Good news.

There is no time to... feel. 
There is no time to... think.
There is no time to... act.




The flow of instructions is unremitting. 
The pace is unrelenting. 


[All text in italics is my writing, the rest is from a text book]




Good news. 
[name of text book]

Turn to Page 14.

"What's wrong?"

1) Look and Guess.
2) Listen and understand.
3) Imagine you may be wrong.

Turn to Page 15.

4) Read and correct.
Tell the class what corrections you have made and why.

5) Explain a problem.

You are at school and there's a problem. It's your job to explain the problem.





OK, I shall take the text book instructions seriously.  

There is no time to think or to do anything that we want to do. We are assaulted by a series of instructions, often contradictory which fill up our existence as a teacher and as a pupil.  We are asked to look at decontextualised photos, cartoons, fragments of text, which are given a holy unnecessary importance.

At no moment are we able to connect as people, to learn together, to be left in peace. 

Our colleagues, inspectors, and ministers put pressure on us to conform to this system.

All acts of freedom are viewed as suspect.



Turn to page 10.

Golden rules

Answer the questions honestly. [questions selected from textbook]
The summer holiday is over and you're back at work.

4) Do you speak loudly and clearly?
5) Do you ever chat with your neighbours in French?
8) Are you interested in what everybody says - the students as well as the teachers?
10) Can you keep still and concentrate?
12) Do you listen carefully to all instructions?
14) Do you always have all the things you need (your textbook, your notebook, your workbook, you homework diary?) [I have nothing I need, only what YOU tell me I need.]

Make resolutions. [never accept this can not be changed one day.]

Make resolutions ot improve your attitude and your English. To make sure you succeed, make sure your goals are realistic. [Change the f***ing system. Sorry that is not realistic.]


Compare and report.

Talk to your neighbour about his/her attitude in class.
Report back to the class on your neighbour's attitude during English class.
[Reminds me of totalitarian states]

X never contributes. He doesn't like it.



Teacher must do preparation. Teacher must do corrections. Teacher must not be late. Teacher must keep discipline. Teacher must defend values of the Republic. Teacher must complete marks for the term. Teacher must use official learning management system. Teacher must not use blogs. Teacher must complete appreciations; in this box before this date. Teacher will be inspected. Inspectors will demand contradictory teaching methods. Teacher career will depend on inspector's marks and appreciations. 

This is a true story. 

This is a real text book entitled "Good News." published in 2009.

These views are entirely my own.