ESL student humor

I love my students.  My morning class is a comfortable size now.  Five students are regular attenders.

This morning, I was teaching a grammar lesson on when we use "too" and when we use "enough" and where each word is placed in the sentence.  For example, "too" is placed before an adjective, but "enough" is placed after an adjective but before a noun.  I started my lesson by holding up the student book and saying, "Class, what would you say if I told you we need to read this entire book tonight?"  I was hoping to elicit responses such as, "It's too long" or "It's not enough time" to then show the students that they already use this construct.  However, my students once again surprised me.  In response to my question, one student raised her hand and said, "Teacher, I can't come to class tomorrow!"  I'm still chuckling!

Ocean City Day Trip!

After July, I decided it was time to take a little bit of time off in August.  I'm not doing a big vacation break, but I think a few days here and there will help.  Martha misses living near the coast, so we decided to take a day trip to Ocean City, NJ, on a day we were both off!  We woke up at 5:15 a.m. and got on the turnpike by 6 a.m. By 9:30 a.m., this was my view!

It was wonderful to have a day off! 

The new normal

I had been in Moz for a month by this time last year.  Two years ago, I was in London.  It's odd how quickly life changes and quickly has been an understatement for my life in the last few months.  

In July, I had a three credit course for my M.Ed packed into five days.  I read over 900 pages of academic material in those five days.  It was a fantastic class!  Advanced Sociocultural Perspectives on Education.  It combined my fields of study quite well!  The 8 hours a day of lecture and discussion were wonderful, but the after class time, of trying to read everything and write three papers...now that was challenging.  I got into a routine I would never have expected I would be capable of achieving.  I read and wrote until I couldn't form sentences anymore, and then I went to bed and woke up at 5 a.m. to finish my work before class at 8 a.m.  It clearly wouldn't be viable for a regular pattern, considering I do need more than three hours of sleep a night!  However, for one week, I could manage.  My fellow classmates and I commiserated with each other.  One girl commented that she went to bed exhausted and woke up to find that the last thing she had typed was "Theory July orange."  

This intensive course was the fourth course for my M.Ed.  I plan to take three in the fall term and that will put me on track to graduate in May 2014!  This is earlier than I anticipated, but as usual, I'm trying to do things quickly and efficiently!  

For reasons that sometimes baffle me, I'm still working three jobs.  I've reduced my hours at my gym job, but I'm hesitant to let it go entirely.  I love the relationships I've built here, even though I don't have time to use my free membership, which was the initial reason I sought employment!  I have friends here now, coworkers and members alike.  

My second job, which was temp, has asked me to be officially part time.  Actually, my manager said she would like me to be full time, but she would take me part time if that was all I would do!  Again, I'm amazed.  Three months ago, I was unknown at that place of employment, and now I've just been blessed by how relationships have developed.  I see things changing for the better and it is exciting to be part of it.

My third job, which is technically my primary job, is going well!  I'm teaching two ESL classes now, one in the morning and one in the evening.  I have been challenged incredibly by this term (and we are only four weeks into it!).  I moved from teaching a beginner level class to teaching two high intermediate/advanced classes.  This means all new lesson plans, no chance to recycle any old lessons, and it also involves grammar intensive lessons.  I'm so thankful for my Linguistics class!  It has been such a great help to me as I teach grammar.  Both classes have been quite small so far, but I have really sweet students.  My morning class has students from Korea, Taiwan, and Iraq, and my evening class has students from Korea, Bulgaria, India, and Moldova.  

If I am learning anything through these months, it is the importance of time management and recognition of my limits.  I have learned that I need to be strict with myself regarding my lesson planning time.  I am not a good teacher when I walk into class unprepared.  I will admit, some mornings, I finish  my lesson plan before class starts!  However, I have to finish that lesson plan.  It helps me to stay more focused and structured in class.  I've also had to recognize that I cannot do everything I want to do.  In some ways, this has meant not seeing some friends as much as I'd like to.  I've tried to make time for family and friends, but sometimes, I have to miss something.  It has been a challenge to also say no to work opportunities as well.  I could work more hours at several of my jobs if I would agree to it.  I am glad that all of my employers know they can count on me to try to help where I can.  In a way, it makes it easier to say no to a request, because they know that if I could make it work, I would.  

In June and July, I realized that I was working 55 hours a week, usually six days a week and also taking a graduate class.  For one frantic period, I worked 13 days in a row, right until my intensive class.  That was not ideal.  August is not quite as busy, because I have requested a few specific days off.  It was a good lesson that I need to request the time off in order to make it happen.  

I try to be content and find the silver linings in all of this.  On two crazy Fridays in July, I opened the gym at 5 a.m., which meant I was leaving my house at 4:30 a.m.  Each day, I had a beautiful sunrise.  When I take the time to sit on my veranda and enjoy a cool morning, I feel the stillness with new appreciation.  Three jobs may not be ideal, but for this time in my life, I think it is the right decision.  I am glad that my schedule will not be as hectic, but I believe that there is a reason I am at each of these places.