Trendy Teaching Topics for the EFL Classroom - Will you be teaching or preaching?

Trendy Topics for Teaching

Food for Thought when planning to teach awareness, behavior, or character building.

Will you be teaching or preaching?

So, you want to teach Resilience – or some other character-building or awareness-building topic?

Is this going to be:

1. a learning event (workshop style)?
2. an hour-long talk at a conference?
3. A presentation with a Q+A session afterward with Dialogic Interaction and knowledge co-construction?
4. a slam-bang lecture?
5. another infodump disguised as training?

Is your classroom going to become a psychological prison for your learners – where they feel like your captive audience - while you preach from your activist soapbox to push a personal agenda?

By jumping on the bandwagon of teaching trends it is possible to get learners interested and engaged when dealing with character-building topics like Mindfulness, Curiosity, Courage, Resilience, Ethics, Inclusion, Diversity, Equality, Leadership, etc., etc. The list is long when it comes to these topics. (See list below)

Before trying to integrate these topics into your learning plans, and before walking into a classroom of learners with a pre-determined set of learning goals, please take into consideration what the consequences will be for your learners.

Even with the best intentions, you could be doing more harm than good.

NOTE: In some parts of the world, a teacher could get in trouble for even mentioning some of these topics in class.

Some examples of awareness, behavior, or character-building topics:

·????????Artificial Intelligence

·????????Black Lives Matter?

·????????Bullying

·????????Climate Crisis

·????????Community Involvement

·????????Corporate Responsibility

·????????Courage And Civil Courage

·????????DEI - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

·????????Environmental Friendliness

·????????Ethics in the Workplace

·????????Future Proofing Your Job

·????????Gender Equality

·????????Green Washing

·????????Intercultural Awareness

·????????Language Coaching

·????????Leadership

·????????Media Literacy

·????????Migration And Immigration

·????????Mindfulness

·????????Misinformation And Disinformation

·????????Political Involvement

·????????Positive Psychology?

·????????Resilience

·????????Right Wing Extremism

·????????Sustainability

·????????Transversal Skills

·????????Virtual Reality

·????????Wellness

Here are 20 questions to ask yourself before creating a lesson plan or learning cycle on the above-mentioned topics:

1.??????Before walking into the classroom with your pre-determined learning goals and lesson plan - What do you really know about your learners, their culture, and their belief system?

2.??????Is your lesson plan geared towards just learning the grammar and vocabulary of the topics because you want to appear up-to-date? If it is – then please do your learners a favor by not teaching this topic. In my opinion, teaching character-building topics should never take a grammar syllabus approach. These are great topics for PBL and Deeper Learning.

3.??????What social constructs and belief systems are you going to be dealing with? Respecting the cultural background and belief systems of your learners is my unsolicited advice.

4.??????Do your pre-determined learning goals contradict the social constructs and belief systems of your learners? Could your learners experience some form of cognitive dissonance by covering sensitive topics related to character-building?

5.??????Are the social constructs and belief systems yours - or theirs? Some cultures have deeply ingrained social constructs that could seem strange to an outsider. When teachers are outsiders - they should be very careful not to break the unwritten rules of social constructs or cultural norms.

6.??????What problems could arise from trying to change or influence deeply ingrained social constructs and cultural belief systems? When in Rome, do as the Romans do! Remember that Pandora can and will rear her ugly head when provoked.

7. Will you make time to allow your learners to tell their stories about their knowledge of these topics from their own life experiences? (Knowledge Co-construction via Experiential Learning and Dialogic Teaching and Learning sessions) If not - then you're most likely preaching.

8.??????How does your lesson plan integrate a final product for Presentation aka PBL - Project-based learning? Learning needs to make sense to learners and should have checkpoints for Knowledge Transfer.

9.??????How are you going to assess the learning?

(Formative and Summative Assessment Instruments will be needed to do this correctly)

10.???How long will it take to teach the topic you will be dealing with? Remember that these topics are NOT something that can be dealt with in a 90-minute lesson!!!

11.???How much do you "really" know about these topics?

12.???Have you done your research on the topic?

13.???Have you had any special training on these topics?

14.???Did you do your research and homework on these topics before you created a lesson plan (or talk)?

15.???What external resources are you going to use to supplement this learning cycle?

16.???What do you "really" want to achieve?

17.???Is it a personal goal you're "really" trying to achieve?

18.???Do you have a personal agenda? (aka Activism in the classroom)

19.???Are you on a mission to save souls?

20.???Or are you truly aiming for awareness and character building?

?The Six Pillars of Character

The Six Pillars of Character are the core ethical values of CHARACTER COUNTS!

These values were identified by a nonpartisan, secular group of youth development experts as core ethical values that transcend cultural, religious, and socioeconomic differences.

Each of the Six Pillars of Character helps instill a positive school climate and a culture of kindness, making schools a safe environment for students to learn.

TRUSTWORTHINESS

• Be honest. Don’t deceive, cheat, or steal.
• Have integrity. Do what you say you’ll do.
• Keep your promises.
• Be loyal. Stand by your values.

RESPECT

• Follow the Golden Rule.
• Be accepting of differences.
• Be courteous to others.
• Deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements.
• Be considerate of others’ feelings.

RESPONSIBILITY

• Do what you are supposed to do. Try your best.
• Persevere. Keep on trying.
• Be self-disciplined.
• Think before you act. Consider the consequences.
• Be accountable for your words, actions, and attitudes.

FAIRNESS

• Play by the rules.
• Take turns and share.
• Be open-minded. Listen to others.
• Don’t take advantage of others.

CARING

• Be kind.
• Be compassionate.
• Express gratitude.
• Forgive others.

CITIZENSHIP

• Do your share to make your home, school, and community better.
• Cooperate.
• Stay informed. Vote.
• Be a good neighbor.
• Make choices that protect the safety and rights of others.
• Protect the environment.

(Updated from a previous article I wrote in 2022)

Link to the Six Pillars of Character:

https://charactercounts.org/character-counts.../six-pillars/?