{"id":756,"date":"2016-06-05T14:16:34","date_gmt":"2016-06-05T14:16:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freelanceteacherselfdevelopment.wordpress.com\/?p=756"},"modified":"2016-06-05T14:16:34","modified_gmt":"2016-06-05T14:16:34","slug":"11things-challenge-an-unlikely-feat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/2016\/06\/05\/11things-challenge-an-unlikely-feat\/","title":{"rendered":"#11things challenge, an unlikely feat"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Anybody who knows me really, really well or looks at my social media knows that I am sociopathic\/misanthropic. So, when <a href=\"https:\/\/myeltrambles.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Joanna Malefaki<\/a> nominated me in this blog challenge, she probably didn&#8217;t realise most people would have thought twice about nominating me. However, my friend James, who often knows me better than I know myself says I am a contrarian. I love wrongfooting people and do so just for the sake of it, sometimes. He thinks. I think that just doing the same old thing is boring, therefore, I am going to jump into this blog challenge like a sausage jumping from frying pan to fire.<br \/>\nSo, eleven things about me, followed by eleven questions from the nominating blogger, then I nominate 11 people and then ask 11 new questions.<\/p>\n<h2>11 things about me<\/h2>\n<p>1. I live in Kawasaki, a suburb of Tokyo or of Yokohama.<br \/>\n<div class=\"googlemaps\">\n\t\t\t\t<iframe width=\"400\" height=\"300\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" marginheight=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d207737.3007063866!2d139.50230970453373!3d35.55628731346433!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x60185f7b01bd5057:0x88c9f317cacfd3cb!2sKawasaki,%20Kanagawa%20Prefecture!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sjp!4v1465134813064\"><\/iframe>\n\t\t\t<\/div><br \/>\n2. I am a member of Teachers as Workers Special Interest Group and <a href=\"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/u\/0\/communities\/100289506962281954100\" target=\"_blank\">you can be too<\/a>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-758\" src=\"http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/7tz5utji_400x400.png\" alt=\"7tz5UtJi_400x400\" width=\"256\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/7tz5utji_400x400.png 256w, http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/7tz5utji_400x400-150x150.png 150w, http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/7tz5utji_400x400-100x100.png 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 256px) 100vw, 256px\" \/><br \/>\n3. I teach across more contexts than most people I know. I do Business English (which I&#8217;d argue is just English for the workplace in most cases), ESP (orthodontists who need to talk to patients and their guardians), English as a Foreign Language Communication as a school subject, university general EFL, English for standardised tests like IELTS and young learners.<br \/>\n4. I used to play guitar.<br \/>\n5. I used to write fiction but haven&#8217;t had time because&#8230;<br \/>\n6. I am studying an <a href=\"http:\/\/www.port.ac.uk\/courses\/modern-languages-and-area-studies\/ma-applied-linguistics-and-tesol\/\" target=\"_blank\">MA TESOL and Applied Linguistics<\/a> at University of Portsmouth via Distance Learning.<br \/>\n7. I also have stopped running due to this. I regularly notched up over 200 km a month at my peak.<br \/>\n8. My favourite novel is <em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Shampoo_Planet\">Shampoo Planet<\/a><\/em> by Douglas Coupland. People who are fond of lists would do well to read it.<br \/>\n9. I love <a href=\"https:\/\/scottthornbury.wordpress.com\/2010\/02\/28\/d-is-for-dogme\/\" target=\"_blank\">Dogme<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/freelanceteacherselfdevelopment.wordpress.com\/2015\/12\/14\/actually-doing-task-based-teaching\/\">Task-Based Learning<\/a> and use bits from \u00a0lexical approaches and The Silent Way sometimes.<br \/>\n10. I sometimes shout in anger when I read.<br \/>\n11. I love Truffaut&#8217;s film <i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0054389\/\" target=\"_blank\">Shoot the Piano Player<\/a><\/i>. You should watch it too.<\/p>\n<h2>Joanna&#8217;s 11 questions<\/h2>\n<p><b>1. How do you spend your free time?<\/b><br \/>\nWith my son, my wife and son or with a book. I don&#8217;t get much so savour it.<br \/>\n<b>2. What\u2019s your favourite song?<\/b><br \/>\nThat&#8217;s like naming your favourite student. At the minute I would say it&#8217;s <em>Stonemilker<\/em> by Bj\u00f6rk.<br \/>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gQEyezu7G20?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<b>3. What\u2019s your favourite food?<\/b><br \/>\nChocolate.<br \/>\n<b>4. My guilty pleasure is\u2026\u2026.. (fill in the sentence).<\/b><br \/>\nChocolate.<br \/>\n<b>5. Share a picture. What is it of (inspired by Clare)?<\/b><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/img_1873.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-755\" src=\"http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/img_1873.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2448\" height=\"2448\" srcset=\"http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/img_1873.jpg 2448w, http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/img_1873-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/img_1873-300x300.jpg 300w, http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/img_1873-768x768.jpg 768w, http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/img_1873-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/img_1873-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2448px) 100vw, 2448px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nIt&#8217;s banana bread I made. When I get days off work I sometimes bake.<br \/>\n<b>6. If you could go anywhere in the world to teach, where would you go and why?<\/b><br \/>\nBerlin, Rotterdam or Antwerp. I love techno. But really I know here is good no matter where else the grass is green.<br \/>\n<b>7. What\u2019s your top tip for new teachers?<\/b><br \/>\nStart listening for what your learners need. It&#8217;s more important than textbook pacing.<br \/>\n<b>8. What\u2019s your top tip for teachers who feel burnt out?<\/b><br \/>\nTalk to someone and take paid holidays if you have any. From burnout it&#8217;s just a short step to destructive behaviour like drinking too much or even just being really negative about yourself.<br \/>\n<b>9. If I wasn\u2019t an English teacher , I would be a\/ an\u2026\u2026.<\/b><br \/>\nunemployed? Working in PC World? I have no idea.<br \/>\n<b>10. What\u2019s the funniest thing that has happened during a lesson?<\/b><br \/>\nI have no idea. I&#8217;m more of a deadpan curmudgeon than a slapstick guy.<br \/>\n<b>11. Describe a typical work day.<\/b><br \/>\nGet up early coffee train teach coffee train coffee teach coffee train go to bed.<\/p>\n<h2>Nominations<\/h2>\n<p>This by no means should make you feel obliged to do this. There are only 24 hours in a day and many work-related hoops through which to jump. However, I&#8217;d be interested in the answers to the upcoming questions from these bloggers:<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/rosebardeltdiary.wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Rose Bard<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/timedingtable.wordpress.com\/\">Jamie Clayton<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/eltrantsreviewsreflections.wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Michael Griffin<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/ljiljanahavran.wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ljiljana Havran<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/lizzieserene.wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Anne Hendler<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/annloseva.wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ann Loseva<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/eflnotes.wordpress.com\/\">Mura Nava<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/muddlesintomaxims.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Matthew Noble<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/hanatichaeltblog.wordpress.com\/\">Hana Ticha<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/afteroctopus.wordpress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Vedrana Vojkovic<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/decentralisedteachingandlearning.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Paul Walsh<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>11 Questions<\/h2>\n<p>1. Why did you become a teacher?<br \/>\n2. Why are you still a teacher?<br \/>\n3. You have a magic wand. What would you change about the English language teaching profession?<br \/>\n4. No magic wands. What is one step that people could easily take to change the thing above?<br \/>\n5. Who was your first mentor when you started teaching? Tell us about your relationship and what you learned.<br \/>\n6. Who are your mentors now?<br \/>\n7. What&#8217;s overrated is an excuse for a gripe, and I&#8217;ve given two above already. What&#8217;s underrated in ELT?<br \/>\n8. What do you wish you had known about ELT when you started?<br \/>\n9. Loads of people see career progression as routes to ELT writing or teacher training. What else is there and what are you hoping to do in the future?<br \/>\n10. How many hours a week do you work outside your paid hours?<br \/>\n11. Who or what is the biggest influence on your teaching outside teaching?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Anybody who knows me really, really well or looks at my social media knows that I am sociopathic\/misanthropic. So, when Joanna Malefaki nominated me in this blog challenge, she probably didn&#8217;t realise most people would have thought twice about nominating me. However, my friend James, who often knows me better than I know myself says [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[5,1],"tags":[18,56,128],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa34By-cc","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/756"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=756"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/756\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/getgreatenglish.com\/ftsd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}