YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE

By: Carlos Gontow

In the movie “Xanadu” Olivia Newton-John sings the song “Magic”. Watch this clip, read the lyrics below and sing along:

Magic
(by John Farrar)

Come take my hand
You should know me
I’ve always been in your mind
You know I will be kind
I’ll be guiding you

Building your dream
Has to start now
There’s no other road to take
You won’t make a mistake
I’ll be guiding you

You have to believe we are magic
Nothing can stand in our way
You have to believe we are magic
Don’t let your aim ever stray
And if all your hopes survive
Destiny will arrive
I’ll bring all your dreams alive for you
I’ll bring all your dreams alive for you

From where I stand
You are home free
The planets align so rare
There’s promise in the air
And I’m guiding you

Through every turn I’ll be near you
I’ll come anytime you call
I’ll catch you when you fall
I’ll be guiding you

You have to believe we are magic
Nothing can stand in our way
You have to believe we are magic
Don’t let your aim ever stray
And if all your hopes survive
Destiny will arrive
I’ll bring all your dreams alive for you
I’ll bring all your dreams alive for you

   Although this is supposed to be a love song, it is really perfect for us, English teachers. And by the way, teaching is an act of love, too, isn’t it?

I have been a teacher for almost 25 years. And I really think that teaching requires a lot of believing! We have to believe we are magic. And we have to believe our students can make magic. Do you believe that?

I do believe my students can learn. And I do believe that I can teach. Unfortunately, I see a lot of teachers who don’t believe in their students. I see a lot of teachers who speak Portuguese in class. They say, “If I speak only English, my students won’t understand me.” Of course they won’t – at first. But if you keep speaking English, eventually they will understand. In fact, this was the way they’ve learned their native language – by listening to people who spoke to them. If they could learn then, they can learn now. You just have to believe.

When you start speaking Portuguese in class, you’re sending your students the message “I don’t believe you can understand English.” And students get that. If you show them you believe they can learn, they will. And you are there to hold their hands, to guide them, and to catch them when they fall.

I believe that when teachers don’t believe their students can learn, what really happens is that teachers don’t believe in themselves. They don’t believe they can teach. But you can do this. You have to believe in yourself, too.

Many teachers believe that students can only learn English if they go to a language school. They don’t believe students can learn in regular schools. And this is true many times. And it’s true because teachers don’t believe it can happen. On the other hand, there are lots of students who learn English in regular schools. Do you know why they learn? Because their teachers believe they can learn. And because their teachers believe they can teach.

I’ve been giving a lot of workshops to English teachers all around Brazil and I meet a lot of very motivated teachers who do their best so that their students can learn. They believe in themselves and they believe in their students. And this makes all the difference!

Can things change? Of course they can! We just have to believe!

You have to believe we are magic
Nothing can stand in our way
You have to believe we are magic
Don’t let your aim ever stray
And if all your hopes survive
Destiny will arrive

I believe things can be different! And if you believe that, too, one day they will!

We just have to believe!