Alice In Methodologyland

01/08/2025

We rarely post these days, but today we are here to put a comment on blast.

We are appalled and physically disgusted by the comment of a fellow educator on one of our guest posts where he used a slur commonly used to describe disabled people in the comments just because he found our article unsatisfactory.

As Poppy Alexopoulou said in her guest post:
Here comes a completely honest, CELTA review from personal experience, along with some tips if you are struggling to decide if you'd like to take the course or not!

A colleague signed JK (full name Jeff Knox, said the following about her article:)

------- This was the most useless babbling I’ve ever witnessed. Nothing useful at all. Just non-stop exclamation marks. Next time give real information. Tell people SOMETHING about the course. It’s hard to believe that so much spazzy fluff can come out of a single person.-------

We wonder if this colleague of ours would use a disgusting slur used to describe disabled people (spazzy) if he knew we can actually see his full name when he comments.

NOW, we could have EASILY deleted this comment.

We choose not to.
We choose to come in and blast it.
Why?

Because we are a group of educated teachers who love children.
Because we have worked with and advocated for children with special needs.
Because Alice, the founder of our nonprofit, is a parent of a child with autism who has tics and stereotypical moves that our colleague JK would describe as ''spazzy''.

THE CONCLUSION IS: CALL IT OUT.
CALL OUT ANY KIND OF SLURS YOU SEE THE MOMENT YOU SEE THEM.
DO NOT IGNORE THEM.
IGNORING MAKES IT OK TO SAY IT.

EDUCATE.
TEACH.
DO NOT BE AN ABLEIST.

------- Here is our reply to his comment:

As we are not ones to hide comments, we want to confirm your comment and let it be on the website, even though we consider it extremely rude.

A colleague has shared her personal experience on how the whole process impacted her as a professional. It was said in the title. It was a review, not a guide.

We never said this would be a guide with technical information, or technical steps on the course.

We believe that it’s important to also hear how such courses impact educators on a personal level, and not just from a technical, certification standpoint.

Also, we would like to discourage you from using a slur used to describe disabled people (spazz) as an educator.

A link with the screenshot of your comment is added here in case it gets edited after our reply. https://aliceinmethodologyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Screenshot_48.jpg

Thank you for your comment, and please next time consider the tone and the context of the post before commenting.

Here's the link to Poppy's article (the unfortunate comment is in the bottom)
! https://aliceinmethodologyland.com/2020/09/20/celta-review-a-path-to-self-awareness-experience-tips/
Thank you for pouring your heart and soul telling us how the whole path to CELTA changed you once again Poppy Alexopoulou

Not everything is about information.
Sometimes it's about how we feel in our skin as teachers too.

Explore this article about the CELTA Review: A Path to Self-awareness (+Experience & Tips) to learn more about how does CELTA look like!

03/10/2024

This week in our TEFL courses rubric is all about the financial part of the program.
As an authorized training TEFL center, our goal is to support the working of our non-profit, while also providing heavily discounted and accredited TEFL certification in a blended program in Novi Sad, Serbia.

📢 Here is how our pricing model works. 📢

✨✨✨ALL OF THE COURSES Have a 30% discount off the current retail price on the BRIDGE website, which means that in our blended course, you get 30% on top of the discount on the website for the online portion of the course.

✨✨✨ The face-to-face module in Novi Sad, Serbia can be paid in 6 installments after the online course completion to make it easier for teachers to attend and divide the expense.

Send us a DM if you’d like a detailed guidebook on our joint courses (including the time frame, plan, as well as pricing) - we will be dropping everything in your inbox if you are our email subscriber.

💥Here comes the direct link to the website page with more information💥

https://aliceinmethodologyland.com/bridge-in-methodologyland-accredited-tefl-certification/

02/10/2024

Welcome to another online ESL activity feature!

This week’s free game is related to school to give you a fun review of September's back-to-school vocabulary.
With this easy digital activity, you can:

-Play as a whole class activity where students line up on your digital whiteboard to tap on one and then go back to the line.

-Play individually to warm up or relax at the end of the class.

-Play in pairs as a form of HOT POTATO game where they use one phone, quickly answer one question and then give the phone to their seating partner to continue the game.

This week, we will try to catch the flying classroom supplies!

⭐ pencil

⭐ desk

⭐ trash can

⭐ notebook

⭐ pencil case

⭐ ruler

⭐ board

⭐ pencil sharpener

⭐ lunch box

⭐ textbook

⭐ glue

⭐ scissors

⭐ markers

⭐ watercolors

⭐ brush

⭐ paper clip

⭐ colored paper

Let us know if you tried out this game in your classroom - we’d love to see some photos!

💥Here comes the direct link to our freebie digital game!💥

https://wordwall.net/play/76622/862/671

01/10/2024

Welcome to Tuesday's rubric, where you can check out a summary of our featured blog post in 150 words!

🌍 "Elementary, My Dear Watson! Planning Green Lessons for Very Young Learners" by Owain Llewellyn offers a compelling guide for educators looking to introduce environmental education to very young learners (VYLs). The article highlights the importance of integrating green themes into early childhood education, providing practical tips on how to craft engaging, eco-friendly lessons that resonate with young minds. From incorporating storytelling and hands-on activities to fostering a love for nature, Llewellyn emphasizes the need for creativity and careful planning in making sustainability a core part of early education. The article also shares resources and lesson ideas that make it easy for teachers to start implementing green lessons in their classrooms. Perfect for educators passionate about nurturing the next generation of environmentally conscious individuals, this post is a must-read for anyone looking to make a positive impact through education. 🌱

If you have five minutes to read it, let us know what you think about it!

💥Here comes the link to our post 👇

https://aliceinmethodologyland.com/2022/04/13/elementary-my-dear-watson-planning-green-lessons-for-vyl-by-owain-llewellyn/

30/09/2024

Hello, Monday!

We had a bit of a break in our nonprofit and now we are back, starting our posting from scratch with some fun posting rubrics!
Monday will be the day to share different kinds of FREE websites that you can use in your classroom.

We are not talking about digital tools - we are talking about different kinds of interesting websites to use to make NO PREP activities, have fun warm-ups, and also create a collection of activities for fast finishers.

The fourth website this school year is EMOJIPEDIA, and here is how you can use it in your classroom.

1️⃣ Create your own emoji - Have students design their own emoji that represents an emotion, object, or idea. They can easily download a png of that emoji or even copy it to use it in online games AS REAL EMOJI EVEN THOUGH IT OFFICIALLY DOES NOT EXIST. Afterward, students can write a short explanation or sentence about what their emoji represents, practicing descriptive writing.

2️⃣ Emoji stories - Students can use emojis from Emojipedia to create short stories. They can copy and paste a sequence of emojis and then write a corresponding story or sentence for each one. The website has a search bar so they can search whatever they need.

3️⃣ Create emoji rebuses like we did in the game we will share tomorrow (keep your eyes peeled on our posts and stories!

💥 Here comes the direct link for this week's featured free website 💥

https://emojipedia.org/

Let us know if you like the website, and how did you use it in your classroom! We’d love to see photos and screenshots!

26/09/2024

This week in our TEFL courses rubric is all about sharing what kind of blended courses can you take as a teacher in Serbia!
As an authorized training TEFL center, our goal is to support the working of our non-profit, while also providing heavily discounted and accredited TEFL certification in a blended program in Novi Sad, Serbia.

📢 Here are the blended TEFL courses you can attend in Novi Sad, Serbia.📢

1️⃣ 150-Hour Bridge International Diploma in English Language Teaching (IDELTOnline™) (6 Credits - 12 CEUs)

2️⃣ 120-Hour Bridge Master TEFL / TESOL Certificate (6 Credits - 12 CEUs)

3️⃣ 100-Hour Introductory EducatorPlus Certificate (10 CEUs)

4️⃣ 60-Hour Introductory Educator Certificate - (6 CEUs)

(The descriptions of the courses are too long, so please scroll through our carousel post.)

Send us a DM if you’d like a detailed guidebook on our joint courses (including the time frame, plan, as well as pricing) - we will be dropping everything in your inbox if you are our email subscriber.

💥Here comes the direct link to the website page with more information💥

https://aliceinmethodologyland.com/bridge-in-methodologyland-accredited-tefl-certification/

25/09/2024

Welcome to another online ESL activity feature!

This week’s free game is related to discussing outdoor activities we can do while the weather is nice/in summer.

In this vocabulary maze chase game a student needs to:

😎 Read the word correctly.

😎 Find the matching picture in the maze.

😎 Run to the word and gather as many points as possible before the time runs out, while avoiding enemies.

😎 Practice directions in a real-life context (up, down, left, right) very quickly while navigating!

How would you use this game in your classroom?

💥Here comes the direct link to our featured free game of the week💥

https://wordwall.net/play/76622/892/514

Let us know if you like the game, we would LOVE to see some classroom pictures!

24/09/2024

Welcome to Tuesday's rubric, where you can check out a summary of our featured blog post in 150 words!

📚 "Top 5 Challenges When Teaching English to Very Young Learners Online and How to Overcome Them" addresses the unique obstacles educators face when teaching English to very young learners (VYLs) in an online environment. The article highlights key challenges, such as keeping young students engaged, managing short attention spans, and fostering meaningful interactions through a screen. It also provides practical strategies for overcoming these hurdles, including using interactive digital tools, incorporating movement and play into lessons, and building strong routines. By focusing on these solutions, the article empowers educators to create more effective and enjoyable online learning experiences for their youngest ESL students. Whether you're new to teaching VYLs online or looking to refine your approach, this article offers valuable insights to help you succeed in the virtual classroom. 🎓

If you have five minutes to read it, let us know what you think about it!

Here comes the direct link to our featured article! 👇

https://aliceinmethodologyland.com/2022/10/13/top-5-challenges-when-teaching-english-to-very-young-learners-online-and-how-to-overcome-them/

23/09/2024

Hello, Monday!

We had a bit of a break in our nonprofit and now we are back, starting our posting from scratch with some fun posting rubrics!
Monday will be the day to share different kinds of FREE websites that you can use in your classroom.

We are not talking about digital tools - we are talking about different kinds of interesting websites to use to make NO PREP activities, have fun warm-ups, and also create a collection of activities for fast finishers.

The third website this school year is PAINT WITH TEXT CALLINGRAM CREATOR, and here is how you can use it in your classroom.

The creator lets you paint smaller and bigger letters, change colors, and input your own text to paint with.

Vocabulary art - Have students create calligrams using new vocabulary words. They can choose a shape that represents the word (e.g., a tree for the word "forest") and then fill it with the word repeated multiple times.

Self-portrait calligrams - Ask students to write a short paragraph about themselves, then use the Calligram Creator to shape the text into a silhouette of something they love (like a favorite animal or hobby).

Storytelling with shapes - After reading a story or passage, students can create a calligram that represents a key element of the story (e.g., the main character or a significant object). They can fill the shape with important words or sentences from the text, reinforcing comprehension and summary skills.

Grammar in shapes - Focus on a specific grammar point, such as adjectives or verbs. Students can create calligrams by writing sentences or phrases that use the target grammar. For example, a student might create a sun shape filled with sentences using the present simple tense.

💥 Here comes the direct link to our selected free website of the week 💥

https://paint.toys/calligram/

Let us know if you like the website, and how did you use it in your classroom! We’d love to see photos and screenshots!

19/09/2024

🌟 Last week we dropped the bomb on you and we announced our blended TEFL certification programs with Bridge Education.

Together with Bridge Education, we want to offer you top-tier, accredited TEFL certification programs that are designed to fit your needs.

In case you missed the news, we are now AN OFFICIALLY AUTHORIZED TEFL CENTER IN SERBIA!

Our goal is to support the working of our non-profit, while also providing heavily discounted and accredited TEFL certification in a blended program that hasn’t existed in Serbia yet!

📢 What is an authorized training TEFL center? 📢

An authorized training center is a registered, legal institution that collaborates with Bridge by expanding their online TEFL courses and diplomas and providing localization — face-to-face training designed to fit the specific participant's needs and a teaching practicum. This makes the TEFL training very similar to university education in Serbia — after completing the theoretical part of the course, the participants also need to complete practical activities.

✨ The blended TEFL program in Serbia is officially open, and we are now accepting teachers for the first round of the program. ✨

Send us a DM if you’d like a detailed guidebook on our joint courses (including the time frame, plan, as well as the pricing) - we will be dropping everything in your inbox if you are our email subscriber.

💥Here comes the direct link to the website page with more information💥

https://aliceinmethodologyland.com/bridge-in-methodologyland-accredited-tefl-certification/

18/09/2024

Welcome to another online ESL activity feature!

This week’s free game is related to school to give you a fun warm-up to your English class.

With this easy digital activity, you can:

-Play as a whole class activity where students line up on your digital whiteboard to tap on one and then go back to the line.

-Play individually to warm up or relax at the end of the class.

-Play in pairs as a form of HOT POTATO game where they use one phone, quickly answer one question, and then give the phone to their seating partner to continue the game.

This week, we will try to catch the flying classroom supplies!

⭐ pencil
⭐ desk
⭐ trash can
⭐ notebook
⭐ pencil case
⭐ ruler
⭐ board
⭐ pencil sharpener
⭐ lunch box
⭐ textbook
⭐ glue
⭐ scissors
⭐ markers
⭐ watercolors
⭐ brush
⭐ paper clip
⭐ colored paper

Let us know if you tried out this game in your classroom - we’d love to see some photos!

💥Here comes the direct link to our freebie digital game!💥

https://wordwall.net/play/76622/862/671

17/09/2024

Welcome to Tuesday rubric, where you can check out a summary of our featured blog post in 150 words!

🎉 "Celebrating Birthdays Online: Personalizing English to Motivate Your ESL Students" explores innovative ways to make online ESL lessons more engaging by celebrating students' birthdays. The article emphasizes the importance of personalization in online education, particularly when teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). By incorporating birthday celebrations into lessons, teachers can create a positive and motivating learning environment. The post offers practical tips on how to organize virtual birthday parties, from using digital tools to creating customized activities that align with language goals. It also shares insights on how such celebrations can boost student morale, enhance participation, and strengthen the teacher-student bond. This article is a valuable resource for ESL educators looking to add a personal touch to their online classrooms, ensuring that students feel valued and motivated throughout their language learning journey. 🎂

If you have five minutes to read it, let us know what do you think about it!

💥Here comes the link to our post 👇

https://aliceinmethodologyland.com/2024/01/22/celebrating-birthdays-online-personalizing-english-to-motivate-your-esl-students/