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moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

A topic that had more global significance might have been a lot more interesting--and would have created an opportunity for kids not just to parrot their parents' opinions.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

I can think of a couple others:

The War over the Falklands

Israel Invaded Lebanon (several bombing of Jewish businesses in the Marais district in Paris occurred while I was there)

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

True...after I posted, I also recalled the Cold War...there was an incident in 1982 that nearly brought us to the brink, I think.

Iron Maiden has a song...Two Minutes to Midnight. (what the hell did Guy just write?)

At the time, George Michael and the other guy where at the top of the charts with Wham! Jitterbug. haha

Gay bashing was an issue. Acid rain as well.

As we are talking about age 11 students (me in Grade 6), there's probably a limit as to what can be discussed.

EDITED: for a sticky r key

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

I think you're probably right.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

It seems that most of us won't have religion as a topic in class, or even fear having it as one. Why is that? Do we fear being seen as missionaries, colonizers, emperialist? do we think that students simply won't react to it well or feel confortable with it?

If we consider our students as people, then take a look at this board where religion does get thrown into the pot on occasion (well, not any more) and see that it does generate a lot of communication, why can't we we bring it to our students? I agree that it wouldn't be appropriate for younger students, but uni age and up should be able to handle it?

Myself, teaching in Mexico...I would be able to puruse topics such as the role of religion in state affairs, or to talk generally about 'spirituality', or a simple comparison of world religions for the sake of simply talking about them.

leeroy · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 777 Location: London UK

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

leeroy · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 777 Location: London UK

Yeah - but the examples weren't me asking the questions - they were other students. I'd like to think of myself as pragmatic enough not to say "You're Muslim? I hate your religion, it's full of terrorists!", but, if the truth be told, I'm not so confident about all of my students...

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Guy, I don't believe religion and spirituality to be synonomous.

Religion implies an institutionalization of some beliefs to the exclusion of others. Too many wars have been fought and are still being fought by standardbearers of religions to insure a harmonious interchange in a classroom--which, after all, is another microcosm--like Dave's.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

I can't say that I haven't had the same lack of confidence in my students. I usually chalk it up to lack of effort on everyone's part and look for opportunities to engage the students further.

In practice modules in our TEFL course, I've noticed a definite tendency on the part of the TEFLers to make classes invloving q & a around Describing your city, what you had for lunch, what movies do you like...it's a challenge to keep it engaging and look for chances to be more in-depth and interesting.

Where do you teach Leeroy?

leeroy · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 777 Location: London UK

In London Guy - I've got students from everywhere!

I'm sure 99% of them would approach a topic like religion sensibly, but it still seems like an unnecessary risk - especially when there are so many other topics out there.

I agree, "describing your home city" gets a bit dull - I prefer to add healthy doses of surreal hypotheticality to my lessons...

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

carnac · Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 10:21 pm Post subject:

I stay farrrr away from religion at all times, but politics is ok when it's the students who initiate the conversation. Not the politics of their own country, but international politics.
I like to ask questions that elicit student responses and discussions outside of the textbook box. Anything that gets them speaking in terms other than the canned textbook phrases. (Headway, don't get me going!)Not long ago we had a discussion in which the students explained to me why the dishdasha is such a reasonable garment for the Middle Eastern climate, being not only loose-fitting and thus well-ventilated, but also being a white color reflective of the harsh summer sun. Reasonable. So I asked why, if white is the best color, which it is, do all the women wear black abbayas?
The silence from the all-male class was deafening. A collective "Hmmm", followed by some great arguments among the students, of course in English.
"Staring (or looking) daggers at..." is/was a phrase in common American English usage c. 1920s-50s.. Might be out of style now, don't know. Believe it came from British English, dagger from French, very old.

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Carnac,

You have my sympathy. The mere mention of Headway in your post caused a molotov coktail to materialize in my right hand.