New interactive practice segment: Sam's Solutions in Life...

Hi students,

This is a new section of the forum I am starting up to give you more chances to interact with each other in creative but practical ways...


It is called: Sam's Solutions in Life


Here's how it works...

Sam is an imaginary person in this forum who is an expert at giving advice to people about any problem they may experience in life (by the way, Sam can be a boy's or girl's name).

You can write to Sam (click on ADD REPLY in this thread) and explain a problem you have (real or imaginary - both are okay). When writing to Sam, address it as "Dear Sam," and use your own name to sign off the post.

You can also play the role of Sam, and write back to the students who post their problems. In this role, your job is to provide solutions to the problems. When you play the role of Sam, make sure you use the "QUOTE" function to call up the student's original post, address the student in person, and sign off your advice as "Sam Solution." Of course, with multiple people playing the role of Sam, students may hear from Sam more than once with different kinds of solutions for the one problem.

If you want to get really creative, you can play the student and Sam roles for the same problem! That is, you post to Sam outlining the problem, then reply to it as Sam to give a solution to the same problem.


It's fun, it's creative, and it's useful. Why don't you give it a try?

[There are no set deadlines or dates for doing this - I hope it can be an ongoing thread that people keep adding to throughout the semester...]


Good luck and I'm looking forward to seeing your efforts,

~ Jason


***

Dear Same,
As you know, I am a teacher who teach in Girls' high school. I have a problem not with students, but with a teacher.
Actually I'd like to teach students with efforts and enough time. You might not understand it with the latter one. I have to finish three chapters until the mid-term exam, which is definitely difficult for the students to catch up with what I am going to do right now. In fact, they have only maxium two hours for self-study at night after the class. Furthermore they have others to stick with, such as three other English books for the coming exam in May.
I really want to give them some time to overview what they learn from me.
Howeve, the teacher is always pushing me to finish the chapters before at the end of this month. I am not here to blame him to be wrong or something else, but I don't know what to do with him and studnets. I am actaully between them, so I am perplexed a lot.
The thing is surely that I will meet what he wants, but how about the students who do not get enough chance to do what they are supposed to do in the school. I am probably saying to you about the educational system as well, which is that I don't like to talk about right now.
Are there anyone to give me some tips for me, please?

Best regards,

Dear Sam
Hi, nice to meet you.
In my homeroom class, there is a boy.
He is such a nice student who is kind and has a good personality and I like him a lot. Nowadays, it is very difficult to find a student like him. One day, he came to me and said 'I am really poor at English. Although I'm a middle school second grade, I don't even know ABC.' I asked him whether he is getting a help from somewhere else like an academy or tuturing but English classes at school were the only source. I'm sure that he wouldn't understand a bit of the class. He must be so bored! I don't know how I can help him and where should I start. Do you have any suggestions?

Dear dilemma person,

I read your trouble at your work. and I understand your situation.
Too burden with yourself or many other teachers.
I think heaven gives some tasks that can go through for yourself.
And if you felt this condition difficult, other people could feel like you.
Because we are persons.
Don't worry about your students!
If you love your student, the students can feel your love and affection to them.
So your students can get the energy and the confidence.
And they can manage to take the mid-term exam.

I'm not sure my advice is helpful for you. but absolutely as long as you love your students, there is nothing impossible.

best wishes,

Sam

Bae Sung-han wrote:Dear Same,
As you know, I am a teacher who teach in Girls' high school. I have a problem not with students, but with a teacher.
Actually I'd like to teach students with efforts and enough time. You might not understand it with the latter one. I have to finish three chapters until the mid-term exam, which is definitely difficult for the students to catch up with what I am going to do right now. In fact, they have only maxium two hours for self-study at night after the class. Furthermore they have others to stick with, such as three other English books for the coming exam in May.
I really want to give them some time to overview what they learn from me.
Howeve, the teacher is always pushing me to finish the chapters before at the end of this month. I am not here to blame him to be wrong or something else, but I don't know what to do with him and studnets. I am actaully between them, so I am perplexed a lot.
The thing is surely that I will meet what he wants, but how about the students who do not get enough chance to do what they are supposed to do in the school. I am probably saying to you about the educational system as well, which is that I don't like to talk about right now.
Are there anyone to give me some tips for me, please?

Best regards,

Dear Liz,

I read your anxiety of your student.
If you have enough time to teach and help him, give him the 10 ~20-minute homework.
In this situation, I think it's important for you to motivate to him.
You can explain to him why he should study English and English is not the aim but the means to his later life.
Even though he is still young to understand the life, you may try.
I'm sure you can do it because you are an excellent teacher to worry about your student truly.

Good luck,

Sam

Liz wrote:Dear Sam
Hi, nice to meet you.
In my homeroom class, there is a boy.
He is such a nice student who is kind and has a good personality and I like him a lot. Nowadays, it is very difficult to find a student like him. One day, he came to me and said 'I am really poor at English. Although I'm a middle school second grade, I don't even know ABC.' I asked him whether he is getting a help from somewhere else like an academy or tuturing but English classes at school were the only source. I'm sure that he wouldn't understand a bit of the class. He must be so bored! I don't know how I can help him and where should I start. Do you have any suggestions?

Dear. Sam
Hi. It's good to meet you on-line here.
I have a problem about my first impression. I didn't recognize how first impressions were important to make friendships, especially to newcomers.
My face and attitude look a little cold, so some people think that I'm that kind of person. Sometimes, I blamed my uplifted eyes for that reason. At other times, I blamed my shyness that resulted in misunderstanding.
I have tried to express positive action to others since I was advised not to make a stony face. However I don't want to pretend to be always happy. Actually it's comfortable for me to look at somthing without any thought for the time being. Like this.

Kim Jin-Young wrote:Dear. Sam
Hi. It's good to meet you on-line here.
I have a problem about my first impression. I didn't recognize how first impressions were important to make friendships, especially to newcomers.
My face and attitude look a little cold, so some people think that I'm that kind of person. Sometimes, I blamed my uplifted eyes for that reason. At other times, I blamed my shyness that resulted in misunderstanding.
I have tried to express positive action to others since I was advised not to make a stony face. However I don't want to pretend to be always happy. Actually it's comfortable for me to look at somthing without any thought for the time being. Like this.

Hi, Jin-Yonug. Nice to meet you and I am very glad to read your article.
Here is my suggestion for you.
Non-verbal language consists of about 80 percent of whole human communication. So you must be aware of the message that you are sending. For example, when you are dealing with another korean, understand and study the various kinds of body language both positive and negative in korean culture. If you are dealing with foreigners, specifically westerners, try to understnad body language from their perspective. As you become more famialiar with various body languages and incorporate them into your daily routine, others around you may find you more inviting and approachable.
Best of luck to you~

Liz wrote:Dear Sam
Hi, nice to meet you.
In my homeroom class, there is a boy.
He is such a nice student who is kind and has a good personality and I like him a lot. Nowadays, it is very difficult to find a student like him. One day, he came to me and said 'I am really poor at English. Although I'm a middle school second grade, I don't even know ABC.' I asked him whether he is getting a help from somewhere else like an academy or tuturing but English classes at school were the only source. I'm sure that he wouldn't understand a bit of the class. He must be so bored! I don't know how I can help him and where should I start. Do you have any suggestions?

Hi. Liz. Nice to meet you.
you are very lucky to have such a good student. I heard that it's so hard to motivate students in class these days. I think motivation is one of the most important things in whatever students do either at school or at any things else. Even later in their lives.... So for students like him, what you can do is keep complimenting his work and help him not to lose interests in English. And if he's motivated enough, I think you can invite him to your office when you are not teaching and give him some extra help. Not too long though. Learning language takes a long time. So the best thing you can do is keep him interested as long as you can.

I am very impressed with your enthusiasm and love toward your students. Best of luck to you~

Liz wrote:Dear Sam
Hi, nice to meet you.
In my homeroom class, there is a boy.
He is such a nice student who is kind and has a good personality and I like him a lot. Nowadays, it is very difficult to find a student like him. One day, he came to me and said 'I am really poor at English. Although I'm a middle school second grade, I don't even know ABC.' I asked him whether he is getting a help from somewhere else like an academy or tuturing but English classes at school were the only source. I'm sure that he wouldn't understand a bit of the class. He must be so bored! I don't know how I can help him and where should I start. Do you have any suggestions?

Hi. I'm Sam.
As soon as I read your problem, I thought your concern is just like mine ,but in an academy. I have that kind of student. Like you, I like that student because he is very passionate, active and even knows how to give some energy to a formal class environment. Therefore, I was sometimes thankful and praised to him in this case. However, he is really really bad to English. Whenever he was asked to answer my question, he gave embarrassing remarks to me for the sake of making fun of me. I guessed that he enjoyed my embarressed face. My first strategy was to give compliments as much as I could. For example, I made an eye contact many times during class and decoyed him with foods such as snacks or whatever. You know what? It turned to be useless! It was awful to such a degree that I wondered if I had to quit the job. And I felt shameful that I failed to handle with the special problem which is directly related to education field .
As time goes by, I ignored all the things, whatever he behaved during class, but I responded to only his desirable remarks and then surely praised him in front of the rest of students. Of course, I worried about how much he was hurt by my changed behavior. Although I don't know whether this method will give a good effect or not and actually it's in progress, letting him know that what is right one or not is important.
My poor advice is that do not push him to study but just praise him in case that he do a good job during class. That might be effective. Just my poor advice.

Anyway, I'm impressed that you are a little warm-hearted teacher.

Dear Jinyoung
Helllo a beautiful young lady.
This is Sam, I have just read your problems. I am not the perfect adviser but I would like to give some tips for you. ^^ Please be comfortable when you read this.
Why don't you throw away your worryings? People sometimes worry about their attitute wheter they make mistakes or not. However, when people worry too much or consider something too much, they become similar with their worryings. So I want to advise you having positive mind (you are friend enough and beautiful face ^^) ~
If you are positive, everything goes in that way. I also have several experiences with misunderstanding on my first impression. I used to hearten myself whenever people misunderstood me. I also recall myself, if I am sincere my friends and neighbors will feel it. So try to have positive mind^^ but I think you looks kind

Sincerely, Sam

Kim Jin-Young wrote:Dear. Sam
Hi. It's good to meet you on-line here.
I have a problem about my first impression. I didn't recognize how first impressions were important to make friendships, especially to newcomers.
My face and attitude look a little cold, so some people think that I'm that kind of person. Sometimes, I blamed my uplifted eyes for that reason. At other times, I blamed my shyness that resulted in misunderstanding.
I have tried to express positive action to others since I was advised not to make a stony face. However I don't want to pretend to be always happy. Actually it's comfortable for me to look at somthing without any thought for the time being. Like this.

Kim Jin-Young wrote:Dear. Sam
Hi. It's good to meet you on-line here.
I have a problem about my first impression. I didn't recognize how first impressions were important to make friendships, especially to newcomers.
My face and attitude look a little cold, so some people think that I'm that kind of person. Sometimes, I blamed my uplifted eyes for that reason. At other times, I blamed my shyness that resulted in misunderstanding.
I have tried to express positive action to others since I was advised not to make a stony face. However I don't want to pretend to be always happy. Actually it's comfortable for me to look at somthing without any thought for the time being. Like this.

Dear Jin-Youmg
Hi, Jin-young. I read your letter and I totally understand your problem.
I myself used to heard a lot others saying that I looked a little bit cold.
Here's one suggestion.
Try to smile as many times as you can. Here. smile means smiling eyes.
Especially, if you are meeting new comer in classes or in works, try to show your enthusiasm as much as possible. For example, appropriate eye contacts.
However, try not to make a fake smile.
I think it's better doing nothing than pretending.
I hope this suggestion would help you.

sincerely,
Sam

Liz wrote:Dear Sam
Hi, nice to meet you.
In my homeroom class, there is a boy.
He is such a nice student who is kind and has a good personality and I like him a lot. Nowadays, it is very difficult to find a student like him. One day, he came to me and said 'I am really poor at English. Although I'm a middle school second grade, I don't even know ABC.' I asked him whether he is getting a help from somewhere else like an academy or tuturing but English classes at school were the only source. I'm sure that he wouldn't understand a bit of the class. He must be so bored! I don't know how I can help him and where should I start. Do you have any suggestions?

Dear Liz
I can't agree with you more on this topic.
I also have the same problem with you and I haven't found the perfect solution yet.
But I think doing something is always better than doing nothing.
You can give that student an extra homework, or recomend an approriate self-studying book for him.
Or you can match him with mentoring partners who volunteer for the tutoring.
Recently, the government said that the teacher- wannabe - university studnets would participate in this teaching program.
Well, I hope this suggestion will be helpful for you.


sincerely,
Sam

Kim Jin-Young wrote:Dear. Sam
Hi. It's good to meet you on-line here.
I have a problem about my first impression. I didn't recognize how first impressions were important to make friendships, especially to newcomers.
My face and attitude look a little cold, so some people think that I'm that kind of person. Sometimes, I blamed my uplifted eyes for that reason. At other times, I blamed my shyness that resulted in misunderstanding.
I have tried to express positive action to others since I was advised not to make a stony face. However I don't want to pretend to be always happy. Actually it's comfortable for me to look at somthing without any thought for the time being. Like this.

Hi, Jin-young
I read your problem.
Have you ever heard the song "I believe I can fly" sung by R.Kelly. I like it very much because of its content. It is the time(when you believe) that you can fly and touch the sky. Besides, it starts inside of you. So, I just say to you "BELIEVE YOURSELF".

In my case, when I was an elementary student(6th grade) I stood near crosswalk to control traffic wearing hat and hanging flag written "Stop". It was our duty for 1 week. One day, one university student came and crossed the street. The next day, he also came and asked me. "Are you punished by your parents?" "No..." "Are you in the trouble?" "No..." "Then, why is your facial expression like that? When I see you I'm very scared." At that moment, green light is turned on and he left. ^^;

After that I had tried to change my facial expression. Finally I found that it is love and understand myself as I am. Have a confidence! Jin-young, you are the only person in the world. So I want you not to compare with others. You are so attractive now!

sincerely,
Sam

Looks like the boy in your class is in a very similar situation that i had when i was in the middle school. I think the fact itself that he came up to you and asked for help is a really good sign of improvement. Of course you can't spend most of your time helping him to get a more than 90% score in the upcoming mid-term exam. However, the boy in your class needed to plug up the courage to come to you and let you know of his humble English ability. If you take that into account, why don't you spare him some time after school starting with 'ABC'. I know that your effort is not enough to make him use English fluently, but it will certainly serve as a stepping-stone for him. Good luck to you!

Liz wrote:Dear Sam
Hi, nice to meet you.
In my homeroom class, there is a boy.
He is such a nice student who is kind and has a good personality and I like him a lot. Nowadays, it is very difficult to find a student like him. One day, he came to me and said 'I am really poor at English. Although I'm a middle school second grade, I don't even know ABC.' I asked him whether he is getting a help from somewhere else like an academy or tuturing but English classes at school were the only source. I'm sure that he wouldn't understand a bit of the class. He must be so bored! I don't know how I can help him and where should I start. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you Sam.. leaving some careful and thoughtful comments for me.

I was surprised to realize many Sams have that kind of worry, the first impression.
Self-confidence, a way of positive thinking.. like those..Thank you, sincerely.
I had once thought that I was born to be in the lack of those things.
Thanks to your various and encouraging comments, it seemed that I have another chance to recall it and keep that in my mind.

Hi!

I also have a similar problem like you. I think there are always some students who are very below the average level and some students who are very over the average level in every English class.

When I think about the students who are poor at English I should do something very simple and basic things in the class. However, for the upper leveled students I should prepare for something fresh and challanging. I think we all as teachers have that kind of problems over the class.

How about calling him after school, giving some basic material like alphabet and giving him some assignment for him. And check it as often as possible. If you try to help him with your true heart he may have some interest in English. That's what we should do for students.

Liz wrote:Dear Sam
Hi, nice to meet you.
In my homeroom class, there is a boy.
He is such a nice student who is kind and has a good personality and I like him a lot. Nowadays, it is very difficult to find a student like him. One day, he came to me and said 'I am really poor at English. Although I'm a middle school second grade, I don't even know ABC.' I asked him whether he is getting a help from somewhere else like an academy or tuturing but English classes at school were the only source. I'm sure that he wouldn't understand a bit of the class. He must be so bored! I don't know how I can help him and where should I start. Do you have any suggestions?

Jin- young!!
Have you ever heard of the saying that the world is so wide, we have many things to do? Like this, many people have many things to do and so they don't care about you and your looks or your first impression but they remember your sayings....
What I want to say is "Don't worry! Be happy! It's very commom saying. But it will helpful to you. In my case, as you know, my first impression is strong and a little cold without smiling. But one day my mother wanted me to smile even though I kept silent. It worked, I think. Sometimes my friend said I looked smiling in spite of sleeping myself. hahaha..... Always try to smile and it'll be a habit.
But anyway, now you are O.K. Good! Enough!... What do you want????
Be with you,
Smiling Sam

Kim Jin-Young wrote:Thank you Sam.. leaving some careful and thoughtful comments for me.

I was surprised to realize many Sams have that kind of worry, the first impression.
Self-confidence, a way of positive thinking.. like those..Thank you, sincerely.
I had once thought that I was born to be in the lack of those things.
Thanks to your various and encouraging comments, it seemed that I have another chance to recall it and keep that in my mind.

Liz wrote:Dear Sam
Hi, nice to meet you.
In my homeroom class, there is a boy.
He is such a nice student who is kind and has a good personality and I like him a lot. Nowadays, it is very difficult to find a student like him. One day, he came to me and said 'I am really poor at English. Although I'm a middle school second grade, I don't even know ABC.' I asked him whether he is getting a help from somewhere else like an academy or tuturing but English classes at school were the only source. I'm sure that he wouldn't understand a bit of the class. He must be so bored! I don't know how I can help him and where should I start. Do you have any suggestions?

Dear, Liz
I do quite understand what situation you are in. I am so afraid to say that first, you ask yourself to want to help him with all your efforts and energy. I am sure it might be different from the situation in high school. But I dare to say that if you have time after school, you should read books which is for children under 13 with you. You can read them for him as many as possible only under 30 minites until he is courageous to read them alone. You can also say that Grammar is not important. It might take a couple of months to catch up with what you are expecting him to do alone.
I am sure you have got patience to do that for him.
What you do a small thing may be able to change his life forever.
Best wishes,
Mr. Sam

Whenever I try to concentrate on something, I find myself easily distracted by everything surrounding me.
I want to get useful tips to help me concentrate from Sam!!!

Dear sam ..


Well. sometimes I ask myself what is going on around my head. "Puzzled", "complicated" , "annoyed" those words don't seem appropiate to define the situation . To express and deliver messages clearly in the target language I do not have native-control, is too much burden to me. I must confess that yet I still can not write in english . I am doing translating job as matter of fact. I do build a sentence and translate it into target languge.I do not think in english and wirte simuntaneously. Interval between two process just got much shorter than it was long so sometimes I make people think I am functioning in english rather than translating.
As a M.A STUDENT and in the graduate shool of education, I frequently feel I am simply not good enough to be a prospective teacher. I fully aware that there is no migic for this sort of problem. However , I hope to see lamp's Genne

Dear Sam,
I'm a woman in trouble. Fifteen years have passed since I got married. We have children. My husband is a sports nut.-he is crazy about all kinds of sports. My family rarely went anywhere for a vacation or a holiday, since he didn't want to miss a football, baseball or basketball game on TV. Whenever we are in the car, he insisted that the radio should be tuned to a game. Conversation was allowed only during commercials. My children who are not interested in sports have nothing to talk to their father. I asked my husband to do things with me and my children for a recreation but he ignored!! I thought I could change him but I failed. What shall I do ?

Frustrated

I think I am a badly organized person. I want to do things as planned and I want to keep my belongings as the way they were. I always forget the place where I put my belongings or document. It always happens. I don't want to waste my time to find things any more.

And I really like to learn or do something new and I easily fall into something. However, it doesn't go long. I easily get bored with things I sarted with passion. That is my problem too. Once I was so into how to bake cookies and cakes, which didn't go long. And then I started to learn balloon art, and I started to watch videos related to that on the Internet . Now I really fell into cooking. I know this passion doesn't go long. What am I supposed to do? I really want to stick to one thing I really like.

Lee yujin wrote:Whenever I try to concentrate on something, I find myself easily distracted by everything surrounding me.
I want to get useful tips to help me concentrate from Sam!!!

To my shame,I used to be the person who was distrcted easily. I loved daydreaming. I used to find myself just spending doing nothing particular even if I had something to do .I asked people around me to give some advice to solve this problem but I failed to find the proper solution. I kept thinking and made up my mind to get used to writing the memos. I wrote the title on top of the memo -"Things to do today" and every morning, I wrote the things I had to do,giving them priority. I put those memos on my desk and on the screen so that I could easily go back to work . It paid off . I'm wondering if it will be beneficial to you as well. Anyway , how about giving it a try?

Dear Sam.

I have one student who have studied English so hard, but his performance has not improved yet. Whenever he took tests, his score remained the same. To see him disappointed is too much for me. What should I do for him?

I highly recommend you to do some exercises. I think running an half hour and going hiking to the small mountains will do. When you exercise, you will reach a point where you want to stop and quit. This is just a simple practice, When you get over with the limited points, you finally learn how to get it over and how to be patient for a long time.

Lee Hye Jin wrote:I think I am a badly organized person. I want to do things as planned and I want to keep my belongings as the way they were. I always forget the place where I put my belongings or document. It always happens. I don't want to waste my time to find things any more.

And I really like to learn or do something new and I easily fall into something. However, it doesn't go long. I easily get bored with things I sarted with passion. That is my problem too. Once I was so into how to bake cookies and cakes, which didn't go long. And then I started to learn balloon art, and I started to watch videos related to that on the Internet . Now I really fell into cooking. I know this passion doesn't go long. What am I supposed to do? I really want to stick to one thing I really like.