- Being available: Teacher in classroom five minutes early each day

a) She was there to see

Teacher: Why are you so breathless?

Student 1: I ran to come earlier, I need to talk to you before the class starts. My daughter…

Teacher: She is welcome to attend the class whenever you need.

b) She does informal “small talk”

Student 1: I feel discussion activities are a waste of time but this “comment a saying” is ok. I like this teacher because she makes small talk, asking us about our other classes, our progress. When the class begin I am more relaxed.

Student 2: She (the teacher) always arrives little early; I can ask her things when I missed class.

Student 3: I feel like talking to her…Even you who hate to talk in class commented on the saying today!

Student 4: Yes…but don’t get used to it.

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Dialogues&Stories (Life, School, Classroom)

- Listening beyond stereotypes: Students are experts

• Students know when they learn better
  

I learn better when it is my own interest, when I have no money problem, when I get paid to learn, when I have a right environment, when I dance, when I have brain food (rest, group and teacher good energy, visual handouts, interesting subject), when I have time enough to learn and time to repeat once and repeat again” (quote from a poster made in class)

Student: ... I prefer to learn by listening. I am too lazy to write, draw or walk a sequence.

• Students know what a good teacher is

“We expect the teacher to provide “us” the knowledge to success in this class, understanding of personal circumstances within reason, respect our opinions and views, provide different pathways for each student, stimulate our minds, hearts and souls daily, provide “us” the skills to become KILLERS in the real world, have reasonable expectations over the period we are together (quote from a poster made in class)

• The students brought the following saying to be discussed in class
  

If you step on it then it’s your problem

If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me

Opportunityisnowhere

Everybody loves hard workers

Failure is a bump on the highway of life (Perigord Cleaners Road Sign as seen on the Kingsway)

An unwritten want is a wish, a dream. A never happen. The day you put your goal in writing is the day it becomes a commitment that will change your life. Are you really ready? (Tom Hopkins)

Do what you want to do now, we can not live in eternity

We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hands – and meeting like a snowflake (Mary Bayron Ray)

Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what your going to get
(Forest Gump)

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Dialogues&Stories (Life, School, Classroom)