School is broken and we need to change it. That’s what Genki English is all about.
Instead of “sit down, shut up” we need questions as the curriculum, instead of “chalk and talk” we need songs & games, we need positive rules and generally more “Genki” – meaning “energetic”, “exciting” and “full of life” – energy into class.
Luckily many people are wanting to change things too. Bill Gates has had a tough time – even with $5 billion, Sugata Mitra (who works with the projects I’m helping with in India) thinks that classrooms without teachers is best.
But today Seth Godin shows what the real problem is.
Are you teaching in a “drop out factory?”
Nice post Richard! I work with many colleagues who “suffer” me in their classroom because they have to. I also work with many colleagues who welcome me into their classroom. I try to let my thoughts dwell more on them than on the ones that give me a hard time …
As part of my continuing professional development, I’m signing up for the wholebrainteaching livestream which provides professional development credit. It will be interesting to see if my local education authority accept this as part of my 15 hour compulsory training development they require of me during a school year!
http://wholebrainteaching.com/
I’m sorry, but I’m not agree with Bill Gates.I think he never finished university and he wants to send their product as everybody does.
Teachers are allways trying to make classes more interesting and we spend hours and hours looking for the best materials to teach. This is one of the reasons why I met Genki English and I love it.
We, the teachers have to change a lot of activities in order our pupils don’t get bored and they liked English, maths…
The first day school,our students have to write their names in their folders, books… We can tell them that we are goin to play a game; I have all my pupils names in pieces of papers, one pupil pick up one without looking at it; He /she reads My name is Marcos. The teacher asks ” are you Marcos?, no…
Who is Marcos? Marcos says Me, I’m Marcos.
Marcos pick up his name and glue it on his folder, books… and we go on. They are playing, they are learning, and at the end they sing Genki English song What’s your name?
So, classes are better with teachers and thanks to Microsoft ( Bill Gates),I found Genki English in my computer and thanks to the teachers pupils learn English using GENKI ENGLISH.
…back to the discussion of “good” and “bad” teachers, which I don’t like too much, as like Liza I just try to focus and be with the “good” ones; And I feel it works , there are many super teachers.
I must agree though, that at times, this article just fits 100%.
Sadly I have to experience it in first place this year. My daughter is having the one teacher out of 50 at my school that I wouldn’T want any kid to have.
For the first time ever I noticed and actually told the teacher herself and all administrators that I don’t see any reason but her friends going to school.
Yeah, it was that bad, that I had to take the lady in front of 3 administrators to talk, and we were closely to the point of letting her go. BUT, she promised to change (which I know will be and proofs to be very hard for a 58 year old); but “knock on wood” right now she has been decreasing her
“learning through tests and testscores” to a more “teaching” style. She used to write at least two tests a day through the entire first term. Now she is down to 2 per week and my daughter is doing much better. I hope she will follow this pattern throughout the term, otherwise I will keep on fighting and I have no problem with keeping my daughter at home.
BUT STILL* I believe in the GOOD ones, and I also believe that all teachers are willing to change to GOOD ones (otherwise I wouldn’t even call them “teacher”)