Everyone is forgetful, but as we age, we start to feel like our brains are slowing down a bit—and that can be the most frustrating thing in the world. Luckily, research shows there is a lot you can do to avoid those “senior moments." Whether it's relaxation or adding certain foods to your diet, read on for some techniques worth trying.
1. Chill Out: The brain remembers better when it’s relaxed, say researchers at the California Institute of Technology, so take a few minutes each day to breathe deeply or meditate.
2. Focus on the Future: There's evidence that people who have a purpose in life or who are working on long-or short-term goals appear to do better. In other words, keep your brain looking forward.
3. Go for a Walk: When you exercise, you release chemicals that are good for your brain. It's like a mini fountain of youth in your brain, and the only way you can get it is exercise. In other words, when you take care of your heart, you take care of your brain.
4. Snack on Berries: Blueberries have compounds called anthocyanins that help communication between brain cells and appear to improve memory. It's a healthy, well-rounded diet, especially one that mimics a Mediterranean diet, and that's fish, lots of fruits and vegetables, everyone likes them.
5. Learn Something New: Take a Spanish class online, join a knitting club, or learn to play poker. Why not combining learning something new with physical activity. It should be something like dancing, or coaching a sport. Or go learn golf with your friends. That sort of thing is even better for your brain than a crossword puzzle.
There are a lot of articles which you might find worth reading on facebook: mahdia english language association
miércoles, 30 de junio de 2010
martes, 29 de junio de 2010
What should we do when our adult students misbehave in class? Part 3
This is the third in a series of three blogs about what to do when our adult students misbehave in class.
Last year I was teaching a group of “junior professionals” and I was really enjoying the ride. The participants were highly motivated, so they loved coming to class. Most of them were cooperative and easy-going. However, there was one student (A) who relished contradicting absolutely everybody.
A poked fun at everyone’s weaknesses or queries in class. What’s more, he enjoyed teasing me. I found his jokes funny at the beginning but little by little I started to feel everyone’s uneasiness about his behaviour. Nobody could foresee what he was going to say or do next, which was totally uncomfortable.
I have a tendency to trust people easily, I love interpersonal communication and I always try to see the sunny side of life. A, instead, complained about his colleagues, politicians, the company, the economy and so on and so forth. I tried to moderate his comments by saying something which could shed some light on his cynical views. He always had the same reaction:
“oh, yeah, I’d forgotten…you’re SO positive, aren’t you?. In fact, you’re far too naive. No offence”
I knew he held me in contempt. He felt I lived in a bubble where only teaching, feelings and my family mattered while he was working hard in that factory and there was little prospect of his climbing the career ladder. I decided to take it easy because I liked that class and so did they.
One day we started talking about an issue concerning the corporate world. I hadn’t planned that but students were really engaged, so I looked for supplementary material to work on. A said bluntly:
“We’re dwelling on this topic. We should drop it unless you’re too innocent to believe all those lies”.
I decided to smile and added:
“Ok A, why don’t you bring to class what you like? I volunteer to design tasks to work on that”
A was surprised and started to tell me what he wanted me to do. I tried to be as positive as I could and just asked him to be nice and not to find his own material boring. He chuckled at my comment.
We followed our syllabus and took some time to deal with what A had suggested now and then. I wanted to establish rapport with him. As A was a bold type of person I started to behave in the same way with him. I used to unexpectedly stop at some point in our classes and asked:
“A, have we worked on this for too long? Do you allow us to stay with it a little longer?”
He found it funny and always had something to say back:
“oh yeah yeah we could continue with this a little longer”
I went telling him things like:
“oh, what a relief. I trust you so much. I know you’ll tell me when it’s time for a change”
After some time, A said to me:
“I think you’re innocent but I don’t think you’re stupid”
I replied:
“Neither do I. I’m surprised at your comment. Is it a compliment?”
A’s change was amazing. He cooperated with his peers and with me. By the end of the year we got on with each other really well.
I don't know why but I feel proud of how things evolved.
What do you think? You're welcome to make suggestions and post comments on this.
Cheers!
Last year I was teaching a group of “junior professionals” and I was really enjoying the ride. The participants were highly motivated, so they loved coming to class. Most of them were cooperative and easy-going. However, there was one student (A) who relished contradicting absolutely everybody.
A poked fun at everyone’s weaknesses or queries in class. What’s more, he enjoyed teasing me. I found his jokes funny at the beginning but little by little I started to feel everyone’s uneasiness about his behaviour. Nobody could foresee what he was going to say or do next, which was totally uncomfortable.
I have a tendency to trust people easily, I love interpersonal communication and I always try to see the sunny side of life. A, instead, complained about his colleagues, politicians, the company, the economy and so on and so forth. I tried to moderate his comments by saying something which could shed some light on his cynical views. He always had the same reaction:
“oh, yeah, I’d forgotten…you’re SO positive, aren’t you?. In fact, you’re far too naive. No offence”
I knew he held me in contempt. He felt I lived in a bubble where only teaching, feelings and my family mattered while he was working hard in that factory and there was little prospect of his climbing the career ladder. I decided to take it easy because I liked that class and so did they.
One day we started talking about an issue concerning the corporate world. I hadn’t planned that but students were really engaged, so I looked for supplementary material to work on. A said bluntly:
“We’re dwelling on this topic. We should drop it unless you’re too innocent to believe all those lies”.
I decided to smile and added:
“Ok A, why don’t you bring to class what you like? I volunteer to design tasks to work on that”
A was surprised and started to tell me what he wanted me to do. I tried to be as positive as I could and just asked him to be nice and not to find his own material boring. He chuckled at my comment.
We followed our syllabus and took some time to deal with what A had suggested now and then. I wanted to establish rapport with him. As A was a bold type of person I started to behave in the same way with him. I used to unexpectedly stop at some point in our classes and asked:
“A, have we worked on this for too long? Do you allow us to stay with it a little longer?”
He found it funny and always had something to say back:
“oh yeah yeah we could continue with this a little longer”
I went telling him things like:
“oh, what a relief. I trust you so much. I know you’ll tell me when it’s time for a change”
After some time, A said to me:
“I think you’re innocent but I don’t think you’re stupid”
I replied:
“Neither do I. I’m surprised at your comment. Is it a compliment?”
A’s change was amazing. He cooperated with his peers and with me. By the end of the year we got on with each other really well.
I don't know why but I feel proud of how things evolved.
What do you think? You're welcome to make suggestions and post comments on this.
Cheers!
martes, 22 de junio de 2010
Lesson from the Tao. Let yourself go with the flow!
At the Gorge of Lu, the great waterfall plunges for thousands of feet, its spray visible for miles. In the churning waters below, no living creature can be seen.
One day, K’ung Fu-tse was standing at a distance from the pool’s edge, when he saw an old man being tossed about in the turbulent water. He called to his disciples, and together they ran to rescue the victim. But by the time they reached the water, the old man had climbed out onto the bank and was walking along, singing to himself.
K’ung Fu-tse hurried up to him. “You would have to be a ghost to survive that,” he said, “but you seem to be a man, instead. What secret power do you have?”
“Nothing special,” the old man replied. “I began to learn while very young, and grew up practising it. Now I am certain of success. I go down with the water and come up with the water. I follow it and forget myself. I survive because I don’t struggle against the water’s superior power. That’s all
One day, K’ung Fu-tse was standing at a distance from the pool’s edge, when he saw an old man being tossed about in the turbulent water. He called to his disciples, and together they ran to rescue the victim. But by the time they reached the water, the old man had climbed out onto the bank and was walking along, singing to himself.
K’ung Fu-tse hurried up to him. “You would have to be a ghost to survive that,” he said, “but you seem to be a man, instead. What secret power do you have?”
“Nothing special,” the old man replied. “I began to learn while very young, and grew up practising it. Now I am certain of success. I go down with the water and come up with the water. I follow it and forget myself. I survive because I don’t struggle against the water’s superior power. That’s all
lunes, 21 de junio de 2010
What should we do when adult students misbehave in class? Part 2
This is the second in a series of three blogs I’m planning to write about what to do when our adult students misbehave in class. The idea is to share your views on these real experiences and what could be done in future similar scenarios.
A few years ago in my in-company classes, my class management skills were really put to the test.
I was teaching at a multinational steelmaker. Most of my classes were a mix of people who worked in the factory plant and people who worked in the HR, Accounting and Supply Chain offices. An old student of mine (A), who I’m really fond of, was going to join one of my classes.
A had been putting off starting her English class because it was not simple for her to stop her activities in the plant to move all the way to the company’s offices. I insisted on her coming because she needed English for work and I had found her a great class.
I loved that particular group because it was very laid-back. All teachers usually have one class which they are specially keen on. In my “easy” class, there were two men and one woman (B), all of whom were working in the company’s offices. We got on really well.
When A turned up, B made a strange face. I don’t think she did it on purpose, I realized later on she couldn’t help it. A addressed B directly, ignoring the rest of us and said:
“You and the complete HR department are useless”.
One of the men added: “I’ll say”.
I felt a knot in my stomach and just uttered “A, leave that for later on, please”.
But A was red-cheeked with rage. She went on:
“Your department asked me to report on all the employees under my charge. I worked relentlessly for two days and then you e-mailed me back saying that there had been a mistake and that I didn’t have to report on anything?”
B’s eyes were starting to water. The men in the class felt inadequate. They cracked jokes like “yeah, we hate one another at work”or “Yeah, wow!” in an attempt to ease the tension. I felt terrible and just said:
“A, please, this is the English class. Everybody gets frustrated at work now and then. I’m not asking you to leave your life outside, I’m asking you to calm down and let yourself go with the flow of the class”
A was oblivious to my discomfort and to B’s suffering. She added:
“You know what? I think HR only cares about the colours in their power point presentations. Do you know how much invaluable time I wasted on those reports? No, because you never go to the production plant!”
B gathered strength and said:
“You’re right HR tends to make mistakes. I made a mistake this time. I’m aware of the fact that people in the plant don’t see the value in our work. What else do you want me to say?” and shy tears started to roll down her cheeks.
A was apparently moved because she fell silent. I looked at everyone in the class and said:
“This has been a very uncomfortable situation. I know, it’s not easy for you to have a break from work and come to the English class. I really appreciate that you do. But this is not a boxing ring. This is not the place where you vent your anger. You come here from different parts of the company. You probably don’t know one another that well. Please let’s try to cooperate to foster a good atmosphere where learning can take place. We need to pratice more tolerance if we want to work in this community.”
A’s emotions seemed to have ranged from anger to guilt. B apologised. The men just listened. We carried out the tasks in the class quite smoothly afterwards but my head was pounding. A never returned to our classes.
I had the feeling that the class got out of hand. I had the feeling that my management skills had just failed me. The situation took me by surprise. I was taken aback. To be honest, I still wonder what I could have done.
What do you think? You are welcome to comment on this. Thank you
A few years ago in my in-company classes, my class management skills were really put to the test.
I was teaching at a multinational steelmaker. Most of my classes were a mix of people who worked in the factory plant and people who worked in the HR, Accounting and Supply Chain offices. An old student of mine (A), who I’m really fond of, was going to join one of my classes.
A had been putting off starting her English class because it was not simple for her to stop her activities in the plant to move all the way to the company’s offices. I insisted on her coming because she needed English for work and I had found her a great class.
I loved that particular group because it was very laid-back. All teachers usually have one class which they are specially keen on. In my “easy” class, there were two men and one woman (B), all of whom were working in the company’s offices. We got on really well.
When A turned up, B made a strange face. I don’t think she did it on purpose, I realized later on she couldn’t help it. A addressed B directly, ignoring the rest of us and said:
“You and the complete HR department are useless”.
One of the men added: “I’ll say”.
I felt a knot in my stomach and just uttered “A, leave that for later on, please”.
But A was red-cheeked with rage. She went on:
“Your department asked me to report on all the employees under my charge. I worked relentlessly for two days and then you e-mailed me back saying that there had been a mistake and that I didn’t have to report on anything?”
B’s eyes were starting to water. The men in the class felt inadequate. They cracked jokes like “yeah, we hate one another at work”or “Yeah, wow!” in an attempt to ease the tension. I felt terrible and just said:
“A, please, this is the English class. Everybody gets frustrated at work now and then. I’m not asking you to leave your life outside, I’m asking you to calm down and let yourself go with the flow of the class”
A was oblivious to my discomfort and to B’s suffering. She added:
“You know what? I think HR only cares about the colours in their power point presentations. Do you know how much invaluable time I wasted on those reports? No, because you never go to the production plant!”
B gathered strength and said:
“You’re right HR tends to make mistakes. I made a mistake this time. I’m aware of the fact that people in the plant don’t see the value in our work. What else do you want me to say?” and shy tears started to roll down her cheeks.
A was apparently moved because she fell silent. I looked at everyone in the class and said:
“This has been a very uncomfortable situation. I know, it’s not easy for you to have a break from work and come to the English class. I really appreciate that you do. But this is not a boxing ring. This is not the place where you vent your anger. You come here from different parts of the company. You probably don’t know one another that well. Please let’s try to cooperate to foster a good atmosphere where learning can take place. We need to pratice more tolerance if we want to work in this community.”
A’s emotions seemed to have ranged from anger to guilt. B apologised. The men just listened. We carried out the tasks in the class quite smoothly afterwards but my head was pounding. A never returned to our classes.
I had the feeling that the class got out of hand. I had the feeling that my management skills had just failed me. The situation took me by surprise. I was taken aback. To be honest, I still wonder what I could have done.
What do you think? You are welcome to comment on this. Thank you
martes, 15 de junio de 2010
What should we do when adult students misbehave in class?
What should we do when adult students “misbehave” in class? I have all sorts of examples. However, I’m going to comment on a few of them and see if we can share ideas. This is the first in a series of three blogs I’m planning to write about.
Some years ago I was teaching an in-company class. The group consisted of three men and two women. To everybody’s surprise all three women were pregnant at the same time- A, B and me. Our classes used to run from 11:30 am to 1 pm. The men in the class liked the timetable because they took a break from work to come to class and then they set out for the company’s restaurant to have lunch – a nice combination to provide their daily routines with a break
Ladies A, B and I used to talk about what we were going through before the guys arrived at the class. We talked about possible names for our babies, medical tests, the weight we had gained, our feelings and so on and so forth. Those first minutes in the class were really therapeutic.
However, once the class started lady B began to fidget in her seat. I couldn’t help noticing that and I asked her if she needed help. Her response was always the same: "no, thank you". As soon as I delivered instructions for the class, she started moaning. She was unwilling to do “creative stuff” in her own words. She seemed to be interested in drilling and repetitive activities.
B enjoyed picking on her classmates- men and A alike- if they showed interest in the tasks proposed in class. She said she was tired/hungry/bored/snowed under and she couldn’t believe the other participants were willing to work. She started to tease them. She asked them questions out of the blue until she had everyone’s attention.
I pretended I didn’t mind her comments and acted as a moderator when she happened to hurt somebody in the class (for example when she told A her future baby’s name was boring because it had been used too many times before). I also tried to show sympathy for what she was going on personally. I was worried about that particular class and gave it a lot of thought until I decided to give B a different set of activities to do while the rest worked on their tasks.
One day B came to class in a total bad mood. She kept turning back and having a look at the time on the wall clock. I was tired of trying in vain to make her feel good. I looked at her and suddenly said …
Me “B, why are you checking the time every two minutes?”
B “I’m extremely bored, I don’t care about your activities”
Me “Listen, I know you’re tired, you have a child at home who’s waiting for you, you have lots of things at work going on, are you sure you want to continue coming?”
B “Are you kicking me out?”
Me “I’m just asking you to do what you want to do. Nobody forces you to come.”
B “I’m hungry, that’s all”
Me “Ok, if that’s all, why don’t you try eating something before class and then we all work together and in peace.”
She gave me a cold look. That afternoon, B e-mailed me saying that she was going to continue coming because she loved English and enjoyed the classes and that I had no right to force her to leave. I just replied back saying I was happy to hear she had made up her mind. The following day, she was the first to arrive. She worked cooperatively until the very last day of classes. In the end, our meetings started to run smoothly.
I’m now attending an NLP course which is giving me lots of insights into rapport and class management. When I look back at that experience, I can’t stop asking myself if I was right or if I was too tough.
What do you think? You're welcome to comment on this in English or Spanish.
Love,
Georgi
Some years ago I was teaching an in-company class. The group consisted of three men and two women. To everybody’s surprise all three women were pregnant at the same time- A, B and me. Our classes used to run from 11:30 am to 1 pm. The men in the class liked the timetable because they took a break from work to come to class and then they set out for the company’s restaurant to have lunch – a nice combination to provide their daily routines with a break
Ladies A, B and I used to talk about what we were going through before the guys arrived at the class. We talked about possible names for our babies, medical tests, the weight we had gained, our feelings and so on and so forth. Those first minutes in the class were really therapeutic.
However, once the class started lady B began to fidget in her seat. I couldn’t help noticing that and I asked her if she needed help. Her response was always the same: "no, thank you". As soon as I delivered instructions for the class, she started moaning. She was unwilling to do “creative stuff” in her own words. She seemed to be interested in drilling and repetitive activities.
B enjoyed picking on her classmates- men and A alike- if they showed interest in the tasks proposed in class. She said she was tired/hungry/bored/snowed under and she couldn’t believe the other participants were willing to work. She started to tease them. She asked them questions out of the blue until she had everyone’s attention.
I pretended I didn’t mind her comments and acted as a moderator when she happened to hurt somebody in the class (for example when she told A her future baby’s name was boring because it had been used too many times before). I also tried to show sympathy for what she was going on personally. I was worried about that particular class and gave it a lot of thought until I decided to give B a different set of activities to do while the rest worked on their tasks.
One day B came to class in a total bad mood. She kept turning back and having a look at the time on the wall clock. I was tired of trying in vain to make her feel good. I looked at her and suddenly said …
Me “B, why are you checking the time every two minutes?”
B “I’m extremely bored, I don’t care about your activities”
Me “Listen, I know you’re tired, you have a child at home who’s waiting for you, you have lots of things at work going on, are you sure you want to continue coming?”
B “Are you kicking me out?”
Me “I’m just asking you to do what you want to do. Nobody forces you to come.”
B “I’m hungry, that’s all”
Me “Ok, if that’s all, why don’t you try eating something before class and then we all work together and in peace.”
She gave me a cold look. That afternoon, B e-mailed me saying that she was going to continue coming because she loved English and enjoyed the classes and that I had no right to force her to leave. I just replied back saying I was happy to hear she had made up her mind. The following day, she was the first to arrive. She worked cooperatively until the very last day of classes. In the end, our meetings started to run smoothly.
I’m now attending an NLP course which is giving me lots of insights into rapport and class management. When I look back at that experience, I can’t stop asking myself if I was right or if I was too tough.
What do you think? You're welcome to comment on this in English or Spanish.
Love,
Georgi
miércoles, 2 de junio de 2010
More ideas to define clear outcomes for our lives
Upon reading Marisa's comment, I started to read a little bit more about outcomes. We can achieve what we want. We need to understand where we're standing now and all the steps we need to take to get to our desired place.
Below's a home-made summary of the notes I took. They've been over simplified. I hope it sheds some light on what to take into account when designing a plan of action to achieve our outcomes:
The first step to any effective plan is to find out what you want. If you consider how long we spend buying a car or a house surely determining what we want in our life deserves a little time. Allow yourself free reign and enjoy all of the possibilities.
The second step is to start creating a path between what you want and where you are. If other people have achieved similar goals then you have proof that it is possible to make your dreams a reality.
The third step is to consider your area of control or influence. This allows you to focus on what you can do. It also brings to attention what you can’t do.
Recognising what you can and cannot do is the fourth step. This allows you to plan for where you need help or need to gather greater expertise or influence.
Now consider what are the costs of attaining your goal. This is the fifth step and helps you to balance your time and priorities.
At the sixth step, now that your plans have started taking a solid realistic shape consider the resource you have to bring to bear to each goal. Don’t limit yourself or write yourself off otherwise that is just letting fear taking control again. Consider your time, skills, experience, and available resources, such as the skills of friends and family.
The final step may seem trivial but ask yourself if you would accept your outcome. Many people work hard to save for retirement only to find it was the work in moving towards it that they enjoyed more than the money they gained. This final consideration will help sharpen your focus on your outcome and make more real for you now.
This process, of course, doesn’t guarantee success and happiness. However it’s certainly a smart way of living, working and planning. While I have yet to achieve many of my goals, I’m enjoying the journey.
Love,
Georgi
Below's a home-made summary of the notes I took. They've been over simplified. I hope it sheds some light on what to take into account when designing a plan of action to achieve our outcomes:
The first step to any effective plan is to find out what you want. If you consider how long we spend buying a car or a house surely determining what we want in our life deserves a little time. Allow yourself free reign and enjoy all of the possibilities.
The second step is to start creating a path between what you want and where you are. If other people have achieved similar goals then you have proof that it is possible to make your dreams a reality.
The third step is to consider your area of control or influence. This allows you to focus on what you can do. It also brings to attention what you can’t do.
Recognising what you can and cannot do is the fourth step. This allows you to plan for where you need help or need to gather greater expertise or influence.
Now consider what are the costs of attaining your goal. This is the fifth step and helps you to balance your time and priorities.
At the sixth step, now that your plans have started taking a solid realistic shape consider the resource you have to bring to bear to each goal. Don’t limit yourself or write yourself off otherwise that is just letting fear taking control again. Consider your time, skills, experience, and available resources, such as the skills of friends and family.
The final step may seem trivial but ask yourself if you would accept your outcome. Many people work hard to save for retirement only to find it was the work in moving towards it that they enjoyed more than the money they gained. This final consideration will help sharpen your focus on your outcome and make more real for you now.
This process, of course, doesn’t guarantee success and happiness. However it’s certainly a smart way of living, working and planning. While I have yet to achieve many of my goals, I’m enjoying the journey.
Love,
Georgi
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