Fun with co-workers

I'm not officially a teacher yet, obviously. However I do get to spend time at a high school located not too far from my place. We are with 7 english students, which includes me. Then we have 5 more German students and then 1 girl for French and some for Biology and Math.

Now, you probably know that it's always a matter of getting to know each other and that it's a 50/50 chance that you don't like the people you work with. I'm proud to say that we have a group of the english + german students that get along very well. Yesterday we even went out to dinner at a local pancake house.

One of the girls is like me, but younger. She's 2 years younger than me and she has the exact same taste in about everything. Even guys ;). As of late (probably the last couple of weeks) our group has been sporting a craving for a game of fuss-ball at the end of our internship day. At the end of the day, when classes are finished and we're waiting for our meeting to start we play a little game.
It usually turns out in a laugh-fest (with me almost rolling over the ground) because I manage to shoot the ball in my own goal. Yes i'm good like that.

I feel so blessed with this group of people. Each and every person has something special over them. They all are so supportive and have their goals set out and are just as serious about their placement, just like I am. I can't wait to go out with them again. :D

How to... give a good presentation

As a teacher you are presenting all the time. In a way you're holding 1-hour presentations every day. So how do you make a good one?

In the past I have given several presentations about a huge variety of topics. This was about what my favorite county to holiday to was or to present the things I'd made in class.

This means that through the years i've picked up several tips on how to do a good presentation. 

I thought that maybe it was a good idea to share some of them, so here it goes:

1. Use powerpoint (ppt)

This is a very helpful tool. You can make several sheets and fill them with pictures of other graphics. Don't clatter them with long pieces of texts though, because this will distract your audience.

2. Research

No matter how familiar you are with the topic, it couldn't hurt to research a little more. Find statistics or test results that will help you get your point across. Find interesting graphics for the ppt and make sure you're familiar with the terms that are likely to be asked about in the Q&A round afterwards. 

3. Talk towards the class

It helps to pick a point at the back of the classroom to look at. This way you'll won't have to look straight into someones' eyes but it leaves the impression that you are looking at your audience. Don't pick a point that is up too high though. That is not a pretty sight.

4. Use cheat cards

Write down what it is you want to say, but don't use long sentences. This way when you loose yourself for a minute you can cheat at what you were supposed to talk about. it is easier to find where you are when you use single words. Don't make the cards too big. A5 paper size is large enough. Use several cards and don't just fold an A4 sheet of paper in half. 

5. Practice

You have to prepare for everything, including presenting. You can try and do it on the get-go but if you're not too familiar with the topic this can be very difficult. Practice what you want to say with the cheat cards. This way you'll get familiar with them and how to use them in your presentation. If you get the story similar several times you know you're prepared enough. 

And lastly, just enjoy yourself. It can be fun discussing a topic that you find interesting. Show that you know what you're talking about and enjoy the applause. After all, it seems like a lot of work and it can be but just keep in mind that it's over in less time that you think. 

good luck!