Everyone knows the famous question that wonders: “if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” Today I was pondering a similar question, and perhaps some of the other English teachers out there can help me out with some answers. My question is: “if you teach lessons in the same room as other English teachers, but the filled up flip chart only has your writing on it, do the other teachers not write anything during their groups?”
I’m filling in for the next few weeks for another teacher while he’s on holiday, which means that I’m working almost full weeks for the first time in months. The first two days went pretty well, but it did leave me with the above question. I wasn’t sure before if this other teacher held classes in the same room that I used or not, and now that I know he does, I’m really confused about the lack of flip chart use. I’ve only been teaching in this company for a few months, and I’ve burned through a lot of empty pages. There’s no wipe board or anything else in the room so I find it all curious. Very curious.
I’ll spare you all pictures of flip charts, and instead leave you with this…
Every other blogger seems to have posts about Fasching/Carnival solidly covered, so I’ll leave you with this picture of my only Fasching-related activity this year. Yes, that’s a (slightly out of focus due to one-handing iPhone photos on a moving train) doughnut filled with Bailey’s. Which was my breakfast this Fat Tuesday morning, because I am a responsible adult.
Hey, fellow English teachers…. help me out with the flip chart question! What’s going on in those classes?
Heather Goes to Deutschland 
I don’t think I can help about the Flipboard thing, but it does leave me pondering the question! I haven’t written about Fasching either, but I have eaten a fair few krapfen and yesterday at the Carneval here I got hit by an orange. They seem to chuck those out more than sweets! 😀 PS. I am now going to have to try a Baileys doughnut!!
Hit by an orange? Sounds like you are hanging in a dangerous ‘hood! If there’s a Der Beck near you, they have the Bailey’s ones. They also have a tequila sunrise flavor, which I’m very intrigued by but also a bit scared of, haha.
If it’s a one-to-one lesson, sometimes I just write notes down on a piece of paper and give it to the student at the end, but a group? I burn through flip-chart paper! Maybe the other guy is just lazy? I’d (subtly) ask the students 😉
Agreed, with a one-to-one and a sheet. These are all groups though, so I’m confused for sure. I might try to pick it out of them next week but they’re also fairly beginner so subtlety can be tricky…
Something like “Does your teacher ever use this?” 😉
Haha. I could always go the direct route.
Germans like that 🙂
True. First question from one group today was “are you married?” Awkward.
I got that all the time in LV – at least it’s not as frowned upon not to be here!
I prefer a handout over a flip chart or maybe that’s your flip chart and you should be taking it home with you and the other guy has his own 😉 Krapfen breakfast of champions!
Oh boy, I really hope I’m not supposed to be hauling that flip chart around on trains with me all day! Handouts are good, but I rarely use them… that’s what I like to call “doing the least amount of prep work possible.” Probably not a good thing, but my tolerance for paperwork is nonexistent at this point.
I have a serious problem with spelling and letter order issues when I write on the board/flip chart so I used to go with handouts most of the time. Then after teaching a long time I started making my students do their own writing because I was mean like that. 🙂
That’s fair. I rarely have a problem with that sort of thing (spelling bee champion right here), but when it does happen… holy crap is that embarrassing. In two of the classes that I’m subbing this week, the word “pliers” came up, and I most definitely wrote “pliars” on the flip chart, and had to correct it later. In my defense, that is not a word that I have to write terribly often, but it only takes one time to bite me in the ass, haha.
P.S. – I love making students write. Hilarity often ensues.
Now I’m pondering the flipchart thing too. Hmmm.
Baileys doughnut? Where does one acquire such a thing? I had an ordinary jam doughnut yesterday because a colleague brought them in for everyone. Then I had pancakes for dinner because I am British and I do pancake day, not Fasching!
I know! Please ask any English-teaching friends you might have, and report back!
Do you have the chain “der Beck” near you? I think it might be only a Franconian thing, but they’ve got the Bailey’s doughnuts, and they are magical. Pancake day sounds equally magical, so I hope you enjoyed them!
I’ve never heard of “der Beck”. may have to do some research…
They’re all over the place here, but I’m pretty sure it’s only a regional chain. You’ll have to plan a visit for the next Krapfen season!
Maybe the lessons are being moved to the closest pub!?
Hahaha…. if there was a pub anywhere nearby, I might agree with you. Everyone in the company seems to be a chain smoker, so I was entertaining the possibility that they were having all their lessons at one of the smoking stations.