Addressing Larry's comments then,
His last post is quite complimentary in that for me at least it illustrates that much of what I contribute is clearly written. And, even when Duncan or Woodcutter "start" on me, they are also letting me know just where I have made my ideas clear and just where I have to be more careful in word choice. Again, I thank you all for taking part in making my writing here better, which I later share with others who might also benefit from my own improvement. Being perfect would be so dull, no room for growth, you know.
Larry's last comments on the establishment (yes, I did wear a little lapel button in the '80s that said "Question Authority"!

) makes me think about that dangerous word "methods". I think I will prohibit myself from using that word in relation to my teaching in the future. And I would say to those who continue using it to consider its abuse in the "real world" of language academies. "Methods" for me are International House or Inlingua or Wall Street Institute (whose methods, along with the similar method offered by "Opening" were a wretched failure here in Spain, resulting in questionable business practices and hundreds of students and teachers without classes). "Methods" for me are Berliz, who it seems were still hiding microphones in the classrooms in the '80s to spy on teachers to make sure that they did not stray one iota from the materials. "Methods" are Krashen's "Natural Method" thing that I've seen at least three times used as a marketing tool with uninformed parents for improving enrollment, while the teachers didn't even know who Krashen was, let alone Grant Taylor or Charles Freis or Robert Lado or even Chomsky (oops, used the "c" word there, sorry!)
I pick on my "simplified ESL grammar poster" collegue a lot here, he's a good bloke and is really trying to improve as a teacher, though like me, he suffers the old-dog-new-tricks syndrome and hasn't many years of experience which at his age is dangerous in the classroom. He asked me last term to give him some advice on how to set up a play for one of his groups. He has no theatrical experience and spent days on the internet looking for suitable scripts for this play. He tried to present it to his kids and unfortunately, though they liked the idea at first, theatre is not a good thing to do in an ESL academy, it's either too simple to be entertaining or too complex to be understood (and in Spain, who would be the public anyway, their parents might come to see the thing but wouldn't understand anything!). I myself never do plays, maybe little sketches, maybe a variety show with simple songs, but never let the kids think that they will be performing for others, they are not actors and this is not an arts school.
Larry says "Revel has demonstrated to us that maybe it is passion that is lacking...." and I am so glad that he did so. What frustrates me and finally bores me with so many "What do I do?" or "gerund vs infinitive" posts is a sometimes glaring lack of personal responsibility on the behalf of the person who begins those threads. And the passion is used up on de-baiting (sorry, liked that one, hehe) what each thinks is right or wrong. Before posting I read the entire Ideas cookbook on this site (anyone interested will see that I signed up, spoke up then shut up for several months before beginning my current activity here). That would be my general advice for those who sign up, ask a question, sometimes thanks for our individual wisdom, and then are never heard from again. And put a bit of passion in your classroom, nothing worse than a dull class with bored students and bored teacher and a boring text-book with a boring test at the end of the semester, no wonder I see the same students year after year after year!
Hmmm, not sure that was on the subject, but well, now that I've typed it up, might as well share it with you all. Duncan's right, usually one has to make a gross generalization to get someone's fur ruffled and it is gratifying that all of our longer posts here are generating our comments. I for one am enjoying this thread (but then, it's my party, isn't it? Going to join Duncan in having a fermented grain beverage now!)
peace,
revel.