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Classroom Techniques: Passion for Life!

Galina Ceban (Moldova)

Teachers of English as a foreign language need to create a pleasant atmosphere in the classroom and awaken students’ interests. I suggest the use of drawings. The following activity makes all the pupils very active, even those who are usually shy and feel uncomfortable if they make mistakes, because it gets them involved in thinking about the beautiful things in life.

First, get the class in the right mood when you begin the lesson by telling them you are very glad to see them healthy, strong, and happy. Life may be difficult at times, but in class you are not going to talk about problems. Start a conversation about the beautiful things in life such as love, happiness, and family. Tell them what life means for you. For example, you could say that life is like a one-way street or a train that never comes back. You could also use a quotation such as “Life is a party. We join it after it is started and leave it before it is finished.” After a brief class discussion, have the pupils read the following poem “Life” by Mother Teresa. I ask my secondary students to learn the poem by heart.

Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is costly, care for it.
Life is wealth, keep it.
Life is mystery, know it.
Life is love, enjoy it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.

Working individually or in pairs, they choose their favorite line from the poem and create a drawing to illustrate the line. They will need materials such as paper, colored markers, and paints. They can also cut photos from magazines and glue them into their illustrations.

We want our pupils to be able to communicate with each other, and people outside the classroom, in socially acceptable ways. Using this poem and creating a drawing about it can help them share their passion for life.

Galina Ceban is a secondary school English teacher in Balti, Moldova. There are several examples of her students’ illustrations of the poem on the inside of the cover in this issue.

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