In this segment of Teacher Real Talk, Farnaz and Danny (MEd, Adult Education and Community Development) explore the idea of “neutrality” in the language classroom. Reflecting on the impact of political crises, including what’s happening in Iran and Gaza, they talk about how real-world events show up in very real ways for students and colleagues in ESL and EAP programs, raising broader questions about the role of language education in moments of political tension and whether staying silent in the classroom truly serves our learners.
Woven throughout the conversation are reflections on teacher identity (how who we are shapes how we show up) and the importance of approaching teaching and learning with care and intentionality. Danny also shares how mindfulness practices have influenced his approach to teaching, offering ways to slow down, create space for reflection, and remain grounded when complex or emotional topics arise.
EAL = English as an Additional Language
ESL= English as a Second Language
EAP= English for Academic Purposes
Danny McGee (MEd) has been teaching English and training teachers across the private and college sector for over 20 years. For the past decade, he has predominantly been working in English for Academic Purposes (EAP). He has a keen interest in mindfulness, which has become integrated into both his personal and professional life. He would like to pursue further how mindfulness can benefit both teachers and students inside and outside the classroom.
Danny's Instagram: mindful_teacherdanny
Resources shared by Danny:
ELLLO (Listening Lesson Library: https://www.elllo.org/
SKELL (examples, collocations and thesaurus
for learners of English): https://skell.sketchengine.eu/#home?lang=en
News in Levels (World News for Students of English): https://www.newsinlevels.com/
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English: https://www.ldoceonline.com/
www.learningoffthesyllabus.com
Instagram: @learningoffthesyllabus
Email: learningoffthesyllabus@gmail.com
Theme music:
Periscope by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Artist: http://audionautix.com/