
• For younger stuedents it is easier to use prompts of the things they have received and help them to make a short description: I got a big/small (present) to play at home/in the street, to play alone/with friends...

If you are a student, say what activities would you like doing on the first day?

If you are a teacher, say what activities do you like doing on the first day?

Remember to vote for me if you have not already done it, that would be my best present this year!! ;)

World Aids Day

Unfortunately, it is important to remind people that AIDS is still an illness that we can get if we are not careful.  UN has set a day to focus on the illness and promote the knowledge about its symtoms, prevention, diagnosis and treament; it is on 1st December (last Saturday).

Even though we may not know anyone with this illness, it is important to remember that it exists. If you want to have a closer look at it in class with students or students alone at home or with their parents, there is a good website on the subject, it is called E-School Today.

There are also pages that treat this issue in depth:

• AIDS.gov (depending on the USA government)
• World  AIDS Day 

Have you done something at school this year related with this day?

International Men's Day.

International Men's Day is celebrated over more than 60 countries on the 19th November. It is a day to celebrate and take care of "men's and boy's health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality and higlighting positive role models" as they say at their web International Men's Day.

It was created by Dr. Teelucksingh from Trinidad and Tobago in 1999, next to Children's International Day which is tomorrow and in the month of the Movember (moustache+November) movement, created in 2003 in Australia to promote especially men's health.

In these days, I think men can also claim to have a day of their own so that we can focus on health and social  problems that are specific to them, what do you think of this idea?

World Teacher's Day.

Today, the 5th October, is the day that the UNESCO has set to pay homage and to claim for better conditions for teachers all over the world. I really think that we should take care of teachers and specially of the educative systems of our countries; so that all our children are able to receive a good education, an education that will help them be the best person possible in the future. 

These days, in which education is being looked at from economical points of view rather than pedagogical or teaching ones, we as teachers have to stand for ourselves and make people trust us, because we really do know what is the best way to teach students and how the educative system should work.

As a teacher, I like to be optimistic, so I'm going to leave you a picture of a teacher so that we can laugh a little:

Pen with a Voice

What do you have to say to take a stand for teachers??

Leave your comments and celebrate with us!!!

I want to dedicate this post to all my mates, but specially to a great teacher, my friend Carlos.