Monkey trap

A monkey trap has an opening that is just big enough for a monkey's paw but not for its clenched fist. So monkeys can reach for food inside but can't take it out. Holding on to it keeps them trapped. For some reason, and at their peril, monkeys just refuse to let go.

If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got.

Grammar rules, coursebooks, the curriculum and personal routines can all be mental monkey traps to teachers. Holding on to any method only because it has always been done that way, because it's in the coursebook, or because the system says so, is a trap. Not only will it get you stuck, it's also means ignoring what students truly need.

It was Albert Einstein who said that if you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got. Who could argue with that? So better keep an open mind. Refusing to even consider letting go of any old habits will keep you trapped like a monkey.

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