EXAM QUESTIONS 1. One of your friends who is a young teacher comes to you with the following problem.

m. What will you advise her/him? Be very specific. NB. I expect continuous text, no bullet points please. It is late May, the school year runs on at a frantic pace and I feel that I haven't covered everything. This makes me nervous, makes me rush through the days like ants trying to complete a hill before it rains. I know the school term only has 180 days but I would really like to impart all my knowledge and love of English to these children. The exams are in two weeks and I must teach them everything I can. The whole situation gives me nightmares I have to admit that I have been in this situation myself, and not only once unfortunately. Even these very days I am pretty nervous as my 8-th graders have to pass a very important exam tomorrow (at English-to enter a bilingual class) and I keep asking myself if I have done everything possible for them to be fully prepared, if I have taught them everything I should have, etcAnd the truth is that I have this bad feeling that I havent covered everything. On the other hand I should be a bit more objective and admit that I have given my best in getting them ready for the exam, we have put a lot of hard work into preparing for it and that I should be more confident when it comes to what they know. Of course, the students know that I trust them fully, that they are ready to pass the exam and that this is just another useful experience life offers, for us in order to become better and better every day. Now, it is not hard for me to imagine how my younger T. / friend is feelingWhat would I advise him? Well, I appreciate the fact that he is a dedicated T, energetic and eager to teach the Ss. everything he knows. His love of English can be seen throughout hisspeech, and this is something that we should see in all the Ts-love for the subject they teach, desire to pass their knowledge onto the Ss and to put all their energy into doing this. If my friend is young, it means that most probably he doesnt have much experience and that is why he has these very strong, overwhelming feelings.

For the very beginning, I would most probably want to hear more about this, get more details and of course know/find out more about the work he has done so far as a T. I would help him work through any concerns- I would start with encouraging him with the good work he has done, emphasizing his qualities that recommend him as a dedicated T. (building his self-esteem and self-confidence). I would also rely on physical evidence-his achievements along the school year in order to make him aware that he imparted some of his knowledge and love of English to his Ss. I would advise him to be positive, not too hard on himself and focus more on what he has done that is positive and keep enjoying doing that. His fears are normal, Ts are human too, and it is obvious that his feelings come from nothing else but the desire to do a great job as a T (being a perfectionist). It is not easy to teach Ss., and organization is the key. Most probably, my young friend has the feeling of being a bit lost, not having enough time to prepare his Ss for the exam. He might have lacked a bit of organization in his teaching but he should not give up doing all that needs to be done, even if he has the feeling that time is not his ally. As there are two more weeks until the exam I would advise him to do some final revision and explain any unclear points that might show up and do some simulations in order to get Ss ready for the exam (using handouts). This is also a good way of checking his Ss knowledge and also reassuring for him as a T (as the Ss will most probably get good results, as my friend has done his job for the 166 days of school). And, nevertheless, nothing can be changed in the last 14 days of school so there is no use in rushing through the days left or having nightmares over it. He should instead be more confident and aware of his skills, remain patient and encouraging, and make Ss feel that they are the best and that they are ready to pass the exam. He should relax, be more positive & confident and try not to overwhelm himself, just give his best as he has done for the last 166 days. I would show him that I am there for him if he needs a shoulder to rely on Everything is going to be all right !

2. Effective teachers, irrespective of their environment, seem to have a number of characteristics in common. Identify some of those characteristics and discuss why each of them is essential; describe how they manifest themselves in daily teaching.

There is no definition we can give when it comes to describing the effective teacher, as Ts are unique people. Nevertheless, there are some characteristics that, in my opinion, make a T effective: Being enthousiastic: this will allow Ss to be interested and active learners. Ts should speak in expressive ways, using body gestures whenever necessary, not forgetting about the facial expression and the SMILE, always maintaining eye contact with their Ss. He should model enthousiasm not only for his subject but also for teaching and learning in general, making it clear to his Ss that this is the only place he would like to be. The key is: exuberance, a positive attitude, excitement, passion and dedication. Personally, I always try to be/look enthousiastic, energetic, trying to pass them onto my Ss as well; Being organized: Ts should have classroom management skills to be able to effectively manage the class. It is not easy, we all learn from our mistakes, we have all been there when learning from our own mistakes/errors. Having positive/high expectations for you and the Ss-to make Ss believe that they can do it, that they can become the best. Ts should transmit positive reinforcement, making Ss aware of their skills/abilities when it comes to learning. What is more, setting positive expectations in the classroom will help Ss (they will feel motivated and supported). Establishing rapport with Ss and being flexible-that is establishing interpersonal relationships with Ss (build up trust),always being available, inside & outside the classroom, to answer any questions and giving help to Ss .A flexible attitude is important for our Ss who expect us to be in charge Having the ability to design lessons/activities- interesting and challenging. This is a challenge even for us as Ts, to keep Ss interested and always eager to learn more. I am giving my best every day and the best advisers are my Ss. Being innovative-always changing strategies, techniques, and materials, in order to be up-to-date so to say,valuing and using students' ideas about how to enhance their own learning. Also,we should create independence in our Ss (make them become autonomous)