Minifiction or the short short story in the classroom

Have you ever heard of “mini-fiction”? “flash-fiction”? “the short short story”?


Have you ever felt the need to move beyond the one-off news article reading lessons?

Have you tried to squeeze readers – either original stories written for learners or adaptations of well-known books – in your class syllabus?

If the answer to the question above is yes, have you had the chance to exploit the material at length?

I particularly love reading and have attempted to include fiction – especially readers - in my classes.

The feeling I usually get is that I’m overlooking the material, asking learners about the characters, the plot, their personal impression but without really finding the time to work on the book in depth.

Mini-fiction is another tool we have at hand to provide learners with the opportunity to read for pleasure in the classroom and to give teachers the chance to exploit the material fully - concentrating on both content and form within a tight schedule.

So what’s mini-fiction?

It’s a new form of writing found under many names; flash fiction, sudden fiction, nanofiction, microfiction or the short short story. All of these have one thing in common: their extreme brevity, minifiction´s defining characteristic.

Other features which characterise mini-fiction are:

• intertextuality (an author’s borrowing and transformation of a prior text or a reader’s referencing of one text in reading another)

• implicit meaning

• humour and irony

• memorable quality

• abrupt beginning

• unexpected ending

How can we use mini-fiction in the classroom?

Like with any other written text you’ve dealt with in class, you can engage your students in:

Pre-reading tasks: predictions based on the title/pictures/first line, discussion about the topic, raising awareness about the author, feeding students information about the author

While-reading tasks: skimming (activities designed to find out the gist – general information – for example questions/true or false/gaps) and scanning (reading quickly through the text with a more definite purpose or to find specific pieces of information. E.g – timetables, names, dates, the order action takes place, pieces of vocabulary and grammar)

After reading tasks: drawing conclusions about the story, discussing the best part of the story, talking about the best character, writing a review, retelling, discussing intertextuality in the short short story, role-plays, etc.

In short, minifiction may give both teachers and students a sense of achievement out of reading a story which is original and fun and whose length makes it simple to focus on both the storyline and specific language items.

If you’re interested in reading a little bit more about this type of fiction and getting stories to use in class, you may like:


http://www.mini-fiction.com/
http://www.classicshorts.com/abc/t-z.html
http://www.bigeye.com/thurber.htm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/series/shortshortstories
http://www.indianchild.com/short_stories.htm
http://www.shortshortshort.com/sample_stories.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Sudden-Fiction-American-Short-Short-Stories/dp/0879052651
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Short-Stories-Writers-Thrift/dp/0486440982/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289419369&sr=1-1

Setting positive limits in the classroom 3 (when students rely heavily on our help)

This is the third in a series of three blogs I've written about setting positive limits in the classroom.


Have you ever felt upset because you couldn’t say “no” to a student’s request for help with their English outside the classroom?

That’s a very common scenario in adult, Business and ESP classes, so what should we do?

You’re fond of your students and you want to give them a hand with their abstracts and business correspondence. It’s just that you’ve started to feel they take your help for granted.

Do they know you have a house, a family, free-time activities and other classes to plan for besides their class?

You always experience sheer joy when you can provide students with extra help. But what about those who rely heavily on your help after class?

I always try to build rapport with my learners and there’s always a lingering feeling of tolerance, cooperation and trust in my classes. As a result, students know they can rely on me to help them with their English at work. That’s fine with me.

What I’ve started to question is the recurrent S.O.S signals some of my students usually send to me.

Some time ago, I discovered I was feeling angry at myself because I had to run some errands, do the cooking, go to my dance lessons, plan my classes and I just couldn’t because I was stuck in my study trying to figure out an extremely technical paper a student had asked me to check.

I was highly aware of the fact that I was responsible for doing something I didn’t want to do just because I couldn’t draw the line between my private life and my work. I had a pile of tasks to carry out and I knew I was going to miss my treasured hobby. Yet, I found it easier to bellyache at home than face the possibility of being misjudged by my student.

Having to say “no” to a student that we like at the expense of being misunderstood is challenging. “More often than not we allow other people’s expectations to determine what we should do … If we have frequently adapted to what the rest expects from us, we won’t know what we want” (Anselm Grün, Healing Limits)

Drawing clear boundaries is absolutely necessary. Some of us, however, find it difficult to put the concept to the test.

How can we be assertive and polite at the same time? How can we make it clear to students we want to help (at least most of the time) but we aren’t available 100% of the time ?

Who knows? We can try to have an adult talk with our students and let them know we have allocated some free time (days and hours) for that type of extra help. We may even want to charge that work depending on the time invested in it.

Whatever we decide to do, it’s a good idea to have a good relationship with our learners “in need”. Feeling in peace with our decisions is the first step to make up our minds about what we want to do, if we want to do it, and when and to communicate our decision properly.

What do you think? Cheers!

Georgina

Setting positive limits in the classroom 2 (authoritative versus authoritarian)

This is the second in a series of three blogs I'm planning to write about setting positive limits in the classroom.


Can you tell the difference between the words authoritative and authoritarian?

If you can, which definition best describes your teaching?

Below are both definitions according to the Collins Cobuild Dictionary for Advanced Learners,

Authoritative: a person who has a lot of knowledge of a particular subject. They give an impression of power and are likely to be obeyed.

Authoritarian: a person who controls everything rather than letting people decide things for themselves.

Most of us are likely to overfly both categories for a while depending on the teaching situation and/or context.

We may feel the need to be authoritarian when people misbehave or bully their classmates, for example.

We will hopefully feel our own natural authority and be authoritative in any regular class where rapport has been built and the rules of the game are clear.

However we choose to behave, it’s important to have a clear idea of when to set limits and draw boundaries.

Limits will sometimes feel suffocating and may even leave us with a tiny space to circulate. However, delimiting the learning arena will protect the people who interact inside it.

A teacher who is controlling a 100% of the time is bound to pollute his/her class with his/her impossible demands and expectations.

I used to attend a class where the teacher had a lot of insights into her subject. She expected everyone to respond the way she wanted. Discussion was inadmissible. She never listened to us. Making mistakes was out of the question.

We worked really hard to pass her exams. We ended up learning about her subject but at the expense of our confidence.

As opposed to that type of teacher, a teacher who’s authoritative will be confident enough to delegate, to share ideas, to involve his/her learners. (S)he will clearly understand that setting positive limits and respecting those of their students’ will turn out to be empowering. Students will feel acknowledged and respected within a necessary supportive frame.

“There is no way to categorize all teaching under headings; many teachers will find elements of each category that are true for them…However, this simple categorization may help us reflect on what type of teaching we have mostly experienced and what kind of teacher we see ourselves as being now or in the future” (Jim Scriviner)

Have you got any anecdotes you would like to share?


Many thanks! Georgina











Georgina Hudson blogs by Georgina Hudson are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Setting positive limits in the classroom

This is the first in a series of three blogs I’m planning to write about setting positive limits in the classroom.


How many times have you found yourself in a situation where you didn’t have the courage to say “no” to the students that you love?

What do you do when you’re really keen on your students but the situation urges you to set clear limits?

I’ve asked myself these questions a thousand times and I’ve concluded that:

(a) I’m afraid my students will stop liking me.

(b) As a student myself, I never liked the classes where the teacher was very strict.

I take pride in being a sympathetic, sensitive teacher and as such, I want to “spare the rod and reassure the child” (or teenage/ adult learner) about the pleasure of taking an active role in the learning process. I usually encourage them to overcome their fears and sense of ridicule, to speak their minds and defend their points of view.

I’m also aware of the fact that drawing clear boundaries and setting healthy limits, helps everyone involved understand the rules of the game, the space where it’s possible to circulate (and where it is not) and the necessary respect for their peers and themselves.

I remember myself in situations where I wasn’t feeling my own natural authority, I just bottled up my feelings and ended up bursting sometime later. I used to teach a lovely girl who was very cooperative and “very” talkative. She unconsciously dominated the class because she was fast and smart.

I was secretly growing tired of that and I finally asked her to be patient with her classmates (“please”). She told me I was too authoritarian. She also began bullying some of her peers. She obviously felt motivated by the class but didn’t understand my request because I had never asked her to stay calm and wait for her friends. Her natural reaction was venting her frustration on them.

As teachers, we need to be very clear and confident about the benefits of drawing limits. Learners may first respond with anger and they may even try to make us feel guilty, which is really hard to take. It’s easier for us to look understanding and loving at all times. However, our learners may be putting our authority to the test or they may even feel at a loss for what to hold on to in “limitlessland”.

Students not only need but also hope for positive interaction with teachers who have a clear idea about themselves and their roles, their subject matter and their learners.

What do you think? Have you ever found it difficult to say “no” at the right time?

Your experiences will feel me ideas for the next blog. Thank you.

Cheers! Georgina

Imprinting on our learners 3 (and on Teacher motivation to achieve it)

Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it’s the only means” Albert Einstein.


Now, how can we feel happy, satisfied and committed to our teaching and learners? They say, a teacher who’s motivated is capable of inspiring their students.Great, I agree, so how can we motivate ourselves to give our best?

I have already quoted Carl Rogers in his idea about respect, empathy and authenticity being key to generate a positive psychological environment for learning. I couldn’t agree more and I also feel teachers need those three “ingredients” to feel good themselves. We need to be respected, understood, and faced with real people in our everyday tasks.

What other drives do we need to accomplish our mission? I see teacher motivation divided into two domains – the motivation which comes from within and the motivation which comes from the outside.

When we are intrinsically motivated, we need to participate in the pedagogical processes within the school environment, the students’ world, the country where the instruction takes place. We have a natural desire to provide our students with purpose, direction and motivation. We adapt our learning styles to our students because we have taken the time to get to know them – their likes, dislikes and capabilities.

When we are externally motivated, stress levels need to be kept at a minimum, the classroom environment needs to be lively, we need to be paid well and our hopes and feelings need to be listened to. We feel good because we have flexibility in what we teach and students cooperate and assist to accomplish our goals.

I feel a nice combination of intrinsic and extrinsic satisfied needs can bring out the best we have in our places. As a teacher we can combine our personal competencies with the competencies of students into a smoothly functioning team that can activate their will to do things.

Returning to the questions of “imprinting”:

Why do our students sometimes follow us as if we were mother/father ducks?
What makes people feel attracted to our classes?

My guess is that when we feel intrinsically and extrinsically motivated and when we become aware of how our actions and beliefs affect our students, we naturally show respect, empathy and authenticity to them. Students, in turn, choose to follow us and our lessons because they feel acknowledged and relaxed.

And … it feels great, doesn’t it?


Quotes from colleagues on the topic of
(a)why students follow our classes and (b)teacher motivation (a big thank you for feeding me ideas!)

“I feel a sense of satisfaction most every day in the classroom. Sometimes, teaching is an absolute thrill. Both feelings come from seeing someone learn and grow. I think these joys are what drive the best teachers” Jeremy Schaar

“Knowing, from the very begining, where exactly your are heading for...

Finding your own way of doing things, specially if you feel that set procedures do not meet your expectations..(nothing is more rewarding than that, you bet!)

Being creative.... and also, being aware that creativity must be nurtured as well as renewed..

Last but not least, listening to your students... just a brief comment can be a turning point, and perhaps an opportunity for innovation” Clarisa Vilchez

“I take it as a personal challenge to make Arabic learners like to express themselves in a foreign language . My country is in great need of citizens who are hily educated and open-minded . It is my contribution to improve this country is through what I am doing . There is also a kind of challenge to plan a lesson and to do it in the appropriate way and time” (Teacher doesn’t want to be quoted)

“I run my own little business teaching adults, so I have to keep my clients happy - most new students come from personal recommendation too. So much for external motivation. Internal motivation is the satisfaction I get when I see that my students have enjoyed the lesson and learnt something as well. I want them to like me too of course! Teaching is much more than just a job to me - it's an important part of my life; my mother and grandmother were also teachers, so the urge and the example to teach well and see it as a vocation comes from them too.” Maggi Wilce

“A huge respect for the teaching profession” Татьяна Подурец

“Our teaching strategies and materials as well as our attitudes play a vital role in shaping a positive response from our students. We should also take into account the learners’ wish and willingness to learn. Learners who have a passion or thirst for knowledge and who can feel their teachers are passionate about their jobs and do their best to do a great job are sure to regard their lessons as unforgettable experiences” Marisa Mechetti

“A relaxed confidence in front of the class helps a lot too. Students want to know that you're a leader and that you're confident you can help them” Jeremy Schaar

“I think that this beautiful connection between the learner and the teacher takes place when the teacher is able to reach the student as a “person “. I mean, when you show the learner that you are there not only to evaluate him but most important to help him overcome his fears and exploit his strengths. In addition to this, I think that this strong bond between the teacher and the student occurs when the teacher is able to open her student’s mind and make him think and reflect” Maria Victoria

“To motivate students, it is crucial to know that The complexity of motivation as a behavioral construct has compelled researchers to identify different types of motivations and examine how they influence student learning. For example, Self- Determination Theory (SDT)—proposed by Deci, Ryan, and their colleagues (e.g., Deci and Ryan 1985; Ryan and Deci 2000)—con­siders what types of motivation may initiate and sustain interest in learning. Two basic forms of motivation are extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation is typically driven by factors outside of the learner; extrin­sically motivated students read to receive good grades, please the teacher, and outperform their classmates, but not because they find reading interesting or enjoyable. Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is free from the influence of external factors such as reward or punishment” Khalid Fuad

Confidence

■dream big; don't settle for okayness but imagine a great life and strive for it every day


■dream long; don't expect things to happen over night but be prepared for happiness and success to take time

■enjoy the journey along the way, not just when you "arrive"

■work hard; I've not met a happy or successful person yet who in one way or other hasn't worked hard to achieve their goals

■surround yourself with people who are just as happy and successful as you'd like to be
■expect road-blocks; and be prepared to negotiate them as needed

■go with your strengths; don't try to be what you're not; but find a way to be the best you can be and shape this for your happiness and success (whatever that means for and to you)

■stick at it; practice and persevere

Imprinting on our learners (Part 2)

This is the second in a series of three blogs about teacher-student motivation I’ve started to write.


I wrote my first blog about this topic having an inspiration from a video about animal imprinting. In that video a newborn duckling started following a puppy upon coming out of its egg. Apparently, ducklings follow the first moving object they see as soon as they hatch.

I started to ponder the question of why our students sometimes follow us as if we were mother/father ducks. It’s an incredibly satisfying moment. I’m not referring to being a mother/father duck, I’m referring to that feeling that we get when we have a sense that we are leaving a positive imprint on our students.

So what makes people feel attracted to our classes? What motivates people to learn with us? Carl Rogers, the American psyhologist, suggested that there are three core teacher characteristics that help to create an effective learning environment. These are: respect, empathy and authenticity.

We may know loads of teaching methodologies which will aid us. From my experience, I can say, I just love learning about the most current trends in pedagogy. I’m also aware that respect, empathy and authenticity are key to generate a positive psychological environment for learning.

“It is our attitude and intentions rather than our methodology that we may need to work on” (Carl Rogers).

People can tell when we have a positive attitude towards them, when we acknowledge them and when they see we are true to ourselves. Students engage in our classes naturally when we respect them and when we take our time to listen to, observe and assist them.

I have a hunch that students will choose to “follow” us when we help to create the conditions for them to feel confident, relaxed and capable of learning.

So what do you think? What can you tell us about your experience? And last but not least, what moves us to teach in such a positive way?

Your welcome to post your ideas, which I will share in my third blog.

Cheers!