How far can the relationship between teacher-students go?

Are you friendly with your students? Do you usually talk to them about their issues in the house? Do you go out with your students shopping? Do your students ask you out every weekend? Have you ever hang out with your students? Do you chat with most of the students of your school? Have you ever had any problem with your colleagues about the way you relate with your students?

If you answer any of these questions with a “yes”, you are having problems drawing the line between the teacher-student relationship. The distinction between being a teacher and being a friend is always hard to see for some teachers, especially if they are new. Once I was in a private school, where there weren’t major problems with money. However, students lacked love that even I could notice it. In one particular situation I was asked by one of the students to give him my messenger account in order to talk to me every time he needed help. I was happy to help him, so I gave it to him. But, as a consequence the school wasn’t happy about it. They were trying to explain to me that I wasn’t allowed to have that kind of relation with the student. I was supposed to be the teacher not a friend.

A good teacher knows that in order to have a good class, there must be trust between the class and the teacher, but when the relation goes further, the teachers have to stop. Usually other teachers observe this behavior and tend to think that this teacher is having some kind of problem at home. Therefore, in order to fix it, the teacher is spending more time with his students. The reaction of other teachers to this kind of behavior is always diverse, but the idea will remain the same to most of them: “the teacher is doing something morally incorrect”.

Sometimes new teachers are full of new ideas and the enthusiasm to do new things, which is why is difficult for them to realize that they are trespassing the line. It is also understandable that some schools think that this behavior is not correct for a teacher. Moreover, there will be always a student who is going to ask for help and as a teacher is important to be ready for this kind of situation. To work this conflict out, a teacher has to develop activities not related with the subject to work with the students. For example, special meeting can be arranged during the afternoon. These meetings are going to allow the teacher to have a closer connection with the students inside the school. Another possibility is to create small spaces during the classes to talk with your students about different topics that are not allowed with the class, in order to make the students see that you are a person and not only a teacher and that you care about them. Interesting activities like these help the teacher to create a bond with the class.

"Letter to the Edidor"

My name is Miguel Pino and I would like to congratulate Miss J. for writing the book, Dangerous Mind. I am going to be a teacher and now I certainly know what kind of teacher I want to be.

We can find very useful technique of English teaching. For example the fact that we must try to be our students' friend, and it is always a good idea to understand the economic and social situation where the students are growing up.

That's why; I enjoy every chapter f the book. But I rather talk about one single chapter that calls my attention. In chapter fourteen "No Problema" there is a phrase that surprise me a lot.

"Every good grade should be balanced by a bad grade" I was really shocked when I read this because I used to have a teacher at school that used to think the same way.

The point here is that I like that you put this specific situation in the book, because it is a real and useful way for as to know, what kind of teacher we are not supposed to be like.

"MAGAZINE COVER"

"Game section" Magazine.

Now here we have some important sentences taken from the famous book "Dangerous mind". Each sentence talk about the most important issue of the chapter. But in each sentence there is a missing word. Find out what word is it and fullfil the puzzle. Remember that in order to find the word to have to read first chapter 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. Nº1 _ "And you're right. You're also young. You're fresh, energetic, _______. That's what we need- new teachers with new ideas, young blood."

Nº2_ When they test you, which they will, hit them fast right where it hurts-in the ________.

Nº3_ "I have a confession to make," I told the ACL English class. For the first time, ________ interest shone in the eyes of the estudents.

Nº4_ "It's a simple matter of logistic. There isn't enough room in the ACL classes for every kid who might have _______, so we only expect sucess from as many seats as we have available.

Nº5_ Each day, as we ________ through the story, the ACL kids read, discussed and analized the story.

Nº6_ "I don't know the answer to number eight," he said, pointing to the question: Why do you think John Steinbeck wrote this book? "It's easy", I said. "You can't get it _____. I just want to know what you think"

Nº7_ "______ means you can't eat it. Indelible means you can't erase it. This is special, indelible lipstick I'm wearing.

Nº8_ I wrote a note telling Mr. and Mrs. West how much I enjoyed having Callie in class, that she was _____ and a charming student with a delightful sense of humor.

Nº9_ He sat down at his desks. I sat down at mine. I was very proud of myself. I didn't cry until after the bell rang and all the ________ had left the room.

_______________________________

The correct answers are going to be publish in the next edition of the magazine.

"Starry night"

This painting was made in Netherland between 1853-1890 by Vincent Van Gogh. This painting is the description made by the painter about the night in his town. When we see a painting, we have to understand that it is the point of view of one person. In this case Van Gogh was able to distinguish the different tones that the sky have had during that night.

It was painted with oil on canvas, and the interesting thing bout this special technique is when you paint with oil, the mixture of the tones is made in the canvas. Thinking about that the amazing skill of Van Gogh to create the perfect color to represent the clods, the stars and the shine envioroment of the night.

I personally like this painting because it is quiet, and it will always surprise you. Every time you look at it, there is something new to appreciate. It involves you into its atmosphere so deeply that you believe yourself in the place starring at the sky.

** My autobiography **

My name is Miguel Pino; I was born in September 9th, 1986. My family always used to say that I was going to be a really sad boy, because the day I was bron, it was completely cloudy.

By the time I was two, my mother came back from hospital one day with a baby, it was all the time crying, and I was told that the baby was my little brother. I remember I thought that he was going to be a problem at home, and until now I still think the same.

Four years later I started school; it was a curious day because I have seen so many kids together in the same place at the same time. I wasn't really happy, even though my mother was crying and it wasn't until a few years later that I understood the reason of the tears, she was pruod.

However, this happy moment wouldn't be forever, some months later my parents had the biggest fight of all, and they finally got separated. For my brother and I, it was one of the most difficult situation in our life.

But this never stopped my mother, in 1996, she decided that we needed to know how to speak English for the future, and in order to fulfill this aim, she signed us in an English institute.

In the 2003, I won a 50% scholarship to travel abroad for a year. I was the happiest person in the world; I always wanted to travel somewhere else, and when I knew that the opportunity was in my hands I just couldn't resist. To my surprise I was send to Germany, where I realized that I wanted to be a teacher, the pedagogy was my field, and I knew that I wanted to make a difference.

After my arrival from Germany in the 2004, I got out of school. In those days I discovered that life is more complicated that what you expect it to be, further more people are expecting big things from you and I just wans't ready.

This is actually the main reason that in the 2005 I worked in a supermarket, it was my first job and I couldn't be more nervous, but it was an excinting experience because I was earning my own money. I remember that it was in that moment that I realized I wasn't a kid anymore, I was an adult.

Finally in the 2006 I started studying English pedagogy at the University; I was ready to begin a new stage in my life where I will be able to do what I like. I will be a teacher.

Introduction

This is the first entry I do in this blog. I like to introduce myself; my name is Miguel Pino I was born in September 9th 1986. I am like most of the people in this city, running all the time and watching over every corner when I am walking on the street. I like to paint and watch movies all the time.

I have been living in Santiago with my mother and my brother since I remember. I can say that I am a person that love the city even though I spend time in the south of the country, the clean air and the forest, simple thing that I enjoy a lot.

Many of the people I know always say that I will be living in this city forever, but I know that someday I will go to other places around the world. When I was young I traveled to Europe and then I knew that I would not spend the rest of my days in one city.

I want to get to know the world, see new places and meet a lot of people. I really expect that some day I will be able to do it.

To conclude I would like to share this phrase with you: “CARPE DIEM” Just live the moment.