About Me

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Portugal
I am from Coimbra, Portugal, and am currently teaching in a school in Soure, about 30 km away from Coimbra. I have been a teacher of English for over 20 years and have already taught different levels and age groups. After all this time I can say I love working with adult groups because there are no coursebooks and I can create my own resources. I am an avid reader, a blogger and very curious about free tools and their implementation in the classroom.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Summer Reading

Woman Reading, Jean-Baptiste
Camille Corot
Is there anything better than sitting in the sun and reading a good book???
But how to choose it and spend the last days of our summer holidays engrossed in a great book?
Well, fear not!
Let's help each other find new books based on the ones we already enjoy. Adult, young adult, whatever you like!
Help yourselves at http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/myreadings and share your readings as well.
Is there anything better than sharing? :))))

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Thanks a lot, Matt!

This Summer that so many of us teachers are spending part of our holidays doing our reports, here it is: Matt Damon rallies teachers at a Save Our Schools Rally near the White House! Damon accompanied his mother, who is a teacher, and thanked those who taught him valuable lessons during his childhood. Listen to him:



On behalf of many other teachers, THANK YOU!
Now, another great video... to tell you the truth, I was saving this one for October but here it goes...



I also thank all my students :)

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

What was your greatest kiss?

tate.org.uk
The Kiss, Auguste Rodin
According to Answers.com a kiss is...
  •  - A caress or touch with the lips
  •  - A slight or gentle touch
and to kiss " — to make contact with the lips — is often a sign of friendship or affection. In this respect it is seen as a Western gesture of intimacy and is not, therefore, observed in all cultures."
However, if we talk about the "kiss of life" (no, definitely not the myth of the Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella or Snow White) we all associate with a mouth-to-mouth method of restoring breathing - to save lives - which is a completely different issue.
As you now acknowledge, I'm not kidding when asking about your greatest  kiss... it could be the greatest kiss you ever give or get!
Taking this into account, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) launched a campaign to make people aware of the importance of having every young person leaving school knowing how to save a life. In their own words, "Having Emergency Life Support (ELS) skills should be as important as learning to read and write."
On National Kissing Day have a look at this video published by the BHF:


Nice way to introduce the topic in our schools as well, don't you think? It would be a great contribution for those fighting for ELS skills to be a mandatory part of the National Curriculum...
Anyway, here you'll find more information on ELS and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and for Portuguese teachers of English, the website can also be used as a resource not only to combat heart disease but also smoking, to promote healthy eating habits or physical activity. Check it out!

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