- Little Sir insisting that his stocking was a slipper, wearing it, and wanting the mate
- Yummy delicious fish feast with fresh marinara and filletto di pomodoro
- An amazing puzzle book from DD for Little Sir on the continents...very cool!
- Nothing burned, ruined or forgotten at dinner. (But I did find out that my dad doesn't like calamari...oops. I never knew!)
- No arguments.
- Time to laugh.
- Time to talk.
- No. One Son's gift to Little Sir of Prince Valiant on DVD. Also, very cool!
- 3 gift certificates from students of mine to Starbucks. (Hmmm...now, I have to think of exactly how to order...soooo complicated.)
- DH surprising me with a gift, after we'd agreed to go shopping together after Christmas for each other's gifts.
- Quiet time to read...books of my own choosing, not homework!!!
Now, if only I didn't always have to pay for the good times. Little Sir woke up around 2 a.m. Christmas morning with a rip-roaring fever. Croup turned into an asthmatic episode, nebulizer and all that. Then went into a stomache virus. Night after night of high fevers. Cranky, cry-y, whiny boy, alternately very snuggly cuddly, "I love you"-y.
No more sickness! I declare 2008 the Year of Health!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Benazir Bhutto
I just had the strangest thing happen to me. I opened Yahoo, and the top news story was today's assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Tears filled my eyes as I read.
Who was she, and why is this important? you might ask.
Part of my job as student teacher in the high school placement, was coming up with regular journal assignments for the kids, based on current events. I had them write about natural disasters in the news, and other things, trying to find stories relevant to their lives here and back home.
My last assignment to them was on women world leaders. I gave them brief bios on Hillary R. Clinton, Angela Merkel, Michelle Bachelet, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Benazir Bhutto...all very intelligent, politically powerful women, all very significant on the world scene. In writing these bios, I had to do a lot of research, then boil it down to bite-sized pieces, on 4 different levels (differentiated instruction.) I learned a lot about them, and gained new respect for each.
This morning, when I read the headlines, I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach. This woman, educated in Harvard and Oxford, former prime minister of her country, following in her assassinated father's footsteps, with so much to say, and so much yet to do, recently returned from self-imposed exile, who knew she may be killed for coming back, did so anyway, for the betterment of her Pakistan People's Party, and for her people.
And now she's dead.
You see, 6 months ago, she was barely more than just another name in the news to me. But, in becoming an ESL teacher, I am learning in order to teach my students, to make them more knowledgeable about so much more than just English. I am growing as a person, discovering more about this world of ours, from biology to earth science, geometry to algebra, history to current politics.
Now, I wish I was still in that classroom with those kids so we could have a follow-up lesson on Benazir Bhutto. I hope they remembered what we learned about her, and that when they see or hear her name on the news, it will strike a chord.
So this is what being an ESL teacher is all about, huh?
Who was she, and why is this important? you might ask.
Part of my job as student teacher in the high school placement, was coming up with regular journal assignments for the kids, based on current events. I had them write about natural disasters in the news, and other things, trying to find stories relevant to their lives here and back home.
My last assignment to them was on women world leaders. I gave them brief bios on Hillary R. Clinton, Angela Merkel, Michelle Bachelet, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Benazir Bhutto...all very intelligent, politically powerful women, all very significant on the world scene. In writing these bios, I had to do a lot of research, then boil it down to bite-sized pieces, on 4 different levels (differentiated instruction.) I learned a lot about them, and gained new respect for each.
This morning, when I read the headlines, I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach. This woman, educated in Harvard and Oxford, former prime minister of her country, following in her assassinated father's footsteps, with so much to say, and so much yet to do, recently returned from self-imposed exile, who knew she may be killed for coming back, did so anyway, for the betterment of her Pakistan People's Party, and for her people.
And now she's dead.
You see, 6 months ago, she was barely more than just another name in the news to me. But, in becoming an ESL teacher, I am learning in order to teach my students, to make them more knowledgeable about so much more than just English. I am growing as a person, discovering more about this world of ours, from biology to earth science, geometry to algebra, history to current politics.
Now, I wish I was still in that classroom with those kids so we could have a follow-up lesson on Benazir Bhutto. I hope they remembered what we learned about her, and that when they see or hear her name on the news, it will strike a chord.
So this is what being an ESL teacher is all about, huh?
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Bogged Down in Paperwork
I just realized it's been over a week since I've posted anything. I had no idea how time consuming all this certification paper-processing could be. Just when you think you're finished, there's another stack to deal with. Ugh. I just want to clear off my desk already! I have company coming!
My last day of student teaching at Sachem High School East was yesterday. I have some nice photos, and the kids gave me a card that they all signed, and a gift certificate to the teacher supply store. (I also got a Starbuck's gift certificate from Secret Santa!)
I am soooo glad it's over. All in all, both my placements (elementary and secondary) went pretty smoothly, and I met some great professional people and some pretty cool kids, too. There are some who are ESL success stories...like little Vietnamese Tracy who came in 9th grade not speaking a word of English. Now, she's out of ESL, in 12th grade, and taking AP Chemistry and other challenging stuff. She's on her way to a medical career.
But there are others, SIFE kids, mostly, (Students with Interrupted Formal Education) who came with little or no prior educational experience. Some of these are just biding their time in school, bewildered by the work, wishing they were elsewhere. The system as it is now is not doing them any favors. Take the Regents? Are you kidding? Why not just give them a trade...anything...so they can function in the real world.
As in any career, there are real frustrations, and rewarding moments, too. I'm glad I've landed in this profession, and trust I'll have a full-time job soon. Until then, I have time to reconnect with people and catch up on my life. I also have to prepare for the April TESOL convention, where I am going to be a presenter (ugh.)
Happy Holidays, everybody. I hope 2008 is wonderful for all of us!
My last day of student teaching at Sachem High School East was yesterday. I have some nice photos, and the kids gave me a card that they all signed, and a gift certificate to the teacher supply store. (I also got a Starbuck's gift certificate from Secret Santa!)
I am soooo glad it's over. All in all, both my placements (elementary and secondary) went pretty smoothly, and I met some great professional people and some pretty cool kids, too. There are some who are ESL success stories...like little Vietnamese Tracy who came in 9th grade not speaking a word of English. Now, she's out of ESL, in 12th grade, and taking AP Chemistry and other challenging stuff. She's on her way to a medical career.
But there are others, SIFE kids, mostly, (Students with Interrupted Formal Education) who came with little or no prior educational experience. Some of these are just biding their time in school, bewildered by the work, wishing they were elsewhere. The system as it is now is not doing them any favors. Take the Regents? Are you kidding? Why not just give them a trade...anything...so they can function in the real world.
As in any career, there are real frustrations, and rewarding moments, too. I'm glad I've landed in this profession, and trust I'll have a full-time job soon. Until then, I have time to reconnect with people and catch up on my life. I also have to prepare for the April TESOL convention, where I am going to be a presenter (ugh.)
Happy Holidays, everybody. I hope 2008 is wonderful for all of us!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Done With Grad School!
Yippee! Yay! (You may now envision me singing and dancing.) Last night I had my very last grad. school seminar class at Stony Brook, to finish this degree for certification to teach ESL. I feel like a tremendous weight has been taken off my shoulders. There is still a ton and a half of paperwork to do, things to process, official errands to run, blah blah blah, but one really big item has been crossed off The List.
Graduation is Sunday. It's probably strange, but that ceremony and all the pomp and circumstance does not mean nearly as much to me as the little get-together I had with my friends and co-survivors last night, AND that little piece of paper that's coming really soon saying that I am certified! (no...not certifiable...)
this is me heaving a great big sigh of relief...
Graduation is Sunday. It's probably strange, but that ceremony and all the pomp and circumstance does not mean nearly as much to me as the little get-together I had with my friends and co-survivors last night, AND that little piece of paper that's coming really soon saying that I am certified! (no...not certifiable...)
this is me heaving a great big sigh of relief...
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Fact For The Day
Just when I thought I was caught up with the latest in whether-it's-a-planet-or-not, I learned something new in our first issue of National Geographic Kids magazine. Here goes... the order of the planets now includes 3 dwarf planets (Ceres, Pluto, and Eris.) Here is the official order:
Mercury Venus Earth Mars Ceres Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto Eris
They're having a contest for a slogan (mnemonic device) to help us remember them. They've suggested
My Very Excellent Mother Can Jump Slowly Under Nelly's Plastic Elephant.
Enter the slogan contest at kids.nationalgeographic.com, and click on planet contest.
Mercury Venus Earth Mars Ceres Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto Eris
They're having a contest for a slogan (mnemonic device) to help us remember them. They've suggested
My Very Excellent Mother Can Jump Slowly Under Nelly's Plastic Elephant.
Enter the slogan contest at kids.nationalgeographic.com, and click on planet contest.
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