You are right, dear students, I have noticed you are interested in storytelling with graphics.
Using comic strip characters provided such a clear context, in an appealing way, that some of you actually told me that you enjoyed practicing the vocabulary from the approved word list in this way.
I have even seen that the quirky comic characters I used when teaching Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken clarified the extent of the speaker’s dilemma for you in: “Giving Robert Frost Digital Advice in Choosing Roads”
Advice needed!
However, I’m not sure how to build on your interest in graphic novels. You all pick up our copy of the one graphic novel we have, “Bone” by Jeff Smith, which someone donated to our classroom a while back.
You flip through it, but you don’t read it.
Perhaps you find the frequent use of unfamiliar idioms too challenging.
Or perhaps I need to learn how to help you read graphic novels in class.
Years of materials and ideas tucked away -which ones contain what? Naomi’s Photos, 2023
Oh!
Do you also sometimes feel that memories related to your life as a teacher before the pandemic hit have faded or even disappeared? Materials you once prepared lie dormant, forgotten in some binder or box, their underlying rationale swirling murkily in your memory?
The amazing, world-renowned Penny Ur will be speaking at the conference!
After hearing Penny Ur talk at the ETAI Conference back in 2016, I was so inspired that I undertook a blogging challenge called 18/100, in which I reflected on one tip from each of the eighteen sections that compose Penny Ur’s book: “100 Teaching Tips”.
The combination of short sections in the book along with brief reflections really packed a punch.
I’m so looking forward to hearing her speak again next month!
Here is one of the original posts from 2016, part 17.
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A better view Naomi’s Photos (taken in 2016)
This is part seventeen of my blogging challenge.
As a veteran teacher, it is easy to fall into the trap of doing things a certain way just because I’ve done them that way for years, without remembering the reason why.
I’ve decided to set myself a blogging challenge – reflect on one tip from each of the 18 sections that compose Penny Ur’s latest book: “100 Teaching Tips”, so as to dust off old practices that may have remained unexamined for too long.
Tip Number 89: “Teach a lot of vocabulary”
* Note: I was sorely tempted to reflect on all the tips in the vocabulary section, but a rule is a rule…
I love it when practices we recommend for teaching Deaf and hard-of-hearing students are recommended for everyone.
Sight words are words you understand right away without the need to decode. Check out this quote from the book (page 106): ” It appears that a large sight vocabulary …is the main condition for successful reading comprehension”. When you have words at your disposal that lead to meaning effortlessly, you can focus on the content of the text must more efficiently.
The thing is, the sight vocabulary needs to be large. Even students with normal hearing cannot pick up enough vocabulary based on incidental learning and by seeing words in context in books. Vocabulary has to be taught and practiced. A lot!
Vocabulary flashcards rock!
They will “rock” even more if you include collocations!
Especially good for pair work – an opportunity for students to be teachers too. Meanwhile, you, the official teacher, can work with someone who needs extra help.
The only caveat is the issue of general knowledge. The students have to have a reasonable grasp of the concepts the words denote. Otherwise, the ability to quickly translate the words into their mother tongue does not contribute to reading comprehension.
Which may sound extremely obvious to you.
Unless you are working with Deaf and hard of hearing students…
The late Yaron Adini in a costume, photo taken at a school Purim Party, 2022. Passed away at the age of 48
I look for you as I enter the teacher’s room on Sunday morning, before the first bell. It’s usually not a good time to say more than “Good morning” to anyone, but you and I both have a free period at 08:00, so we don’t have to worry about the bell. I’m curious to hear about the interesting activity you have planned for today for your classes. Truthfully, my interest in the activity is secondary to my desire to bask in the glow of your passion for teaching. Seeing your face light up with enthusiasm is so very inspiring.
But YOUR spot is empty.
You aren’t there.
I scan the two rows of computers – surely you must be, once again, helping one of the teachers who is struggling to make our computerized grading software understand what she wants it to do. No one even needs to ask you for help – the minute you register sounds of frustration, you are there at their side, explaining and guiding in your calm, gentle voice.
You aren’t there.
Oh, so you must be in the vice principal’s office again, helping make the workflow more efficient. Your background in High-Tech comes in handy.
I wonder if all those years spent with computers, who never loved you back, gave you such passion for teaching when you made the switch?
I don’t teach students with “normal-hearing” but I do hear them gossip when I’m doing yard duty, or when they come to volunteer in my special learning center. Students gossip about their teachers.
They ADORE YOU!
You aren’t there.
Never mind, so you are busy, fine. We share another free period at the end of the day on Tuesdays. We’ll talk then, right? We can unwind and talk about things unrelated to teaching. I usually let you lead the conversation as I’m constantly amazed at the breadth and depth of your general knowledge. You have lived abroad, you speak several languages and in fact, are fascinated by languages. What were you telling me about the complex beauty of Greek recently?
Tuesday comes and goes.
You aren’t there.
So, you must be absent again, having a bad spell with your illness.
I’ll write to you – you often find it distracting when you are bedridden to correspond about things such as which ed-tech solutions actually are helpful and to tell me about some tool you discovered that might be helpful for my special needs students. You offer to help me understand how to use it if needed, even though you have never used it yourself.
No reply.
I wait, truly patiently, because sometimes it’s a really bad spell and I need to wait till you get stronger and start replying again. Always in written form. You don’t like phone calls or visitors. When you come back I don’t ask the questions you don’t like, about your health. What matters is that you are here.
Was your passion for teaching also related to your fragile health? Did it make you more aware of how wonderful it is simply to be able to come to school and teach?
I never asked.
My message box remains empty.
You aren’t there.
Now you will never ever be here.
And it’s hard to comprehend.
Thank you, Yaron Adini, for touching my life with your kindness, patience, generosity, and enthusiasm. Your amazing smile will be engraved in my memory.
You left us far too soon.
I’m grateful to have been fortunate enough to be your colleague.
Looking for clues on a teacher’s desk. Naomi’s Photos
Thank you all for finding time in your busy “literary lives” as world-renowned detectives to join us here today.
Since all of you are known to have extraordinary powers of deduction, I would like to give you a small challenge. Please look at this photo I took of a person’s desk. What can you learn about the person who uses this desk and his/her workplace from this photo?
Hercule Poirot: I don’t even need to use my little grey cells to see that this is a teacher’s desk. She is clearly grading papers!
Naomi: That is correct, but wait! You said “SHE” is grading papers. What makes you think that we’re talking about a female teacher?
Hercule Poirot: “Because I am Hercule Poirot! I do not need to be told.” *
Naomi: Haha! With all due respect, if you were my student I would ask for information from the text (in this case, the photo) that supports your claim.
The evidence is clear – The photo was taken on a hot, sunny day. Naomi’s Photos
Sherlock Holmes: I must agree with my colleague on this matter. “You know my method. It is founded upon the observation of trifles.”**
Sherlock Holmes: Look carefully at the photo. Great thought and care have been invested in the exact placement of each object and decoration on this desk, indicating not only a woman’s touch but one who is pedantic and clearly interested in style or design. Even the apple, which is only there temporarily, is neatly cut and placed with care.
Naomi: Pardon me for saying so, but you are from another era – there are men today who are admired for their style. Aren’t you just guessing due to the fact that there are more female teachers in this country?
Sherlock Holmes: I’ll ignore that. Just look at the spectacles on the desk. Not only do they serve as an additional indication, but they are reading glasses. Clearly, this desk belongs to an experienced teacher.
Miss Marple: Gentlemen, do take a look at yourselves! You are so easily distracted by the irrelevant issue of gender, while completely ignoring the true significance of all you see on this desk.
Naomi, you must bear in mind that “Gentleman are frequently not as level-headed as they seem” ***
Naomi: Thank you, Miss Marple. What do you mean?
Miss Marple: This teacher, and the teachers seated near her (this desk is obviously one of many), are clearly required to spend a great many hours at school, well beyond those hours devoted to teaching. One would assume that such hours were allocated as “preparation time” though as someone who specializes in listening to what others say among themselves (certainly not to be confused with eavesdropping!!) I do wonder how much work can be efficiently done when surrounded by so many people…
The investment we see in making one’s workspace comfortable and aesthetically pleasing indicates someone who has decided to make the best of the situation.
Hercule Poirot: (Coughs loudly and pauses before speaking)
My dear Miss Marple, you neglected to mention the evidence that this teacher does not have an administrative role at school.
Naomi: Which evidence is that?
Hercule Poirot: I’m astonished you need to ask that, Naomi. Why even a child would know what being allocated a cubicle (as opposed to an office) signifies…
Lieutenant Columbo: Just one more thing…
(Collective sounds of surprise are heard, as he had not been sent an invitation)
Lieutenant Columbo: Why has no one mentioned that this teacher is not an elementary school teacher? Look at the length of those texts!
Sherlock Holmes: (sighs deeply)
Sherlock Holmes: Even though I did not actually say the following in any of my books, I cannot help myself – we didn’t mention it because it’s E-L-E-M-E-N-T-A-R-Y!
Mali Savir, EFL Teacher at Mekif Yehud High School (Naomi’s Photos)
Many thanks to Mali Savir, for “lending” me her desk for this post.
When the pandemic began I forgot about this lesson. In fact, the thin binder of “puzzles” that it was placed in it fell out of a drawer and lodged itself behind the drawers.
I’m so glad I found it again.
The students enjoyed it and I was pleased with the vocabulary and syntax reviewed.
Here is the post as it was first posted on Jan. 6 , 2016
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Full disclosure: I’ve never began a post this way before.
Naomi’s Photos
There’s no real reason to continue reading this post. Hana Ticha’s lesson “Everyone is a Genius” has everything you could want a lesson to include – vocabulary, grammar, syntax, discussions, general knowledge and FUN! The quote chosen has a such a nice educational message too. So why adapt it? What happened to “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”? Just go on to Hana’s post!
I had to adapt the lesson because I wanted to use it in my learning center for Deaf and hard of hearing students. Each lesson is for a jumble of 10th, 11th and 12th graders, at all possible levels. This activity is not for all them.
In addition, due to my students’ hearing problems, I would have to write out each clue, as they woudn’t be able to follow the spoken language. That would be cumbersome and time consuming.
In short, I needed a version that students could work on fairly independantly, with me guiding and helping from time to time (and then hopping of to help someone else).
Naomi’s Photos
So I typed up the lines for each letter of each word of the quote, so the students would have that information as a hint. I also added the first letter of most of the words (not the grammatical ones). I also wrote clues for about two thirds of the words. Some are very simple clues, others demand more of the student.
I’ve done it with a few students so far. One by one (not in the same lesson). They are all students who enjoy a challenge, students who are curious.
They loved it!
Filling it in led to them asking great questions. The students tried to use “he” instead of “it” for the fish, which led to a review of the difference between “it’s” and “its”. One very deaf student was puzzled by the word in the clue for tree “leaves” which he was positive was only an irregular verb in the past. The whole idea, naturally, of an “f” (leaf) changing to a “v” (leaves) is strange to him. Another student was sure that “everyone” should be plural but could tell that the number of letter spaces didn’t match the word “are” and figured out on her own that the following word must be “is”. The only word they all had trouble figuring out was “if”, even though they got the “will”. Perhaps I shouldn’t have a clue for it, and then it will draw more attention to the conditional form.
The students really enjoyed the detective work! However,they all needed my help in understanding what the point of the quote was. One thought it meant he shouldn’t go off on “wild goose chases” such as looking for fish on trees…
All the students who have done it so far are kind of “loners”, students who don’t always “fit in”, for different reasons. Once they got the point of the quote, they really approved!
My grandmother always said that someone could (and should!) write a book about her.
In a way, I think Angie Cruz did!
It’s such a cleverly written, well-told book and I was so fortunate to have chosen it as an audiobook – if you can, that’s the way to go! Listening to the manner in which Cara Romero answered questions the way SHE wanted to answer them, getting to the point via 100 other stops along the way, stopping to emphasize that no one could do it /understand it the way she could – it felt so very familiar!
No, my grandmother wasn’t Dominican, though she did speak Spanish. She was from Brest – today’s Belarus, part of Poland and Russia in the past. Along with the Yiddish, Polish, and Russian of her childhood, she spoke Hebrew, and Spanish learned during her 7 years living in Cuba.
Both women immigrated to New York from a Spanish-speaking island.
But that’s just the beginning.
Where will this path lead us? Naomi’s Photos
Cara Romero always had to fend for herself and look after others, a resilient woman who had to struggle without the support of a husband. A woman who made some bad choices, managed to fall out with a lot of people, yet still retained a zest for life, and the energy to start over. Yet again. Then again.
Both women craved approval for their effort, for being who they were, and for the life they managed to create despite all odds, as both of them never got any such approval at home. Cara Romero of the book had a mother, who did not want to have children and was not interested in them. My grandmother was orphaned at the age of two and had the classic evil stepmother. Both Cara Romero and my grandmother stated repeatedly that they never had a childhood.
The desperate plea for approval shows up so clearly in those repeated statements (I’m not quoting verbatim, it was an audiobook!): Write this down. Everyone knows that Cara Romero does it better – if it is quieting the baby, being the one everyone turned to at work for advice, cooking, you name it…
Stubborn… Naomi’s Photos
I’m sure Cara Romero and my grandmother would have hated each other vehemently – two strong-willed women like them would have clashed within five minutes of being introduced…
There are times when I wish that instead of teaching in the format of a “mixed-level-learning-center”, all my advanced students would come at the same time for a more “traditional” kind of class.
I could then present a topic for discussion, and we could have discussions in small groups which would lead to the writing task.
In such a scenario I wouldn’t have had to create the worksheet I am sharing today.
The deeper I delved into the site, the more excited I became.
Excited and frustrated.
ONE – Which one to choose? Naomi’s Photos
“‘Oxplore is an engaging digital resource from the University of Oxford. As the ‘Home of Big Questions’, it aims to challenge those from 11 to 18 years with debates and ideas that go beyond what is covered in the classroom” (from the “About” page on the website).
The material there really IS geared toward teenagers. There are short texts, interactive questionnaires, and videos. The graphics are friendly.
AND…
There are a great many “BIG QUESTIONS”‘ to choose from!
BUT…
My advanced Deaf and hard-of-hearing students do not come to class with others on their level, so peer discussions are not an option.
I had to have a written task for them to do, individually.
It took me several weeks to come up with a version I could use.
At first, it seemed logical for me to choose a topic and prepare a task for that specific topic. This way I could ensure that subtitles /captioning of the videos, which my students rely on, had correct English (the automatic captioning on YouTube is often riddled with errors and makes no sense). In addition, I could create specific questions for each section to ensure the students actually read information from different sections.
On second thought, me, the teacher, choosing the topic for the students was NOT a logical idea.
Not at all!
The site is geared toward choice, for students to go through the topics and choose the one to relate to.
Yes, but…
BOOKS!!! Naomi’s Photos
I ABSOLUTELY adore the video about the four ways books make us who we are. I really wanted all the students to watch it and write about it. The content is important, the vocabulary used is enriching for these advanced students, and the engaging graphics are a treat. For some inexplicable reason, many of my smartest students with amazing language skills, think books are a waste of time…
AAargh…
So I compromised.
The first part of the worksheet is open-ended, and the students choose their topic. Three of my students are currently working on it (more to begin soon) and each one has chosen an entirely different topic!
The second part is related to the video.
It will be interesting to see how they react to it and what they write about it…
A unicorn is also something desirable that is difficult to obtain.
There is a persistent myth in the weeks preceding a national matriculation exam. Like a unicorn, this myth represents something the students desire but find it to be an elusive goal, because it doesn’t exist!
I’m sure you’ve heard the hooves of a unicorn passing through your classroom at this time of year as well.
This myth goes like this:
The students believe that during the very few lessons that we actually have after the winter holidays (those precious lessons that weren’t canceled due to extra math lessons) and before the National Winter Matriculations, I will impart MAGICAL information that will enable my students to ace their exams. Some secret knowledge which they seem to think I have withheld from them until now.
Sorry to disappoint you, students.
Now they are upside down… Naomi’s Photos
I tell my Deaf and hard -of -hearing 12th graders that they should be proud of themselves. This national exam is the final section of their overall grade and their previous achievements on the easier sections matter a great deal – they’ve come a long way.
I remind them to come on time and go to sleep early before the exam (I remind myself to bring pens, always needed!).
I point out that there are two dates for repeat exams.
There are plenty of things for us to review before an exam, but there are nogolden rules or surefire tips hiding under this unicorn umbrella, waiting to be released at the very last second.
Sorry students.
Go away, unicorn, I know you’ll be back in May.
Have you also heard hoofbeats during the last lessons before a major exam?
In light of all that has been going on recently, listening to the audiobook “A Psalm for the Wild-Built” by Becky Chambers was just what I needed.
I really enjoyed putting on my headphones and spending four hours (it’s a short book!) in a world where:
people and nature live in harmony. I don’t care if it’s a naive or unrealistic vision. It’s nice to “spend” some time in such a world. A world in which “going green” doesn’t mean living as people did in medieval times.
drinking tea is important. It’s a world in which it is acknowledged that people need to take some time out and drink tea.
a young person taking a journey into the wild to find themselves (plural is used in the book) is 29, not 18, which makes a lot of sense nowadays. In addition, it’s no spoiler to say that the young person in the wilderness does not die.
there is a super cute robot!
Going its own way / Naomi’s Photos
And…
I enjoyed the style of writing. In fact, I have placed a hold on the next book (it’s a duology, a two-part series) on Libby. I don’t mind waiting a while – I prefer not to read two books in a row by the same author.
Oh! One last thing:
Having a friend is always a good thing – that takeaway is absolutely true!
If there is something I’m not using this year because I CHOSE not to do so, are WhatsApp Groups (or broadcast lists) for each of my classes. I spent too much energy, wasted energy, trying to get certain students to actually read the short messages I sent. I then had to keep track of who had read a message and who didn’t. To add to the confusion, in some cases, a student actually had read a message but I remained unaware of the fact because the two blue checkmarks failed to appear on my screen at all (he/she read the message without opening it). The students say they are inundated with WhatsApp groups and cannot keep track of their messages and frankly my colleagues with young children make the same complaint.
Complaining… Naomi’s Photos
So….
* Simple announcements such as “There will be no lesson tomorrow at 09:00” – are sent to one of the students to pass on. That seems to work.
* My classes of Deaf and hard-of-hearing students are small. I copy a prewritten message, add a name and send it. Messages with a name elicit a slightly higher percentage of responses. I resorted to sending question marks ( “? ? ? “) to three nonresponding students this year, and two of them actually apologized for not answering. I had written words of praise and encouragement, I wanted them to see them! The third student didn’t see the question marks either…
* I’ve completely stopped sending reminders before tests – reminders such as “bring a pen”, “bring your dictionary”, etc. The ones who need the reminders aren’t the ones who read the messages anyway…
You wanted yellow? Plenty of yellow here! Naomi’s Photos
BLUE on YELLOW
Fact – Some struggling students who have trouble reading, find it easier to read dark blue letters on a pale yellow background. This particular contrast is helpful in certain cases.
Fact – There are many struggling students for whom the SIDE EFFECTS of the contrasting colors make a difference. It’s not that the contrast is directly addressing the source of their difficulties, rather it’s a helpful step in convincing new students that we are truly trying to help them. When the students see that you made a special worksheet just for them, used scissors to cut their reading passage into paragraphs so that it wouldn’t be overwhelming and even gave them a personal set of flashcards they begin, slowly, to trust you. Trust is crucial…
Here are two samples of such worksheets (the yellow color isn’t as pale as I would like)
*** The new reading glasses I wear around my neck are blue, and their case is too (Monet’s Water Lillies, lots of blue)! As I’ve worn multifocal glasses for many years, having reading glasses is a big change for me.
Feeling Blue
My multi-level, personalized learning center is still reeling from the surprise closure of the learning management system I had been using, Edmodo. Imagine Google Classroom, but free and very easy to use. It turned out that a small class, one teacher, cannot use Google Classroom. So, thanks to the support of my principal, I’ve begun using a combination of Wakelet (free) and TeacherMade (an inexpensive subscription). While this combination overlaps with a large percentage of the functions I used to have, and both are very user-friendly, the material needs to be organized and posted! I had TEN YEARS worth of organized material there! All the new 10th graders have heard of Edmodo, as I keep saying things like: “We have a digital version of this, you can sit at the computer… oh wait, we actually don’t… Not yet…
That makes me feel blue…
But…
Onward! Naomi’s Photos
Blue Skies and Blue Waters actually don’t make me feel blue at all – quite the opposite!
Teaching English as a FOREIGN language to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
