Teaching strategies
Using a Guttman Chart to help your students in China
Teaching strategies
July 23, 2017 by Nicholas McKay
I swear by using a Guttman Chart when teaching large classes. It's a tool designed to ascertain a student’s 'zone of proximal development' (ZPD), otherwise referred to as 'what they are ready to learn next'. There will...
Using movies in your ESL classroom in China
Teaching strategies
July 15, 2017 by Sarah Bucknall
Using movies in your ESL classroom in China is really worthwhile. But for me, it wasn’t as easy as just clicking on ‘play’. It was 8:30am and I felt it was too early to be having a debate. We had just had our lesson plans chec...
How to help students with academic difficulties
Teaching strategies
July 08, 2017 by Nicholas McKay
Experiencing difficulty with the content is the main reason behind why students act inappropriately. Fortunately, however, there are some strategies you can use with students experiencing such difficulties. These strategies may help you...
When the students control the curriculum
Teaching strategies
June 26, 2017 by Sarah Bucknall
Teaching English in China takes me back to being at school. Some subjects caught my attention, others not so much! With many ESL teaching jobs in training centers, the topics may not be relevant to the students. Or, the topics may be relevant but...
How to manage students with serious behavioral issues
Teaching strategies
June 05, 2017 by Nicholas McKay
Regardless of who we are teaching, whether it’s students in kindergarten, primary, secondary or tertiary level, managing behavior is always involved. Inevitably, however, teachers will encounter students who have serious behavioral issues, w...
My experience having a teaching assistant in China
Teaching strategies
May 25, 2017 by Sarah Bucknall
Having a teaching assistant in China is beneficial. Here's my experience. At some point, we've all been subjected to learning a second language. This may be voluntarily for pleasure or, for many, whilst at school and without much of a c...
Embodied pedagogy: the teaching method that will transform your classroom
Teaching strategies
January 11, 2017 by Nicholas McKay
Embodied pedagogy can work wonders in the ESL classroom. But what on earth is it? And what are the benefits? Embodied pedagogy explained When undertaking my Master of Teaching, my area of academic interest was embodied pedagogy. In short,...
How to write a killer lesson plan - GANAG
Teaching strategies
October 31, 2016 by Nicholas McKay
Let me share my secrets on how to write a killer lesson plan that works every time - GANAG. Those of us, who are new teachers, don’t have the luxury of reams of previous lesson plans, worksheets and activities, which proved to be effective....
How to strike a balance between behavior management and student connections
Teaching strategies
July 31, 2016 by Nicholas McKay
Personally, I find behavioral management to be challenging. It’s a classroom practice I’m not particularly confident in. Though mentor teachers of mine have praised my techniques, they likewise felt concerned. Considering some of t...
