When the science teacher got into the classroom, the students were looking through the window. It was spring time and there were tons of butterflies flying over the school garden. During his explanation a butterfly entered the classroom and the students started laughing or screaming, trying to fight it off. After a few minutes of interruption, the teacher started over, but the butterfly flew into the classroom again.

It happened several times, and the teacher became angry, asked the students to pay attention but they kept interrupting and laughing every time the butterfly flew into the classroom. In the middle of the class the teacher lost his temper, yelled at some students, gave others a lecture. Then he noticed a group of students blatantly defying him, getting up and fighting the butterfly off with their notebooks with the clear intention of messing things up.

He asked the students to leave the classroom; later they were sent to the director�s room and their parents were called to come to the school.

When the Portuguese teacher went into the classroom, the students had returned from the director�s office but they didn�t tell her anything. She started her class and just in the middle of the first explanation the butterfly flew into the classroom again.

The students looked at it, laughed or screamed, trying to get rid of it. The teacher noticed the students� interest, so she started asking questions: do you like it? Why is it here? Where did it come from? Would you like to guess? Please, take your notebooks and write about these questions: Does she think? Why does she enter here all the time? Does she want to study? Does she like you? What do you think? What�s its intention coming here? Answer these questions in your book, and the more creative or funny will win a prize. Let�s have a competition.

She got many interesting answers and very good compositions from her students that day. The students were involved and enthusiastic during the whole class and they did a great job. And while they were writing, they came to her to ask about grammar and vocabulary because they did want to win the competition.

The second teacher was my aunt. She taught Portuguese during 35 years and she was a wonderful teacher in her students� opinion, of course.  She�s not among us anymore but I learned a lot from her. And before every class I ask myself how she taught me to do: �How will I do it: the easy way or the hard way?�

I hope I can use the students� interests in order to teach them, and that I teach with them, and not against them. I want neither to throw the knowledge on their faces nor force it into their throats, heads or ears. I really expect they learn because they want or like to.

It �s like one wise person wrote (sorry, I don �t remember who exactly): If it it easy for a teacher to teach, it is difficult for his pupils to learn and vice versa. I think all teachers who come to this site are eager to do everything possible to make education easier and more fun)))))))))))))))))))