Mentor - Guide- Friend / iTDi blog

In my previous post about feedback, I started off by quoting a dictionary to get an understanding of what feedback is. This time, since “mentor” is an ancient Greek word, I’m confident that I don’t need to refer us to dictionary definitions. I can do the job of explaining quite well myself. 
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There is no failure, only feedback - itdi blog

If we lived according to the dictionary, feedback would be “helpful information or criticism that is given to someone to say what can be done to improve a performance…” In reality, what we do is grade our students’ tests and exercises and point out what was wrong, mark their essays, and write correct answers. That’s what we often call and consider to be feedback. It looks like we use this F-word in a wrong and utterly inappropriate way… Keep reading 

Summer adventures: Part 9: Pecha Kucha...ing

What can I say??? I am a person who loves challenge!!!
No I don't think I am good at it, but I never say no to something that makes me get our of my comfort zone!!!

Somebody told me this morning: "Why do you always get into situations that makes you feel desperate?"

I wouldn't call it "desperate" myself.... I would call it something to get me on my toes and make me feel alive.
When I was preparing for my first Pecha Kucha for the TESOL Macedonia-Thrace back in March, I told to myself, if I can do that, I can do everything!!!
And it seems that there are a lot of people sharing my views or else we wouldn't  have had this wonderful session going today!!!

Seven wonderful people and myself talked about our "Fly - high" moments in our professional life.
Wonderful presentations that had everything ... poems, passion and lots and lots of pictures!!

I didn't only have the chance to be a speaker in such a wonderful event, but also be behind the scenes helping everybody to change the slides in time.
I can't say I did a good job, I did miss seconds and slides but everyone was really patient with me (sorry guys if I made you nervous)

What I have to say is that I am really impressed! We managed to organize something so big and actually make it work, no matter what country or time zone we were!! Chuck was moderating from Japan, Jase from the States, I was changing slides from Greece and people were presenting from Boston, from Egypt, Tunisia,  Mexico and Belarus and Athens!!!!

And I realize that here in Greece we don't have this feeling of sharing and co-operation.... when I used to work at language schools, everybody was so secretive about their work, they didn't want their colleagues "steal" their work, they didn't even help each other.... (this is a personal complaint from my experiences so I don't know if it applies to everybody in my country - as I get involved in conferences and presentations, I meet more and more people who actually want to share)

Anyway, a big thank you to ITDi and WizIQ and everybody who helped organize this wonderful summer MOOC!
I was honored and glad to be part of this. You people got me out of my SAD this year I owe it to you!
Let's do it again!!!

You can find our Pecha Kucha over here

My first online course... impressions

May was a really wonderful month full of knowledge...
I've had the luck of taking part in ITD's Contrasting Conversations course with John Fanselow.
It was the first time I have tried something like that.
First of all I have to say that all the advice and suggestions John gave us, made me see my teaching way differently.
Recording and transcribing our lessons does help us see what went wrong, what we did right and how would somebody else sees what we do.

Lots of interesting people talking part from all over the world with lots of different views.

John Fanselow is an amazing professional, with good words for everybody and time to answer privately to all messages (I don't really know how he does it!! I really admired him for that)
I did the first assignment completely wrong because I didn't understand what  we were supposed to do, but he appreciated the fact that I had a different aspect of the task.

Unfortunately I have not completed all the assignments, due to to lack of time and workload and the fact that I am not disciplined enough to work on my own. This is something to work on...

Taking part in ITDi's course was a wonderful experience which I am sure will help me improve myself as a teacher, not only in the present but continue to evaluate myself as the time passes.

I would highly recommend  an ITDi course to every teacher for personal and professional development.