Teacher Talking Time

October 5 is Teacher Appreciation Day in Canada, and in over 100 countries globally. To help celebrate teachers and teaching professionals the LYE podcast - Teacher Talking Time - has organized a special two-part series called “Why did you become a teacher?” We interviewed six teachers from different countries and contexts to hear their stories, and celebrate the stories of all educators around the world. We asked six teachers eight questions over two episodes. We talked about becoming a teacher, remaining a teacher, thinking about leaving teaching, misconceptions of teaching, rewarding experiences, and much more. The teachers who graciously took part in this mini series are as follows. Please feel free to reach out to them and to support the projects they are working on. Angela Barone Angela has been teaching for over six years and now teaches 8th grade Spanish 1 and 7th grade exploratory Spanish in Columbus, Ohio. She also taught abroad in Costa Rica, delivering general and business English courses. In her school district, Angela serves as a diversity liaison, and also runs the “We Are United” club at her school, navigating discussions of race, cultural appropriation, bullying, and more with students. When she’s not teaching, she loves travelling and her cats. Danny McGee Danny has been teaching English since 2002. Originally from England, Danny is based in Toronto, Canada and teaches English for Academic Purposes at colleges and universities there. He is an advocate for mindfulness and meditation in pedagogy. He also does private tutoring. Visit his Facebook page @ESLTeacherDanny. Mandy Welfare Based in Berlin, Germany, Mandy Welfare specialises in HR English, communications and business English. She has delivered business English and multi-cultural communication training in Germany, Finland, and Spain, and is a Hueber and Cornelsen author. She has a Masters of Education and enjoys volunteering for her local teaching association. Furthermore, she is on the IATEFL BESIG publications team. Check out all she’s doing on her website: mandywelfare.com Marina Faquetti Marina lives and works in Chapecó, Brazil. She runs her own business as an English tutor and translator. Marina started delivering English lessons at the young age of 14, and she has never looked back. A passionate professional, she strives to invoke the love of learning in her students in ways that are meaningful to them. Follow her on Instagram @mamorandini Matthew Brown Matthew lives and teaches in Toronto, Canada where he delivers English for Academic Purposes classes at Ryerson University. He has been teaching for over 20 years in a variety of different contexts. When he’s not teaching, Matthew is a graphic novel writer and artist. Check out his Instagram Page (@poopsiepenguin) and his blog “Ambient Zero Comic Book Blog.” Mostafa Hasrati Mostafa has been teaching for over 30 years. He received his Ph.D. from King’s College in London and has taught in many countries around the world. He is now based in Toronto, Canada where he is a professor of English, English for Academic Purposes, and Communication Studies in the Centre for Preparatory & Liberal Studies at George Brown College. Mostafa identifies as a researcher, and his most recent article “The rise of non-dissertation track master’s programmes: An academic literacies approach” can be found here. In Part 2, we ask our instructors the final four questions: 5) What are the challenges of being a teacher? (10:00) 6) What gives you the longevity to keep going and have you ever thought about leaving teaching? (30:00) 7) Are any of the misconceptions about teaching sensitive to you? (46:30) 8) What advice do you have for a teacher starting today, and as well for yourself on your first day? (1:02:00) As always, thank you for listening. If you like the show, consider subscribing on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Podcasts, and sharing it with a friend. If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: [email protected] If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show. For more info on what we do at LYE, check out: Our Website Our Online Store Our catalog of online courses on Thinkific Join our Mailing List Or shoot us an email: [email protected]

*The following episode contains subject matter pertaining to mental health. These topics may be sensitive in nature and could be triggering to some listeners. This episode is not intended to be a substitute for professional or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please visit your local emergency department or call 911. **Please see our blog post about this episode for a list of mental health services in the Toronto, Canada area. All of these come recommended by the professionals involved in this episode. World Mental Health Awareness Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and talking about what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for everyone. The topic of “care” was the inspiration for this episode. The original idea was drawn from our own struggles, as teachers, in helping our students, and feelings of frustration in not knowing what our school offered in terms of help - and how the school could actually help our students. Then, we realized that probably many teachers might be in the same position. Research for this podcast has helped us immensely, and we hope teachers and institutes will find it helpful. The episode’s focus is on post-secondary and international study, where Mental Health rates among university and college students are on the rise in Canada. Issues of Mental Health can be even tougher in a new country, in a new language, in a new culture. International students, refugees, and other newcomers experience mental health as anyone else would, perhaps moreso, with factors like stigma, shame, and survivor’s guilt lingering. ' For those of us in education, the question remains: what can we do? There are three segments to the show to help unpack all of these questions: In segment 1, we talk to three international students in Canada to hear their perspective on mental health. In segment 2, Natalie Roach, the mental health coordinator for Toronto’s Ryerson University joins us to talk about strategies instructors and programs can implement. In the final segment, we talk to Sakeena Mihar, one of the co-founders for startup Savyn Tech - an app designed to help newcomers and refugees with PTSD. Here, we want to advocate listening, learning, raising awareness, and continuing the discussion and ending the stigma, not only on World Mental Health Awareness Day, but every day. About the professionals involved with today’s episode: Natalie Roach: Natalie Roach is a wellness and mental health expert who is currently Ryerson University’s Mental Health Coordinator. She leads campus-wide initiatives on how to best serve students, staff, and faculty from a mental health and well-being perspective. She has been featured in national and Toronto conferences as a host, speaker, and moderator and delivers talks on topics such as the “intersection of mental health and inclusion” and “promoting mental health through policy change.” Sakeena Mihar: Sakeena is one of the founders of Savyn Tech, an online platform designed to help those with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in multiple languages. Savyn Tech uses clinically proven techniques to overcome and reduce trauma, both with panic attacks and long-term healing. Sakeena has PTSD and is an advocate for mental health awareness, dialogue, and providing assistance to those who need it. Contact Sakeena: [email protected] Contact Savyntech: [email protected] As always, thank you for listening. If you like the show, consider subscribing on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Podcasts, and sharing it with a friend. If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: [email protected] If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show. For more info on what we do at LYE, check out: Our Website Our Online Store Our catalog of online courses on Thinkific Join our Mailing List Or shoot us an email: [email protected]

October 5 is Teacher Appreciation Day in Canada, and in over 100 countries globally. To help celebrate teachers and teaching professionals the LYE podcast - Teacher Talking Time - has organized a special two-part series called “Why did you become a teacher?” We interviewed six teachers from different countries and contexts to hear their stories, and celebrate the stories of all educators around the world. We asked six teachers eight questions over two episodes. We talked about becoming a teacher, remaining a teacher, thinking about leaving teaching, misconceptions of teaching, rewarding experiences, and much more. The teachers who graciously took part in this mini series are as follows. Please feel free to reach out to them and to support the projects they are working on. Angela Barone Angela has been teaching for over six years and now teaches 8th grade Spanish 1 and 7th grade exploratory Spanish in Columbus, Ohio. She also taught abroad in Costa Rica, delivering general and business English courses. In her school district, Angela serves as a diversity liaison, and also runs the “We Are United” club at her school, navigating discussions of race, cultural appropriation, bullying, and more with students. When she’s not teaching, she loves travelling and her cats. Danny McGee Danny has been teaching English since 2002. Originally from England, Danny is based in Toronto, Canada and teaches English for Academic Purposes at colleges and universities there. He is an advocate for mindfulness and meditation in pedagogy. He also does private tutoring. Visit his Facebook page @ESLTeacherDanny. Mandy Welfare Based in Berlin, Germany, Mandy Welfare specialises in HR English, communications and business English. She has delivered business English and multi-cultural communication training in Germany, Finland, and Spain, and is a Hueber and Cornelsen author. She has a Masters of Education and enjoys volunteering for her local teaching association. Furthermore, she is on the IATEFL BESIG publications team. Check out all she’s doing on her website: mandywelfare.com Marina Faquetti Marina lives and works in Chapecó, Brazil. She runs her own business as an English tutor and translator. Marina started delivering English lessons at the young age of 14, and she has never looked back. A passionate professional, she strives to invoke the love of learning in her students in ways that are meaningful to them. Follow her on Instagram @mamorandini Matthew Brown Matthew lives and teaches in Toronto, Canada where he delivers English for Academic Purposes classes at Ryerson University. He has been teaching for over 20 years in a variety of different contexts. When he’s not teaching, Matthew is a graphic novel writer and artist. Check out his Instagram Page (@poopsiepenguin) and his blog “Ambient Zero Comic Book Blog.” Mostafa Hasrati Mostafa has been teaching for over 30 years. He received his Ph.D. from King’s College in London and has taught in many countries around the world. He is now based in Toronto, Canada where he is a professor of English, English for Academic Purposes, and Communication Studies in the Centre for Preparatory & Libeal Studies at George Brown College. Mostafa identifies as a researcher, and his most recent article “The rise of non-dissertation track master’s programmes: An academic literacies approach” can be found here. In Part 1, we ask our teachers the first four questions: What are the reasons you became a teacher, and do you feel that you have always been one? (10:30) What did you want to be growing up? (22:15) Did you have a favourite teacher when you were younger? If so, what made them that? (32:00) Have you had a “lollipop moment” in your teaching career *”lollipop moment” explained in episode. (38:30) Thank you for listening to Part 1! Part 2 of the mini series will be released on October 26. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the show, consider subscribing on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Podcasts, and sharing it with a friend. If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: [email protected] If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show. For more info on what we do at LYE, check out: Our Website Our Online Store Our catalog of online courses on Thinkific Join our Mailing List Or shoot us an email: [email protected]

In this episode, Leo talks to teacher, trainer, and author Brett Reynolds. Brett has almost thirty years in the ELT industry, getting his start in Japan in 1992. Since 2003, he has worked at Toronto, Canada's Humber College, in the EAP and TESL programs. Brett was also the editor for TESOL Ontario's Contact Magazine from 2012 until 2019. In this episode, Brett talks to Leo about his recent publication in the ELT Journal called "Against Teaching Collocations." Are collocations connected to language acquisition? Are they actually a beneficial strategy for vocabulary building? Does it matter if students can notice and identify collocations? Should they only be for receptive practice? Are collocations simply another form of native speakerism? Brett gives us his insights on these questions and much more in this episode. We thank Brett for his generous time and for sharing his knowledge with all of us. Contact Brett: Email: [email protected] Twitter: @brettrey3 As always, thank you for listening. If you like the show, consider subscribing on Spotify, iTunes, or Google Podcasts, and sharing it with a friend. If you have a comment or question about today's show, we'd love to hear from you: [email protected] If you like the show, we have a Tip Jar on our website for people looking to help with the creation of our show. For more info on what we do at LYE, check out: Our Website Our Online Store Our catalog of online courses on Thinkific Join our Mailing List Or shoot us an email: [email protected]