Sometimes I hate English textbooks. They are like… diarrhea to me XD Some of the chapters can be really boring and tedious, but if they are in the exam syllabus, you still have to teach them. So what I’ll do is to pick the important language focus, find some other similar but more interesting text and teach in my own way.
But there are also times that textbooks may reduce teacher’s preparation time. For example, this new chapter (Lele Chp 4) is a play about Noah ( a brand new story about Noah building a space ark as the Earth was so polluted by humans. The animals were expressing their grief and anger and would like to leave Noah on the Earth instead.) The plot is fine. Students can learn the features of a play script and also practise oral English by act out the play/Reader’s Theatre.
Reader’s Theatre is our choice for we are so used to do it in the lesson and it saves time. I picked different gps of students to come out and perform. Some students are reluctant to speak in front of the class. I will assign them to do some minor roles to make sure that they at least take some parts in the activity.
Some performance of my kids (The latter gps are always better because they learnt from the first few gps)
Mrs Janet Ngai's Blog 
Yesterday I observed a reading lesson taught by an experienced teacher. The passage, which was about funny invented gadgets, didn’t click with the students. Despite the teacher’s experience and effort, the students never really engaged in the reading.
Yet, it was a passage that the teacher had to cover, because it was in the textbook, and which in effect was part of the teaching programme.
When I was a school teacher, I seldom touched the textbook, because I thought my own ideas made much more interesting teaching materials. I often asked: What are we teaching? Are we teaching English, or are we ‘teaching the textbook’? If the former, then why must I follow the textbook?
I’m glad that in those days, I had the autonomy to use my own teaching materials, and the time to design my own learning resources. It gave me a lot of professional satisfaction.
But today, teachers are up to their eyes with one thousand and one things waiting for their attention. Very often, the only thing they can do is to follow the textbook, slavishly.
After a while, they become ‘deskilled’, and they lose the opportunties to experience professional growth and pride.
Keep it up, Janet.
I wish teachers could only focus on teaching, which is impossible nowadays.Each class is so unique that no textbook can suit everyone’s needs.However, some parents may complain that we are wasting their money for not “using the textbook”. I’m just glad that we can finally use a ‘better’ textbook this year.
Thanks, Paul. I’ll try my best!