DoS Parents Meeting Topics List This will almost certainly change many times.

May 29th 30th Questions and Answers Ill answer the questions I received from parents and hopefully receive more questions. This will help me plan future meetings. I will also introduce our new summer courses more thoroughly. June 6th 7th Materials Ill bring examples of our books and our Teachers Guides. I will show parents how teachers plan lessons and how we decide what our target language for a lesson is going to be. Well discuss why I do not sing and dance in class. We will also discuss why we do not use P-E-P or Super Kids or New Interchange. June 13th 14th Methodology Why does one student do well in English class where another fails? Why do some students learn English from listening to the radio while others live abroad and learn nothing? June 20th 21st Foreign Teachers It isnt that we have foreign teachers. Its how we use them. Too many schools boast having a Canadian! An American! Six Australians! but never mention their credentials or training or skills. We have a stable team of foreign teachers who we actively encourage to challenge and push students. Its who they are dedicated teachers not what they are foreigners. June 27th 28th Placement Tests How can we assure a homogenous group? What are the benefits and problems with grouping students based on merit? Why are six year olds in classes with ten year olds? Why are four year olds in classes with seven year olds? Why is it that when I place a student in TB2B I see him in my TB4B class and then again in Real English 6 and then 8? Language must be intelligible to be useful.

Renato Ganoza for EF Zhengzhou, 2009