A Common Sense Decision, by Mara Arias

Most people have heard the phrase ¨common sense¨ at least once in their lifetime. However, its definition may not always be exact. Some may define common sense as rational decisions applied to practical matters. Others may state that common sense involves the knowledge and experience most people already have and which is based on their previous experiences, intuitions, opinions, or beliefs. Some dictionary definitions also use the terms good sense and sound judgment to refer to common sense. Common-sense ideas can be applied in every-day life and especially at schools where both teachers and students frequently need to use their good reasoning.

I clearly remember how boring English classes used to be in high-school. Learning new vocabulary was the most hideous part of it all. New words were introduced in what it seemed to me meaningless exhaustive lists which we had to copy down and then memorize for the following class. What is more, as no context was provided, I was almost always unable to understand how all those words were actually used. Years have passed by since I finished high-school and nowadays I am myself a student- English teacher. A few days ago, I was introducing a new unit in the course pack about frequent-ordinary places in a city. It was then that I had to face an activity in which an endless list of words was given for the students to copy and memorize. Although the situation looked grim I came up with a great idea. Instead of giving my students the type of vocabulary lists that I had hated so much at high-school I would give them the opportunity of naming all those places in a city they did not know or they were interested in learning about.

That was a truly valuable experience. For the first time, students were in charge of drafting a list of new vocabulary items with words they wanted to learn. Therefore, my students were highly motivated to participate in class in order to acquire new knowledge. This activity turned out to be utterly meaningful for them and for myself as well. As I encountered a problem in the classroom, I followed my common sense to solve it. Based on my previous experience, I took a sensible decision and I encouraged my students to become active participants in their own learning.