F2F Class Notes (Ally)

Grammar

wordiness:
1. change S and O, use more direct verb
2. move your “no” to the front, and put it on your verb, not on nouns (think of adjs – use the antonym)
3. delete words with no meaning or repetitive meanings
4. try to avoid structures with too many preps

the:
– for things you know and I know
ie. I saw a beautiful bag the other day. The bag was too expensive.
– THE +most (any -est)
– anything identifiable

Once you think deeply, it’s not quite that logical.
Once you consider it more carefully/give it more thought/consideration/if we’re being more thorough, it’s not very/quite/that logical./it’s a little illogical.

outline:
1. A teacher is a facilitator, not an autocrat.
facilitator: guide, relatable/considerate, free to ask questions, face challenges
autocrat: order, scare, students are afraid to talk, refuse to challenge
→closer than autocrat
2. A teacher is a leader, not a servant.
leader: a general goal, give them chance to make mistakes, embrace differences and self-development, well-organised,
servant: follow aimlessly, keep an eye on Ss/keep tabs on, afraid of the Ss’ mistakes, low-efficient
→keep distance, Don’t be so close. Give them chance to walk on their own and develop their own personalities.

Writing:
In order to answer this question, we should know the role a teacher plays in the classroom.
A teacher is a facilitator, not an autocrat. An autocrat, who may scare the students, always gives orders. They are so far apart that the students may be afraid to talk due to lack of confidence/the fear of making a mistake/feared consequences of making a mistake. A facilitator, however, always gives guidance and is closer to the students compared to an autocrat. A facilitator will not blame the students for their mistakes, making the students more likely to face challenges. When I am teaching, I play the role of a facilitator, not too far from or high above my students. In this way, I find it easier to know their strengths and weaknesses/get to know them and thus give better lessons. Therefore a teacher should act as a facilitator and be closer/more relatable to the students.

However, if a teacher is too close to the students, just like a servant who always keeps close tabs on the students, lest they make mistakes, it will be too much. A teacher is a leader, not a servant. So a teacher should learn to set a general goal for each students and give them chance to make self-development. Don’t be so worried about the students’ mistakes. After all, some paths are to be walked alone and some bitterness is to be swallowed all by themselves. In my teaching experience, if I set a general goal and give my students opportunities to work on their own, they will be more interested in it. Even though sometimes they make mistakes and walk into a dead end, they will learn from the mistakes and turn out to be smarter later.

Therefore, a teacher should not only be closer to the students, but also keep distance with them. Don’t be like an autocrat who gives the students too much pressure, nor a servant who snatches away the students’ freedom to taste the bittersweet world by themselves.