As an experienced English teacher with over nine years of teaching in various educational settings, I currently work at a multicultural music high school. My focus is on teaching English as a foreign language to students aged 15 to 19, where I strive to engage them effectively by linking English with their passion for music.

Recently, I noticed that my students were struggling to distinguish between the past perfect continuous and the past perfect simple, despite previous explanations and exercises. This led me to reflect on the challenges they faced, particularly the lack of practice time due to a heavy curriculum and the length of the exercises, which contributed to their loss of concentration.

During my conversation with Noa, we explored several reasons behind this confusion. It became clear that not only was there insufficient practice time, but also that the length of the exercises might have overwhelmed my students. We discussed how integrating shorter exercises and incorporating music could enhance engagement and motivation in my lessons.

I felt a mix of emotions throughout this process—initially challenged and confused, but ultimately motivated and confident after discussing potential solutions. The realization that using music in various forms could significantly boost student engagement was particularly enlightening.

From our discussion, I committed to implementing shorter exercises and using music in different ways—such as reading about musicians, writing songs using specific grammar forms, and listening to conversations related to music. These strategies will not only help maintain student concentration but also make grammar lessons more relevant and enjoyable.

In conclusion, I am excited about these new approaches and look forward to seeing how they impact my students' learning experiences. As educators, we must continuously adapt our methods to meet our students' needs and interests. By integrating their passions into our teaching practices, we can create a more engaging and effective learning environment.