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Iulia Kelemen
I am an English language teacher with a passion for linguistics, literature, cinema and music
Location Timisoara, Romania
Activity
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Iulia Kelemen
@BereniceTagle Hello. Berenice. Actually my name is Iulia, with capital [ai]! I teach all ages, from 3 to ... over 50. The age is important but I noticed that the mix approach I talked about is the most successful.
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@ParistaRai If you use shared GoogleDocs you can put stickers there, stars and photos taken during class.
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
There's something dramatic in these last hours of the course, the sadness of good-byes and the melancholy of time passing by. It was a good experience, a very nice group and vivid communication. Thank you all! If I want to be completely honest, I must admit I had expected more involvement from the educators, as we were absolutely spoiled in the previous run of...
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Jen Tan
@JenTan Jen, I think I saw your name on the Facebook British Council Teacher Community, is that you?
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@JenTan Whatever it takes. Learning content is for us teachers usually a pretext for speaking practice, but for students it may be the other way around - they are interested in a topic and accept to write and talk just for the pleasure of sharing what they know about it. No matter why, it's a win.
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Lisa Johnson
@LisaJohnson Harry Potter, witches' hats! It must be thrilling! Are you close to HP locations too? even if not, anywhere in the UK would be just as great. I'm a little heartbroken as I would have attended a teachers' course in Devon this August, by SOL-Sharing One Language, now cancelled...
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Mary Kelly
@JenTan @MaryKelly Another excellent podcast - In Our Time
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl/episodes/downloads -
Yes, Doina is an extraordinary person and a fantastic educator, I've been in other courses with her and she gives her heart and soul in replying, advising, encouraging. Being from Romania myself, I hope to meet her in person one day! If I do, I'll pass your message!
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Jen Tan
@JenTan I like your comments in general, Jen, but this one really touched a particular chord. It will sound a little boasting perhaps but this is what I think makes our profession special, making a difference in our students' lives, partaking in their aspirations, dreams, fears. Teaching the language is only the occasion, maybe even a pretext for being there...
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Lisa Johnson
That's very exciting, Lisa. Summer schools are a unique opportunity for students to understand that English really exists! I hold a kind of summer school every year, with different themes, like Superheroes or Pirates and Princesses, but this is nothing compared to the benefit of a complete UK experience. I've been dreaming to teach in such a school so if...
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I think flipped classes are examples of co-construction. The students are asked to research something at home, usually something they are interested in and the teacher doesn't know much about, and they make a presentation during the lesson. It is a very good tool for intermediate/advanced classes and some students are very keen to do it. Others, not so much....
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I feel that the explaining and exemplifying phases of the lesson are crucial and perhaps this is why we tend to spend a long time here. The risk is that if we do it ourselves, teacher talking time is increased and we serve the students almost everything on a plate, which can be...too much. But we do it because we care and - at least in my case - because I...
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@KathrinGarment Exactly. Opportunities are everywhere, you just have to grab them.
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Jen Tan
@JenTan I relate to all your topics of interest except Chinese and...baking!
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@CarlosNavarro You are so right and it shows you are a great father! Parenting is not only a teaching but also a learning process. And wait till they are teenagers! :-)
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@JenTan True, because we have to teach about many topics, as they appear in real life conversations as well as textbooks, we are fortunate to get informed about them. And the other way around, for example the fact that I love music helped immensely and gave me and the students many pleasant classes.
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@JenTan Me neither, except avoiding. I noticed that my comment might seem in contradiction with the one I made in step 4.11 so I added 'on social media'. Because, while I think that they are intertwined in real life, that's not always the case on FB where the pleasant chat and funny pictures can go on for a long time and keep me from getting to one really...
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Iulia Kelemen
@MahvishRizvi Exactly. Every comment can be a step towards progress, very well put. I started my first FL course with shyness and fear, I didn't know how the platform worked and I was shocked to see the pink bullet with notifications and people addressing me directly. My comments were brief, the replies even more so. Look at me now! With encouragement and...
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@JenTan I feel the same, Jen, I think on social media private life just doesn't fit with the professional one. After being reluctant to FB for quite a while I opened an account for a high school reunion. It was fun at first but there was too much info and the pressure of posting, and not much in the 'developing' area. I opened a new account just for...
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@CarlosNavarro @JenTan For book aficionados, there is the platform Goodreads.
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
I am familiar with some, I'm a member in two FB groups for teachers, but not actively involved and a little reluctant to monitor the exchanges on a regular basis, because I think without proper determination, time flies when you're browsing, reading, like-ing, not necessarily getting great content value in the process. I've been trying to develop a good filter...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
My aspirations, very pragmatically put, are to work as an English language teacher abroad. I think living in another country is a life lesson in itself and I would love to have this opportunity.
My strengths are my communicative nature and my overall teaching method which is student-oriented and interactive.
I’m trying to improve my competence in English... -
Iulia Kelemen made a comment
I can't draw a clear picture of the Romanian society's opinion about lifelong learning, it varies perhaps according to region, environment, family, person even. People are so different. Personally, I've seen many people eager to learn, going to seminars and conferences, talking about their practice, but I've also met some who think this is a waste of time!...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
So many interesting comments and views, it's inspiring just to read about the hunger for continuous learning and self-improvement. What I can add maybe is that in my case professional development always comes hand in hand with the personal one. I've always been a passionate reader, books are some of my best teachers, as are films and music, travelling, going...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
I noticed in the last run of the course that these guidelines look more restrictive than encouraging - many of them start with 'Don't!' or imply it. I was hoping they would be changed, because I find them, paradoxically, impeding self-expression, which defeats the purpose of the platform.
I personally have found the society of online communities very...
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Beatrix Ivannovita
Very well put, Beatrix. You mention Graham White, I'm interested, can you give more details? Thanks.
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
Thank you so much for this week. I'm very honoured to be considered a 'top influencer' and in such a good company. In fact I learned a lot from many other participants who shared their knowledge. Thank you all.
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Simona Dicu
@SimonaDicu So we had many teachers in common probably and we might have passed each other on the hallways of UVT! Claudia Dorohoski and Miha Tilinca were among my favourites. And, though a little frightening, I liked Mrs. Parlog too.
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Iulia Kelemen
@MahvishRizvi It's funny, as the students' notebooks are very important to me, they write, draw, paste pictures, highlight with many colours, insert tables and graphs, the results are amazing. But I completely forgot about observing this aspect, thank you for pointing it out!
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Iulia Kelemen
@OlhaKyrylyuk It's interesting to notice how we implement change, how we approach new things. I started on WhatsApp with video and interactive Google docs for writing. Only slowly did I move to Zoom and only now did I start recording. So it's a gradual process which must come naturally, when we are ready, but also it must be pushed a little, otherwise we stay...
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@JoleneKearse I hope the students are just as much! :-) But of course I know what you mean, the parents are not only deeply invested but also investing in their children education. I'm only tutoring now so it's even more important to inform the parents about the content and the results of our classes. And I know from the experience as a mother that own...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
Besides the aspects mentioned here I consider very important that the community creates the proper environment for meaningful exchanges of ideas with people who share the same interest, have qualified opinions and pertinent views, with different levels of knowledge and competence.
The community should not only be trustworthy, but stimulating and inspiring,...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
All these three are important, I wouldn't know how to choose between them to join a community.
I am a member TETA (Timisoara English Teachers Association), but unfortunately we only meet a couple of times per year. I follow several online teaching communities, British Council and a Facebook group fro online teachers, but I'm afraid I am not very active....
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
I talk about my teaching practice with many people, it is one of my favourite subjects! Family, friends, colleagues, at home, out for coffee, everywhere. We share anecdotes, discuss advantages and disadvantages of our jobs or domains, comment on how the education system influences our work, wonder at how amazing children are and how important speaking English...
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Carlos Navarro
@CarlosNavarro :-) I thought so! Great inspiration, both the song and the crazy little thing! I've been humming it all weekend, celebrating my husband's birthday!
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@KatherineJaiteh Welcome! Good luck! And maybe let me know how it worked?
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@AnnD :-) Same here! I blame it on the other 2 or 3 courses I was attending on the same time! But also the level and density of materials was overwhelming at times. Hope to meet in other courses just as good!
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
My perception about Shakespeare, both the man and the work, has been drastically modified! Everything is more complex than I had naively thought. I see it now with Bardolatry in mind, with the instability of the text both printed and in performance, with the various facets of the modern productions.
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
This was one of the best courses I've attended on Future Learn, in terms of content and presentation, of openness and creativity. The intellectual level was far above the usual popular approach, and I must admit fascinating but very challenging for me. Unfortunately I couldn't get involved as much as I would have wanted and I'll be back for the next round....
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Richard Holt
@InekeFioole Ha, ha, I watched The Fresh Price of Bel Air for 5 minutes and they were talking about Shakespeare and mentioned Kiss Me Kate! I love coincidences like this! I got curious and found this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bNf-gEO2ps
Haven't watched it yet but I wanted to share it with you! Hope it's good. -
@WilliamStafford Absolutely! Fingers crossed!
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@InekeFioole I got to this point while revising the course now in its last hours for me. It was a pleasure talking to you and hope to meet again!
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@GeoffreyMoses Impressive career! Unfortunately there's no much time, the course is getting to a close. It was a pleasure to have these conversations with you and hope to meet in other courses!
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@GemmaMiller It was more than a success, it changed my perception about Shakespeare's work - not set in stone but a dynamic, intriguing process, still in the making both on page and on stage.
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@WilliamStafford Now that you mentioned it, you look exactly like the Bard! Hope to see you in person one day. In the meantime I'm enjoying Shakespeare and Hathaway (Private Investigators) - did you play in it too?
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@AnnD And enjoyment it was! Very different approaches on the two courses, exquisite materials and numerous revelations in this one but perhaps not so much interaction at least from my part. I'll be back for sure. How about you?
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Very insightful and I strongly agree. Chiara Guidi explores what's at the core of Shakespeare, minimizing or getting rid of the layers surrounding it. It is disturbing, like seeing the naked truth or the evil itself. Could force one to dig deeper into one's soul as well.
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@LaraWaterfield It was a joy to read your comment, Lara. I was also fascinated by Chiara's vision, her philosophy behind the play and how well she could put it into practice. As far as I see, we are a minority in this! The description of the epiphany brought shivers down my spine as I recognized the moment, the feeling when light comes suddenly and you can...
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Wonderfully put, Paul. I think Chiara Guidi's vision does just that: it opens our senses and our mind to experience something already familiar, but which - now dressed up in other garments, just like in life, looks completely different. To reject it would be missing a chance to discover something and perhaps discover something about yourself.
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@LaurenK I completely agree, the way we place ourselves in relation to Shakespeare in all his/its shapes, is revelatory not about the work but about ourselves with our least known or least pleasant aspects.
@GargiMukherjee Definitely enriching for the mind and soul. -
Chiara Guidi explains it very clearly in fact: we are not going to the theatre to hear and recognize words that we've read or can read at home. Of course this is not the case with everybody and she speaks for a certain audience, but I think I am part of these 'we' and I want to have an out-of-the box/text experience of a text I know, which includes music and ...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
What a fantastic discussion, with so many intellectual layers. I was fascinated by Chiara Guidi's vision, both theoretical and on stage, and also by her personality, so profound, creative yet with a keen sense of humour. Maybe if I hadn't been familiar with avant-garde theatre I would have been shocked. And if I hadn't known the story I wouldn't have...
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Iulia Kelemen
@VerónicaGarrido Indeed, that's a good strategy.
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@JenTan Large classes can be a challenge, I know. But even there, it is still possible to transmit the students that you care about them just like they care about you. With small children it's actually not difficult, a sticker or their name on the board, with a heart next to it, speak volumes.
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@LesleyDick And this course gives the chance to big time robbery! I remember this video from the last run and I think I had a partiality for Doina - being Romanian :-). But also for Genny as an old friend, and I took her advice seriously by 'speed observing' videos of lessons on youtube. I didn't watch full lessons, but chunks from them, especially the...
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Anahit Isahakyan
@AnahitIsahakyan Observing a class where a student plays the role of the teacher, that's a great idea! I don't think I'll be strong enough as not to intervene, but I'll definitely try for ... 15 minutes!
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Iulia Kelemen
@MahvishRizvi I'm thinking about all these in the context of observing a lesson and focusing on facts not deducing or guessing. I can only know for sure the aim of the lesson from the teacher and I can form an opinion whether it was achieved or not, which can differ from another colleague's opinion, so ... not fact. But you gave me a clue about the evidence of...
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Simona Dicu
@SimonaDicu Oh, isn't the virtual world small! When did you graduate? Me - in 2000. The English department was crammed with inspirational professors who opened our eyes and mind to a wonderful, challenging world. Timisoara, yes, with good and bad parts, it's a great city. Did you attend the RATE conference in October?
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@KatherineJaiteh Hi, Katherine. Deepali drew my attention to your comment and yes, I relate to it, I'm not always comfortable being observed. In step 3.14 I talked about the fact that I have been avoiding recording my online classes for fear of my own feedback! But today I did it and I'm glad. It wasn't perfect of course and many problems surfaced but many...
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Iulia Kelemen
@DeepaliDharmaraj Thanks for pointing this out, Deepali, it's like reading my mind. I talked about the opportunity and the anxiety of recording the online lessons in step 3.14. I did it today for the first time and I have this course to thank for that, it pushed me to overcome my fear and do something I knew was useful and important. I'll go to Katherine's...
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Iulia Kelemen
@OlhaKyrylyuk Thank you, Olha, that's just the peer feedback everybody dreams about! Perhaps it mustn't, but the anxiety exists. Well, I kept my promise and recorded my online lesson today for the first time. So many things to notice and learn, starting from pronunciation and up to the distracting background. At first it was more stressful than usual for both...
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Carlos Navarro
@CarlosNavarro Too thin, yes, especially when feelings are involved! Your reply to Jen made me think of Queen's song when they called the pretty little thing ... guess what? :-)
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@MoniqueWilkinson and the others
Good work and probably a lot of fun too, Monique. I think summer schools are excellent for co-construction. Last year I held the SS of Superheroes and at first I didn't know anything about these Marvel or DC characters so the students taught me more than I would have wanted to know! (yes, I saw how this feels!). This year, SS... -
Iulia Kelemen made a comment
The aspect that interests me most is the one related to time. As my lessons have a length-based pay, I feel it my duty not to waste time. But from the comparison in Control of learning, it is clear how this changes from Teacher controls time in instruction to student-paced in construction, which leads to longer time blocks, and finally 'Time seen as less...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
These are notions which put a name to familiar practices. They also put my mind to rest in certain aspects and to work in others.
After over 20 years of teaching and over 40 of learning, I can feel how both changed. In my youth it was instruction almost all the time. Being an inquirer was not encouraged. But then at uni, some wonderful professors opened up...
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Iulia Kelemen
@LesleyDick These aspects are not so obvious or clear for me. Can you give me an example?
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@JenTan It is in fact an opportunity we shouldn't miss. But I think we avoid it with good intentions, part of 'being professional' or keeping the distance and not getting too emotional with the students. It's OK like this too if we sense it a more appropriate strategy for certain situations. In my case though, teaching private classes with small groups, if...
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Thanks for these resources, Simona. It happened to me too, it was like I didn't want to lose anything, I tried far too many platforms, attended far too many webinars and fed my students far too many tasks at once. I've learned from my mistakes so it's much better now.
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Simona Dicu
This is very honest and insightful self-reflection, Simona. Planning, teacher talking time and student-centred activities are very common issues for us. I'm glad to see a Romanian teacher here. Whereabouts in Romania are you from?
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
The short answer is: all of the above. I watched twice to make sure, yes, I learned how to do things in new ways, how to connect with students, the importance of facilitation and how it works, techniques of classroom management, and (that was the most unexpected and insightful comment in my opinion) a sense of placing myself on the right level of competence at...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
An interesting week, with many good ideas and new perspectives. The Evidence-based observation - tips and tools presentation was enlightening, the STORM technique helped solving the issue of an objective peer observation and feedback.
I only teach private classes so no peer actually, but now with the online classes it's quite possible. In practice though,...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
The educators covered different aspects related to peer observation, so I'll take something from each.
From Genny - that in speed observation you can learn new ways to open or round up a lesson.
From Majo - to observe something specific, like teacher-talking-time.
From Nelson - to give and take
From Sirin - to assist a series of lessons
From Doina... -
Iulia Kelemen made a comment
I had my lesson plan checked by supervisors, I received feedback for the plan layout and steps and so on but I wasn't asked afterwards how the lesson had gone. I think to express myself would have helped me a lot, like a self-examination, to form a clearer picture.
What I did many times is to talk with friends and colleagues and we used to exchange a lot...
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Carlos Navarro
@CarlosNavarro I think both you and your wife have an admirable attitude towards feedback. My husband is a university professor and we exchange positive ideas with great results but for negative feedback we tend to take it very personally! :-)
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
It's not easy to be or to have a critical friend, though the notion is very appealing. The key words are 'a trusted person', as it is essential to be well-intended when you give a negative feedback, not to aim at hurting, but helping. Respecting and trusting each other is the basis for communicating and this is a treasure. On the other hand one has to remain...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
I think successful observation is based on awareness - acknowledging one's weak points, the aspects needing improvement, but also, maybe even more importantly, on confidence. Confidence in the usefulness of the process, in the good intentions of both observer and observee, in the professional competence of the observer, and also self-confidence - trusting your...
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@LesleyDick Thanks, Lesley. I read my comment again but, though I discovered a typo, I couldn't figure out where this 'can' should be.
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@AnahitIsahakyan I liked the lesson. You can also remove the picture and 'check their memory'.
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Iulia Kelemen
@JenTan To say the least!
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@MahvishRizvi And combined with creative thinking, even better.
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@JenTan Yes, those flying strips around the room, one of the peaks of my career! But I learned so much then besides Kolb's cycle. For example that what it very much looked like failure from my point of view (I didn't reach my objectives) was in fact one of the best lessons for the students. To see their bright eyes, their big smiles, their agitated movements,...
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@GabrielaCervantes @LesleyDick True. In ABBA's words, thank you for the music!
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
These are very good questions because they state facts, not speculation or partiality. Since we have different perspectives in observation, recording data, exact places and numbers can help us draw an objective picture of the situation, before jumping to conclusions based on personal impressions, in their turn influenced by our experience, personality or state...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
How might classroom observations be developed to benefit both the observer and the person being observed?
With good intentions, open-mindedness, competence, facts before opinions and clear, specific aspects to focus on.
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
I voted agree, as in theory this should be a powerful tool for endless improvement but in reality can be a delicate situation. Giving appropriate feedback is an art. It requires diplomacy, open-mindedness, good intentions and competency in the area, both in content and in methodology. Not easy. Observing facts before jumping to conclusions and, what's worse,...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
I took this video very emotionally. This is a wonderful, touching demonstration of how good intentions and not taking it personally can work together for a remarkable result.
What struck me most was how well-behaved the students were, how involved, how much they cared about a problem of a boy who was unknown to them. How non-aggressively they treated...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
I give feedback in a variety of ways, having in mind two basic aspects: correction and motivation. I use oral or written feedback, from simple 'Good work' praising and smiley faces, to detailed assessment based on Cambridge marking scheme. But also face expressions or body language, a frowning or a hug say more than a hundred words. It depends a lot on the...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
Learner observation can be done at a glance and it addresses issues already familiar to the teacher: behaviour, involvement, attention, note taking, responses etc. It can be difficult though in large classes and keeping a record can prove quite a challenge. When I was teaching in school I transformed my portfolio several times to obtain a very simple but...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
Who, if anyone, observes your teaching?
Unfortunately no one observes my teaching anymore, as I am working only as a private teacher, but I was observed many times starting in faculty, by professors, then by peers, direct supervisors, principals. At first I was extremely nervous and scared, I performed much worse than when I was alone. But I received... -
Iulia Kelemen made a comment
It comes with experience I suppose, though it also requires an inner sense as well as study. Some areas are easier to identify, others not so much. There are areas common to almost every class or student, others only to very few. A thing I learned is that it's better not to take anything for granted, but still trust your instinct while checking the validity of...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
Many thanks to all three of you, it;s always a pleasure to attend a FB live from the British Council!
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Iulia Kelemen
@MahvishRizvi Thank you, Mahvish, that's very nice of you.
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You gave me a great idea for a recurring task: How would you have reacted in this situation? It works with any topic, especially bullying but not only. Thank you!
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
How do you think reflective practice is connected to professional development?
I think you can't have one without the other!
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Cycle No.2
I had the lesson again, as planned, using 2 or 3 lines on the same strip. Plus, instead of listening too many times, I gave them 2 minutes to self check the arrangement with the lyrics displayed on the screen. It was much better and so we had time to talk more about the unknown expressions.
Yet, another problem appeared by having...too much...
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
It's not new, I did that in the last run of the course, with Kolb's reflective cycle in mind, putting it to test in a lesson about Valentine's Day.
Cycle No.1
What did I do?
I used Bjork's song 'It's Oh So Quiet' for the first time, I printed the lyrics and cut them into strips, each strip with a line. Students worked in pairs to put them in the right... -
Iulia Kelemen made a comment
The lack of time can refer not only to the amount of time at our disposal, as a whole, but also to the fast succession of events and the very short interval between them. Sometimes the right time to reflect is during recess, but...there's no time!
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Iulia Kelemen replied to Iulia Kelemen
@LesleyDick Thank you, Lesley. I posted a photo on the Padlet, this is how the beach looks like in Romania, on the coast of the Black Sea.
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
I see myself as the sea. With my waves and tides I sprinkle the beach and then I retreat. I leave behind stories of the deep, the fantastic, the unknown. In my breeze I bring songs of the past and dreams for the times to come.
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Iulia Kelemen made a comment
I'll take each step in turn for better understanding.
Scanning - based on empirical research, noticing facts
Focussing - identifying problem areas (this phase is still blurry for me though)
Developing a hunch - eliciting a hypothesis about possible causes
New learning - actual involvement in study (my favourite part): professional literature, teacher's...
