Teacher Newsletter – November 2022

Welcome, teachers!

Thanks for exploring our newsletter and for all that you do for your learners.

Beyond Zoom

The platforms teachers are trying out now

Updates to Zoom's Policy

With Zoom's change to a 40-minute time limit for those with a basic license, many teachers who previously only used Zoom have started to try other platforms to see if they can find an alternative, perhaps one with new features that might be helpful for teaching. We encourage this exploration! Here are some we have heard our teachers are using successfully.


Google Meet

Teachers who have tried Google Meet say they enjoy using its whiteboard as it works similarly to Zoom's.

It is free and has no time limit.


Microsoft Teams

Many students are already familiar with this platform as they may use it at work.

If you are using the free version of Teams, there is no scheduling in advance which presents an issue when teachers set the meetings for their students. You can start a new meeting at your agreed upon class time, but this can be a challenge for teachers and students who need to keep their email calendars accurate and simple.

Skype

You may be surprised to see Skype on this list if you have not used it in a while. Skype has some new features which may surprise you like screen sharing, the ability to send files, and chat, of course. 

Skype also has a web version, so if you or your student cannot download it, you can still join meetings this way.

Skype does not have a whiteboard option unless you have Skype for Business.

BigBlueButton

This platform is easy to use and is free for lessons up to 60 minutes.

There is a multiuser whiteboard, screensharing, document sharing, and chat.

You can easily share your meeting link URL and have separate meeting rooms for each student.

You will need to manually add the meeting and link to your/your students' calendars if you keep track of your meetings each day that way, like many of our learners.

Jitsi

Jitsi is another free web platform which does not even require account creation.

Jitsi has chat and screensharing capabilities.

You can integrate your calendar to keep track of your upcoming meetings and easily invite your student with a link. 

Some teachers are using this as a last-minute option if their normal platform is not working well because it is a quick alternative that does not require account setup.

Kumospace

Kumospace takes very little time to register for and has a free version which allows you to customize a visually pleasing space for learning.

Kumospace has screensharing, chat, and ways to add videos and links to the space. 

Some students might find the interactive space very fun and engaging and others might need a little while to get used to it.

 Materials

Whether you are ordering materials for the first time, or you've done it hundreds of times, please see below for some suggestions before you use the order form on GLTEngage! 

Talking it over

It's a great idea to discuss the kinds of materials you are thinking of ordering with your learner. They may give you some insight into which they would be most likely to enjoy.

Checking addresses

Please double check your learner's address before placing the order as you will need to provide it on the order form. Some students will first move to a temporary address so please check the timing of their move before ordering.

Not sure which materials to choose?

If you would like some materials suggestions for a student, please let your Talent Success Consultant know. If we don't have the right option for your learner, we'll check with other expert teachers in our network.

Where to find it

If you are having difficulties finding a vendor that sells the materials you would like to buy for your students, please write to materials@global-lt.com. We may be able to help!

Budgets

It's a great idea to check your learner's budget before ordering materials and to leave some extra for future purchases. On occasion, some clients do not provide a materials budget. 

Send us your recommendations!

We'd love to learn your favorite resources and which levels and types of students they work well for. Since materials budgets are defined by clients to be only for the student, it is helpful for teachers to know which options are worth investing in if they need a teacher copy.

First Impressions

Best "Meet & Greet" Email Showcase

Thank you for sending your "first impression" emails to us so that we can see the personal and informative ways you first reach out to your students. In our last newsletter we determined we would reward two winners and we have selected them! See below for all of the things we loved about their introductory emails

Dutch teacher, Ellen

Ellen tells her beginner students which languages they can use to communicate with her.

  Why students love this: They immediately know how best to communicate with their teacher.

She gives some info about her experience as a teacher.

   Why students love this: They feel confident their teacher knows what to do.

Ellen acknowledges the student's goals and states how they will work to achieve them.

   Why students love this: Students know their goals were recorded and given to their teacher who will use them to plan their lessons.

She confirms the location (platform or address), schedule, start date, and time.

 Why students love this: It is clear when and where their lessons will start.

Angela, the English teacher

Angela tells her students about her experiences living abroad and traveling to many countries.

 Why students love this: They know their teacher can relate to their experience.

She lets the student know that they will discuss the student's goals for the lessons. 

 Why students love this: The student knows what will happen during the first meeting and that their goals are important.

Angela lets her student know that she aims to make learning fun and engaging. 

 Why students love this: They realize this will be an enjoyable experience.

She confirms the location, start date, and time.

 Why students love this: It is clear when and where their lessons will start.


Thank you for taking the time to make students feel warmly welcomed to language learning each time you start a new class! If you would like help crafting your first impression email, please reach out to your Talent Success Consultant.

We'd love to assist you!

Special Thanks

We’d like to share our gratitude to the teachers who are involved in a very special project called English4Ukraine  in partnership with the non-profit, OBERIG. These teachers have been working with groups of English learners who have recently escaped the war in Ukraine or are still in the country. Our dedicated teachers guide these learners through practical English lessons designed to help them adjust to life in their new country, apply for jobs, and communicate effectively in their daily lives. 
Here are the various expansions of English4Ukraine:
1. Ukrainian refugees who have relocated to the US and students who are still in Ukraine gather in virtual groups to take English lessons with excellent, bilingual teachers.

2. Ukrainian refugees now living in the UK are taking virtual English lessons with a teacher who has also moved to the UK from Ukraine. She knows exactly what they need to know in order to feel more comfortable.

3. A fantastic partner in Ukraine is helping to facilitate our support of 150 children in 5 displaced children's shelters across Ukraine. Teachers are going to the shelters to engage the children in English language learning.

4. A school close to our headquarters welcomed many Ukrainian refugee children but needed support establishing an English Language Learning program. Teachers working with this school provide the language training and the empathy required to work with children going to school in English for the first time. 


If you would like to be a part of this program or you know someone who would be a great addition, please contact us at talentsuccess@global-lt.com as we would love to add more names to our list of interested teachers.
(Ukrainian and/or Russian speaking teachers are prioritized.)


Did you know Global LT offers monthly round tables for teachers?

Join our round table discussion on the third Friday of each month at 9:00 am US ET/14:00 UK. Teachers from all over the world gather to discuss a variety of topics within the world of language and culture learning. The sessions are mostly in English, but all languages are welcome! We also offer round tables and workshops for German, Spanish, and Japanese teachers.

Here's a video summary of what we discussed during the September round table:

September Roundtable

Register

Language Experiences

We Need You!

Global LT’s Language Experiences are continuing to grow! These interactive classes give students an opportunity to practice their new language in a group setting while learning something new or participating in a fun activity. Currently, we offer experiences in the following 9 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Mandarin, Japanese and Thai. Click here to view a complete list of upcoming Experiences by language.

Based on the positive response from our students and success of the experiences held thus far, we are expanding topics and activities and are looking for talented teachers to help us out! We have a specific need for the topics below, yet if you have a special skill or expertise you would like to share, or if you think you'd be great at facilitating Experiences because you have an outgoing/star quality personality but are not sure exactly what to do, we would love to hear from you.

We need teachers for:

·   Cooking and Baking Activities (English, French and Portuguese)

·   Children’s Programs (English)

·   “Everyday Living” programs on practical topics (English, French and German)

·    Business Webinars (English, French and German)

·    Yoga Classes (All languages)

·     Sports Webinars (English)

Please complete this brief form if you’re interested. You may also contact us at Virtualevents@Global-LT.com for more information.

You can view a few examples of Experience topics we are excited about below. We encourage you to pick a few to suggest to your students!

Thank you for your support and continuing to encourage your students’ participation!


English Yoga for Everyone!

Beginner    Intermediate    Advanced

Let’s get up from our desks and stretch our body in this gentle beginner yoga class! 

What to Expect: Our yoga class will focus on revitalizing the entire body through breath, thoughtful movements and beginner yoga poses. As you are guided through this class, you will learn the parts of the body and many verbs in English. Try this new and exciting way to learn English!

  • Thursday, October 20 at 11:30 AM EST

  • Thursday, October 27 at 11:30 AM EST

  • Thursday, November 3 at 11:30 AM EST

  • Thursday, November 10 at 11:30 AM EST

  • Thursday, November 17 at 11:30 AM EST 

  • Thursday, December 1 at 11:30 AM EST

  • Thursday, December 8 at 11:30 AM EST

  • Thursday, December 15 at 11:30 AM EST

French Impressionism

Intermediate    Advanced

Join our instructor Cecile and other French learners to find out how French Impressionism was rejected for several years and became the most admired art in the world. 

What to Expect: Learn the main characteristics of Impressionism and their most famous masterpieces!

Thursday, October 20 at 1:30 PM Canada / 7:30 PM Paris

Dutch Shopping Lingo – Language on the Go in 30 Minutes

Beginner  Intermediate  Advanced

Join our instructor Suzanne and other Dutch students to learn what words/sentences/language to use and recognize when you go (grocery) shopping. We'll talk about the different customs and habits too.

Tuesday, November 8 at 1 PM EST / 7 PM Netherlands

 


You may have noticed that your Talent Success Consultant no longer asks how the first lesson went when you start with a new student. This is not because we don't want your feedback!

We love hearing from our teachers regarding how their lessons are going, whether it is good news or you have a question or concern. Please feel free to share this information with us at any time, especially when there is conflict, as it is our job to help you resolve it.

We are adjusting our processes to better serve our students and our teachers and part of that adjustment is finding better, more meaningful ways to collect feedback and measure progress. More to come!