Blue & Yellow Post

Week 6 – Time, Tense and Teaching Tiny Things June 17, 2010

Posted by Liz Mead in : TESOL , trackback

Captain’s Log. I had to punish one of the crew who stole a watch from another. The foolish fellow was unable to tell the difference in time zones and triggered the alarm already set on the stolen watch. I assembled the whole crew and had them hold out their hands. Now it’s well known that time and tense are a complicated issue. So when this rogue was the only one with a clenched fist – clearly tense – I knew I had found my time stealer. I gave him three options: Swab the deck in 20 minutes top to bottom, walk the plank, or simply hand the watch back. He returned the booty immediately. But as I had to make an example for the others I sent him a task that will take him the rest of the journey….but that’s between he and me..

I observed a class today back near my old alma mater. Years of trying to find a park, worrying about late assignments, studying lines for the next play and fantasising about the cute boy in my drama class, came flooding back.

Earlier that day, I had listened to an interview on radio with Daniel Hope, the violinist who played at the funeral of Yehudi Menuhin and who knew he would play the violin when he was just 4 years old. In my observation class we learnt about a dancer, Steven McCrae who likewise envisaged a clear artistic path from a young age. That night I dreamt about Cate Blanchett and our local theatre. The whole day yesterday was populated by artists.

Several days earlier, my sister had pointed out I was using overtly negative language about my future and was, she suggested, not enabling the positive artistic future I yearned. She was right. If we keep focusing on the old, or saying No to the things we don’t want, we stay fixated on the old situation – we’re facing in the wrong direction and can’t see the new.

So in TESOL speak the plan for this micro life – lesson goes as follows:

Student Level: Pre adult.

Context and target language: Balance the good and bad bits of the past just enough to positively alter the direction of my work and life

Form and Function: Give myself time to understand how care, optimism, a sense of exploration and playing to my strengths will enable change.

Resources: Realia and memories, childhood dreams, stolen time and bold brave micro teachers.