Some time ago on this blog I referred to some pearls of wisdom I've been picking up from reading Terry Brooks' Lessons from a Writing Life: Sometimes the Magic Works.
In that book, Brooks outlines 10 rules for good writing that have worked for him as an author of fantasy fiction, and - being a language teacher - it amazes me how many of them apply to good teaching as well.
Brooks' Rule #4 is a particularly good one:
Movement equals growth; growth equals change; without change, nothing happens
It's so true, isn't it?
So, remember to always make sure there is movement of some kind happening in your teaching life.
It could well involve physical movement (Jeremy Harmer's suggestion to teach standing up if you're accustomed to teaching whilst seated is one that readily springs to mind, as does the one from PELT where he explores the benefits of shifting seating models within the classroom), including even moving to a new job in a new place to teach new kinds of courses to new students.
But even in your day-to-day job there are more opportunities for movement. Trying new materials or techniques, experimenting with technology in the classroom, or adapting the roles of teachers and students.
But keep moving!
A day without movement of some sort is a day potentially wasted.
Beyond the importance of movement for growth and change, it's a constant challenge to make sure that 'nothing happens' doesn't happen...
:-)
