It’s week three, and the course you so painstakingly crafted over the break is, well, tanking. We talk about what you can do to reboot. Never give up.

Full notes can be found here:

• Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.com

We talk a little about last month’s podcast, and then it’s WELCOME TO RETIREMENT for Charles. Sayonara lectures, student workshops, expectations, predictions, adjustments - it’s a packed episode, even without an April Fool joke.

Full notes can be found here:

• Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.com

Japan vs. Mexico. No, not the flop sport where players can’t use their hands. We talk with Prof. Alison Kitzman, now at Arkansas State University, Querétaro, about the differences and similarities in teaching English to students in Japan and in Mexico. There are surprises. And dogs.

ASU - Queretaro https://astate.edu.mx/

Kindai University https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindai\_University

Full notes can be found here:

• Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.com

A discussion on traditional and new forms of cheating, motivations for cheating, how to deal with cheating (with or without institutional support), and a perhaps overly optimistic hope of prevention.

Bonus links:

- All the Times Students Thought They Got Away With Cheating but Were Very, Very Wrong https://www.weareteachers.com/bad-cheating-stories

- 19 Stories From Teachers Who Caught Their Students Cheating In Incredibly Extra Ways https://www.pupperish.com/students-caught-cheating

Full notes can be found here:

• Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.com

Instead of a look back at 2023, we examine how teaching English in Japan has changed since we stepped off a plane and into a classroom many years ago–and what hasn’t. Happy New Year! 明けましておめでとうございます！

Full notes can be found here:

• Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.com

In a pre-holiday frenzy, we tackle three not-so-mini-topics:

Happy holidays, everyone!

Full notes and past episodes can be found here:

• Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.com

Charles talks with his former student Taishi Watanabe about teaching English, and what it's like returning to school after working.

Mentioned: Hattie, J. (2003). Teachers make a difference: What is the research evidence?  Australian Council for Educational Research Melbourne.

Lukianoff, G., & Haidt, J. (2015, August 11). The Coddling of the American Mind. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/09/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind/399356/

Haidt, J. & Lukianoff, G. (2019). The Coddling of the American Mind. Penguin Books.

Full notes can be found here:

• Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.com

We take a second look at AI and ChatGPT, how they’re changing our teaching worlds, and suggest some ways to ease adaptation.

Be sure to take a look at the list of works we used to create the podcast (on website). Appearance on the list is no indication of endorsement, and quality of the items is all over the map. Some educators asked for their ideas exhibit little understanding of what AI and GPT are. We can learn from that, too.

My short list: Ferlazzo, Mills and Goodlad, Mollick, Qamar, Shipper.

Full notes can be found here:

• Two Teachers Talking: twoteacherstalking.com

Tony and Charles struggle with that question and discuss the best ways to reach our students. It’s not simple.

Mentioned, previous episodes:

• - 154 Desirable Difficulties - November 2022
• - 130 Learning Styles - November 2020
• - 118 Great Expectations Revisited - January 2020
• - 60 Great Expectations - March 2015

We discuss the value of mixing it up - using diverse deliveries, approaches, methods, activities, tasks, media, teachers. See also: 154 Desirable Difficulties and 130 Learning Styles.

Charles talks once more with an elementary education major at a university. They talk about her experiences working with a resource teacher, dealing with tech that doesn't work, and an upcoming summer school teaching gig.