Sirin Soyoz
I am a teacher of English, an e-moderator, a teacher trainer, and a PhD student, and I have been actively involved in the design and delivery of technology-enhanced projects with the British Council.
Location Istanbul, Turkey
Activity
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Steve Ollerenshaw
Hi @SteveOllerenshaw there is one course aimed at early childhood but it is about language learning and development:
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/english-in-early-childhood -
Sirin Soyoz replied to Manuela V
Thank you @ManuelaV for your participation and thoughtful contributions. We are glad to hear you enjoyed this journey with us :)
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Thank you Ruth for all of your interesting comments. I'm so glad you enjoyed the course. Best of luck in all that comes your way in the future.
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Marine Dricot
Thank you Marine for all of your contributions :) It's been great having you with us.
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Manuel Illesca Martín
Thanks @ManuelIllescaMartín -reading everybody's comments have been my favourite activity in the last 4 weeks, I will miss you all.
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Thanks @WilliamHarris! :)
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That's a very good point, thank you for bringing this up, @WilliamHarris
timing and timetabling are extremely important.
That reminded me of an article that states that "there are more disruptions and office referrals later in the day than in the morning. That is because too many teachers create lessons that don't allow students to get the freedom they need... -
Well put, @ChristinaTWY
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Excellent point, @ErumNadeem
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Thank you @EstherC.García-Tejedor, such a lovely summary
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That's a good point, @LauraNogues. When parents avoid battles with their children and say "yes" more often, and when teachers say "no" there is a contradiction.
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How did you cope with this situation, @MarineDricot ?
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So true
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Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, @ShahabMahmood - that must be painful for them. You are right, grieving will probably last for a lifetime but should not consume a life.
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Sam Abrams
Thanks @SamAbrams - it has been great interacting with you :)
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Liz Anderson
Great quesitons @LizAnderson
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You are so right about thinking about the positive aspects of that student, @BrunoTavaresBaraviera. That reminded me of this short video that basically says we should remind ourselves that when a student misbehaves, it is just their way of asking for more help and support. It is best to be rational with our response and stay as calm as possible....
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You are so right, @JaniceStevenson, sometimes we need someone just to listen
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Merwyn DeMello
Thank you @MerwynDeMello for your valuable contributions -I have learnt a lot from you in this course.
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Florence R
I didn't know about Cambridge Webinars, thanks for sharing @FlorenceR
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Elisa Say
Thanks for sharing, @ElisaSay - I look forward to exploring it!
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Lisa Shuttleworth
Thank you for your active participation and valuable contributions @LisaShuttleworth
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Tom Le Seelleur
No worries, @TomLeSeelleur - now you can do week 4 and then complete the rest in the next two weeks. Enjoy :)
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Marla Becking
Thanks, Marla, much appreciated
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Alan H
Congrats! Will check it out.
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Unfortunately, the local news channels have made no mention of refugees recently, they are even more invisible now.
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Thank you, @WilliamHarris for sharing your strategy - it sounds really practical and you are such a great role model for your kids and that link is fantastic!
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Tara Ansari Esfahani
That's a good point, @TaraAnsariEsfahani - like adults, kids also struggle with stress.
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Was this Monash course about wellbeing, @AlisonStewart ? It must be really good if you took it twice.
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Simon Coelho
As you continue to face new adventures, and challenges, we all wish you the best of luck @SimonCoelho
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Alan H
Have you seen the Developod - TDSIG's podcats on teacher development? https://tdsig.org/developod-tdsigs-podcast/
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Anya W
Thanks for sharing Vooks, @AnyaW - it is a great website!
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Uchechi Ajero
For children, I really like the LE Kids website:
https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/songs -
Sirin Soyoz replied to Juan Martinez
You might find this one useful @JuanMartinez
https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/study-break/video-zone/i-it-safer-internet-day-song -
Sirin Soyoz replied to Marla Becking
I love jazz chants! Thanks for reminding, @MarlaBecking
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Tatenda Chikomba
How do you decide what genre of music to play and listen to in the classroom, @TatendaChikomba ?
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You might find this discussion useful @AnyaW
https://www.futurelearn.com/comments/40604742 -
That's a brilliant activity, thank you so much for sharing it with us @HendElhendy
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We shared a link to an article called "Why teachers are so tired" last week, @UchechiAjero have you read it: http://teacherhabits.com/why-teachers-are-so-tired-and-what-to-do-about-it/
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I have just tried it and it can be very helpful indeed. I have bookmarked it, thank you!
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Laura Nogues
Hi Laura, I think we all fall into the same trap at times. Your comment reminded me of another mental tendency called rumination.
Sometimes we may find ourselves ruminating which is described as "dwelling repetitively and at length on negative thoughts" and studies state that adult women ruminate more often than men do :/ and most people who engage in... -
Thanks @ManuelaV - your comment reminded me of a quote which states that “Understanding trauma is not just about acquiring knowledge. It’s about changing the way you view the world. It’s about changing the helping paradigm from ‘What is wrong with you?’ to ‘What happened to you?’
Sandra Bloom, 2007
https://www.teachertoolkit.co.uk/2017/12/05/trauma-informed/ -
Your comment is just eye-opening, @CatherineCrerar - so true when you say "if it gives us a false sense of security". It would be a good idea to explore stress-management strategies to diffuse tense situations and help students process feelings at that moment.
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Thank you for sharing your personal experiences with us @CatherineCrerar - You are so right, we should expect anything and work with refugees might require special sensitivity.
How did you respond to your student? -
The course syllabus looks very interesting, thank you for sharing @CharalampiaSyris Seems like you have a very healthy lifestyle. Sleeping is so important, isn't it? When I don't get enough sleep, I just don't want to do anything.
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Wow, that's amazing @WilliamHarris - such a brilliant idea to use graphic novels, thank you for bringing this up!
I used https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/
I attended a webinar on graphic novels by Samantha Lewis,
You can watch the recording at this link (it is under Day 2- you will find lots of other webinar recordings on this page, all about... -
Here is another discussion on responsibilities - you may find useful:
https://www.futurelearn.com/comments/40462931 -
Hi Alison, I am wondering if you have ever tried giving them bigger responsibilities and challenge them?
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Marine Dricot
Thank you for your contributions, @MarineDricot :)
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Elena Ponte
Glad to hear you found them useful, @ElenaPonte
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Thank you, @ErumNadeem, in addition to your suggestions and tips, I would like to add that I used voice recording on mobile phones a lot, as well as some web tools and apps to help develop listening. Some of my favorite web tools:
https://www.voscreen.com/
https://film-english.com/
https://lyricstraining.com
http://elllo.org/
What about others? -
Sirin Soyoz replied to Tara Ansari Esfahani
Glad you found them useful @NatachaGuegherouni
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Erum Nadeem
Hi @ErumNadeem TeachingEnglish team has been delivering webinars on online teaching. I have watched some of these sessions and I am sure you will find them really useful:
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/news-events/webinars -
You might find this article useful @HelenHindmarch @HendElhendy
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/how-address-effects-trauma-english-language-classroom -
Sirin Soyoz replied to Siobhan Sweet
Thanks @SiobhanSweet - first time I have heard of blobs, the description is so interesting: "The Blobs are neither male nor female, young nor old, European nor African, ancient nor modern. They are outside of culture": https://www.blobtree.com/pages/frontpage
I also find single point rubrics enlightening. In this blog post, it has been stated that "student... -
These are great points, @RAFAELPiconHossain, thank you. Giving her materials beforehand is a brilliant idea.
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Thanks @HendElhendy - I love the drawing idea.
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How did you respond to misbehavior, @MiriamKohl ?
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Thanks @ManuelIllescaMartín - did you modify and match the assessment accordingly and how did he respond to your differentiation?
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Thanks @ElenaPonte for reminding us this saying, it is summarizing how the curriculum should be delivered in a single sentence, isn't that so powerful? Thanks again
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Tara Ansari Esfahani
That's a very good question, @TaraAnsariEsfahani
I think the first step is assigning certain the consequences to the rules in the classroom contracts so you have a baseline to refer to.
I think it all depends on the nature of the violation, the frequency it occurs, and the context in which it has occurred.
But it your context, he is probably trying to gain... -
Wonderful strategies, thank you for sharing, @SamAbrams
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Thanks @AlisonStewart - I am sure most of us have similar memories. In my country, during my primary years, the school culture was really traditional as a result of decades of punishment culture (even physical punishment), and I totally agree with you about the fact that once trust is broken, it takes time.
What kind of training did you receive on safeguarding? -
Great to hear it helps, @DanielaOrozco
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Your comment reminded me of an activity I used to play with my students @JaneAngel. Let me know if this would be suitable in your context:
The aim is to build feelings of competence in students and create intrinsic motivation. Adapted from Raffini, J, 150 ways to increase intrinsic motivation in the classroom.
1. Write the statement "I can't" on the board... -
That reminds me of the Maslow's hierarchy of needs, @AnyaW
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That's a very interesting point, @ErumNadeem - how do you help your students develop their listening skills?
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I love the word wall - what a great idea @SusanThomson! Thank you for sharing.
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Thanks @CatherineCrerar - you are so right about the worries they bring to the classroom. One activity to increase adult learners' awareness is called my brain -let me know if that would be suitable for your context:
Aim: self-awareness
Timing: 20 minutes
1. Give a piece of paper to each student and ask them to draw their brain. They have to think of the... -
Agree! I also love the idea of letting them have a comfortable place and space in the classroom.
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Exactly, you have a valid point @EmaleneHickman - parents struggle during lockdown and as we stated in the end of week review, they have a primary influence on their children’s attitude towards learning, and readiness to learn.
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Thank you for sharing your experience with us @SeanBriggs - such a lovely, supportive classroom environment.
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I agree with you, @ElenaPonte about getting prepared - what kinds of actions do you take in your current setting to prepare as teachers, managers and also to prepare your learners?
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Bishan D
Thank you!
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Alvaro Martin
Valid points @AlvaroMartin
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Helen Hindmarch
Poor kids :(
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Helen Smallwood
Is there a possibility for you to write a letter to your students, @HelenSmallwood ?
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Jane Angel
You have valid points, @JaneAngel - I am a Muslim too and I would find spitting very abhorrent. Living life with good mutual relations and reconciliation is one of the aims of all religions.
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Alison Stewart
Do you have any activities, such as storytelling sessions @AlisonStewart ?
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Merwyn DeMello
These are the "invisible youth" who do their best to survive. I agree with you about the lack of strategies for these groups.
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Totally agree with you @FarahnazAhmadi
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Thanks @FlorenceR. In my experience, we assigned "difficult" students some responsibilities in a project called "goodness is contagious" so they were responsible for charity work at school - it worked really well. They did a great job.
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So true - sometimes at class level as well, what works with one class doesn't always work with another.
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I like when you say "every lesson is a clean sheet" - that's a relief, isn't it? @JaneySimmons :)
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Sirin Soyoz replied to jennifer romero
Hi @jenniferromero We have briefly mentioned projects in the end of week review, you might find the links useful.
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Helen Hindmarch
You will see some examples in the links above, @HelenHindmarch
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Sirin Soyoz replied to William Harris
This is a common problem in my country because of the national assessment system. There aren't any other assessment tools that will be an alternative to the exam. Therefore, the education system isn't building a social and entrepreneurial youth who are researching, questioning, producing instead, building a generation whose
student life has passed by... -
Sirin Soyoz replied to Kerry Baptiste
That's a brilliant idea, @KerryBaptiste
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Susan Thomson
I agree with you @SusanThomson - clubs can help develop social skills which will be invaluable in their future lives.
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Sarah Hamdar
You might be interested in this piece of research @SarahHamdar
Young Refugees’ Transition to Adulthood
https://pjp-eu.coe.int/documents/42128013/47262325/Refugees+transition+to+adulthood.pdf/9a064fa1-ee97-be3f-84fd-5a27d85e15a6 -
Thanks @WilliamHarris for the link - I loved the suggested activities!
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That sounds very scary, yes exactly that must be the same reaction, @ManuelaV (Glad to hear the car shifted away)
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Great points, @MilenaVidosevich- smiling really has therapeutic effects. It reduces stress hormone levels. Even imitating a smile activates happiness in our brains, so it is such a powerful way to communicate with our learners.
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Bishan D
Thank you, @BishanD - how do you teach your conversation classes?
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Great points, can you tell us more about the traffic light systems, @JaniceStevenson ?
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Thanks @MarlaBecking, training teachers is the key, you are right. Here are some ideas to explore further:
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/developing-teachers-refugees -
These are great questions, @SarahHamdar, this is going to affect everyone’s daily lives and regardless of their age, this may be a difficult time for children and young people. Routine gives children and young people an increased feeling of safety in the context of uncertainty, so parents can be helpful in the home-supported learning environment by setting...
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Tatenda Chikomba
I totally agree with you about the wellbeing of teachers. Marie Delaney mentioned this in an article: Teacher stress, well-being, and stress management - Taking care of yourself so that you can take care of your students
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/teacher-stress-well-being-stress-management-taking-care-yourself-so-you-can-take-care-your -
Sirin Soyoz replied to Simon Coelho
You are so right, @SimonCoelho, sometimes we need to take them out of a situation to help them regain control of their emotions.
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Sirin Soyoz replied to Helen Smallwood
It is very sad to hear that, @HelenSmallwood
