TEFL Waffle

Episode 61: Mini-episodes: Technophones + Homework

Troy and Steve are not usually too stupid. But when it comes to technology, they are. And why not - they are teachers, not computer geeks. So now that the world is crashing down in all sorts of random ways, and teachers are being called to action through a variety of online and technologically savvy platforms, some teachers (no names here please) are at a loss. Which apps do we use? How do you record this thing? Where are my students? Why is this microphone not on? We are useless. In this episode, listen to two mini-episodes in which these two guys showcase their idiocy with technology. We give you permission to giggle.

Note that the second half is a genuine (albeit unedited) attempt at an actual episode. Yep, that's just how good these two aforementioned unnamed guys really are...

Episode 60: TITM: My Fair Lady

This is a long movie with lots and lots of cultural- and time-bound references, and it's also a classic. And, it's about pronunciation! Do you like linguistics? No? How about applied linguistics? No? How about sociolinguistics? No? How about love stories with cultural and time bound references? Well any one of those, and this movie is for you. If not, well, we didn't much like it either. Nevertheless, in it you will find some fascinating references to teaching pronunciation that work in the movie, and might even work in a classroom. Who knows - better try!

Episode 59: Remote teaching - the idiot's version

We need to keep our distance from people, because, well, it's Covid time. So teachers have to teach from home, and podcasters have to podcast from home(s). How hard can it be, right? Just do what you do, but do it at home. Well, we have empirical evidence, in the form of this podcast, that if things can go wrong with technology, they will, and that it feels super work through technology, especially if you aren't a techie sort of Star Trek guy. So, in this episode, Troy and Steve show you how not to use technology to teach a lesson. Be prepared to cringe.

Episode 58: Teaching in a time of Covid

The end isn't nigh, but it does mean we need to change how we think about teaching, learning, technology, life in general and the nature of classroom interaction. That's hard for Steve - he isn't cut out for this sort of stuff, and you can hear him complaining about all this change on this very episode! Troy, however, is managing only slightly better. Really - these wafflers are not the best at online language teaching. Cough. At least teachers are already really adept at avoiding smearing chalk dust or blue whiteboard gunk on their faces...

Episode 57: Working with parents

Parents have an important role to play in education. For one thing, they provide the children. But more importantly, they can support or undermine the school and the teacher depending on the way that they are trained. I mean, communicated with. Yes. So how can we make sure our parents work together with us as teachers in a way that benefits the child? Is that even possible? After all, the teacher's job is to teach, and the parents' job is to parent. Ya. 

Episode 56: Moving back to the classroom

Today, we have Sunee as our superstar guest. Sunee is not just a superstar guest, she is also a superstar young learners guru. Now Sunee is moving back into the classroom to be with her children and abandoning her fantastic role as a teacher trainer, teacher manager and school supervisor. Why on earth would a teacher demote herself from a manager back to a teacher? Well, Sunee is going to explain it all to us. By the end of the podcast you'll hate the prospect of being a manager. Here we go!!

Episode 55: TITM - Here comes the boom

Yort and Evets are lovers of movies. This time, it's a movie about a school, some teachers, and a bunch of amazing students. The basic premise, which they don't waffle about at all, is school corruption. We all hate corrupt schools, don't we? No wait, this is a movie about a good teacher gone bad and going back to good. Oh no, wait. It's about a school which needs an injection of life and energy. Oh hang on - it's about a music teacher who needs help with his job. So, listen along as we talk about this movie about the power of one teacher to save a school and see if you agree that this MMA movie is boomful.

Episode 54: Your lazy colleague

Do you have colleagues? Are they are nice as Troy? Or are they lazy, rubbish colleagues like Steve? Are they complaining a lot because someone hasn't done their job properly? Is it your fault that the students didn't learn in that other lesson? In this podcast, Steve and Troy waffle, as usual, but they also say um and ah a lot, close curtains, make silly jokes and misunderstand each other's points all the time. Oh right, they also talk about the silly sorts of things that come up in a staffroom dialogues when there is an obnoxious teacher in the air. Oh, and they waffle about a whole bunch of other things too. Try to keep up with them - it's a bit of cognitive gymnastics that will amuse you for for the full half-hour. Oh, one more thing - perhaps Troy is the lazy colleague after all.

Episode 53: Demanding accuracy

Teacher's sometime forget to do writing tasks in class. Or maybe they don't like doing them because they involvement so much marking. Or maybe they think they aren't important. Anyway, when we do do them, how important is it it it it for the writing to me accurately? If their are mistakes, will it distract the reader? Is it the teacher's job to encourage, or discouraging mistakes?

Who's brain broken after this paragraph?

Episode 52: Student motivation

We aren't in the mood to write this blurb.