This weekend I taught a lesson at Kuzguncuk, a quaint neighborhood north of conservative Üsküdar's port on Istanbul's Asian side. The sunny day with clouds and boats sailing by begs me to take our lesson outdoors. I invite my new student out for a 'walk and talk' lesson. He hesitates. Don't we need to sit down and write on a solid surface? After an awkward moment on the front porch, he goes along with the idea as he needs to run out to the pharmacy anyway.
Walking in the fresh air and early morning sunlight jogs both of our minds. I feel free from the distractions of his family life. Eventually, we need to write down new grammar structures so we sit at a bench facing the Bosphorus.
Watching the fishermen anchor inspires our first speaking task. Give today's news report of what's happening on the Bosphorus, I request.
Aklıma hiç bir şey gelmiyor. Nothing comes to mind, he says. I ask questions and smile a lot to encourage him. Here's our report:
You have to walk around the scaffolding, he says.
As a teacher, I always look for opportunities to guide my students to discover idioms. A large wave splashes up the sea wall, reminding me of the idiom make waves.
Watching clouds sail on the breeze and the boats motor along the Bosphorus definitely lets ideas flow!
Walking in the fresh air and early morning sunlight jogs both of our minds. I feel free from the distractions of his family life. Eventually, we need to write down new grammar structures so we sit at a bench facing the Bosphorus.
Watching the fishermen anchor inspires our first speaking task. Give today's news report of what's happening on the Bosphorus, I request.
Aklıma hiç bir şey gelmiyor. Nothing comes to mind, he says. I ask questions and smile a lot to encourage him. Here's our report:
We sit on a bench next to the water's edge.I am afraid of passing under scaffolding, I confess. What do I have to do?
The Bosphorus lays out in front of us.
A small boat motors along the shore.
Fish swim under the surface.
On the opposite shore the Ortaköy mosque is under restoration. Scaffolding and curtains surround the mosque, trapping the dust and hiding the mess.
You have to walk around the scaffolding, he says.
As a teacher, I always look for opportunities to guide my students to discover idioms. A large wave splashes up the sea wall, reminding me of the idiom make waves.
What just happened? I ask.So why do I bring my student outside? "You'll be surprised how fresh air drives fresh thinking," says Nilofer Merchant in her TED talk: Got a meeting? Take a walk.
A large boat makes waves, he says.
Who makes waves with their political street art? I ask.
The middle-aged man who paints stairs rainbow colors makes waves, he says. Coincidentally, this street art inspires a wave of rainbow painting across Turkey.
Watching clouds sail on the breeze and the boats motor along the Bosphorus definitely lets ideas flow!