Tag: online teaching

We got that attitude! – 27th June 2021

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I am so happy and grateful for the free money that the government gave us to spend on food and household items. We got spendy and went to the blue shop and pick up lots of goodies.

There are some rumours about having to teach online until the end of July or even til the end of the semester in late September. That’s tough for everyone and making me think about how to make the lessons more engaging, but I’m also feeling extremely lazy about it all too.

It’s not fun to be at school where there has been a case of Covid, and the Thai teachers still won’t wear masks. It’s much easier for me to teach from home, but at school, I have to depend on the student’s own motivation more. It’s just a technological issue, but it’s frustrating that we are not offered a choice. If I was a student, I wouldn’t bother to attend my classes – as some of the students are already choosing.

Ellen is planning more IELTS teaching coming up too. That’s nice and pays well, but I don’t always feel confident doing it and it takes a lot of planning too.

Anyway, the best things about this weekend was coffee at Utopia, getting more posts on my blog, a bit of reading and a bit of watching football. Time goes too fast though – and it’s always hot! I love aircon but real cool air would be perfect from time to time.

We got that attitude! – 30th July 2020

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I am so happy and grateful for the heavy curtains in my room. They help keep the room cool during the day. It’s still super hot but imagine what it would be like without them.

To-do list

  • More blog posts – try to get well ahead
  • Awards awards – all the time ½
  • Compliments and kindness ½

A sort of difficult day today. I felt a little off – not unhappy but not quite content, a little bit thoughtless perhaps.

I felt myself get upset with George when he questioned why I was doing something and I took offence at being questioned about my methods. I understand his reasons for saying what he did but I still feel like he say things in a way that is suggesting that his way is the best. I don’t need to bite at this – I especially shouldn’t react verbally or even emotionally.

I can see instances when he does the same but can turn a comment around into a positive. I need to be more aware of that. As usual – listen (really listen) first, think, evaluate – last resort is to speak!

After school, Ellen had lined up a potential client for online teaching. I was thinking that this would have to be a totally different method for teaching. At school I should adopt the George attitude – don’t stress too much, make it fun for the kids, just make the ones who struggle feel good ie I shouldn’t care so much.

But for Chinese students online, paying a premium I do have to be well organised and know what I’m doing and talking about. I’m still learning – still trying.

We got that attitude! – 10th July 2020

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I am so happy and grateful that we are having fun making videos today.

To-do list

  • Finish TCRAH episode tonight ½
  • Compliment someone – anyone! ✅
  • Silent positive wishes and mantra ✅
  • Call Hayden ✅
  • Have fun with making videos ✅

So, as you can see, my routine has got a bit out of whack and I haven’t been writing here as much. But I’m fine with that at the moment. In general, I’m feeling well and happy and have been thinking about thinking a little less and trying to put good habits into practice.

Some days, I still have fears and doubts but mostly everything has been going very well. I have been mostly on the ball during the week and not really doing much on the weekends so I can definitely feel the benefit of the weekly routine but also happy to break with it for the sake of variety.

I’m grateful that I have so many options available that I don’t get too bored. I will continue the practices that I note here until they become more and more ingrained. It’s a struggle but worthwhile.

British boys’ minds in a whirl – 9th July 2020

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Painkillers fog my brain – body feels relaxed but thinking gets mega tiring. Have to stay positive. George always positive – even if not inside. He’s too much sometimes – even though he’s right about many things – it puts me off depending on how I’m feeling.

Anyway – exercise this morning kicks me out of my laziness a little. I think I prefer my head to be straighter these days. Things I get to do can only be done when feeling straight. Beep beep – message. Amy crying out in her dream a lot last night.

What am I gonna talk about today? What can I achieve today? What are you thinking? Now or later? Now light sweat, aching thumbs – things begging to be done – but for what end. A sense of achievement? Purpose? Happiness? Trying to stay positive.

Will record some video today. Let’s see how I handle things. Stay positive.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to be making videos again today. Sitting around doing nothing at work is ok for a while but gets boring.

To-do list

  • Post last two TCRAH ✅
  • Find more ‘school’ items ✅
  • Compliment someone – anyone! ✅
  • Silent positive wishes and ‘thank you’ mantra ✅
  • Record ‘Golden Age’ for Bruce if at home

We got that attitude! – 19th May 2020

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I am so happy and grateful to have our cat Tigger in our lives. He’s a tough cat and been through a lot of tough times and now he is happily with us here in Thailand. It’s great to see him happy.

To-do list

  • Install Zoom at home ✅
  • Offer help where you can ✅
  • Find more articles for Bruce ✅
  • More Coursera and Crash Course ✅

A strange day at school. When we arrived it seemed like we had an urgent request to check all the videos that the Thai teachers had made because the parents had complained about bad pronunciation by the teachers. We were happy to help but not really sure exactly what they wanted us to fix (or how?).

Despite the urgency, the teacher we were supposed to get the files from wasn’t there and no one told us where she was or if/when she would arrive.

After lunch we got another message that it wasn’t the videos that we had to check but the PowerPoints they had made. We had already noticed mistakes in some that we saw and when we pointed it out they said that it was too difficult to change in time.

By the end of the day we had only received one file to check, so it wasn’t so urgent, I guess!

We busied ourselves preparing our next videos which we will record over the next couple of days. I feel very relaxed about the whole situation but also want to be careful not to slip into laziness. I helped the uni students and first-year teachers to proofread their work. The all really want to talk with us so that they can practice speaking English. Some of the first-year teachers told me that they thought the whole Thai education system was messed up and I encouraged them to be the ones who can trigger the change.

When I got home Amy told me about many complaints around Thailand about the quality of the Thai teachers teaching English and videos had gone viral. With online teaching the parents are now seeing what their children have to work with and are understandably upset.

I will maintain my relaxed attitude – everything still feels so uncertain for everyone. No point to get upset or frustrated.

We got that attitude! – 14th May 2020

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I am so happy and grateful to my work team because they help and support me.

To-do list

  • If your words don’t improve the conversation then don’t say them ½
  • Find a dog picture to draw for Champ ✅
  • Smile under your mask – practice it ½

Today went ok. I had to record my video in the morning which was a good option in the end because some of the other teachers were taking forever. George and Dylan both helped me but I felt somewhat at a loss for ideas, so I’m glad they were there for support.

There was so much confusion and disorganization but I didn’t let it bother me. I tried to speak less and most of my talking in the afternoon was about tech stuff as we tried to get MS Teams working, which we did.

There seems to be way more attention being put on making these videos that on being ready to teach online on Monday. I’m ready, as such, but still waiting for a lot of the pieces to be put into place. If that can’t be done by Monday, it’s fine. I already built in some slack with my planning.

Looking at how MS Teams works made me realise how much more suitable my brain is towards strict and specific disciplines such as IT or organisation. I’m slow at art and flowery thinking now.

We got that attitude! – 15th April 2020

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I am so happy and grateful that my hair hasn’t completely disappeared off my head yet! I can just about look like I have a full head of hair. I am grateful that I can cheaply dye my hair too so I don’t look like the old man I feel.

If beautiful art does not express moral ideas, ideas which unite people, then it is not art, but only entertainment. People need to be entertained in order to distance themselves from disappointment in their lives.

Immanuel Kant

To-do list

  • More 1994ever ✅
  • Another drawing ½
  • Another lesson (finish?) ✅
  • More CD sorting ✅

Friday (as of writing). Wednesday and today I didn’t bother to go to my room but on Thursday I got a bunch of things done.

I heard from TLC that I need to go to school on May 7th to work out how we are going to teach online. I’m guessing I will have to make a few adjustments to my plans, so I’m not too worried about writing more plans at the moment.

Amy and I went for a long bike ride again yesterday. I really enjoy just riding around and seeing how the land changes over time.

We got that attitude! – 6th April 2020

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I am so happy and grateful for my Gloomy Bear mug which I’ve had for many years now. It reminds me of my past and my happy history.

To-do list

  • Must finish that lesson in the morning. ✅
  • Don’t watch TV until the afternoon.
  • Sort more CDs. ½

(It’s Friday now!) Finally, I have a little return of motivation.

Yesterday was our 10th wedding anniversary and we had a nice time at home, having spent time preparing a nice environment, as if we were out somewhere more fancy than our dining room. Amy did most of it with me working under direction. She has a good eye for design and detail. 10 years – mostly happy and content. Any rough rides smoothed over by our caring natures.

I finally finished another lesson plan, sorted some CDs and did one or two other things in my room. Tomorrow I’m thinking of playing some video games but wondering how much of a time suck that will be. If it’s a time suck that brings happiness then it’s not a big deal.

In the morning I also want to talk with George and see what his thoughts are on teaching online. I’m not sure how it will work when we have to encourage speaking. I’ve been writing my plans for students to work in pairs. How can that work? I’m curious about the possibilities though. It could be good in the way of learning new methods and developing ideas around the technology.