Derived from Old French meaning ‘heart’, by the late 14th-century courage had already acquired the meaning of the ‘quality of mind which enables one to meet danger and trouble without fear’ (etymonline). Cambridge defines courage as ‘the ability to control your fear in a dangerous or difficult situation’ (Cambridge; emphasis mine). I added the emphasisContinue reading “Courage (n.)”
Author Archives: Chris Richards
Performance Management
After taking the ‘Observation and Giving Feedback’ course with International House online in the autumn, their Performance Management course piqued my interest this spring. And I wasn’t disappointed. The format of the course — asynchronous, online, structured over six weeks — was the same as the previous course (which I wrote about last month). AlsoContinue reading “Performance Management”
Observation and Giving Feedback
In the last few months of 2021, I studied the International House online course on observation and giving feedback. I’ve been meaning to post my thoughts about what I learned and the course itself, but the beginning of 2022 has been a busy time. I have been observing teaching since I began my high schoolContinue reading “Observation and Giving Feedback”
Legacy
Etymonline informs us that legacy (n.) derives from the Medieval Latin ‘legacie, “body of persons sent on a mission”‘. Meanwhile, the Cambridge Dictionary defines legacy in a number of ways, including ‘something that is the result of events in the past’ and ‘something that is part of your history or remains from an earlier time’.Continue reading “Legacy”
What I think about when I think about choice
Choice (n.) ‘an act of choosing; a decision’ also ‘the right to choose; the possibility of choosing’ and ‘a person or thing that has been chosen or can be chosen’ Choice (adj.) ‘of high quality’ (Cambridge Dictionary) This month, I’ve chosen to post two separate thoughts on the idea of ‘choice(s)’: When I was inContinue reading “What I think about when I think about choice”
Fulfilment
I can normally be relied upon to delve into the etymology and meanings of the words set as themes for the #MonthlyWritingChallenge. Don’t worry, this month isn’t any different and I’m particularly excited about this one! I’ll start with modern definitions. According to the Cambridge Dictionary there are two meanings in use and the firstContinue reading “Fulfilment”
Criticism
Why is criticism (n.) associated with such negativity? The etymology of criticism couldn’t be clearer. Since 1600 it has had the meaning of ‘discussion of merit, character or quality’ (etymonline). Criticism meant to talk about how good something is. It retains that definition, to this day, in academia where we talk about ‘Literary Criticism’, forContinue reading “Criticism”
Pace
While not being a fan of playing team sports like football, I’ve always enjoyed running: the chill of the morning air against the skin, the rhythm of trainer-clad feet hitting the pavement, the smell of autumnal, fresh air and the chance to be alone with my thoughts, peacefully for a few kilometres. These days, IContinue reading “Pace”
Who Have I Taught and What Have I Learned?
I drew inspiration for this from a post Rachel Tsateri published last week. Writing this has been an interesting reflection on my career so far, where it has led me and what it has made me realise. When I started teaching in Birmingham (England), I was working in a school where 28% of the pupilsContinue reading “Who Have I Taught and What Have I Learned?”
Awareness
I used lines from Joni Mitchell’s ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ when I wrote about ‘Togetherness‘ a few months ago, but they seem relevant again. Change seems to beget awareness. Just over a week ago, I was excitedly preparing to travel to see family and friends in Wales for the first time since Christmas 2019 and asContinue reading “Awareness”
Chris Richards ELT 