I was so sore and wiped out all day long I could hardly function. I came home after school, ate lunch, and was in bed by 5:45pm to take a 30 minute nap.
Marianna came into my room to wake me up, knowing I had a private lesson in the city... But I just couldn't get myself up. I felt like a bus hit me (or, more accurately, a mountain had hit me... Over and over and over again... As I crashed into it for five hours straight on Sunday!), and the thought of the hour and a half commute there, an hour and a half of teaching and then another hour and a half commute home was just too overwhelming. I texted Patty to apologize and tell her I had to cancel class and went right back to sleep.
Fourteen hours later, I woke up.
>_<
It's moments like these that make me happy to be me. A normal human would have dragged themselves out of bed, dealt with it, and been exhausted for the rest of the week. But me? I'd banged up my body really badly and it was begging me to give it a break. I knew this would be its last real chance, being that this is my Birthday Week, and so I said to hell with responsibility... I really need to take a night to myself. And I never do that.
Patty wrote that she understood and not to worry about a thing. :)
I love being able to life life as a person surrounded by other real people. In America, I could never just say I wasn't going to a job or a lesson. I'd have no choice but to suck it up or face serious consequences. But here? People still see each other as fellow human beings... And it is really sweet. <3
XOXO
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Day 217: New Student
I got up ridiculously early and (in the spirit of starting off my Birthday Week right) was showered, hair done and cute outfit on long before I even needed to leave for the school bus! ^_^ Hell yeah!
When I got to school, it began to hit me that it was Monday (the day with six classes - half of which are my absolute least favorites)... But moments later I overheard conversation between my coordinator and the head mistress. Apparently, one of the teachers was ill and she needed me to sub for her for the day!! ^_^ YES!!
And so I got to sub for 5th grade for two hours, 6th grade for two hours and then get my Bachi's for an hour in the middle! ^_^ Most amazing Monday schedule ever!
I love being able to nonchalantly implement my own rules when it's my class, and I love being able to treat them with respect and make their lessons more interesting, let them listen to music during study time and let them not copy as much useless crap from into their notebooks as school policy dictates they must. ;)
After school, it was Picasso time (who I'm trying a more Humanistic approach with... Introducing grammar though talking about things he enjoys, rather than drilling him on them... Poor guy just isn't that type of learner, but he definitely is intelligent... Totally not fair). On the way to their place, I mentioned it was my birthday on Thursday. Five minutes before the lesson was done, Picasso's mom called him to the kitchen. Seconds later they were marching down the hall together, singing "Happy Birthday" to me, with a lit candle in a chocolate cookie! ^_^ Um, adorable!!!
She then split the cookie for us and brought us orange Fanta. She also gave me a bag filled with face creams, explaining that her husband worked in the company and so they always had a lot of them around. :) So cute!!!
After Picasso's lesson, I walked down the street a little and headed toward my brand new second lesson on Monday nights. Picasso's mom had given this lady my number right before break, and we had decided on the time then. Turned out, she is the mom of one of Picasso's 3rd grade classmates, and was wanting to improve her oral English skills, and Picasso's mom (and her daughter!) recommended me. ^_^ Adorable. Every time Mrs. White and I had communicated through text message, her daughter had stopped me during class, very business like, to tell me her mother's response, as if feeling she needed to translate for me. It was all super cute!
I didn't know what to expect, but as soon as I got there, I felt very comfortable. The family's chalet had a beautiful stone garden in the front yard - almost like a zen garden - and the inside was very simple but elegant with lots of zen and Indian items all around. It all made sense when, after a few questions, I found out that she is a meditation instructor!! I immediately told her about my mom and (based on the parts she seemed to understand) she thought it was very cool, too!
It was nice to have class with an adult after Picasso, and, actually, now out of my four private lessons, two are with adults! Woohoo! Based on Nacho's English level compared to every single other kid in his class, I know that his mom is getting her money's worth having me there twice a week.
And Picasso... I know that he is very happy to have a teacher that is supportive and fun, rather than telling him he's wrong and bad all the time... So even if his grades don't improve drastically by the end of the year, I still think his mom is getting her money's worth just having an instructor figure in her son' life that is on his side!
Patty studies a ton, and I make sure to give her creative assignments and explanations, which I think makes me a more interesting teacher than another one she could have gotten stuck with. I'm not nearly as structured and organized as most, though... And I desperately hope she is getting her money's worth out of me. But she is very excited for every class and authentically seems to enjoy all the learning and talking to me... And her comfort, confidence and fluidity in speaking has greatly improved... So I think she is?! :)
But with this lady... I'm going to have to think of something. I know that I am supposed to bring structured lessons and whatever, but she already goes to English class for hours a week to read and write and translate... So what she needs is somebody to just talk to and listen to in a casual environment! It was funny talking to her because she could use such complex structures without problem, but then with very basic things, she had no idea. I guess I'll start off slowly and review basic concepts, while talking about everyday life with her...
But man, sometimes I really feel like I cheat these people out of their money! All I do is sit and talk with people and get paid for it. That's ridiculous! But, I guess I would pay somebody who could make me feel 100% comfortable and enthusiastic to practice Portuguese once a week... If they could really get me talking and making sense... That'd be way worth it. Maybe this is how psychologists feel? Haha. Only they charge WAY more than I do! ;)
Anyway, the whole hour Mrs. White kept asking me to correct her. Finally, towards the end I told her that I didn't believe in giving corrections at all for the first few weeks, as I am a strong believer that confidence and fluidity are key. Once she can make full sentences without thought, I'll start pointing out some things she can change and work on - but the first thing to focus on is comfort using the language... Because a few, slow perfect sentences versus a bunch of slightly imperfect sentences just weren't worth it when communicating in real life situations in real time! She laughed and agreed, seeming a little relieved. :)
After class, her daughter came down and chatted with me enthusiastically while her mom made me tea. This girl, who is fairly quiet in class, was clearly so excited to be able to show off her English in front of her mom! When her mom would say something in Spanish, her daughter would say she was going to have to give her mom a red spot as a punishment (like they do in her class) for not speaking only in English around the English teacher. :) Cute. But poor mom! Haha.
It will be interesting to see how an hour of conversation with her per week goes, and if it is enough to really help her at all! I sure hope so!
XOXO
When I got to school, it began to hit me that it was Monday (the day with six classes - half of which are my absolute least favorites)... But moments later I overheard conversation between my coordinator and the head mistress. Apparently, one of the teachers was ill and she needed me to sub for her for the day!! ^_^ YES!!
And so I got to sub for 5th grade for two hours, 6th grade for two hours and then get my Bachi's for an hour in the middle! ^_^ Most amazing Monday schedule ever!
I love being able to nonchalantly implement my own rules when it's my class, and I love being able to treat them with respect and make their lessons more interesting, let them listen to music during study time and let them not copy as much useless crap from into their notebooks as school policy dictates they must. ;)
After school, it was Picasso time (who I'm trying a more Humanistic approach with... Introducing grammar though talking about things he enjoys, rather than drilling him on them... Poor guy just isn't that type of learner, but he definitely is intelligent... Totally not fair). On the way to their place, I mentioned it was my birthday on Thursday. Five minutes before the lesson was done, Picasso's mom called him to the kitchen. Seconds later they were marching down the hall together, singing "Happy Birthday" to me, with a lit candle in a chocolate cookie! ^_^ Um, adorable!!!
She then split the cookie for us and brought us orange Fanta. She also gave me a bag filled with face creams, explaining that her husband worked in the company and so they always had a lot of them around. :) So cute!!!
After Picasso's lesson, I walked down the street a little and headed toward my brand new second lesson on Monday nights. Picasso's mom had given this lady my number right before break, and we had decided on the time then. Turned out, she is the mom of one of Picasso's 3rd grade classmates, and was wanting to improve her oral English skills, and Picasso's mom (and her daughter!) recommended me. ^_^ Adorable. Every time Mrs. White and I had communicated through text message, her daughter had stopped me during class, very business like, to tell me her mother's response, as if feeling she needed to translate for me. It was all super cute!
I didn't know what to expect, but as soon as I got there, I felt very comfortable. The family's chalet had a beautiful stone garden in the front yard - almost like a zen garden - and the inside was very simple but elegant with lots of zen and Indian items all around. It all made sense when, after a few questions, I found out that she is a meditation instructor!! I immediately told her about my mom and (based on the parts she seemed to understand) she thought it was very cool, too!
It was nice to have class with an adult after Picasso, and, actually, now out of my four private lessons, two are with adults! Woohoo! Based on Nacho's English level compared to every single other kid in his class, I know that his mom is getting her money's worth having me there twice a week.
And Picasso... I know that he is very happy to have a teacher that is supportive and fun, rather than telling him he's wrong and bad all the time... So even if his grades don't improve drastically by the end of the year, I still think his mom is getting her money's worth just having an instructor figure in her son' life that is on his side!
Patty studies a ton, and I make sure to give her creative assignments and explanations, which I think makes me a more interesting teacher than another one she could have gotten stuck with. I'm not nearly as structured and organized as most, though... And I desperately hope she is getting her money's worth out of me. But she is very excited for every class and authentically seems to enjoy all the learning and talking to me... And her comfort, confidence and fluidity in speaking has greatly improved... So I think she is?! :)
But with this lady... I'm going to have to think of something. I know that I am supposed to bring structured lessons and whatever, but she already goes to English class for hours a week to read and write and translate... So what she needs is somebody to just talk to and listen to in a casual environment! It was funny talking to her because she could use such complex structures without problem, but then with very basic things, she had no idea. I guess I'll start off slowly and review basic concepts, while talking about everyday life with her...
But man, sometimes I really feel like I cheat these people out of their money! All I do is sit and talk with people and get paid for it. That's ridiculous! But, I guess I would pay somebody who could make me feel 100% comfortable and enthusiastic to practice Portuguese once a week... If they could really get me talking and making sense... That'd be way worth it. Maybe this is how psychologists feel? Haha. Only they charge WAY more than I do! ;)
Anyway, the whole hour Mrs. White kept asking me to correct her. Finally, towards the end I told her that I didn't believe in giving corrections at all for the first few weeks, as I am a strong believer that confidence and fluidity are key. Once she can make full sentences without thought, I'll start pointing out some things she can change and work on - but the first thing to focus on is comfort using the language... Because a few, slow perfect sentences versus a bunch of slightly imperfect sentences just weren't worth it when communicating in real life situations in real time! She laughed and agreed, seeming a little relieved. :)
After class, her daughter came down and chatted with me enthusiastically while her mom made me tea. This girl, who is fairly quiet in class, was clearly so excited to be able to show off her English in front of her mom! When her mom would say something in Spanish, her daughter would say she was going to have to give her mom a red spot as a punishment (like they do in her class) for not speaking only in English around the English teacher. :) Cute. But poor mom! Haha.
It will be interesting to see how an hour of conversation with her per week goes, and if it is enough to really help her at all! I sure hope so!
XOXO
Day 216: Snowboarding Adventure!!
The night before I'd told Abby and Katie that I had to wake up super early the next morning and was really not looking forward to you. I flopped down on my bed in angst, and when I looked up, both of them were staring at me with blank expressions on their faces, while their index finger stroked their thumb. Yep, they were playing me tiny violins. Hahaha. >_<
"We feel soooooo sorry for you... You have to get up reallllly early... So that you can see your Brazilian friend... Who is going to go snowboarding with you... Up in the snow covered mountains..."
They continued playing their tiny violins as I giggled and hid my face in Wellington. :)
As it of course turned out, they were completely right - I had absolutely nothing to complain about, because my Sunday adventure turned out to be one of the best adventures ever!
I rode the train into Madrid and the metro through Madrid in my own little bubble of happiness, sleepiness and excitement. A few stops into my metro ride, H suddenly appeared, kissing me hello on the cheek. We'd been riding in the same metro car for a good few minutes before he'd noticed me. I, of course, was so in my own world that there was no chance I'd have looked up long enough from my iPod to notice even if Ryan Gosling had been on that metro!
At the bus station, H started talking to some gay girls with a lot of weed on them who had giant bags of ski gear. By all accounts, they looked in the know. ;) They told him that the best place to go for snow was Valdesquí - which hadn't been part of our original plan, but we're a pretty flexible pair, and decided to take their advise.
An hour long bus ride of sharing stories from our Spring Break later, we'd arrived! ^_^
The first item of business upon arriving was renting our equipment. When we'd boarded the bus, I had been planning on skiing - as I have a fair amount of experience skiing and knew that the tiny hills of Madrid would be just lovely for me. But sometime between boarding the bus and going up to the rental window, H had somehow convinced me to try out snowboarding with him.
The fact was, I'd always wanted to try out snowboarding, but I'd never been brave enough / had somebody to try it out with me / had the funds to take a lesson. But today the snowboarding stars had aligned, and I had no valid excuse not to be adventurous and go for it. I was actually pretty nervous about it - I've never been one for falling repeatedly and banging up more poor, sweet body - but when you're around somebody you know, but you don't know well enough to be a chicken sh*t, you just gotta pretend you're brave. ;)
The first issue we had was putting on the snowboarding boots. They were so snug that they were near impossible to get on! H whispered to me in English to ask, because it didn't look as lame if a girl asked for help, which made me try harder and eventually succeed. ;)
After getting our gear and purchasing our lift ticket and lesson, we were way ready for a coffee - haha! I sipped it slowly, knowing that we weren't going to be doing a single thing with those daunting snowboards until we had an instructor in front of us to give us some serious guidance!
Our snowboard teacher turned out to be really cool and, even though we both really sucked (especially me - I could not stop for the life of me and would hit poor, unsuspecting skiers like they were bowling pins and I was trying desperately to get a spare!), he was always on our side. He would go up to the people I crashed into and told them they should have been further off the slope and attentive to what was going on around them. It was totally our bad for sucking, but it was cute when he would stand up for us anyway! As if he wasn't already on our side, when he found out I was from Colorado, he really got excited! He told just about everybody that worked there and they all begged to be invited there. :-P
The last part of our class was to go up a tiny bunny hill and go down in. In skis? This would be no problemo. But with a snowboard? Oh holy crap. I think I got the nervous giggles when I got to the top of that tiny thing, saying over and over, "You cannot be serious. There's no way." H tried it first, going down while holding on to our instructor, but ended up in a mini ditch. At that point, it was my turn. I had been awful at the turns we'd practiced on practically the practically flat surface, but having an actual slope made things way easier! Suddenly my body weight actually made me go in the direction it was supposed to, and I could look ahead towards where I was going! A few moments into it, the instructor let go and I made it down the hill after only falling a few times! Of course, he had to teach me how to get up on your snowboard while on an incline (damn), but I got the hang of it after a little while.
After we both made it down that hill, class time was over and we were ready for a serious break. H had a sandwich, I had a hot cocoa... And then it was time to try it on our own!! ^_^
We spent the next three hour going up and down the babiest bunny hill they had. After getting to the top of it on a little conveyer belt, you had quite the curve to take on, but after that it was almost difficult to go down the hill because of its very very slight incline. I told myself that when I could get down that crazy curve and tiny slope without falling, I would go back to the bigger hill and try it alone. H was onboard, and so when I got two successful runs without falling, we were off to try the bigger one. I was nervous at first, but it turned out to be way easier (and waaaay more fun) than the baby bunny one we'd being doing all afternoon! I made it down with only one spill and couldn't wait to go back up and do it again, which is more than I could say for H, who gave up half way down and undid his boots and carried his board down the hill! >_<
For the half hour that remained, I continued on the bigger bunny hill, having such a hoot and finally starting to realize how people could love snowboarding thing so much, while H continued on the baby bunny hill.
A few runs later and we agreed we were spent. We turned our gear in and made our way for the bus... Which was when we found out that they couldn't make change for €50 bills, which was, of course, all either of us had. After trying to ask random people in the parking lot for change and having no success, the bus driver said he'd drive us down to the first bar/restaurant where we could get change and have a bite to eat in the warmth while waiting for the next bus. This turned out to be a great idea, as I really had to go to the bathroom, and had worked up quite the appetite for a tortilla and a beer without realizing it! :)
After a nice (well as nice as it can be with a snowy, bruised butt) nap on the bus, we were finally back in Madrid. Once there, H invited me over to try some of the dulce de leche and cachaça a he'd brought back from Brazil! Oh. My. Gosh. Yum. It'd been awhile since I'd had a good cachaça and had forgotten what a nice aftertaste of caldo de cana (sugarcane juice) they could have!! Yummmy!!! ^_^
Between my burrito, cake, beer, wine adventure in the city with my friends on Saturday and my snowboarding adventure and cachaça tasting with H on Sunday, it was totally the best weekend I've had since being in Spain this go around! ^_^ All in all, it was a totally perfect way to commence my birthday week!! <3
XOXO
"We feel soooooo sorry for you... You have to get up reallllly early... So that you can see your Brazilian friend... Who is going to go snowboarding with you... Up in the snow covered mountains..."
They continued playing their tiny violins as I giggled and hid my face in Wellington. :)
As it of course turned out, they were completely right - I had absolutely nothing to complain about, because my Sunday adventure turned out to be one of the best adventures ever!
I rode the train into Madrid and the metro through Madrid in my own little bubble of happiness, sleepiness and excitement. A few stops into my metro ride, H suddenly appeared, kissing me hello on the cheek. We'd been riding in the same metro car for a good few minutes before he'd noticed me. I, of course, was so in my own world that there was no chance I'd have looked up long enough from my iPod to notice even if Ryan Gosling had been on that metro!
At the bus station, H started talking to some gay girls with a lot of weed on them who had giant bags of ski gear. By all accounts, they looked in the know. ;) They told him that the best place to go for snow was Valdesquí - which hadn't been part of our original plan, but we're a pretty flexible pair, and decided to take their advise.
An hour long bus ride of sharing stories from our Spring Break later, we'd arrived! ^_^
The first item of business upon arriving was renting our equipment. When we'd boarded the bus, I had been planning on skiing - as I have a fair amount of experience skiing and knew that the tiny hills of Madrid would be just lovely for me. But sometime between boarding the bus and going up to the rental window, H had somehow convinced me to try out snowboarding with him.
The fact was, I'd always wanted to try out snowboarding, but I'd never been brave enough / had somebody to try it out with me / had the funds to take a lesson. But today the snowboarding stars had aligned, and I had no valid excuse not to be adventurous and go for it. I was actually pretty nervous about it - I've never been one for falling repeatedly and banging up more poor, sweet body - but when you're around somebody you know, but you don't know well enough to be a chicken sh*t, you just gotta pretend you're brave. ;)
The first issue we had was putting on the snowboarding boots. They were so snug that they were near impossible to get on! H whispered to me in English to ask, because it didn't look as lame if a girl asked for help, which made me try harder and eventually succeed. ;)
After getting our gear and purchasing our lift ticket and lesson, we were way ready for a coffee - haha! I sipped it slowly, knowing that we weren't going to be doing a single thing with those daunting snowboards until we had an instructor in front of us to give us some serious guidance!
Our snowboard teacher turned out to be really cool and, even though we both really sucked (especially me - I could not stop for the life of me and would hit poor, unsuspecting skiers like they were bowling pins and I was trying desperately to get a spare!), he was always on our side. He would go up to the people I crashed into and told them they should have been further off the slope and attentive to what was going on around them. It was totally our bad for sucking, but it was cute when he would stand up for us anyway! As if he wasn't already on our side, when he found out I was from Colorado, he really got excited! He told just about everybody that worked there and they all begged to be invited there. :-P
The last part of our class was to go up a tiny bunny hill and go down in. In skis? This would be no problemo. But with a snowboard? Oh holy crap. I think I got the nervous giggles when I got to the top of that tiny thing, saying over and over, "You cannot be serious. There's no way." H tried it first, going down while holding on to our instructor, but ended up in a mini ditch. At that point, it was my turn. I had been awful at the turns we'd practiced on practically the practically flat surface, but having an actual slope made things way easier! Suddenly my body weight actually made me go in the direction it was supposed to, and I could look ahead towards where I was going! A few moments into it, the instructor let go and I made it down the hill after only falling a few times! Of course, he had to teach me how to get up on your snowboard while on an incline (damn), but I got the hang of it after a little while.
After we both made it down that hill, class time was over and we were ready for a serious break. H had a sandwich, I had a hot cocoa... And then it was time to try it on our own!! ^_^
We spent the next three hour going up and down the babiest bunny hill they had. After getting to the top of it on a little conveyer belt, you had quite the curve to take on, but after that it was almost difficult to go down the hill because of its very very slight incline. I told myself that when I could get down that crazy curve and tiny slope without falling, I would go back to the bigger hill and try it alone. H was onboard, and so when I got two successful runs without falling, we were off to try the bigger one. I was nervous at first, but it turned out to be way easier (and waaaay more fun) than the baby bunny one we'd being doing all afternoon! I made it down with only one spill and couldn't wait to go back up and do it again, which is more than I could say for H, who gave up half way down and undid his boots and carried his board down the hill! >_<
For the half hour that remained, I continued on the bigger bunny hill, having such a hoot and finally starting to realize how people could love snowboarding thing so much, while H continued on the baby bunny hill.
A few runs later and we agreed we were spent. We turned our gear in and made our way for the bus... Which was when we found out that they couldn't make change for €50 bills, which was, of course, all either of us had. After trying to ask random people in the parking lot for change and having no success, the bus driver said he'd drive us down to the first bar/restaurant where we could get change and have a bite to eat in the warmth while waiting for the next bus. This turned out to be a great idea, as I really had to go to the bathroom, and had worked up quite the appetite for a tortilla and a beer without realizing it! :)
After a nice (well as nice as it can be with a snowy, bruised butt) nap on the bus, we were finally back in Madrid. Once there, H invited me over to try some of the dulce de leche and cachaça a he'd brought back from Brazil! Oh. My. Gosh. Yum. It'd been awhile since I'd had a good cachaça and had forgotten what a nice aftertaste of caldo de cana (sugarcane juice) they could have!! Yummmy!!! ^_^
Between my burrito, cake, beer, wine adventure in the city with my friends on Saturday and my snowboarding adventure and cachaça tasting with H on Sunday, it was totally the best weekend I've had since being in Spain this go around! ^_^ All in all, it was a totally perfect way to commence my birthday week!! <3
XOXO
Day 215: Friends in the City!!
Today was awesome. Just... Awesome. ^_^
Abby and I took turns trying to wake up for the day and get ready, but just as one of us would almost succeed, the other one would go back to sleep! We didn't get out the door until the mid-afternoon, which posed a problem since the wine tasting we were supposed to meet everybody at finished at 3pm! >_< Oopsies. But we were totally overjoyed at the amount of sleep we'd gotten in, and just texted Katie, asking her to bring us each a bottle of the best one. :)
We met everyone in the city to go to a burrito place that they all swore was amazing, but they'd all been too drunk from the wine tasting last time to really be able to remember too well - haha! As it turned out, though, it really was delicious!! ^_^ I got a steak burrito with extra sour cream, a big thing of chips and guac, and *drumroll* a Delirium Tremens!!! Yummmmmy Belgian beer with yummmmmmy Mexican food FTW!!!
After lunch, we decided to wander over to an American style bakery called "Wicked Sweet," but when we finally found it - giggling all the way there about Jennifer Nasky and Tigs (teeheehee) - it was closed for siesta. And so we decided to do the rational thing - sit on the steps, open our bottles of wine, and wait. ^_^ The chocolate Guinness cake with cream cheese frosting I got was way worth that tipsy wait, too!!
Everybody decided to go home after that, but I wanted to wander for awhile, and so I did. :) I got a new earring (possibly the first new one I've ever gotten it since right after I pierced it five years ago?!), belly button ring and a super skirt from Zara to wear on my birthday! ^_^
When I got home, Abby, Katie and I had a girls night in our room with peanut butter cups and more wine and we hung out, getting the giggles over and over again.
It was a pretty simple day, but surrounded by friends, yummy food and drink, one of my favorite cities and lots and lots of laughter.... And all those things combined served to make it one of my favorite Saturdays I've had here!! ^_^
Abby and I took turns trying to wake up for the day and get ready, but just as one of us would almost succeed, the other one would go back to sleep! We didn't get out the door until the mid-afternoon, which posed a problem since the wine tasting we were supposed to meet everybody at finished at 3pm! >_< Oopsies. But we were totally overjoyed at the amount of sleep we'd gotten in, and just texted Katie, asking her to bring us each a bottle of the best one. :)
We met everyone in the city to go to a burrito place that they all swore was amazing, but they'd all been too drunk from the wine tasting last time to really be able to remember too well - haha! As it turned out, though, it really was delicious!! ^_^ I got a steak burrito with extra sour cream, a big thing of chips and guac, and *drumroll* a Delirium Tremens!!! Yummmmmy Belgian beer with yummmmmmy Mexican food FTW!!!
After lunch, we decided to wander over to an American style bakery called "Wicked Sweet," but when we finally found it - giggling all the way there about Jennifer Nasky and Tigs (teeheehee) - it was closed for siesta. And so we decided to do the rational thing - sit on the steps, open our bottles of wine, and wait. ^_^ The chocolate Guinness cake with cream cheese frosting I got was way worth that tipsy wait, too!!
Everybody decided to go home after that, but I wanted to wander for awhile, and so I did. :) I got a new earring (possibly the first new one I've ever gotten it since right after I pierced it five years ago?!), belly button ring and a super skirt from Zara to wear on my birthday! ^_^
When I got home, Abby, Katie and I had a girls night in our room with peanut butter cups and more wine and we hung out, getting the giggles over and over again.
It was a pretty simple day, but surrounded by friends, yummy food and drink, one of my favorite cities and lots and lots of laughter.... And all those things combined served to make it one of my favorite Saturdays I've had here!! ^_^
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Day 214: Reading and Studying
So when I got back from Spring Break, I knew I was one assignment behind in my current online class... but I had no idea I was FOUR WEEKS worth of assignments and readings behind! HOLY COW CRAP. >_<
I had the natural Chelsea response: Avoidance. Pretend it never happened and go on about your life.
Until Friday. And on Friday, you are not allowed to leave your humble abode until you've mostly caught up, goshdarnit.
And so I've been cloistered in my room four exactly 12 hours at this point. Naturally, I spent a good few hours doing laundry and cleaning and organizing (when you have a mountain of work, that's obviously the best time to do the other stuff you've been avoiding - duh)... and another fair chunk of time eating (so glad the only things I have left in this apartment are mushrooms, broccoli with Ranch, gazpacho and strawberries... copious amounts of study breaks require copious amounts of food)... but when I finally opened up the online class, I became absolutely engrossed in all of the many interesting articles about methods and theories and case studies. O_O Wow!
Just as I was about to go to sleep, I skimmed through the article I intended to begin tomorrow. But as I skimmed, I wanted to know more... and, still kneeling in front of my computer, I accidentally ended up reading the whole thing. The case studies focused on preschools taught using a "Direct Instruction" method in which they'd basically drill information into the kids, versus free play preschools, as well as Montessori styled preschools. And the results of the longitudinal study were petrifying. The kids who had the DI method grew up to have a propensity for getting felonies, and not one of them had a stable relationship with a significant other, versus the other kids who'd grown up to be successful in life and love. Eek! How on earth could a kid's experience in PRESCHOOL have that much of an affect on them throughout life?
The study admitted that there were plenty of other factors to consider and their preschool experience couldn't be the only thing to blame (or thank), but still... man.
At the end of the article, "the superiority of preschool classrooms in which children can choose their own activities (as compared with more academic and/or whole-group instruction)" was also briefly mentioned...
All of this got me wondering about my own preschool experience. I hardly remember preschool at all... here are my memories:
1) I think it was my first day (?), and the office lady told me to go to the sandbox, and so I went to the sandbox inside, and played there by myself for what felt like years, when somebody finally came and got me and told me I was supposed to have gone to the sandbox OUTSIDE. I thought they were ridiculous for thinking a kid as young as me was just supposed to know which sandbox I was supposed to go to off the top of my head, but was thankful somebody had finally come to get me.
2) After recess we had to drink cranberry juice. I hated cranberry juice. I remember sitting there telling them I didn't want to drink it 'cause it just made my throat feel more thirsty, plus it tasted gross. I remember thinking that I must be allergic to cranberries or something, because surely cranberry juice didn't make other people feel thirsty, otherwise nobody would drink it.
3) Once, for some reason, I was there during lunch (I never was there during lunch), and they tried to make me eat all the food on my plate before they'd let me go to recess. I thought that was just the funniest thing I'd ever heard of, because their food was seriously gross and my parents never made me finish even half of my plate. I was scared they'd never let me leave that table EVER, but I held firm that I wouldn't eat another bite because it was gross and I was full. I hoped they'd let me go home when my mom came, because I really didn't think I could eat all that food without throwing up if I was forced to.
4) I really didn't want to nap and it was nap time. I was so relieved when they called my name over the loudspeakers that my mom was there to pick me up. I hated napping, and I thought it was gross they all slept on those floors. "I would never bring my blankie and Elmo here," I thought. "It's too dirty."
5) Once we did a song, "Candy Man" for a performance or something. I LOVED that song. I thought it was so whimsical and delicious sounding. After we performed it (I guess?), my parents let me run down the hill behind my preschool with my friend. I felt like SUCH a big girl to have their trust to run down there just with her. I was very proud and thrilled about it.
6) I know my friends were Kelly, Lynn and Carly (those two were twins!), and I have memories of playing with them outside of school... but I don't even remember if they WENT to my preschool?
7) I remember when Mrs. Wells showed me my final wooden block photo for my parent's present. I had been waiting and waiting to see how it turned out and I LOVED it!! :) I was way proud.
8) The most memorable thing, though, was when my other friend, Little Stephanie (who was a year younger than me), had her Christmas present for her parents wrapped in a bag by the teachers. I thought it was pretty and told her so. Then, one of the mean teachers came over and yelled at me and told me just because I was older than Little Stephanie didn't mean I had a right to make fun of her wrapping for being different than mine (since I was older, I got to make super cool wrapping paper painted with marbles). I was SO upset, because I hadn't been making fun of her at all. I thought mine was cooler, yeah, but I also really liked hers. I might have cried about it, as I've ALWAYS hated getting in trouble - especially for something that I didn't even do (which NEVER happens to me).
So, yeah. I guess I have about 7.5 memories from preschool (which I think is actually more than I have from Kindergarten, now that I think about it)... but I have no idea what "method" was used in my preschool... nor do I think the method would have turned me into a felon or given me seriously unstable relationships?? From the general feeling I have about it, I think my preschool allowed us to be pretty independent (I remember wondering if they ever got nervous they would lose one of us on such a big playground)? I don't recall there ever being workbooks or "learning time," but mostly that we just hung out and played. And drank gross cranberry juice. And that the floors were tiled and the risers had that weird burbur carpeting that was a diahreah brown color.
But, that last memory of being yelled at for something that wasn't my fault does really stick out in my mind. I remember how upset my mom was by it, too, when I told her what'd happened. I remember her telling me I did nothing wrong and that the other teacher was just being mean. I remember feeling really, really guilty. I still feel guilty thinking about it, actually - like I'm lying about something I've blocked out or like I was a really bad friend to Little Stephanie.
What if every day would have been like that - with strict teachers who were harsh and unforgiving? Maybe that would have changed something about who I later became? I still get a queasy feeling of guilt and anger inside when an authority figure gets upset with me - especially when I don't think I didn't anything wrong. Maybe that all stems from that one mean lady and my gift wrapping debacle?
There's no way to know, but even playing around with the idea that something like preschool can be so important in shaping a person is crazy. So often I come home from school and think, "Wow. I taught these kids absolutely NOTHING today. I suck at this game." But then I read these articles about instilling wonder and confidence and enthusiasm and creativity and self-expression in kids... and I think to myself, "Oh, I'm great at that. Superb." Because I can't help but be different than the status quo - even when I'm pretending to be a teacher!
So maybe these kids forget how to spell "I" (wtf?), and always switch the letters around in the word "with." Maybe they can't form a question correctly and maybe they always forget the 3rd person singular 's' in the simple present. But maybe I'm impacting them in an equally important way by keeping them on their toes, making them use their creativity and generally being a positive ray of sunshiney silliness on days that might otherwise be rather dull.
According to this preschool study, it's not about what you teach young kids, but how you make them feel. If that extends to any of the other grades, then I'd say there's hope I'm positively affecting at least a few of these little turd muffins in the long term. ;)
XOXO
I had the natural Chelsea response: Avoidance. Pretend it never happened and go on about your life.
Until Friday. And on Friday, you are not allowed to leave your humble abode until you've mostly caught up, goshdarnit.
And so I've been cloistered in my room four exactly 12 hours at this point. Naturally, I spent a good few hours doing laundry and cleaning and organizing (when you have a mountain of work, that's obviously the best time to do the other stuff you've been avoiding - duh)... and another fair chunk of time eating (so glad the only things I have left in this apartment are mushrooms, broccoli with Ranch, gazpacho and strawberries... copious amounts of study breaks require copious amounts of food)... but when I finally opened up the online class, I became absolutely engrossed in all of the many interesting articles about methods and theories and case studies. O_O Wow!
Just as I was about to go to sleep, I skimmed through the article I intended to begin tomorrow. But as I skimmed, I wanted to know more... and, still kneeling in front of my computer, I accidentally ended up reading the whole thing. The case studies focused on preschools taught using a "Direct Instruction" method in which they'd basically drill information into the kids, versus free play preschools, as well as Montessori styled preschools. And the results of the longitudinal study were petrifying. The kids who had the DI method grew up to have a propensity for getting felonies, and not one of them had a stable relationship with a significant other, versus the other kids who'd grown up to be successful in life and love. Eek! How on earth could a kid's experience in PRESCHOOL have that much of an affect on them throughout life?
The study admitted that there were plenty of other factors to consider and their preschool experience couldn't be the only thing to blame (or thank), but still... man.
At the end of the article, "the superiority of preschool classrooms in which children can choose their own activities (as compared with more academic and/or whole-group instruction)" was also briefly mentioned...
All of this got me wondering about my own preschool experience. I hardly remember preschool at all... here are my memories:
1) I think it was my first day (?), and the office lady told me to go to the sandbox, and so I went to the sandbox inside, and played there by myself for what felt like years, when somebody finally came and got me and told me I was supposed to have gone to the sandbox OUTSIDE. I thought they were ridiculous for thinking a kid as young as me was just supposed to know which sandbox I was supposed to go to off the top of my head, but was thankful somebody had finally come to get me.
2) After recess we had to drink cranberry juice. I hated cranberry juice. I remember sitting there telling them I didn't want to drink it 'cause it just made my throat feel more thirsty, plus it tasted gross. I remember thinking that I must be allergic to cranberries or something, because surely cranberry juice didn't make other people feel thirsty, otherwise nobody would drink it.
3) Once, for some reason, I was there during lunch (I never was there during lunch), and they tried to make me eat all the food on my plate before they'd let me go to recess. I thought that was just the funniest thing I'd ever heard of, because their food was seriously gross and my parents never made me finish even half of my plate. I was scared they'd never let me leave that table EVER, but I held firm that I wouldn't eat another bite because it was gross and I was full. I hoped they'd let me go home when my mom came, because I really didn't think I could eat all that food without throwing up if I was forced to.
4) I really didn't want to nap and it was nap time. I was so relieved when they called my name over the loudspeakers that my mom was there to pick me up. I hated napping, and I thought it was gross they all slept on those floors. "I would never bring my blankie and Elmo here," I thought. "It's too dirty."
5) Once we did a song, "Candy Man" for a performance or something. I LOVED that song. I thought it was so whimsical and delicious sounding. After we performed it (I guess?), my parents let me run down the hill behind my preschool with my friend. I felt like SUCH a big girl to have their trust to run down there just with her. I was very proud and thrilled about it.
6) I know my friends were Kelly, Lynn and Carly (those two were twins!), and I have memories of playing with them outside of school... but I don't even remember if they WENT to my preschool?
7) I remember when Mrs. Wells showed me my final wooden block photo for my parent's present. I had been waiting and waiting to see how it turned out and I LOVED it!! :) I was way proud.
8) The most memorable thing, though, was when my other friend, Little Stephanie (who was a year younger than me), had her Christmas present for her parents wrapped in a bag by the teachers. I thought it was pretty and told her so. Then, one of the mean teachers came over and yelled at me and told me just because I was older than Little Stephanie didn't mean I had a right to make fun of her wrapping for being different than mine (since I was older, I got to make super cool wrapping paper painted with marbles). I was SO upset, because I hadn't been making fun of her at all. I thought mine was cooler, yeah, but I also really liked hers. I might have cried about it, as I've ALWAYS hated getting in trouble - especially for something that I didn't even do (which NEVER happens to me).
So, yeah. I guess I have about 7.5 memories from preschool (which I think is actually more than I have from Kindergarten, now that I think about it)... but I have no idea what "method" was used in my preschool... nor do I think the method would have turned me into a felon or given me seriously unstable relationships?? From the general feeling I have about it, I think my preschool allowed us to be pretty independent (I remember wondering if they ever got nervous they would lose one of us on such a big playground)? I don't recall there ever being workbooks or "learning time," but mostly that we just hung out and played. And drank gross cranberry juice. And that the floors were tiled and the risers had that weird burbur carpeting that was a diahreah brown color.
But, that last memory of being yelled at for something that wasn't my fault does really stick out in my mind. I remember how upset my mom was by it, too, when I told her what'd happened. I remember her telling me I did nothing wrong and that the other teacher was just being mean. I remember feeling really, really guilty. I still feel guilty thinking about it, actually - like I'm lying about something I've blocked out or like I was a really bad friend to Little Stephanie.
What if every day would have been like that - with strict teachers who were harsh and unforgiving? Maybe that would have changed something about who I later became? I still get a queasy feeling of guilt and anger inside when an authority figure gets upset with me - especially when I don't think I didn't anything wrong. Maybe that all stems from that one mean lady and my gift wrapping debacle?
There's no way to know, but even playing around with the idea that something like preschool can be so important in shaping a person is crazy. So often I come home from school and think, "Wow. I taught these kids absolutely NOTHING today. I suck at this game." But then I read these articles about instilling wonder and confidence and enthusiasm and creativity and self-expression in kids... and I think to myself, "Oh, I'm great at that. Superb." Because I can't help but be different than the status quo - even when I'm pretending to be a teacher!
So maybe these kids forget how to spell "I" (wtf?), and always switch the letters around in the word "with." Maybe they can't form a question correctly and maybe they always forget the 3rd person singular 's' in the simple present. But maybe I'm impacting them in an equally important way by keeping them on their toes, making them use their creativity and generally being a positive ray of sunshiney silliness on days that might otherwise be rather dull.
According to this preschool study, it's not about what you teach young kids, but how you make them feel. If that extends to any of the other grades, then I'd say there's hope I'm positively affecting at least a few of these little turd muffins in the long term. ;)
XOXO
Friday, April 5, 2013
Day 213: Jenna Marbles
Once I get excited about a new project, I milk every single free second I have to revel in Brainstorming Land. While walking home from the train station, I started thinking about the first video I'd post for my classes to watch. The train of thought went something like this, with the last sentence (for those of you who do not watch Jenna Marbles - and if you don't, wth?) an allusion to one of her videos:
"Man, if only Jenna Marbles had just one video without cuss words... Or maybe there are 'clean' edited versions online? Nah... that would totally take a super important element out of the humor... Maybe I could email her and ask if she could do a video for all those poor ESL kids out there who could use some Hot and Hilarious American Girl Motivation?! Hahaha... Nah, she's not going to do that."
I forgot all about it for a few hours until I saw on my Facebook she'd uploaded her video for the week. I watched it and laughed (as usual!) and was delighted that it only had two F words! ;) For a Jenna Marbles video, that's like saying Jenna converted into a nun for the week - hahaha.
After watching, I realized I'd never seen last week's video and quickly went to watch it. To say I was ill-prepared for the next six seconds would be a vast understatment.
For the first time, Jenna made a video that showed her inside self. And it was amazing.
There are always people like Jenna who seem to have the perfect life: this girl is way attractive, has a hilariously unique personality that is adored worldwide by millions of people and has made her super famous, seems to have awesome friends and had a sweet boyfriend, lives in a gorgeous place in LA, is educated, gets to travel and basically gets to do what she loves for a living and probably makes bank doing it. Basically, she is one of the girls I want to be when I'm having a really off day.
And then she posted this vlog... and my respect for her skyrocketed.
In the video she drew out her life story on a dry erase board and narrated it – and the common thread tying it all together was, “I don't know what I'm doing... I feel kinda lonely...”
I realize it sounds ridiculous to say that I thought I was the only person who felt this way... because I know 99% of the world feels this way sometimes... but to have somebody who looks like she has her shit together so solidly open up about how she really feels inside sometimes... it was a complete epiphany.
The way she described her relationships, her jobs, feeling lonely and lost, but how she felt when she did what she loved... suddenly this person I had always idolized in a way was on my level and it made me realize how having a bunch of fans and invitations is not what defines success. Success is that little buzzy, bumbly feeling in your tummy you get when you look around at your life while you're doing the most mundane task in the world and you say to yourself, “Wow. I wish I could tell 15 year old me about what her life is going to be like. She would be so proud and amazed. And... it's only the beginning!”
Yep, as it turns out, sometimes, success STEMS FROM having no set path AND from having to fight for yourself when you feel so small and insignificant.
At the end of her vlog, she drew a flower and said she thinks things are okay, though, because it all gives her a chance to grow. I couldn't help but smile at this conclusion, as I felt it was perfectly put. As I approach my 24th birthday (one week!), I'm seeing so many people around me getting married, having babies, getting “real people” jobs. They seem to have their lives figured out. See, at first this petrified me. But then, I realized, what I wanted more than to be surrounded by the same people who loved me every day and go to the same job every day for the rest of my life was to have room to grow... and grow... and grow... and grow.
Maybe it's not conventional, but I've never been the conventional type, anyway. And so, as I quickly approach 24, I no longer feel fearful and shameful about not being on everybody else's track – but, instead, I feel invigorated by the sheer amount of possibilities that lay before me. Once again, it goes back to those Ani lyrics, “I won't forfeit my creativity to a world that's all laid out for me... All of this was just someone's idea – it could just as well have been mine.”
I think the Jennas and the Chelseas of the world sometimes try so hard to fit themselves into the cookie cutter life that is purported to be so “wonderful.” They try so hard, but they weren't designed to be in those molds, and so when they fail... they feel like there is something intrinsically wrong with them. They feel lost. They feel alone. They feel small. They feel like a disappointment. They feel confused. They feel scared. They feel like everybody has it all figured out and they're the slow kid in the corner of the classroom whose been given up on even my their own teacher. And the frustration is all the worse, because they KNOW they should be better than that. THEY of all people should know what they're doing and be adored and be on track.
The tricky thing to realize is that not fitting into that cookie cutter life doesn't make them a lost, lonely failure. Instead, it's what makes them so incredible. It's what gives them their fire and their talent and their uniqueness and their power to do the incredible.
If suddenly you turn feeling lost and fearful into feeling an infinite sense of possibility and wonder. If suddenly you turn feeling alone into feeling a wonderful sense of individuality and go into the world looking for people who will be able to appreciate that in you, rather than trying to get the attention and love from the people who weren't built to appreciate it (“You can be the juiciest peach in the world, and there will still be someone who doesn't like peaches.”)... If suddenly you turn feeling confused and a disappointment into feeling a tide of creativity and passion for what you love take over your being...
… the gratitude you'll have not being a cookie cutter sort of person will overflow and fill your life with the craziest of adventures and whimsical experiences.
I wish I could write something to other non-cookie cutter people to explain this to them. To help them to see it. But the crux of it is, we non-cookie cutter people thrive on figuring things out on our own. It's like the very definition of us – you can't tell us what to think or what to do! And that's what makes us so awesome. <3
Jenna's video really changed the way I will define success from now on, and I'm extremely grateful for that. I adore the transparency and quiet bravery it took her to post such a vlog and can't wait for the day she posts a new one, proclaiming that the question she always comes back to is no longer, “What am I doing...?” but rather, “What do I get to do next!!?” ^_^
XOXO
"Man, if only Jenna Marbles had just one video without cuss words... Or maybe there are 'clean' edited versions online? Nah... that would totally take a super important element out of the humor... Maybe I could email her and ask if she could do a video for all those poor ESL kids out there who could use some Hot and Hilarious American Girl Motivation?! Hahaha... Nah, she's not going to do that."
I forgot all about it for a few hours until I saw on my Facebook she'd uploaded her video for the week. I watched it and laughed (as usual!) and was delighted that it only had two F words! ;) For a Jenna Marbles video, that's like saying Jenna converted into a nun for the week - hahaha.
After watching, I realized I'd never seen last week's video and quickly went to watch it. To say I was ill-prepared for the next six seconds would be a vast understatment.
For the first time, Jenna made a video that showed her inside self. And it was amazing.
There are always people like Jenna who seem to have the perfect life: this girl is way attractive, has a hilariously unique personality that is adored worldwide by millions of people and has made her super famous, seems to have awesome friends and had a sweet boyfriend, lives in a gorgeous place in LA, is educated, gets to travel and basically gets to do what she loves for a living and probably makes bank doing it. Basically, she is one of the girls I want to be when I'm having a really off day.
And then she posted this vlog... and my respect for her skyrocketed.
In the video she drew out her life story on a dry erase board and narrated it – and the common thread tying it all together was, “I don't know what I'm doing... I feel kinda lonely...”
I realize it sounds ridiculous to say that I thought I was the only person who felt this way... because I know 99% of the world feels this way sometimes... but to have somebody who looks like she has her shit together so solidly open up about how she really feels inside sometimes... it was a complete epiphany.
The way she described her relationships, her jobs, feeling lonely and lost, but how she felt when she did what she loved... suddenly this person I had always idolized in a way was on my level and it made me realize how having a bunch of fans and invitations is not what defines success. Success is that little buzzy, bumbly feeling in your tummy you get when you look around at your life while you're doing the most mundane task in the world and you say to yourself, “Wow. I wish I could tell 15 year old me about what her life is going to be like. She would be so proud and amazed. And... it's only the beginning!”
Yep, as it turns out, sometimes, success STEMS FROM having no set path AND from having to fight for yourself when you feel so small and insignificant.
At the end of her vlog, she drew a flower and said she thinks things are okay, though, because it all gives her a chance to grow. I couldn't help but smile at this conclusion, as I felt it was perfectly put. As I approach my 24th birthday (one week!), I'm seeing so many people around me getting married, having babies, getting “real people” jobs. They seem to have their lives figured out. See, at first this petrified me. But then, I realized, what I wanted more than to be surrounded by the same people who loved me every day and go to the same job every day for the rest of my life was to have room to grow... and grow... and grow... and grow.
Maybe it's not conventional, but I've never been the conventional type, anyway. And so, as I quickly approach 24, I no longer feel fearful and shameful about not being on everybody else's track – but, instead, I feel invigorated by the sheer amount of possibilities that lay before me. Once again, it goes back to those Ani lyrics, “I won't forfeit my creativity to a world that's all laid out for me... All of this was just someone's idea – it could just as well have been mine.”
I think the Jennas and the Chelseas of the world sometimes try so hard to fit themselves into the cookie cutter life that is purported to be so “wonderful.” They try so hard, but they weren't designed to be in those molds, and so when they fail... they feel like there is something intrinsically wrong with them. They feel lost. They feel alone. They feel small. They feel like a disappointment. They feel confused. They feel scared. They feel like everybody has it all figured out and they're the slow kid in the corner of the classroom whose been given up on even my their own teacher. And the frustration is all the worse, because they KNOW they should be better than that. THEY of all people should know what they're doing and be adored and be on track.
The tricky thing to realize is that not fitting into that cookie cutter life doesn't make them a lost, lonely failure. Instead, it's what makes them so incredible. It's what gives them their fire and their talent and their uniqueness and their power to do the incredible.
If suddenly you turn feeling lost and fearful into feeling an infinite sense of possibility and wonder. If suddenly you turn feeling alone into feeling a wonderful sense of individuality and go into the world looking for people who will be able to appreciate that in you, rather than trying to get the attention and love from the people who weren't built to appreciate it (“You can be the juiciest peach in the world, and there will still be someone who doesn't like peaches.”)... If suddenly you turn feeling confused and a disappointment into feeling a tide of creativity and passion for what you love take over your being...
… the gratitude you'll have not being a cookie cutter sort of person will overflow and fill your life with the craziest of adventures and whimsical experiences.
I wish I could write something to other non-cookie cutter people to explain this to them. To help them to see it. But the crux of it is, we non-cookie cutter people thrive on figuring things out on our own. It's like the very definition of us – you can't tell us what to think or what to do! And that's what makes us so awesome. <3
Jenna's video really changed the way I will define success from now on, and I'm extremely grateful for that. I adore the transparency and quiet bravery it took her to post such a vlog and can't wait for the day she posts a new one, proclaiming that the question she always comes back to is no longer, “What am I doing...?” but rather, “What do I get to do next!!?” ^_^
XOXO
Day 212: Serendipity & Summer Jobs
Despite really looking like crap today (all of my clothes are in the wash after bringing them all on my trip!) and still being pretty wiped out from all the traveling, today was a pretty good day. :)
I began my (possibly epic) blog portfolio project with my Bachi boys and girls today. It was a brain child I'd had on the train between Faro and Lisbon - one of those random ideas full of creativity and possibility that I never have any idea how I thought them up, but that I get ridiculously enthusiastic about. ;) I may be getting a little ahead of myself, but I'm wondering if something like this couldn't begin to revolutionize the way English is learned at a more advanced level. I'm taking all of the information I've learned in my Master's classes and putting it all into this experiment of a project. What's more is, I'm also planning writing my thesis on it... So let's hope it is as successful as I'm hoping it'll be! ;)
Basically, each student will create their own blog that they will post in every week which, ultimately, can be used to showcase their English skills to potential universities and employers. Every week in class I will give them something to read or listen to and we will have a class discussion about it. And I don't mean dry, pedantic articles on global warming or grammar points. I found an article that is about a human mermaid. I am going to try to find a clean Jenna Marbles vlog. I am going to read them "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie." They will be entertained - oh, so entertained. And then, they will have to write or make a video each week about the topic and post it to their blog. But they won't be your average response, either... They'll be creating their own infographic resumes in English, they'll be doing interviews as each other dressed up as characters, they'll be opening a bank account to go on a fictitious shopping spree, making slang dicionaries, etc.
I'm thrilled by the prospect of it. I hope these kids like creativity as much as I do... otherwise they are in for a rough three months with me! But, based on their outstanding Spring Break assignment, I think they'll be just fine. ;)
If you want to follow along with the project, the website is: www.cupcakenglish.wordpress.com
^_^
In other exciting news, last night I decided I needed to tentatively begin putting my energies out into the universe for a summer job. I am open to any job in any country, really... And when your options are that broad, it's overwhelming and exciting at the same time!
I looked at international summer camps, but they all seem to start in June. So I started to think about being an au pair for the summer. Why not, right?! Basically, my goal is to have unique experiences, good stories, make at least a little saving money and to continue living abroad. So, I signed up for an au pair site and made my profile. It's been 24 hours and I've already received three inquiries from Spanish families wanting me to live with them to teach their kids English while hanging out at their summer homes on the beach for a month.
Um, not bad. Not bad at all. ;)
Each semi-offer is only for a month at a time, and they overlap... So I'll have to figure out how to arrange things no matter what kind of job I get this summer. Bring on the balancing act! ;)
Before the au pair website idea, I'd decided over the trip that I would simply start putting the word out that I was looking for a summer job. People at CISTA certainly adore me for the most part, and I figure some kid's parent might be interested, right? Anyway, while I was at lunch, I told Cristina how I was planning on maybe staying in Spain for the summer if I could find a job. She pondered quietly for a while then told me to ask our school's director if I might be able to be one of their summer camp English teachers! ^_^ The camp is just for July, but holy awesome that would be cool! I definitely need to mention it to him this week...
After school I went to the lesson with Picasso (and rocked it, thank you very much... He even wrote something and immediately realized it was a mistake and made the melodramatic dying skit I do when I notice a big error... He then proceeded to giggle and erase it rapidly and write it correctly... Um, wow!?), and then to my class with Patty. She and I were just finishing up when she said that her sister wanted to know if I would be interesting in being an au pair for her two children in July.
Holy muffin of God!
There is this part in "The Secret" in which the reverend explains that the Law of Attraction is like a catalogue, where you can place your order and then wait for it to manifest at your door. Of course, things aren't quite that easy - lots of work goes on behind the scenes... I mean, you don't just pick up a magazine of the street and order something and wait for it. You have to pay for whatever you purchase. The currency in Law of Attraction isn't money but rather energy.
Anyway, it definitely felt like one of those moments... And a very unexpected one, at that. :) Sometimes I second guess this LOA stuff and wonder if I don't just go through streaks of luck...?
XOXO
I began my (possibly epic) blog portfolio project with my Bachi boys and girls today. It was a brain child I'd had on the train between Faro and Lisbon - one of those random ideas full of creativity and possibility that I never have any idea how I thought them up, but that I get ridiculously enthusiastic about. ;) I may be getting a little ahead of myself, but I'm wondering if something like this couldn't begin to revolutionize the way English is learned at a more advanced level. I'm taking all of the information I've learned in my Master's classes and putting it all into this experiment of a project. What's more is, I'm also planning writing my thesis on it... So let's hope it is as successful as I'm hoping it'll be! ;)
Basically, each student will create their own blog that they will post in every week which, ultimately, can be used to showcase their English skills to potential universities and employers. Every week in class I will give them something to read or listen to and we will have a class discussion about it. And I don't mean dry, pedantic articles on global warming or grammar points. I found an article that is about a human mermaid. I am going to try to find a clean Jenna Marbles vlog. I am going to read them "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie." They will be entertained - oh, so entertained. And then, they will have to write or make a video each week about the topic and post it to their blog. But they won't be your average response, either... They'll be creating their own infographic resumes in English, they'll be doing interviews as each other dressed up as characters, they'll be opening a bank account to go on a fictitious shopping spree, making slang dicionaries, etc.
I'm thrilled by the prospect of it. I hope these kids like creativity as much as I do... otherwise they are in for a rough three months with me! But, based on their outstanding Spring Break assignment, I think they'll be just fine. ;)
If you want to follow along with the project, the website is: www.cupcakenglish.wordpress.com
^_^
In other exciting news, last night I decided I needed to tentatively begin putting my energies out into the universe for a summer job. I am open to any job in any country, really... And when your options are that broad, it's overwhelming and exciting at the same time!
I looked at international summer camps, but they all seem to start in June. So I started to think about being an au pair for the summer. Why not, right?! Basically, my goal is to have unique experiences, good stories, make at least a little saving money and to continue living abroad. So, I signed up for an au pair site and made my profile. It's been 24 hours and I've already received three inquiries from Spanish families wanting me to live with them to teach their kids English while hanging out at their summer homes on the beach for a month.
Um, not bad. Not bad at all. ;)
Each semi-offer is only for a month at a time, and they overlap... So I'll have to figure out how to arrange things no matter what kind of job I get this summer. Bring on the balancing act! ;)
Before the au pair website idea, I'd decided over the trip that I would simply start putting the word out that I was looking for a summer job. People at CISTA certainly adore me for the most part, and I figure some kid's parent might be interested, right? Anyway, while I was at lunch, I told Cristina how I was planning on maybe staying in Spain for the summer if I could find a job. She pondered quietly for a while then told me to ask our school's director if I might be able to be one of their summer camp English teachers! ^_^ The camp is just for July, but holy awesome that would be cool! I definitely need to mention it to him this week...
After school I went to the lesson with Picasso (and rocked it, thank you very much... He even wrote something and immediately realized it was a mistake and made the melodramatic dying skit I do when I notice a big error... He then proceeded to giggle and erase it rapidly and write it correctly... Um, wow!?), and then to my class with Patty. She and I were just finishing up when she said that her sister wanted to know if I would be interesting in being an au pair for her two children in July.
Holy muffin of God!
There is this part in "The Secret" in which the reverend explains that the Law of Attraction is like a catalogue, where you can place your order and then wait for it to manifest at your door. Of course, things aren't quite that easy - lots of work goes on behind the scenes... I mean, you don't just pick up a magazine of the street and order something and wait for it. You have to pay for whatever you purchase. The currency in Law of Attraction isn't money but rather energy.
Anyway, it definitely felt like one of those moments... And a very unexpected one, at that. :) Sometimes I second guess this LOA stuff and wonder if I don't just go through streaks of luck...?
XOXO
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