A new Shoebox ESL PD starts . . .

Starting tonight and every Thursday evening for the next eight weeks, I pack up my bag with all the cards for the workshop participants, put on a warm jacket, and walk the ten minutes or so down the road to the local community centre where we hold Shoebox ESL PD workshops. It's too close to drive and I enjoy the walk.

Tonight, we are a small group of four, with participants from Australian College of Applied Education, Kaplan, Perth International College of English and Central Institute of Technology. They teach a range of levels from Beginner to Upper Intermediate and all of them want to see a different way of teaching.

Tonight, we covered the Three Houses, Main Clauses, the different types of Nouns and Verbs and the basic principles that hold the English language together. There was some eye-opening stuff, but tonight we just laid the foundations so that we are all on the same page and when I refer to a present participle (the Action Shape), we all know what I am talking about.

Ninety minutes goes VERY quickly! They all took notes, received their cards and asked some thoughtful questions. Then we all said goodbye and I walked home through mist and a clear night sky.