English, baby!

Teachers

Date: May 22 2009

Themes: School

Grammar: Count and Noncount Nouns

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Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Remember that awesome history teacher you had in high school, the one who told all the funny stories and inspired you to read everything you could find about the Battle of Waterloo and the last tsar of Russia? Or how about that awful math teacher who smelled weird and always gave you poor grades?

Good or bad, teachers often make a strong impression on us. But what makes a good teacher, and what makes a bad teacher? Listen to the dialog and find out what Devan and Marni think.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Devan

Marni: So, what do you think makes a good or a bad teacher? You’re in school right now, right?

Devan: Yes. And I have good and bad teachers right now.

Marni: OK.

Devan: Well, I think what makes a good teacher or a good professor is if they really care about what they’re teaching. Like there’s some teachers that just seem completely detached.

Marni: Right.

Devan: Teachers that just assign a lot of busy-work I feel like that’s a cop-out sort of, you know?

Marni: Yeah, absolutely. Well, I’m probably a little biased since I am a teacher. But I’m at the elementary level so it’s a little different. But I agree, I don’t like to assign busy-work because it doesn’t inspire kids to learn. But I look to someone…you know, I try to be a mentor to kids and really get them excited about learning. I don’t…I don’t want to be too strict, but…

Devan: Would you say you’re a pretty easy-going teacher?

Marni: I am in some respects but I definitely have my limitations and I’m very firm. I like to say firm but fair. But I think that I had a lot of bad teachers in my growing up, so I really strive to be a good teacher.

Grammar Point

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Discussion

Devan is in college right now and has both good and bad professors. For her, a good teacher is someone who is passionate about their subject and doesn’t assign a lot of meaningless work.

Marni agrees with Devan’s ideas about what makes a good teacher. She teaches elementary school children and tries to be firm but not too strict. She thinks it’s important to inspire students and be a mentor to them.

Want more about teachers? Read Devan or Marni’s blog posts about this conversation. Or check out the Ebaby! teacher blog.
What do you think makes a good teacher or a bad teacher? Can you describe the best teacher you ever had?

Comments

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Finland

i like this lesson =)

our math teacher hasn't come to school for 6 months already so we got this really funny guy to teach us and now everyone has improved!! =)

she didn't care about us at all and she even said to my classmate when he got a bad mark " Your mother's propably ashamed of you!"

luckily we got a better person to teach us =)

zhzloverzy

China

this topic is nice_{~ my teacher don't care about us as Devan said, instead of she always thinking about how to earn money},,she is suck~I would say!nowaday the teacher's qualities reached lowest all the time,...this is why chinese education will go no further..

shelley zhang

China

yes, i agree with marni's idea that the good teacher should to be firm but not too strict and really care about our lives.

sofree

China

I'm hundred percent agree with Marni and Devan, to be firm but fair makes a good teacher.

Compare my history and maths teacher, though I like history, our teacher was so boring, he just read test book and gave us a lot of reciting homework. Our maths teacher was a very interesting little old man, even I didn't like maths very much, I would like listening to his classes.

But my favorite teacher was my Chinese teacher, the old man was so passionate and really into Chinese culture, I like him that way.

I have been a tutor once. I thought too strict makes your student rebellious, so I tried to be easy-going, even played with the kid sometimes. Finally it ended up my failure, he didn't make big progress, so I quit. A teacher need to be respected and give a little pressure to your students, but not too much, exactly firm and fair.

alexa1

Saudi Arabia

i will agree with fanaimi from italy we need a good teacher to makes young generations are the future of a country…...

Sally ling

China

yeah..in the students live.. we all have the diffrent teacher…some good some bad ..the good teachers can give students more help ..students may learn more and more ..but the bad teachers will injure students pride is very badthing..

julywidiawati

Indonesia

i have one professor when i was in college, he was the best professor ever, he really concern to his students. Through his mentoring, i know how to be professional, and responsibility as a designer.

College being a great time when he came to the class, he checked all his students assignments patiently, and listen to each presentations.

Some students said he was not a firm professor, but i think it was one of his method to make us discipline and he was fun professor actually as long as you close to him with assigns all set and done.

Liem

Viet Nam

For me all teachers that taught me before were the good teachers.They taught with their enthusiasm+duty+responsibility+ care a lot of us.Taught us how to become a good people,and the know of society,natural out side the basic knowlege: math,... . though they always strict.But It was nesecery keke because you were evil boy..