BEING A TEACHER IS A DIFFICULT TASK NOWADAYS, SO I DECIDED TO FOLLOW THIS PIECE OF ADVICE BY BRUCE LEE:
Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.
More than 4 years ago I took a decision: I would never teach bachillerato again (Valhalla awaits Rachnar!!). It has been tough for me not to go all the way long with my students till the end and the results in the Selectivity exam have been quite poor lately. So I asked my students in 4º ESO if they would like to have me as a teacher in Bachillerato and most of the best students were delighted with the idea (Thanks for your support!!). So here I go again in spite of all the problems it may bring along.
It is a huge challenge for my students and me, so we will have to work hard and all of us should try to do our best.
Here's my musical hint for today: Valhalla calling by Miracle of Sound ft. Peyton Parrish, a version with the lyrics for you to sing along. And here's the trailer to the film Valhalla Rising...
Summer is coming to an end and it is time to warm up for the coming school year. No more parties, no more barbecues, sunbathing or swims at the beach...
We slowly go back to our daily routines. Holidays were an excellent break after a long school year to recharge our batteries and become stonger so as to face new challenges. Now going back to our daily routines is a good opportunity to slow down and be ready for higher hurdles in our careers. It will be easier for those who have not completely stopped during the summer holidays, but it will not be impossible for the rest.
"Don't let me down!" I always ask my students not to let me down because I don't let them down making efforts all along the year, even during the summer time. Try shadowing me, not just repeating what I am saying, but making the effort that I do for you.
By the way, what does 'shadowing' mean? I've set several examples in this blog and it is actually one of the oldest learning methods, which is becoming very popular these days.
You've got also 'job shadowing', which is the educational period of time when you learn by following and observing an experienced professional during their workday in the workplace as a kind of practice before actually starting to work. That was the case of apprentices at a workshop.
Learning English from the News: AI hacking fears (BBC Learning English)
31.TENSES. Fill in the questions with the right Simple Past form of the verbs given:
A/ When __________________? B/ I think Chaplin died in 1977.
A/ Where __________________? B/ I bought it in Portobello Road.
A/ What time __________ to work yesterday? B/ We got there at about half past eight.
32.
MEDIATION. Find your job. Here you've got four advertisements. Read
them and thell me which job you "sabes" do better using sentences in the
affirmative, in the negative and the connectors AND/BUT/BECAUSE/SO.
Ad 1.-
Help us with our children and travel around the world. If you can play
the guitar or another instrument, cook and drive, phone Whitfield at
6896328.
Ad 2.- Typist required, excellent pay, one week nights, two weeks days. Musician appreciated. Write to Box 635, Oxford OX6 82J.
Ad 3.-
Travelling companion/driver required for American writer; speaking
English, other languages. Chess player appreciated. Excellent pay. Write
to Box 492, Newton Tribune.
Ad 4.-
Take 2 Italian boys, 8 and 10, on holiday in June. Some cooking, but no
cleaning. Swimming, tennis, windsurfing. Very good pay. Phone Guidotti
2783440 evenings.
I was hungry, so I ___________ something to eat in the take-away restaurant.
My sister __________ the ball to the baby who __________ it in the air.
My mother __________ her how to drive when she was 18.
Bill _________ down this morning playing football and __________ his arm.
We saved some money and two years later we ____________ our car.
Ann ________ a lot of money yesterday, so she _________ her bike which _______ £100 .
60. MEDIATION. A friend of yours has just come back from holiday and you ask him questions about it.
1.
where / go? 2. food / good 3. how long / stay there? 4. stay in a
hotel? 5. go alone 6. how / travel? 7. the weather / fine? 8. what
/ do in the evenings? 9. meet / any interesting people?
61. SIMPLE PAST NEGATIVE. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate forms.
1. My uncle (not shave) __________ this morning because he (not have) __________ time.
2. We (not eat) ____________ anything because we (not be) __________ hungry.
3. I (not rush) ___________ because I (not be) ____________ in a hurry.
4. She (not be) ________ interested in the book because she (not understand) _________ it.
>> Activities for my students in 4º ESO:
62. COMPARATIVES OF SUPERIORITY and SUPERLATIVES. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate forms of the adjectives given in brackets.
Spain is becoming (important) ___________________ in Europe, from the economical point of view.
I think Saudi Arabia is one of (hot) _________________ countries in the world.
(much) ____________ you write, (good) ______________ for you.
This is (bad) ____________ football match I've ever watched.
Rewrite these sentences so that they have the same meaning.
She was very excited before the interview, but she often gets a lot more excited. She wasn't......
There were fewer people at this meeting than at the last one. There weren't .....
Translate the following sentences into English.
El
alumno le preguntó al profesor dónde podía conseguir una información
más detallada sobre los comparativos porque los ejercicios se
complicaban cada vez más.
Desde que mi hermano mayor empezó a ayudarme a hacer mis ejercicios de inglés Alberto está cada vez más contento conmigo.
63. LANGUAGE IN USE. First, answer the following questions and, then, write appropriate questions for these answers.
How often are the buses to Motril? _____________________________
What do you do? _______________________________
Where have your parents gone? __________________________
__________________? The novel Great Expectations was written by Charles Dickens.
__________________? She arrived very early.
__________________? Liverpool is about 80 miles from Manchester.
64. ASKING FOR CONFIRMATION. Finish the following sentences with a QUESTION TAG as in the example. Example: Albert was born in Germany, wasn't he?
Students must be on time for the exam, ____________________?
Last Thursday I saw Mr Cross with his girlfriend in the playground, _________________?
We could never defeat Albert on a tennis court, ___________________?
65.
MEDIATION. Make these people agree with the following statements. And
then let's suppose you are the person replying and disagreeing with what
is said.
"I'd love a cup of tea" >> "_________________ your girlfriend." >> "_____"
"I spent the whole evening watching television" >> "_________________ we." >> "_____"
"Students shouldn't smoke at school." >> "_________________ teachers." >> "_____"
66. CONDITIONALS. Finish the following sentences appropriately.
My teacher would be much better _____________________________
If my English teacher had a better car, __________________________
I got all this exercise wrong. Why didn't I study it if ________________________?
I don't think _________________ if I hadn't studied.
If we give Albert £1,000,000 , _________________
If water reaches a temperature of 100ºC, __________________
For further information on the conditional sentences you can have a look at: C. CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
67. Write sentences using the following words.
MYSELF (reflexive) _____________________________
EACH OTHER __________________________
OURSELVES (emphatic) _________________________
SOMEBODY ELSE ______________________
ANY LONGER _______________________
68. Define the following words.
T-junction , speed limit , return ticket
69. POLITE OFFERS & REPLIES. How would you
offer yourself to carry the books for your English teacher? Use as many
different structures as you know and imagine suitable replies for each
one made by your English teacher.
It is a huge challenge for my students and me, so we will have to work hard and all of us should try to do our best.
US Open 2026: Álcaraz vs Tommy Paul (Round 4) and Shelton vs Tsitsipas .... and defeat against Shelton!!!
