Introduction

Part of the challenge in becoming better at a job is getting to know the range of tools available, what they're called, how they work, when and how to use them wisely and how to look after them. In this chapter I'll look at some of a teacher's tools of the trade.

I will start by diagramming the sorts of tools normally available in schools or collected privately by experienced teachers. I'll consider what sort of things we need to know about them and run through these with some example teaching aids, such as the dictionary, the board, rods, a pack of pictures and music tapes. I'll next give some tips on how to look after the messier sorts of material, although most teachers' desks are inevitably in a bit of a tangle, in my experience! As the most important teaching and learning aid for many people is the coursebook, I'll devote the second part of this chapter to it, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of using one and suggesting a way of finding out what's really in the coursebook and not just what coursebook writers tell us is in it! I'll finish that section by providing some generic activity types for use with any coursebook. Incidentally, this will provide a review and extension of work done in Chapter 2. Don't worry if you haven't read Chapter 2 though, as this chapter will stand on its own.