Podcasts by Two Teachers Talking™

137. Odds and Sods from 2022-02-22T16:20:59.131395

Approaching mid-semester, an odds and sods SITREP. What can we learn and apply going forward this year, including a report from Tony on the world of retirement. Mentioned: Compleat (sic) Lexical T...

138. Undoable done well from 2022-02-22T16:20:59.130325

You know how you’re “supposed” to conduct and manage your classes, assignments, and grading. Sheer work volume—classes per week, students per class—often makes that ideal impossible. So, how do yo...

139. Pronunciation - Part 1 from 2022-02-22T16:20:59.129456

Prof. Alison Kitzman of Kindai University talks to us about the what, why, and how of teaching English pronunciation in Japan. Included free: cicadas and a very bad Eliza Dolittle impersonation. M...

140. Pronunciation Part 2 and Machine Translation from 2022-02-22T16:20:59.128534

Thoughts and comments on teaching pronunciation and the interview with Prof. Alison Kitzman in Episode 139. Then, a brief discussion of how computer translation may require a reset on how English,...

141. “Does everybody understand? Are there any questions?” from 2022-02-22T16:20:59.127644

We know that Japanese students’ English comprehension is overrated, even by those of us who know that their listening comprehension is overrated. But that’s not it, or, at least all of it. Join us...

142. The Perfect Class from 2022-02-22T16:20:59.126506

We all dream about it. What’s yours look like? But, remember the old adage…be careful what you ask for. Make your list and let’s compare notes.

143. Teaching While Black in Japan from 2022-02-22T16:20:59.125611

Three very special guests join us to discuss being a black educator in Japan: hiring (and leaving), student interaction, staff interaction, peer interaction, teaching materials, stereotypes of the...

144. Year of the Tiger from 2022-02-22T16:20:59.124681

Treading carefully into 2022, we first look back at Episode 143 (Teaching While Black in Japan) and two years of COVID Era Teaching. We then pull out our cloudy crystal balls for a look at the fut...

145. Program Coordination from 2022-02-22T16:20:59.123148

Charles sits down with George Truscott and Nathanael Rudolph to discuss the art of Program Coordination. Approaches, philosophies, goals and outcomes, staff management, limitations, liabilities, a...

129. What we’ve learned about Zoom from 2021-10-31T01:55:34.601993

After a semester on the front lines of remote learning/teaching using Zoom, we share what we’ve learned. Some basics, some stuff we’re pretty sure will be new to you. PLUS, a special giveaway...

130. Learning Styles from 2021-10-31T01:55:34.598947

Many articles have been published in the past few decades “debunking” the notion of learning styles. Yet, despite that, many teachers are reluctant to let go of the idea. Then what about diff...

131. Too tired from 2021-10-31T01:55:34.597086

It's been such a rough year, we didn't have the energy to select a topic. Still, we manage to marshal some lessons learned and even find some not-so-obvious highlights of the past year.

132. Interview: Future educator Sophie Wiz from 2021-10-31T01:55:34.594822

Charles grills his daughter on her experiences as a first-year education major at McGill University. They discuss her own educational journey, her transition from Canadian Academy student to ...

133. The self-sabotaging student from 2021-10-31T01:55:34.592328

The self-sabotaging student. There's nothing so creative, resourceful, and frustrating as a student set on his or her own failure. You can't win them all.

134. Game Over: Tony has retired from 2021-10-31T01:55:34.590070

Game Over: Tony has retired.
I made it. My last class was February 10, my contracts expire 3/31/21. I'm retired. ? ?
Charles and I talk about what this means.
I used to teach:...

135. To face or not to face from 2021-10-31T01:55:34.587423

Maybe you don't know whether you'll be teaching online or in the classroom. Maybe you know. Maybe you think you know. If the past year has taught us anything, it's to be prepared for the ...

136. Collaboration from 2021-10-31T01:55:34.584709

Two heads, too many cooks...so, when does it make sense to sit down and hash things out and when is it better to just go it alone? Mentioned: Modular Press - Charles' new textbook and materials pu...

2. Manipulating Classroom Space from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.681525

None of us get to design our classrooms. That doesn't mean we can't make the rooms we're assigned into spaces that promote learning rather than hinder it. Tony and Charles discuss effective ways of...

5. Wish we'd known then what we know now. from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.679320

Wish we'd known then what we know now. A collection of lessons learned the hard way - things no one ever tells you when you're new to Japan, and things it takes us a long time to figure out. Have a...

7. Essential Tech for the Teacher from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.677574

Essential Teacher Tech. Tips on software that will make your job easier and help your students learn. PLUS, some great software giveaways.

9. Pet Peeves from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.676041

Year after year, there are some things that continue to get under your skin, push you close to the edge, and just drive you crazy. We're no different, and here we vent. Stand clear. And let us know...

16. Hypocritical from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.670273

What we say we do, what we think we do, what we do. Tony and Charles come clean. What really happens when we close that classroom door.

18. A Flat Learning curve from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.668762

Looking back at 2012: mistakes made, lessons learned, forgotten, and re-learned. As they say in Chicago, "Wait till next year."

20. Writing the Syllabus from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.667284

Every class needs a syllabus, but what does that mean? Drudgery or useful tool?

22. Cognitive and Affective Filters in the Classroom from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.665581

Sorting out the cognitive and affective filters that the teacher and student bring to the classroom experience. The case for multiple universes in the classroom.

29. Part-time, Full-time. Part 2. from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.659766

The full-time / part-time divide - Part Two. No better example of "greener grass syndrome" can be found than the PT-FT teacher divide in the little world of English education in Japan. Today we lo...

31. Time Management from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.657991

Time management. OK, you've got 90 minutes. Go. Different ideas about ways to think about, approach, and tweak time management. Never mind that we always go over our one-hour podcast limit. Never ...

33. Three Teachers Traveling from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.656476

Off the rails and into the sky. In an attempt to retain sanity in the madness of the semester's end, we invite world traveller Prof. Alison Kitzman of Kinki University to discuss vacations: kinds,...

39. Teacher Training - A slippery three-pronged animal from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.651732

Can you make a teacher? Excellence or effectiveness? Objectives? Wrestling with the conundrum of teacher training.

41. Coordinated Programs from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.649940

What is a coordinated program and what is it good for? How much coordination is enough and how much is too much? Clarity of purpose or chafing at the neck?

45. Final Assessment Tasks from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.600735

A room full of students. Create an assessment task that results in a 0-100 numerical representation of their learning in your class. Go.

47. Student-Teacher Interaction from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.598863

A look at the different kinds and evolution of teacher-student interaction and its slippery nature. How can the teacher tweak his/her interaction with students to maximize the chances of quality l...

51. School Culture - Part 1: Students from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.595540

The more schools one teaches at, the more one sees it: the incredible differences in the behavior and attitudes of students, and the overall atmosphere of the institutions. Today we look at the st...

52. School Culture - Part 2: Administration from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.594438

How administration affects school culture. Administrative factors that influence the university environment, what it means for you in your classroom and your job, and how to negotiate the geograph...

53. Failure by design from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.590793

Failure by design. Ever have one of those days when you look around and wonder how things got so dysfunctional? That doesn't just happen, you think. You're right. We pop the hood on the system, po...

56. Student Centered Learning from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.588266

So, what exactly is Student Centered Learning and what does it really mean for foreign language education in Japanese universities. Forget the trend of the moment; how do we help our students lear...

59. Sense of Place from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.585586

It's not just the classroom.  The entire physical environment where teaching and learning happen matters and affects the teaching and learning profoundly. Right? Well, we think so, but... Very spe...

60. Great Expectations from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.584760

Great Expectations. Raising the bar for our students and ourselves: what can we do, how can we think to help students perform better than their best. Yes, easier said than done, as you’ll hear. Listen

64. The Failure of Tech to Transform Education from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.581233

The failure of tech. Why hasn’t tech transformed education? Why do our classrooms remain essentially unchanged from those of the nineteenth century? Why are these the wrong questions to ask? And w...

65. An Interview with D.J. Condon from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.580378

An Interview with D.J. Condon, Headmaster of Canadian Academy. Charles sits down with D.J. Condon to discuss the International Baccalaureate World Schools, assessment, mentoring, student empowerme...

66. Self-evaluation, Self-correction from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.579079

What does successful learning look like? When you compare that picture with your and your students' accomplishments, how similar are those two pictures? Determining what success is, how to increas...

68. Reelin' In the Years from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.569161

An interview with Prof. Kim Kanel of Kinki Univerity and a look back at the changes that have snuck by in almost 40 years of English language teaching in Japan.

69. Past our expiration date or improving with age? from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.568318

An attempt to answer the question of whether we're learning and getting better at teaching or if our best years are behind us. Not a simple question, we find, as we wrestle with various vectors o...

70. Starting from zero from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.567504

You’ve been assigned a new class. No problem, you’re a TEACHER, dammit. You’ve done this. You reach into your bag of tricks and come up with...air. OK, now what?

Happy new year! ???????...

71. A visit with Chris Cotter of Heads Up English from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.566435

We sit down with Chris Cotter of Heads Up English (headsupenglish.com), a resource site for English teachers to talk about the road that’s brought him to his situation as academic director at a pr...

72. Futurama from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.565579

In the tradition of rushing in where wise men fear to tread, Tony and Charles make predictions for the future, predictions that will no doubt return to haunt them. What are we looking forward to? ...

76. Textbooks from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.562205

Textbooks. What role do textbooks play today, what role will they play tomorrow, and when will they become just a symbol of the way things used to be? Same questions with "should." What textbook a...

79. How to Teach Whatever from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.559844

Tony and Charles smash together a lightning round session of "how we teach X." If you want hands on, practical discussion of real-world teaching practices, this is for you: fluency, presentation/p...

80. To Moodle or not to Moodle? from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.558747

That is what Charles sat down to tease out with two Moodle mavens steeped in geekery, Professors George Trescott and Bill White of Kindai University. Four teachers, two hours later, the conclusion...

81. Gotta Have It from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.557924

Things we can’t live without. In class, outside of class, essentials, luxuries, wish lists. A long talk about STUFF. Maybe you’ll get some gift ideas for the teachers on your list.

82. Take out your phones from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.557156

Turning student smartphones from a distraction to a learning and teaching device. Got an idea of your own? Share it!

83. Quitting from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.556336

Things aren’t right. When does it make sense to leave a job and when are you better off staying? Once you decide to leave, when and how should you do it? From two guys who have quit more jobs than...

84. Student Feedback from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.554963

Different kinds of student feedback, different ways of trying to get (good) student feedback, why it’s important, and why it’s so damn hard to get.

87. Sage on the Stage from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.548313

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. Musings on why most classes are still being taught the old way and why change is so difficult to bring about.

88. Lessons Learned from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.547492

A leisurely lightning round (!) of things we learned or were reminded of in the past year or so. Pretty frank and honest introspection and coming clean on things forgotten, unknown, and re-learned...

90. Writing Tools from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.545490

The tools and workflows we use or have tried to help us cope with the many different kinds of writing we need to do in our teaching. From pens to Siri, from simple notes to dissertations, we try t...

91.Tablet or laptop? from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.544654

Tablet or laptop? Which is the best tool for the classroom teacher? Spoiler alert: ¯\_(?)_/¯ . It still comes down to a whole lot of “it depends,” but it’s more complicated (and fun?) than you’d t...

92. Mayday! Mayday! from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.543815

You start class and something is off. You try a reliable trick…and it flops. It doesn’t get better. We’ve all been there. Looking at those classes when it seems like you can’t catch a break, what ...

93. Dear Santa from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.542735

It’s the end of the year and we’re making our lists for Santa. What do we want/need to make our teaching better and our jobs easier. Not a tech toy list, but a meta letter to Santa. What do you wa...

94. 2017: Shut It Down from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.541936

A look back at the year to see what sticks out. Observations, mysteries, gripes, frustrations, warm fuzzies. Probably more interesting than this sounds. Happy New Year!

95. The Grading Game from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.541084

Barry Fishman of the University of Michigan has developed a task-completion model for grading that he claims encourages his students to keep trying in their pursuit of A grades. We weigh in.
<...

96. Teaching presentation skills. from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.540223

While the “why” of foreign language education is always among the elephants in the room, presentation skills offer the student relevant, powerful tools that have real, practical value and use. If ...

97. Making time from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.539349

The one thing each of us needs more of this or any other time of the year is time. We do a bit of a deep dive to find where we can (or can’t) shave some seconds or minutes from our routine teachin...

99. Bloom’s Taxonomy from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.537395

Special guest interview with Prof. Alison Kitzman of Kindai University in which she tries to unpack Bloom’s Taxonomy. A glance at this graphic before listening will be VERY helpful: http://bit.ly/...

104. Backup, Security, Privacy from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.496409

Maybe the most boring episode yet–but it's for your own good. Backup strategies that will save your butt. Securing student information, correspondence, and work, and keeping it private. Grab a cup...

105. Holiday Party from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.495632

Winding up the year with a return to the podcast premise: two teachers sitting around talking shop. A look back at 2018, a look ahead, and the eternal question: Where are the answers?

Men...

106. Final Exams from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.494596

Description - Happy new year! ??????????! With the new year beginning and the academic year ending, Tony and Charles discuss the task of making and scoring final exams, as well as whether or not t...

109. Study Abroad, Part 2: The Potential Downside from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.492248

After a short discussion about the start of the new academic year, Tony and Charles continue their discussion on study abroad. This month, they look at the challenges students might face when livin...

110. So, now you’re a teacher from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.491456

So, you landed a teaching job. Sit down, kid, let us tell ya couple things. We dig deep for ideas, tips, shortcuts, and insights that might have helped us in our early teaching years. (Give us a b...

111. There’s a genius in this classroom. It’s not me. from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.490400

We’re all pretty much obligated or resigned to shooting for the middle with our classes. How do you accommodate the student whose abilities far outstrip his/her peers? How about the one who just b...

112. Motivation from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.489593

113. Beyond Your Control from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.488805

From time to time one needs to step back and take account over what you do and don’t have control over. When you realize the things that are bugging you most are things beyond your control, what d...

115. Language and Personality: It’s me! from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.487212

So, really…how does the language we use affect…everything? Tony and Charles dive off the deep end. Luckily, they have some help from Maria Minohara, student at Osaka University, who shares her ins...

116. Speech Contests from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.486164

Near-universally reviled and loathed, do they make any sense? Tony and Charles disagree on almost everything except that, in their current manifestation, speech contests are awful. But listen in t...

117. Highs and Lows from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.485375

As 2019 slithers down into its ignominious place in history, we consider ourselves lucky, in that, at least from a teaching perspective, it’s been an unremarkable year. We sift through the memorie...

118. Great Expectations, Revisited from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.484586

Raise high the bars, teachers. That’s the current mantra. But how high is too high? How do you know? What are the consequences? What do you do if you've screwed up?

Mentioned: Episode 6...

120. Needs Analysis - Pt. 1: Prof. Alison Kitzman from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.482731

Charles is MIA this month, but Tony interviews Prof. Alison Kitzman to explore how needs analysis can help our teaching, and more, help with course and curriculum design. In a future episode Tony ...

122. Email organization from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.481128

Email for remote learning. As we all gear up for teaching in this new environment, we can predict that email, particularly email from students, is going to be a bigger part of the workday. In...

124. The kids are alright from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.479530

We take apart the student discussion on the turns university education has taken this year (E123: Meet Generation C, 4/20) and confirm the value of listening to our students. We also talk a b...

126. Social Justice Issues in the Foreign Language Classroom from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.477479

How much is too much, how much is too little? Conscience, responsibilities, ethics, cultural imperialism…we struggle with how to begin to figure out what the right thing to do is on rapidly s...

127. Mind Maps from 2021-10-27T07:56:35.476611

Everyone’s feeling the strain at the end of along, even crazier than usual spring semester. A mind mapping tool might be what you need to ease the load a bit. What’s a mind map and where can ...

128. Remotely Survivable - ???? from 2021-03-05T16:22:18.335879

A look back at what was necessary to survive the first semester of remote teaching and what might be necessary in the semesters to come, for both teachers and students. What a long, strange ...

125. Tales from the front from 2020-05-31T12:00

It’s been a few weeks. We’re still standing (well, sitting, mostly), zero student casualties, at least as far as we can tell. So, what’s it been like? Taking a break in the trenches, we try t...

123. Meet Generation C from 2020-04-20T12:00

In another very special episode, we talk with students and alumni from Osaka University about how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting their education, their future, and their lives. Their discus...

121. Needs Analysis Part 2 and the COVID-19 Virus from 2020-03-29T12:00

A very special episode of Two Teachers Talking, so special it’s dropping early. First we recap last month’s interview with Alison Kitzman. Then, we move on to discuss the COVID-19 virus and how it...

119. An Interview with Chris Ruddenklau from 2020-01-31T12:00

An interview with Chris Ruddenklau. Chris, colleague and old Japan hand, shares his teaching experiences in Thailand, Laos, and Japan. He is the coordinator of the JALT Teachers Helping Teachers (...

114. Task Management from 2019-09-01T12:00

We all have more things to do than time to do them. We talk about trying to manage all the things we need to, want to, or are expected to do. Spoiler: no magic app will solve all your task managem...

108. Study Abroad, Part 1 from 2019-03-01T12:00

Dicussion of the direct and indirect benefits of living and studying abroad along with some brainstorming on preparation strategies and tips. Next month we’ll talk about potential problems and dow...

107. Tools of the trade from 2019-01-29T12:00

Choosing the right tool for the job–not always as simple as it sounds. We talk about tool essentials, the process of adding tools that best help us finish the job, and the danger of being seduced ...

103. Change. Everyone wants it. Why is it so hard? from 2018-10-01T12:00

No matter how great the idea, any attempt to “change things” is bound to upset somebody and meet with resistance. So, how do you up your game without drawing the ire of “we fear change” muckety-mu...

102. Effective Assignments from 2018-09-01T12:00

The question of whether or not homework “works” is not a binary proposition. What makes a “meaningful” assignment, how does one approach crafting one, what questions need to be asked, and what co...

101. Web Pages for Students from 2018-08-01T12:00

We all know 90 minutes is not enough. (It’s too much, too, but that’s another topic.) Web pages can provide an extra channel of information and communication between you and your students, as well...

100. When disaster strikes from 2018-06-30T12:00

The world makes no allowances for your lesson plan. Earthquakes, typhoons, death, divorce, illness, heartbreak, ICE, all find their way into your classroom. So, Teach, how do you handle that?

98. Besides English from 2018-04-30T12:00

Besides being an English teacher, you’re a teacher. So, besides English language skills, what are the things you try to impart to your students? Tony and Charles go through their (partial) lists, ...

89. The Inescapable Bias Matrix from 2017-07-31T12:00

An attempt to identify and unravel the many ways our biases can affect what happens in the classroom. And then what to do about it. With special guests, the cicadas!

86. Student questions from 2017-05-01T12:00

Description - Questions we wish students would ask, the questions they do ask, and enough sidetracks, ratholes, and diversions to bring it all together. Kinda.

85. Ripeti, con spirito. from 2017-04-01T12:00

Trying to apply lessons learned from past years’ mistakes to make the coming year the BEST EVER. Trying, anyway.

Mentioned: Episode 69, 12/1/2015, Past our expiration date or improving w...

78. Fluency from 2016-08-25T12:00

Fluency. What the hell is it? How are we supposed to teach it? How will developments in artificial intelligence and computer translation change our teaching? Not to mention that proficiency vs. fl...

77. Paul Nation Interview - Part 2 from 2016-07-31T12:00

Part Two of Charles’ interview with Paul Nation. Paul and Charles discuss the importance of replication in research, the differences between entertainment and learning, the first day of class, and...

75. Workflows: A String On Your Finger from 2016-05-31T12:00

Wrestling with the multi-layered difficulties of something that deserves to be (should be, needs to be) so simple: capturing a thought or idea for later retrieval. Oh, yeah, and that managing that...

74. A brand-new year from 2016-05-01T12:00

A new academic year has begun and brought with it a slew of new opportunities to screw things up. What we’re doing differently to try to save our students and our sanity.

73. Interview with Paul Nation - Part 1 from 2016-04-07T12:00

Paul Nation, one of the leading researchers in ESL/EFL, discusses the importance of extensive reading, vocabulary testing and acquisition, the flipped classroom, and implicit and explicit knowledg...

67. Japanese Exceptionalism from 2015-09-30T12:00

The sometimes obvious and sometimes not-so-obvious ways that teaching in Japan can be very different from what you might expect, and how those differences can affect your teaching. Never assume. <...

63. Tech me, Teacher from 2015-05-31T12:00

Who let the nerds out? Tony and Charles get their tech geek on and talk about the tech that they use (and don’t use) in the classroom. Practical advice and bigger thoughts on the use of tech in le...

62. Teaching Incommunicado from 2015-04-30T12:00

Teaching without communication…and only with “appropriate" materials, of course. Tony and Charles work hard at not boiling over in their attempt to understand some new impediments to learning and ...

61. Won’t get fooled again from 2015-04-01T12:00

Another academic year is upon us. So, what did we learn from all the mistakes we made last year? Listen as we struggle to make ourselves seem wise in charting our new routes for the upcoming year....

58. Burnout from 2014-12-31T12:00

????????????????A Very Happy New Year to you all.
This month, we address BURNOUT: little ones, big ones, how to tell the difference between a bad day and a sign of something much more serious...

57. Year's end reboot! from 2014-11-30T12:00

Holiday reboot! A do-over for the old farts and a look back at the last year of the Two Teachers Talking podcasts. What did we say, what do we want to take back, what do we stand by. (More interes...

55. Critical Mass from 2014-09-30T12:00

How many bad - or good - apples does it take to change the atmosphere or personality of your classroom? What can and can’t a teacher do to use that influence to optimize learning? Sometimes it’s j...

54. Plagiarism from 2014-08-31T12:00

One of the least savory aspects of the job is coming to terms with plagiarism and then dealing with it fairly. While “it’s the teacher’s fault” is as unpalatable to us as is it no doubt is to you,...

50. Unteachable? from 2014-05-10T12:00

What happens when you find yourself with an "unteachable" student...or, perhaps, unteachable by you. Is there such a thing as an unteachable student? Is it them or us? When, if ever, is it accepta...

49. Five Teachers Talking from 2014-04-26T12:00

D. J. Condon (Canadian Academy), Alison Kitzman (Kinki University), and Frances Shiobohara (Kobe Shoin Women's University) join Tony and Charles for a discussion about their teaching and how it ha...

48. Transitions from 2014-04-12T12:00

A harvest of graduates leaves, a new crop of freshmen enters. Success? Failure? What do those look like? A pretty intense thrashing of the tea leaves looking for an answer.

46. Teaching Writing from 2014-02-22T12:00

The many differences between teaching oral and written communication, pitfalls to be aware of, kinds of writing classes, and, and, and…

44. Five Students Talking from 2014-01-25T12:00

Five first year foreign language majors from Osaka University look back at the academic year and talk about their experiences and observations.

43. Tough Enough? from 2014-01-11T12:00

A look at a (possibly) misguided call to bring fear and threat back to the classroom. Discussed: Why tough teachers get good results, Joanne Lipman, Wall Street Journal. http://bit.ly/toughteacher

42. Missionary?! Me? from 2013-12-21T12:00

The conscious and unconscious role of cultural and personal values in English language education. Where do we draw the line? At a certain point, discussion of cultural values becomes a necessary c...

40. Toys for teacher from 2013-11-23T12:00

With everyone about to start sketching out their letters to Santa, we thought it might be interesting to share some of the tools and toys we use regularly, from wheels, to hardware, to software. M...

38. From Ditto to Download - Part 3 from 2013-10-26T12:00

A more detailed look at various ways teachers and students can communicate, share, and exchange work online. Google Drive, Survey Monkey, Edublog, Wordpress, Moodle, and Edmodo.

37. From Ditto to Download - Part 2. from 2013-10-12T12:00

Getting information online for students. Down to the basics of getting information online for your students, as well as some advice on arranging for digital submission of their work.

36. False Beginnings; Mid-Year Schizophrenia from 2013-09-28T12:00

A look at the beginning of the second semester. How does the new start affect our students, our teaching, and our sanity? Maybe we'll get it right this time.

35. From ditto to download from 2013-09-14T12:00

From Ditto to Download - Part 1. We've come a long way since the days of the wonderfully banana scented blue ditto handouts to digital downloads. Or have we? What's the reality of digital informat...

34. Does English Matter? from 2013-08-17T12:00

Does English matter? Immeasurable expense, time, energy spent on learning and teaching English...is there a point? Does anyone care? Why should they?

32. The Grading Is Nigh from 2013-07-20T12:00

The Grading is Nigh. That big cloud on the horizon? The grading that awaits you with that final wollop at the end of the term. We talk about what we do to try to minimize the pain.

30. Teachers Under Attack from 2013-06-22T12:00

Teachers under attack. Looking at the big country across the pond, we examine the many ways teachers in the US are being set upon, and consider what it might mean for us here in Japan. Teaching to...

28. Part-time, Full-Time. Part 1. from 2013-05-25T12:00

The full-time / part-time divide - Part One. No better example of "greener grass syndrome" can be found than the PT-FT teacher divide in the little world of English education in Japan. Today we lo...

27. Problem Kids from 2013-05-11T12:00

Sometimes, kids end up in our classes that for a number of reasons, just shouldn't be there. Sometimes, we just need to learn how to teach them. How can we tell the difference? How do we proceed?

26. Starting Over - ???? from 2013-04-27T14:00

A look at the beginning of a new school year: what we did right, what we did wrong. Again. As we say in Chicago, wait till next year.

25. Why do we teach? from 2013-04-13T12:00

As the new year begins, a look at exactly why it is that we keep teaching, year after year, in spite of the obstacles and frustrations. And, a happy anniversary to us: Two Teachers Talking is one ...

24. Pre-prep from 2013-03-30T12:00

Getting your mind right before buying your new notebooks, sharpening your pencils, and taking care of the other million things that need doing before you walk into the classroom on the first day.

23. Change from 2013-03-16T12:00

Change. The only constant. Your textbook this year may be the same as last year's and the year's before, but everything else in the world around it has changed. Tony and Charles look back at almos...

21. Issues, Culture, and Convictions in the Classroom from 2013-02-16T12:00

Language and culture - inseparable, we know. What to do when personal convictions and native cultures clash. Sorting out language instruction and cultural relativism.

19. Grades from 2013-01-19T12:00

Grades. The end of the academic year. Converting a semester or year's work to a number between zero and One hundred. What's fair? What's practical? What makes sense? Is it vacation time yet?"

17. Spreadsheets for Grading from 2012-12-22T12:00

With grading right around the corner, Tony and Charles talk about spreadsheet basics and tips.

15. Using Web Technology from 2012-11-25T12:00

So what in the world is a Moodle? Different ways of using web technology in the classroom; roll your own or buy into an existing learning management system?

14. Teaching for the Future from 2012-11-10T12:00

The world our students will live in doesn't yet exist. How do we, as teachers, help prepare them for that future world?

13. The Interview - Part 2 from 2012-10-27T12:00

OK, everybody, switch chairs. What it's like interviewing job applicants and what might be going on in the interviewer's mind. Strategies for finding gold and diamonds and for avoiding future heada...

12. The Interview - Part 1 from 2012-10-13T12:00

The ins and outs of interviewing for teaching jobs in Japan. So you got called for an interview. Now what?

11. The CV from 2012-09-23T12:00

OK, break's over. Along with a new semester, it's job-hunting season for teachers in Japan. Now's the time to get your CV in the hands of your next boss. First, though, let's take a good look at th...

10. Summer Vacation from 2012-08-18T12:00

Summer Vacation is finally here - now what? Tony and Charles talk about how not to waste another one.

8. Grading from 2012-07-21T12:00

The art and science of grading. A peek into the out-of-control kitchen where student grades get cooked up. Not for the faint of heart.

6. Mid-Semester Blues from 2012-06-23T12:00

Relief from the mid-semester blues for you and your students. Or, Tony and Charles bitch incessantly about the weather.

4. Losing It from 2012-05-26T12:00

What happens when you exhaust the last drop of patience in the classroom.

3. Walking on Water (when you can't even swim) from 2012-05-12T12:00

What to do when you're asked to do the impossible.

1. Survivors of Week One from 2012-04-28T12:00:21

Surviving week one. Only fourteen to go. Tony and Charles talk about the beginning of the semester and the mistakes they won't make next time.

Introduction from 2012-04-21T12:00

Two seasoned university English language teachers in Japan get together to discuss their craft, their mistakes, and their confusion...having the most fun possible in under an hour.