How do you do that so well?
- Think of at least 3 things you can do really well, like cooking, dancing, solving puzzles, telling jokes, swimming, etc.
- Work in pairs: each students tells the other about these three things they do well. A chooses one of B's skills that s/he would like to know more about or imitate (copy). B does likewise.
- A asks B the questions of the worksheet underneath and then B asks A the questions.
- Discuss the results of the questionnaire.
Questionnaire:
How do you do that so well?
- What motivates you to start doing this activity?
- What do you bring from your past experience to help you do this activity so well?
- Is there any special place you need to do this? Is so (if yes), describe this place.
- Once you start doing this activity, how do you know if you are making good progress?
- Do you need feedback? When do you want it? Who do you want it from?
- Is there anything that can stop you from doing this activity well?
- If something goes wrong, how precisely do you «get back on track»? What do you do then?
- How do you protect yourself from distractions and interruptions?
- How do you respond to any criticism from inside yourself or from someone else?
- If you could have an ideal assistant or guide to help you with this activity, what would they be like and what would they do?
- How important is this activity or skill to you?
Challenging ambitions
- Write a list of 5 ambitions you have in different areas of your life (for example, I want to pass my English exam in December with at least 28/40)
- Choose one you are happy to talk about in class.
- Read the questionnaire. Add three questions of your own.
- In pairs, A asks the questions to B who answers. Then B asks A.
- End: discussion: what have you learnt?
Questionnaire:
Challenging ambitions
1. If you managed to ..., what would you change around you?
2. If you succeeded in ..., what whould others feel about it?
3. What would you change in the things you do at home?
4. What would you change in the things you do at school?
5. ADD A QUESTION OF YOUR OWN
6. If you were successful, what new powers would you have?
7. What things you can't do now would you be able to do?
8. What might being successful (=le fait d'avoir réussi) in this area help you to avoid or escape?
9. ADD A QUESTION OF YOUR OWN
10. Why is success in this area important to you?
11. Does your wish to succeed in this area tell you anything about the values you hold?
12. Do you expect this success would change your philosophy of life? If so, how?
13. What would you NOT get if you achieved this ambition?
14. What would it be like if you only achieved this ambition?
15. ADD A QUESTION OF YOUR OWN
Talking to yourself (inner monologue/dialogue, chatting to yourself, soliloquy)
Answer the following questions and then discuss your answers in pairs.
1. When and where do I talk to myself?
2. What typically triggers my internal dialogue?
3. What do I talk to myself about?
4. Do I mostly talk to myself or to other people present in my head?
5. Can I hear other people's voices as they are in real life?
6. Do I only talk to people in my head? Do I talk to objects as well?
7. Do other people respond to my inner talk?
8. Write two questions of your own.
9. Do I talk to myself and/or others in my head about things that have already happened, or more about things in the future?
10. How do I treat myself when I talk to myself? Am I hard on myself? Do I reassure myself? Do I motivate myself?
11. Is my inner talking useful? In what specific ways?
12. How much have I talked to myself during this dictation?
13. Do I ever think that talking to myself might replace talking to other people?
14. When I talk to myself, where do the sounds and words come from?
15. Is there anything else I would like to add or ask?
How often?
- Form groups of 5/6 students
- Each student should write their name on a sheet of paper and then fold it over. One student in the group collects all the paper slips and shuffles them (=to shuffle cards). Each student in the group takes a slip but no one should take their own.
- On the board: adverbs and adverbial phrases of frequency between ALWAYS and NEVER:
always - often – most of the time - nearly always – sometimes – hardly ever – rarely – never
and:
I always ... (do/feel/think/etc... this when ...)
I never ... (do/feel/think/etc... this, not even when ...)
- Each student should become the person whose name they have.
- In their new identity, students complete 2 sentences in the 1st person. In doing so they describe a habit they know, or suppose, the other person has.
- In one particular group, ask student A who s/he was writing as and read out the first sentence. Student B, the person written about, has a right of reply after each sentence. S/he can agree with or correct A.
- All the other groups do the same.
Interviewing a character
- Think of a character (in a book, film, series, etc) that you like or find interesting.
- Get into pairs.
- One student will become their character and the other will be the interviewer.
- Conduct your interview in 15 minutes max. Using the Interviewer's guide below.
- Exchange roles
- Groups of four. The interviewers report on the things they discovered.
Interviewer's guide
1. Ask you partner to tell you a few general things about him/herself.
2. Ask the character at least 10 questions about the places s/he lives in, works in or goes to.
3. Ask the character at least 10 questions about how s/he spends her/his time. What sort of things does s/he do? What are his/her habits and routines?
4. Ask the character about his/her skills and capabilities. What is s/he especially good at doing? What does s/he excel at?
5. Find out about his/her values, convictions and beliefs.
6. What could the character say about him/herself as a person? Ask him/her to make some statements beginning with «I am someone who ...».
Towards or away from?
- I give examples of one thing I do to avoid bad consequences and one thing I do because I really want to
- On the board: two columns: to avoid the consequences - because I want to
- Students look at the list below.
- Students should add 4 more activites, using the gerund form
- Students write down the activities they get involved in in the two columns.
- In groups of 4 students explain to each other where they placed the activities.
Activities
buying shoes – writing emails – getting washed – walking from a to b – listening to music – reading non fiction – creating disorder – driving a motorbike or car – getting angry – learning English – putting on make-up – buying clothes for others – having breakfast – writing compositions – going to bed – making a shopping list – ironing – shopping for presents – tidying up at home – ringing people – tipping a waiter/waitress – being polite with the teacher – doing the homework + 4 individual activities
FOLLOW-UP
Work motivation
- Individually, students make a list of 20 things they do because they WANT TO.
- Individually, studens make another list of 20 things they do to avoid bad consequences.
- Individually, students write a paragraph to answer the following: Do I work most efficiently when Iwant to or when I am unhappy about what may happen if I don't?
Multiple intelligences awareness raising exercise
1. choose a letter of the alphabet
2. shout out words beginning and ending with that letter: for example: AnacondA
3. teacher writes at least 20 contributions on the board (or www.wordle.net)
4. choose two words you like and explain to your neighbour why
5. classify, rank, sort out the words, choosing whichever criteria you prefer, and compare with your neighbour (what different ways of classifying were chosen?)
6. work out the average number of letter of the 20 words on the board
7. find connections between 2 or more words and check with your partner
8. teacher hides the words/wipes the words off the board – students write the words on a piece of paper trying to reproduce the exact location on the board
9. add 2 or more words to the ones they chose in 4 and write a short poem or story
10. reflect on the steps above and answer the following questions: A. Which of these tasks did you feel most comfortable with? B. Which did you feel least comfortable with?
A view of you
- Describe some of the places you (or another person if you want to describe another person) frequent.
- Write three or four lines about your daily activities, behaviours and routines, outside school.
- Describe several things you are good at.
- Explain a couple of things you believe in, find important, value.
- Write three sentences starting with: «I am someone who ...»