New blog for our teenage classes!
Dear colleagues/friends,
A new blog has been created for the IML teenagers, it is called IML teens.
I don't want to post the username and password here as it could be accessed by undesirable persons, instead I will post it on the noticeboard in the staff common room. In any case you will find the site already in the "favourites" on our computer.
The idea is that for all teenage classes to be informed of this blog and encouraged to post things in English and initially to post an introduction about themselves, with a photo if possible. I have done my own and would like other teenage teachers to do the same, ( that way we can set a good example). It took me ages to find a photo with the right sort of a smile!
I have already talked about this blog with my own students and the feedback was very positive, it remains to be seen if it will work as well as intended. You will have to give the username and password to your students and the Internet site address : www.blogger.com
If you're not sure how the system works then don't to be afraid to ask me, the profile I think is quite important.
Students will be able to communicate and interact between different classes and I think the potential is very good.
Thanks for your time, see you soon, best wishes Simon.
Calendars
Dear All,
As soon as you have your calendars of events for the upcoming year post them so I can use them as references for Evenemensual other advertising eg. HIC, CholetMag, etc. Also, post your meeting schedules for the year as soon as they are fixed. Do it. Now. Tim's mantra for the week - "Thinking doesn't replace doing".
Cheers
Tim
Superman returns!!!!!!!
Hey everyone, how r u? I just had a super idea for our movie ado morning!! what if we watch Superman returns? I think it's a cool idea cause we could all dress as super heroes!! use your imagination and have a good laugh! lol!! seriously, what do you think about it?
super fanny
Do you know the CEI ?
I've just seen an ad in the HIC about having a foreign student for a semester...I'm sure you've all seen it. Anyway, I gave the chap a ring to find out more and he said that if we have any students that might be intersted in welcoming a young student into their homes he could come and "inspect" them.
I kind of thought that, it's good to know that there's a guy in the Vendée that's organising that sort of thing because I don't know about you but I've been asked a few times about this. I also asked if the host family were allowed to have a little help with their English homework etc and he said yes of course.
They also deal with German and Spanish speaking students too.
I know that some people would hate this sort of thing but others might be interested. You just send them to school and feed and water them. It could be interesting to have a few around Cholet and then we could sort of "use" them from time to time too to keep up our international relations.
Talking of international relations....as mentionned in my last post, I've met a teacher in the Vendée that has a lot of new ideas.
At the moment he is trying to find English B&B owners who might want to
have students to stay. Another "piste".He's also interested in starting up theatre workshops.
Anyway,let me know what you think and we can talk a little more about it all at our next meeting.
Juliet
PS Anyone else got anything interesting to add to the blog?
Toeic info
I've found somebody who is a toeic examiner!! He works in La Roche sur yon and he's just started teaching with me in Les Herbiers. He's promissed me that he'll find out if he's allowed to sort out an exam for us. If it's out of his restriction then he'll put us in contact with the right person. Good news hey!! He's also told me about a lower level toeic exam which some people might find interesting.
Juliet
Experimental Action Group News Update
I've just got an email from our "agent" in Solihull with lots of potential email penpals; 21 of them to be more precise and maybe a few more on the way. I'm going to send them a general invitation to send me an introductory email so that we can have a bit more info on them before pairing them up.
So, when everyone meets up with their students for the first time you can mention that somebody in the group might be able to have a penfriend. You can also mention that we've invited them to come over to Cholet next year, as we've already been twice,so fingers crossed.
Hopefully I'll be able to dish them out at our next meeting; Friday the 13th October.
PS Use the conditional when speaking about this subject...and only nice people who really want to write can have a penfriend....etc
A plus Juliet
Evaluation Calendar
Dear All,
I will be meeting everyone individually for their yearly evaluations. As much as I know you are all looking forward to the opportunity to be evaluated by me, you can not all push in at once. To avoid jealousy and in-fighting I have established a timetable of meeting times. These times correspond to my availabilties and can be negotiated only with extraordinary levels of bribery.
21/09 16h - Delphine
21/09 17h - Genevieve
22/09 11h - Fanny
22/09 12h - Rachel
25/09 10h - Steve
25/09 14h - Simon
25/09 15h - Val
25/09 16h - Anne
28/09 15h30 - Juliet
28/09 16H30 - Nadine
29/09 10h30 - Leo
02/10 14h - Aline
02/10 15h - Jessica
Please take note. The evaluations will happen somewhere at the IML depending on room availabilities.
Cheers
Tim
a new file to consult for those who teach secondary students
Hi everyone! Just testing this new blog and informing you that I'm working on a file I will leave in the staff room cupboard with all the Education Nationale programmes for secondary students -6eme,5eme, 4eme, 3eme, 2nde, 1ere and terminale. I thought it might be useful for the teachers who give private lessons or holiday stage fast or for teachers who'd like to know what they're supposed to know already! I'll let you know when it's ready. Blog you soon! Delf
I hate giving titles to my messages
Erm, shouldn't we write "an English language department's attempt to navigate
ITS way through hell and high water"?
Sorry 'bout that!
I realise as I'm writing this that it's really an uncool first message. But, to be honest, I just can't be bother deleting it. So be it...
All the best to you all, and thank you ever so much for your positive and constructive participation to the FC meeting.
Cheers
Christophe
Finally Posting
Ok this is it, finally i'm posting on our blog. It will be interesting. A great tool for la of us. Great idea!.
Here is an good site i'm using. It's a good tool and really up to date.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/index.shtml
An other idea, for those using a laptop: record new words on it using "magnetophone" (Windows) or "iChat" on Mac, send everything to your students by email.
Cheers
DATES FOR STAGE FAST 2006/2007
DURING SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
LEVEL: BEGINNER FROM THE 30TH OF OCTOBER TO THE 03THIRD OF NOVEMBER 2006
LEVEL: ELEMENTARY FROM THE 12TH TO THE 16TH OF FEBRUARY 2007
LEVEL: BEGINNER FROM THE 02SECOND TO THE 06TH APRIL 2007
LEVEL: BEGINNER FROM THE 25TH TO THE 29TH JUNE 2007
OUTSIDE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
LEVEL: BEGINNER FROM THE 27TH OF NOVEMBER TO THE 01 FIRST OF DECEMBER 2006
LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE FROM THE 11TH TO THE 15TH OF DECEMBER 2006
LEVEL: ELEMENTARY FROM THE 22 SECOND TO THE 26TH OF JANUARY 2007
LEVEL: ELEMENTARY FROM THE 26TH OF FEBRUARY TO THE 02 SECOND OF MARCH 2007
LEVEL: BEGINNER FROM THE 23 THIRD TO THE 27TH OF APRIL 2006
LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE FROM THE 21 FIRST TO THE 25TH OF MAY 2007
LEVEL: ELEMENTARY FROM THE 11TH TO THE 15TH OF JUNE 2007
I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED ABOUT ANY FURTHER ADJUSTMENT TO THE STAGE FAST.
THANKS,
Léo
neil young's best song is...
I am such a woman to him, and heee loves me!!!
I'm sure this time it'll work!!!
A no longer desperate housewife and teacher!!
thank u guys
fanny
a bit creepy !
This is creepy!
Think of a letter between
A and W.
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Repeat it
out loud as
you scroll down.
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Keep going ............................ . .
Don't stop . . ..
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Think of an
animal
that begins
with that letter.
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Repeat it
out loud
as you
scroll down.
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Think of
either a man's/woman's
name
that
begins
with the
last letter
in the
animals name
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Almost
there........
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Now
count out
the letters
in that name
on the fingers
of the hand
you are not
using to
scroll down.
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Take the
hand you
counted with
and hold it out
in front of you
at face level
.
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Look at your
palm
very closely
and
notice
the
lines
in
your
hand
.
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Do the lines
take the
form of the
first letter
in the
persons name?
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. Of course they bloody dont.......
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.Now smack
yourself on the head with that same hand and get back to work .
Sorry, just couldn't help myself :)
Steph
Meetings 2006/07
adults (20h/21h)
fri 13/10/06
fri 01/12/06
fri 09/02/07
fri 06/04/07
fri 15/06/07
Youth section (12h/13h)
Wed 13/09/06
Wed 11/10/06
Wed 29/11/06
Wed 14/02/07
Wed 04/04/07
Wed 13/06/07
Dear all...
Okay kids time to kick this thing into action. I think it would be a good idea to start posting key calendar dates onto the blog as soon as you have them fixed e.g. English Club nights, stageFAST dates, exchange dates etc. This way they are somewhere visible and can be consulted by all.
If the dates change it doesn't matter and the blog can be easily updated. Include for me the meeting dates you have fixed in your groups also on the blog. Use it as an interactive noticeboard without the bits of paper. One day we will save all the trees on the planet with this thing. Imagine, we will be heros. Cool.
Tim.
Let's go.....
This is it we're off. What fun we're gonna have. At least now I know how to write the user name....there's no space between filiere & anglais durrrr!!! Now I've got to find a picture to put too. I know he said we can put what we want put eeerrrr...
Anyway, here's a few websites to go and look at (to do with English)
www.connexionfrance.com French news in English
www.french-news.com French news in English
www.inthevendee.com What the brits are getting up to in the vendee
http://www.expat-blog.com/en/directory/western-europe/france/
http://www.codandcurry.co.uk/ Fish & Chips in the deux-sèvres
http://loire.angloinfo.com/ They talk about English cinema on in Cholet etc (Rex)
Well not sure if any of that might be of interest but....
That's all for now.
Juliet
It actuallually worked!!!
Hope you don't mind, Juliet... I had to try our new work tool.
blog you all soon
nadine
Let's see if i can add a picture...
OOPS... Fingers crossed...
nadine
just checking!
If I can do it, so can you!
nadine
Wanted: Simon's missing water pistol!
For some months now you may have noticed on the noticeboard in the staff Common room a request, as a yellow plastic box has disappeared from one of the classrooms, namely Laurie Lee, in fact this box contained a very impressive water pistol(which you will see in the enclosed photo). To date the loss of this water pistol remains a complete and total enigma, to the extent that this summer I had to buy another even more sophisticated model. Should however any information come to light regarding the former pistol I would be very grateful to hear of it. My very best wishes your colleague and friend Simon.(All comments may be received anonymously).
Give it a try!
I hope all is well since this morning and you have the opportunity to test the blog. I suggest you all try posting something and replying to comments just to see how it works. As the year begins and your groups evolve the post will become more specific. Until then happy posting.
Tim
(the photos are easy to insert also)
Nothing is hard about it Stephanie, it's easy.
Dear All
So here we go, the first test message for the IML English Dept. blog. As you can all see it's just fantastic. Anyway let's all use this as a way to stay in contact and exchange ideas and updates about what's going on in your action groups and in the sections as a whole (and not to call the head of dept. names). Once everyone is comfortable blogging and used to checking in on what is going on, I'm sure it will be a great work tool.
Tim
