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Anandi Vara was trained in teaching English in Kathmandu, Nepal before teaching at a monastery in Pokhara. There she taught students ranging from six to 10 years of age, both in groups and individually. Here she reveals the lessons she learned during her time there?�C including how to avoid being perturbed by a cockroach attack.

Whatever you do: don��t freak out

It just makes everything worse. It��s easy for things to get overwhelming �C a sense that can be made worse by the feeling of homesickness, especially if it��s your first time living abroad �C but thinking rationally, and getting to the source of what��s causing the worry, usually helps. It��s important, as you don't want to share your fear in lessons because you��re the teacher and need to show confidence.

This was, however, tested to the limit when I had a cockroach dangled in front of my face. It took all my strength to stay calm. I gave an unimpressed look, thereby establishing myself as the figure of authority, which seemed to work.

Be aware of cultural traditions

It is important to remember that every country has its own traditions. I was teaching in a monastery, so I made sure to wear respectful clothing, even in the face of soaring temperatures. The more I learned about the Tibetan culture, the more fascinated I became by it. The students taught me how to write my name in Tibetan and the meaning behind it. I learned about Tibetan history and Tibetan culture.

I also found that the more I showed willingness to learn about the Tibetan culture, the more I bonded with the students, so that when it was time to teach, the students were more cooperative in lessons, engaging and participating more.

Teaching is two-way learning

There is so much I learned teaching abroad, both in the classroom and out. Making mistakes as you begin is only natural, but it��s whether you can learn from these mistakes that counts. No two students are ever the same so it��s a constant process of learning as you go. As a result, I learned about the environment I was in �C from traditional prayer ceremonies to the Tibetan alphabet?�C and about myself, notably organizational skills and a renewed curiosity about the English language.

Be Flexible

Sometimes it doesn��t matter if you��ve planned your lesson down to the smallest detail �C if it doesn��t take, then it doesn��t take. I was only 10 minutes into a lesson once and I could tell that I was beginning to lose the students�� attention. Not only did it show that they were uninterested, it also distracted me from what I was doing. It was at this point that I threw out my existing plan and tried a whole new lesson: I had the students up on their feet and engaging with each other and, although completely improvised, it was very successful.

Patience is a must

During my one-on-one mentoring session, my student seemed to have no motivation. He wasn��t learning as well as the other students and had therefore given up. No matter what I tried, he refused to cooperate, but I didn��t let it put me off. I kept trying different methods until finally finding one that he responded to. I made sentence structuring into a game. It wasn��t anything fancy and consisted of scraps of paper with words written on them.

Although it took a lot of time to find the right angle, it was worth it because he soon realised that although it might take longer for him to pick things up, he would eventually get there and have a greater sense of accomplishment.

Why did I want to learn English? When I was 9 years old, I became sick of French at home and I decided to go for the "opposite": English. I fell in love with it the moment I started learning. Though I could not see the point in many activities we were asked to do, such as turning affirmative sentences into negative and questions, or transforming conditional statements, I was good at it and hoped that at some point, I would find the meaningfulness of those exercises.

Overcoming challenges in English language learning

I kept on learning English, but the benefits were nowhere to be seen. In my school, classes are monolingual and teachers and students all share the same mother tongue. However, translanguaging was not an option. I even remember being told to forget Spanish, my mother tongue, which was as ridiculous and impossible as asking me to forget I have two legs. Before I finished secondary school, I knew I wanted to take up a career that had English at its core.

From student to teacher: Finding purpose in teaching English

I started the translators programme, but soon I saw that it was teaching that I loved. I changed to that and I have never stopped teaching or learning. All the pieces fell into place as I was asked to use English meaningfully, as I started focusing on meaning rather than on grammar. And I made this big learning insight one of the principles and main pillars of teaching. Some heads of school wondered why I would not follow the coursebook. My answer, since then, has been: I teach students, not a book or a syllabus. Because I was focusing on using English with a purpose �C using it meaningfully �C the results were excellent, and my students were using the language. And they passed the tests they needed to take.

Teaching English with meaning: Moving beyond the coursebook

I used coursebooks, as every other teacher did, but continued to make changes that I thought would be beneficial to my learners. As I taught Didactics at university in the Teacher Education Programme, I was invited by some publishing houses to give feedback on new coursebooks. As I was told, the feedback proved to be useful, and I was asked to start modifying international coursebooks to fit the local context and design booklets to provide what was missing in these adaptations, until I was finally invited to write a series for Argentina.

In all the series I��ve written, my first comment has always been:? ��This is the result of my experience in several different classrooms, with different students from various backgrounds. This is a series by a teacher and for teachers and their learners. The focus is not on teaching, but on what is necessary for students to learn."

Flexibility has always been at the core of these series and my teaching as well. Sometimes students need more work on something, and in the Teacher��s book I included several suggestions for further activities, which I called ��building confidence activities��.

Flexible teaching strategies and confidence-building activities

As I got involved with the GSE, I saw how it can help students learn much better, and how it can support teachers as they help learners. How so? Because it starts with a focus on using English rather than on learning about it, that is, learning about its grammar. I��ve shared my views on it with every colleague I can and it has been the topic of several presentations and national and international conferences. It��s a fantastic resource for both teachers and learners, but also for the wider educational community. When the scales were finally published, I remember thinking, ��Oh my, I was born in the wrong century!��

I am still teaching English �C working at schools as a consultant, designing professional development projects and implementing them, and yes, actually working in classrooms, teaching learners. After many years of teaching English, and still loving it, the best advice I can give is this:

Advice for English teachers

Teachers, we��re blessed in that we do what we love, and despite its challenges and hard times, teaching is absolutely rewarding. Nothing can compare to the expression on a student��s face when they've "got it".

Remember to focus on meaning, help learners become aware of what they already know and set a clear learning path that will keep you and them motivated. The GSE is the best resource and companion for this.

The beginning days of school are both exciting and occasionally nerve-wracking for teachers and students alike. Everyone is adjusting to new faces, routines and a fresh environment. As a teacher, you can help make this shift smooth, inviting and enjoyable. One effective way to achieve this is by using icebreaker activities.

Icebreakers are simple games or activities that help students get to know each other, feel comfortable and start building a positive classroom community. When students feel connected, they are more likely to participate, help each other and enjoy learning. Here are some easy-to-use icebreaker activities and tips for making the beginning of the school year memorable for everyone. Here are just a few ideas for icebreakers you can use in your classroom.