Hi Sapna , You run a successful educational blog , called THE TEACHING COVE . What makes it different from the other blogs ?
The Teaching Cove is unique in that it connects English teachers and educators to three types of free resources - teaching resources , organizational hacks and motivational tips . My free printables library is updated monthly with resources I have blogged about . Also , I email out a downloadable Motivational Monday poster every week , which I make with travel photography I ' ve taken and my favourite quotes . Rather than simply provide downloadable resources like many English teaching websites , I run a blog that helps teachers understand how to use my resources to best benefit their students . You can sign up for my free printables library at www . teachingcove . com . I ' d love to have you as part of my community !
What tips would you give to new educational bloggers ?
Be yourself - make sure your unique voice shines through so readers understand who you are . Also , be sure to research the business side of running a blog . I have degrees in business , teaching and applied linguistics , so this comes naturally to me , but there are a lot of educators who miss this when trying to monetize their blogs .
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Image Credit : Sapna Sehgal
In fact , I ' m planning to create a video course in the near future to help teachers and educators learn marketing principles to help them grow their businesses and websites . I ' m also working on a course to help teachers learn to run a profitable tutoring business as a side job , since many English teachers around the world have part-time jobs and / or wish to supplement their income .
Tell us about the e-books you are working on at the moment .
I ' m working on two e-books at the moment . The first one will feature 25 TED Talks and Documentaries your students will love - with complete lesson plans , follow up activities and instructions on how to run the classes .
My second e-book will be more of a lesson planning package . It will include my trusty spreadsheets and planning documents to make it easy for English teachers to manage their classroom or individual tutoring planning . Of course , I ' ll include a guide on how to adapt my resources to best suit your students ' levels .
This issue of INSPIRATION- AL ENGLISH explores the different aspects of LOVE . What do you love about teaching English ?
I love helping people reach their goals . It ' s so motivating to see my students go from one level to the next - and pass difficult exams like the Cambridge Advanced or First Certificate , so they can better their careers . Often , I see native English speakers who struggle with essay writing , too . Soon , they are able to write incredible essays , which makes me happy ! I ' m also quite creative , so I like being able to use that skill to make learning fun .
You believe that “ we can reach our goals ”. How do you encourage your students to reach theirs ?
Well , first of all , we set goals together . My Goal Setting printables are in The Teaching Cove ’ s free resource library , so you can all use it , too ! Next , we make sure goals are SMART - specific , measurable , achievable , realistic , and timely . Then , we monitor progress together throughout the semester .
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