Stay up-to-date with ELT trends and ideas with articles from experts and teachers in the field.

Articles

<p>Why is teaching one of the most stressful jobs? If you look at the main causes of stress, the answer is plain to&nbsp;see.</p>

<p>Stress is generally attributed&nbsp;to:</p>

<ul>
	<li>a feeling of not having enough&nbsp;time</li>
	<li>a feeling of uncertainty</li>
	<li>a combination of the&nbsp;above</li>
</ul>

<p>Next time you are feeling burnt out or overwhelmed at work, ask yourself these&nbsp;questions:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Am I worried there isn&rsquo;t enough&nbsp;time?</li>
	<li>Am I worried because I don&rsquo;t know what is going to happen in the&nbsp;future?</li>
	<li>Am I worried because I don&rsquo;t think there&rsquo;s enough time AND I don&rsquo;t know what&rsquo;s going to happen in the&nbsp;future?</li>
</ul>

<p>It&rsquo;s no wonder why <em>moving</em>, <em>getting married</em>, and <em>having a baby</em> are listed as the most stressful periods of a person&#39;s life (and why it is not recommended to do more than one of these things at a time). Sometimes just knowing the source of your stress can make you feel better. If you do nothing else to relieve your stress, isolate the root cause of&nbsp;it.</p>

<p>When I&rsquo;m feeling stressed out, I like to think about one of my favorite quotes from a creative writing&nbsp;guru.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important, just lie&nbsp;down.&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Natalie Goldberg</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Okay, so you may not be able to lie down on your desk when you are supposed to be teaching about the present perfect, but you can remind yourself that stress only gets worse if you take life too seriously. Here are <em>7 Stress Busters</em> you probably already know. Please accept this refresher&nbsp;course.</p>

<h1>Tip #1</h1>

<h4>Give Yourself a Time Out</h4>

<p>The times when we are the busiest in life are the times when we need a break the most. Go for a walk or run at lunchtime instead of marking report cards. You know the reports will get done by the deadline. They always do. Figure out what a break feels like to you. If you&rsquo;re like me, you may need a KitKat or an hour at the library or a date with your journal. If you&rsquo;re like other people, you may need an hour at the gym or the golf range or the sushi&nbsp;counter.</p>

<h1>Tip #2</h1>

<h4>Raise Your Hand</h4>

<p>Don&rsquo;t keep your stress to yourself. Share your concerns with someone who may be able to relieve some of your stress. Again, isolate the cause of the stress. Do you need to talk to someone who can help you find extra time or someone who can offer advice about presenting at a conference for the first&nbsp;time?</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep&nbsp;breaths.&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Etty Hillesum</p>
</blockquote>

<h1>Tip #3</h1>

<h4>Check If You&rsquo;re Breathing</h4>

<p>Breathe in your monkey troubles (through your nose) and breathe out a September-you (even if it&rsquo;s not September). Repeat for at least two minutes. Don&rsquo;t be afraid to share your feelings with your class. Your students will likely enjoy a mini-break from the lesson to help you breathe. After the breathing exercise, ask your students to discuss what they do to&nbsp;relax.</p>

<h1>Tip #4</h1>

<h4>Make a High-Five List</h4>

<p>Every weekday morning (or the night before) write out 5 things that have to be done by the end of the next day. Make sure to tackle the thing that is causing you the most stress first. If you think you won&rsquo;t have enough time to mark the tests, do that task first. Give yourself a high five if you complete the first thing on your list. Sometimes just the act of writing things down will help you tackle life&rsquo;s laundry.</p>

<h1>Tip #5</h1>

<h4>Look for a Human Who Needs Your Shoulder More Than You&nbsp;Do</h4>

<p>Keep your eyes and ears open for someone else who may be feeling stressed out. Your body will benefit physically and mentally from the act of helping someone else in need. And, as a reward, the universe will probably give you back the time and energy you need to complete your own high‑five&nbsp;list.</p>

<h1>Tip #6</h1>

<h4>Laugh at (or Dance with) your&nbsp;Emergency</h4>

<p>Ask your students to share their favorite jokes or most embarrassing moment stories. Challenge the students to make you laugh. Teach (and demo) all of the different types of laughter (belly laugh, giggle, snicker, howl, snort). Never underestimate the power of laughter. If laughter doesn&rsquo;t work, try&nbsp;music.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;If I have the presence of mind to flick on some music, the day is saved nine times out of&nbsp;ten.&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;a wise friend</p>
</blockquote>

<h1>Tip #7</h1>

<h4>Make Friends with a Pirate</h4>

<p>Have you ever noticed how quickly kids make friends at a park? &ldquo;My friend is going home,&rdquo; my son often cries after five minutes of playing pirates with a stranger from the shark-infested puddle. What can you do to make a new friend and widen your support network during your time of stress? (The parent of that other pirate, or the clerk selling the KitKat may be all you need in the moment.) Gretchen Rubin of <a href="http://www.happiness-project.com/" target="_blank">The Happiness Project</a> recommends setting yourself a goal of making three new friends in each new situation (e.g., at a new job or in a new neighborhood). If you&rsquo;re worried about a new teaching post, or presenting at a conference, concentrate on making three new friends instead of worrying about time or&nbsp;uncertainty.</p>

<h1>Related ESL Lessons</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons/1836">Stress: 6 Ways to Reduce Workplace Stress</a> &ndash; Health Matters</li>
	<li class="lesson"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons/1956">Busy Disease: 10 Signs That You Are Too Busy</a> &ndash; Health Matters</li>
</ul>


7 Stress Busters for Teachers

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<p>Phrasal verbs&hellip;groan. Idioms&hellip;yum! When it comes to idioms, English learners are &ldquo;all ears&rdquo;. Here are 7 reasons why English learners give idioms two thumbs&nbsp;up.</p>

<h1>Reason #1</h1>

<h4>Learners can often visualize idioms</h4>

<p>While idioms aren&rsquo;t always literal, learners can often picture an idiom or think of an experience related to one. Who can&rsquo;t picture an &ldquo;old flame&rdquo; singing &ldquo;at the top of his voice&rdquo;?</p>

<h1>Reason #2</h1>

<h4>Learners have idioms in their own languages</h4>

<p>Students often experience an &ldquo;aha moment&rdquo; after hearing or reading a new idiom or slang expression. This is because the learners have a similar way of saying the same thing in their own language. In a way, idioms show that we all speak one&nbsp;language.</p>

<h1>Reason #3</h1>

<h4>Learners long for connection with the proverbial &ldquo;native speaker&rdquo;</h4>

<p>No matter how many times we tell learners that they cannot (and should not want to) become &ldquo;native speakers&rdquo; they still use this expression when they voice their language learning dreams. Being able to use and understand the language of a &ldquo;native&rdquo; brings learners closer to their&nbsp;goal.</p>

<h1>Reason #4</h1>

<h4>Lessons with idioms are often more relevant</h4>

<p>Resources that use plenty of everyday idioms are typically more modern and communicative in comparison to theme or grammar based lessons from outdated&nbsp;textbooks.</p>

<h1>Reason #5</h1>

<h4>Idioms are typically taught in context</h4>

<p>While phrasal verbs are often taught in isolation with rules about when and how to use them properly, idioms typically come up in context. Idioms can and should be treated and reviewed just as any other vocabulary. You don&rsquo;t teach your two year old which words are phrasal verbs, do you? If you&rsquo;re going to teach an idiom in isolation, consider making it a daily ritual with time for review and&nbsp;practice.</p>

<h1>Reason #6</h1>

<h4>Teachers have fun explaining idioms</h4>

<p>Most English teachers have a love of words. Students can feel the sense of enjoyment teachers have when explaining interesting words and expressions, especially when real life examples are used. Learners who take a risk and use the new idioms enjoy the praise of getting it&nbsp;right.</p>

<h1>Reason #7</h1>

<h4>Idioms are often humorous</h4>

<p>Idioms such as <strong>&ldquo;by the skin of your teeth,&rdquo; &ldquo;birthday suit,&rdquo; or &ldquo;loose cannon&rdquo; </strong> make everyone laugh. A good giggle is often enough to seal a new word or expression firmly into the&nbsp;brain.</p>

<h1>Resources</h1>

<ul class="resources">
	<li class="course"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/77/lessons" target="_blank">Everyday Idioms 1: First Love</a></li>
	<li class="course"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/78/lessons" target="_blank">Everyday Idioms 2: First Year</a></li>
	<li class="course"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/102/lessons" target="_blank">Everyday Idioms 3: Moving to New York</a></li>
	<li class="external-link"><a href="http://www.idiomconnection.com/mostfrequent.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">100 Most Frequently Used English&nbsp;Idioms</a></li>
	<li class="external-link"><a href="http://www.englishclub.com/ref/idiom-of-the-day.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Idiom of the Day</a></li>
	<li class="external-link"><a href="http://esl.culips.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ESL Culips (Podcast)</a></li>
	<li class="external-link"><a href="http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:yrrkFJyKlf4J:scholar.google.com/&amp;hl=en&amp;as_sdt=2000" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Without Slang and Idioms Students are in the Dark</a> by David&nbsp;Burke</li>
</ul>


7 Reasons Why English Learners Love Idioms

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Tour around the ELT conference circuit as our team shares conference highlights and session reviews.

Conferences

<p>When Ben Buckwold of Red River Press&nbsp;invited me to join him at the TESOL conference, I was excited and nervous about the opportunity. Writers like me often end up behind the scenes. We get caught up in deadlines, revisions, and blogs and start to doubt our own ability to interact with the real world. My friends and family are often shocked to hear that I&#39;ve worked with managers, editors, and writers for years at a time without ever meeting these people face-to-face. Tools like email, chat, and even the good old telephone have made it possible for writers to do business without shaking hands or looking real humans in the eye. While I couldn&#39;t do my job without the Internet, I have Boston to thank for reminding me of the importance of real humans.</p>

<p><strong>7 Things I learned at the Boston TESOL Conference</strong></p>

<p><strong>1. New Friends are a Wealth of Inspiration</strong></p>

<p>As a writer I rely heavily on inspiration for my materials. I think this is something teachers and writers have in common. New friends bring new stories, and without stories your well can run dry. Whether they come from a passenger beside you on the airplane or a colleague from across the miles, new stories can renew your creativity. When is the last time you took the time to make a new friend? A teacher&#39;s conference or workshop may be just what you need!</p>

<p><strong>2. Facebook Can <em>Stand In </em>for Face-to-Face</strong></p>

<p>Facebook came in handy this week when an international phone call (just to Canada) rang in at 18 dollars a minute. While saying good night to my six year old via her father&#39;s Facebook page was not the same as reading her a bedtime story, it certainly was better than nothing! ESL Library has recently joined the Facebook world in order to connect with teachers from around the world. If you use materials from the library, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ESLlibrary" target="_blank">please join us on Facebook</a> so that we can get to know each other and discuss educational trends and needs. Next time we&#39;re at a conference together we can arrange to meet face-to-face!</p>

<p><strong>3. One Creature&#39;s Criticism is another Person&#39;s Praise</strong></p>

<p>While subscription based websites sometimes get criticized by the online community, I was pleased by the number of teachers I met this week who called ESL Library&#39;s $60/per year membership fair, reasonable, and affordable. A representative from one of the larger publishers questioned what right RRP had to practically &#39;give teaching materials away&#39;. While a few teachers admitted they didn&#39;t have room in their budget for another subscription, not one suggested that all flashcards and lessons should be free. Teachers from Egypt, Mexico, and Korea expressed excitement in being able to access the content on a trial basis before joining from across the globe. One American teacher had concerns about Canadianisms that occasionally crop up in our materials, and another international teacher thanked us heartily for the range of content and themes.</p>

<p><strong>4. Teachers Rarely have just One Job</strong></p>

<p>Asking a teacher at a TESOL conference what she does for a living is a dangerous question! I expected teachers to share information about the level or age or skill they taught. Instead many teachers spoke heavily of their multifaceted jobs as administrators, volunteers, board members, teacher-trainers, and examiners. With their heavy bags of books and manuals, teachers at the conference were relieved to find sites like <a href="http://ellii.com" target="_blank">ESL Library</a>, <a href="http://www.brainpop.com/" target="_blank">Brain Pop</a>, and <a href="http://englishcentral.com/en/videos" target="_blank">English Central</a> to offer a helping hand.</p>

<p><strong>5. Tweechers are Celebrities</strong></p>

<p>In the twittersphere we sometimes forget that not all tweechers are teachers. As I tried to find new teachers to follow at the conference I was shocked to learn that there are far more twitter skeptics than believers in the TEFL industry. Meeting <a href="http://twitter.com/JudieHaynes" target="_blank">@JudieHaynes</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/NadiaNassif" target="_blank">@NadiaNassif </a>felt a bit like meeting a famous person! We also found some new tweeters like <a href="http://twitter.com/TeachingIdeas" target="_blank">@TeachingIdeas </a>while following the #TESOL and #tesol2010 tags. Thank you to all of the tweeters like <a href="http://twitter.com/NemaVeze" target="_blank">@NemaVeze</a> who were tweeting from the sessions.</p>

<p>&nbsp;<strong>6. The Best Conversations are Overheard</strong></p>

<p>As I sat back to relax on my plane back to Canada, I listened in on a conversation between two teachers behind me sharing impressions about the conference. They discussed their travels in Boston, including a trip to Harvard and a hunt for Betty Azar. Later in the customs line up I heard teachers saying how choosing the right session was <strong>&#39;the luck of the draw&#39; </strong>and how their presentations had gone better than planned. It confirmed our team&#39;s plan to participate in the sessions next year and take a break from the exhibition hall.</p>

<p><strong>7. Adventures Don&#39;t Need Backup Plans</strong></p>

<p>Do Bostonians have a secret plan to send tourists in the wrong direction? Maybe! We covered a lot more of the city than we would have with just a map. My trip to Boston reminded me that you don&#39;t always need a backup plan. You can bring a phone, but you can&#39;t expect it to work. You can rent a table, or you can improvise with a box. Your USB flash drive might not survive the turbulence, but hopefully you have a husband who can keep you calm. Mine just rescued all of the work I completed in Boston as I wrote this blog! Even if your airplane turns around before you reach your destination, you&#39;ll still find your way. I did!</p>

<p>A special thank you to all of the teachers and administrators who stopped by Red River Press at the TESOL conference. Some of you came by to say hello and tell us you are already satisfied members. Others took a few moments to try out one of our new language learning apps or offer suggestions. It was great chatting with each one of you. See you in New Orleans!&nbsp;</p>


VIEWING POSTS BY

Tara Benwell

7 Stress Busters for Teachers

7 Reasons Why English Learners Love Idioms

Beyond the Booth at Boston TESOL 2010