That is the word I use in the private profile of each student when I want to specify that we have been discussing ✨ life ✨. Typically, it’s just a warm-up, the usual “How are you?” and “What’s new?”
But at times, these conversations span an hour: we go from one thing to another and lose the track of time or consciously decide to postpone the lesson materials until next time. Instead, I make notes, introduce necessary vocabulary and explain the grammar structures that you need while describing those specific experiences. It’s often the type of expressions that we don't come across in texts and videos. So such lessons are still valuable from the learning perspective. (It's not their true value in my eyes, though.)
Regardless, when a school representative assesses this type of lesson, teachers often receive poor feedback. “Poor time management”, “unbalanced talking time”, “goals of the lessons were not achieved”, things like that. You see, methodologists and teachers plan each lesson minute by minute, ensuring that each step brings about measurable results within a specific lesson plan. My materials are like that, too. Which is only right, especially when you are working to a schedule and have a specific deadline.
But we are free from those rules and if you do have certain freedom and flexibility, it's a must-have type of lesson. Because this opportunity allows us to not only learn vocabulary and practice spontaneous speech, but also deepen our understanding of each other, break free from lesson scenarios, and genuinely immerse ourselves in the language by discussing topics we would talk about with a friend. How often do you plan or prepare for those?
I value those talks because they bring me closer to my students.
It is thanks to those conversations that I can
🫶🏼 recommend an album and guess the favorite tracks on it;
🫶🏼 confidently invite you to join the maasochists cult (the community of fans of S.J. Maas);
🫶🏼 come up with new topics for a lesson (inspiration often strikes me then, yes yes);
🫶🏼 feel more joyful myself and cheer my favorite people up.
It is often difficult for me to open up (as I am an 80% “I”), but those conversations make me feel like a 100% “E”.
If you are an “I” as well and don't know where to start, let me know! I have prepared a variety of questions (around 300 or so) we can discuss or start discussing and get distracted. Just let me know whenever you are not in the mood for typical lessons, I’ll go with your flow. 😉