Status of Randall's Blog

Hi everyone,

I will be opening the redesign of my site soon (esl-lab.com), and while this blog will remain open to read, I will not be posting new messages here . . . at least for now. For the most updated information, I would visit my site and it's new blog at https://www.esl-lab.com.

I have been running this blog for over 10 years, and I will continue to interact with teachers and students at my main site or through Facebook or Instagram.

Thanks for being a part of my community for so many years, and I look forward to interacting with you online at my site.

Best,

Randall

What's New - Web Site Redesign

Hi everyone,

Since the fall of 2018, I have been busy in redesigning my Web sites including dailyesl.com and trainyouraccent.com. This summer, I will be launching the new design of my main site, esl-lab.com. This has been a challenging, but rewarding adventure, and I will keep visitors updated here. Thanks for being a part of this adventure.

Randall

A New Year - 2019

Now that we have entered into the new year, I am interested in hearing what plans people have for 2019. For me personally, I hope to find meaning in every small thing I do and seek ways on helping friends, family, colleagues, and students in their challenges and new experiences.

Enjoy 2019!

Sledding in the Mountains

Winter sledding can really be a wild, exhilarating ride, as seen in this video with my son and his friend.

https://esl-lab.com/hiking/winteractivities-video.htm

Self-Worth and Finding Courage

The other day, I was visiting with one of my students who feels discouraged because the student's father is disappointed by the perceived lack of progress the student is making. "You're not stupid, right? Get to work. You're just not working hard enough."

The pain in the student's expression was emotionally raw and distressing. I simply sat and listened, validating the student's discouragement.

In such situations, I often ask myself how we develop the courage to keep going when people seem to be telling us, "YOU'RE NOT ENOUGH!" "YOU'RE BROKEN!"

One of my favorite writers and researchers on shame, vulnerability, and self-worth is Brené Brown. She said the following:

“Stop walking through the world looking for confirmation that you don’t belong. You will always find it because you’ve made that your mission. Stop scouring people’s faces for evidence that you’re not enough. You will always find it because you’ve made that your goal. True belonging and self-worth are not goods; we don’t negotiate their value with the world. The truth about who we are lives in our hearts. Our call to courage is to protect our wild heart against constant evaluation, especially our own. No one belongs here more than you.”

– Brené Brown, Braving the Wilderness

When I feel low, I just keep reminding me that myself worth is never determined by the judgement of the people sitting in the stands. I try to help students find the courage to do the same.

Any thoughts on this topic? How have you be able to press through difficult times?

Update Site - Dailyesl.com

I have almost completed the complete update to my site, https://www.dailyesl.com. Give it a try. The focus of the site is on everyday language, and each listening activity has questions and discussion tasks.

Trainyouraccent.com

Hi everyone. I am always experimenting with increasing engagement and learning on my sites. Here is a possible new quiz format and style for creating questions about the listening activities students here.

What do you think? Are these questions with immediate feedback helpful? Please let me know.

https://www.trainyouraccent.com/readings/apartment-rentals