Mellyn Education | Use your Mellyn!

May 17, 2012
by Melissa
0 comments

Stay Connected!

Wow! What an amazing experience! On May 5th Carolyn and I presented at the TESL Toronto Conference for the first time. We were so happy and excited to be there ( and I was also extremely nervous ). I wanted to use this weeks blog post to talk a little about what the experience was like for me, and as a reminder to share and connect.

For me, the day passed so quickly. I was quite nervous and I anxiously awaited the start of our presentaton to see who would attend. It still amazes me that people I didn’t know picked mellyneducation’s workshop…I half expected to see my mom sitting in the room ( because she loves me, not because she really is interested in English teaching ). I really wanted the experience to be useful and gratifying for the attendees. Carolyn and I strongly believe in the power of social media and making connections to foster and support PLN’s, and we hope that idea came across during our presentation. For people who attended, thank you so very much! We are grateful and happy that you were there! For those who did not, or could not attend here’s a quick recap:

Social media is your friend…you can make friends! Plus so much of it is free!
Be open, use the avenues to your advantage…check out some blogs like http://fourc.ca/ or any of the other great ones on our blog roll! Or learn and connect by trying The 30 Goals Challenge for example.
You are not alone, there is support out there
There are many ways to develop support, find and use what works for you!

I’d also like to add that soon I’ll be starting a new job and I’m hoping my PLN continues to grow. Much of what we talked about during our presentation I’ll be keeping in mind when I start my new adventure. It’s difficult for me to begin again in a new place and I’m hoping to reach out to people and have people reach out to me. Building that support is part of what makes our jobs fulfilling and gratifying. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

I know this blog post isn’t directly related to teaching strategies or student/classroom issues, but it’s more a thank you to the people who took the time to come out and attend our presentation. It’s also a reminder to teachers old and new to try to connect with your peers. Let’s continue to support our community and all the hard work we do…we can learn so much from each other.

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Comments? Musings? Ideas? We’d always love to hear from you! Drop us a line and don’t forget to use your mellyn!

April 27, 2012
by Carolyn
4 Comments

Is Resistance Really Futile?

I recently read a column in the Toronto Star that talked about ‘linguistic bleaching’ – a term I don’t particularly like. The basis of the article, as written by Heather Mallick, was “the misuse of words in a way that drains them of meaning”. It was an interesting article and something that has been on my mind lately as I straddle the fields of business and ESL. She goes on to discuss how society’s misuse of the English language is causing damage to the language and provides several examples to support her cause.

Working in the marketing field (as well as ELT), I have a unique perspective on this issue. The language we use in business tends to apply suffixes to words that create incorrect word forms. An example of this is ‘calendarize’ which means to put something into a calendar or schedule. Another example would be ‘gamify’ which is interpreted to mean to alter something into a game-like format. This is a slight variation from the articles claim of misusing words, but I feel still falls within the boundaries of ‘damage’ to the language. And I must add my own personal distaste for such expressions as ‘very unique’ where the act of exaggerating (very) is unnecessary and grammatically incorrect.

My dilemma is that English is a changing language. It has continually shifted for hundreds of years to form our present state (and will continue to do so). And as more Second Language learners contribute to the shift in English structure, we will continue to experience this. For example, those frustrating grammar rules like the third person singular in Simple Present tense may become a rule of the past. We may drop the ‘s’ simply because nobody says it anymore. Or it may possibly become a silent letter that is only seen in formal written form. The complex English spelling rules may fade to a more simplified version (as they have done and will continue to do) that removes the ‘gh’ from ‘though’ and ‘might’.

To insist on ‘proper’ structure in language use seems a bit futile to me. As ELT professionals we understand the difficulty in this task. Society is surrounded by advertising slogans that contradict lessons (think of McDonald’s ‘I’m lovin’ it’). However, if we don’t teach and practice this use with our students, we run the risk of increasing the divide between ‘native’ and ‘non-native’ even further (a divide based mostly on an outdated and unsubstantiated mindset). Yet, this argument could be made for both sides. I often tell my students that their grammar will be superior to any ‘native’ speaker they talk to simply because ‘native’ speakers don’t really study grammar. We assume ‘native’ speakers are correct as it is their first language, but I digress.

What is the balance? Is the battle against ‘linguistic bleaching’ a losing one?

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Don’t forget to Use Your Mellyn!

April 19, 2012
by Melissa
2 Comments

Following the leader

Does anyone have a student who is their “star” in class? You know the type of student I’m talking about. They come to class regularly, participate readily and everyone thinks they’re great. They are motivated, bright and cooperative. Most often , whether intentionally or not these “stars of the classroom” become classroom leaders as well. We look to them for support and trust that we can always count on them to participate and energize the class. These students are wonderful and I while I do truly appreciate having them in class I also want to acknowledge the quieter, less gregarious students.

I think that we sometimes overlook the contributions and strengths of these students because they don’t take on a leadership role within the class. We tend to call on the same people or ask the same people repeatedly or let the same students hog a conversation a little too much sometimes. So here are some ideas for allowing other students in your class to shine like stars too:

Mix it up: if students are working in groups, mix the quieter and the more talkative students together but assign a quieter student the role of group leader. Even if that student is in charge of delegating or note taking or maybe they feel confident enough to make decisions, it will give them some control and hopefully empower them to feel more comfortable to express themselves.
Encourage difference: everyone works differently in a classroom setting, just like in any other situation in life. Some students will never be chatterboxes but they can participate in other ways, maybe as a team or board work. But encourage them to work in a comfortable manner, while challenging them to do more.
Be responsive: if a hesitant student makes an attempt to speak or participate, respond to the attempt. If they raise their hand, acknowledge them and their efforts. I’ve heard horror stories from teachers who couldn’t “be bothered” to wait for that student to participate….it makes me cringe…which leads me to my next point…
Be patient! Enough said.
Think about your class dynamic: how can you as an educator address the needs of all your students, regardless of who you view as a wonder student.

My point is, all students have something to contribute. Quiet and hesitant does not equal unmotivated or incapable of improvement. All students can be a vital part of a class. Think of activities and goals that all students can feel good about and you might find some unexpected new classroom stars! We’ve all had “hidden gems”.

What do you do to bring out the best in your students? We’d love to hear your ideas!

Don’t forget to use your mellyn!