Happy Old Year...

Well I finally found a hot spot to piggyback on so I can have access to you all thru my laptop. As I said before I trucked me and my kids and all my animals downstate on Christmas Day. It was a nice day and has been an all around nice visit to my old stomping grounds with old friends...all up until Saturday when I found out that an acquaintance of mine was a victim of violence and unfortunately has become just another NYC statistic.

It is moments like this...the ones that make you go numb...that ultimately make you take inventory of your blessings!! It has been a difficult time for me I must admit...to accept that fate has played itself out and has taken yet another vibrant life from this earth...and to find the justice in it all.

Needless to say my New Year's Eve plans have changed as they are laying Bobbie to rest today...so if I do unite with my posse from Brooklyn...we will all be remembering a man who was taken from us in a botched robbery attempt...and by the way, the guys who did this...GOT AWAY!!!

My moral of this story?? Life is to be appreciated EVERYDAY!! Never take anything for granted...and all my young people out there...we are not infallible and indestructible!! Be safe and be happy...Today!!!!

Happy Kucios...*giggles*

Well this traditional Lithuanian Christmas Eve went over very well....I think my grandma would be proud!!

I was up at a whopping 5:30 only because Gilligan was pacing and needed to go out....so once I was up I figured I'd stay up....I started cooking at like 8 and only finished when the guests started showing up....I forgot how many dishes there were to make the 12 that tradition calls for...LMAO!!

I also made my sis a huge cake for her official college graduation....at 45+!! Congrats Lina....she made the Dean's list!!

We sat and ate and had a serene time....I can't remember the last time we did that!

I hope that you ALL feel the Christmas Magic...it is there....trust me...just tune in!!!

Buona Vigilia.....I am gushing unconditional love and peace to you all!!

You all inspire me...HONEST YOU DO!!!!

I thanked the powers that be for bringing me to you tonight at the Christmas Eve table...as a good pagan would...*giggles*

¡FELIZ NAVIDAD!

Well...I think I am done...

I do believe that I am ready for Christmas...lol!! All of my best laid plans were dashed by the weather...you know how the saying goes...while we are busy planning God is laughing...well in my case it was the weather man!!

I am doing a traditional Lithuanian spread for Christmas Eve and have my family coming over to feast and make nice...I just hope we get the last part right!!

If any of you are interested what it is we "Lugans" do for this holiest of nights follow this link: http://www.javlb.org/educat/tradicijos/kucios.html
Mind you...we Lithuanians have been around since the beginning of time...and were pagans....so there are many let's call them non-holy reasons why we do what we do...lol!!

After our family pow wow ...I am having Christmas morning with my girls, then hitting the road to head to mom's in Queens...need a NYC fix so I can appreciate my country life a bit more. *giggles*

If I don't get a chance to post before landing downstate...I wish you and all of yours Christmas Magic....it is out there...just tune in!!

Last week of school this year...*giggles*

Well tomorrow starts the last official school week of 2008 and I am pumped!! You all are doing so well in your own right it makes me gush with pride when I talk about you guys to folks I know here in Afton.

My youngest had her theatrical debut as Maxine in the Afton Community Theater's rendition of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" this weekend...so I found myself catching up with so many people I haven't seen in a long time and singing your praises to them all. I felt a bit like a hen brooding over her clutch of chicks...LOL!! But the sincere gratitude and good fortune I feel in having been found by your administration oozes from every part of me, because all the people that love me for me...can see the good you all do me.

So Thank You!!

Super Sunny Saturday

Ah...it is Saturday and it feels like Sunday...thanks to that wonderful snow day we had yesterday!! I love being a teacher!! This time Afton closed too so I couldn't aggravate my girls as they left for school and I didn't. So we all stayed hunkered down at the ponderosa and did absolutely nothing...well except me, I did lots of holiday prep work!! Can't decorate a messy home...well at least I can't.

So as I enjoy my second cup of coffee and find the energy to get up into the attic to bring down all that stuff...I wonder....why does this whole holiday thing make me feel the same way that going to the dentist does??? It seems like I have been putting off decorating and getting a tree since the official holiday season started...I mean I even blew off the Black Friday ritual this year...so unlike me *giggles*

Can it be that all this "drama" going on in the world is getting even the most flamboyant holiday junkie down?? I love Christmas...even at my tender age *cough, cough* I FEEL the magic of the season....but I can't seem to sense it yet...am I getting Scrooge-like in my old age??

What do you think??

culture shock?? NAH not at S-E

...it is so cool to see you guys going bilingual and liking it...the first step for me was back in college....sure I took Spanish since 7th grade and finished Afton's program in my sophomore year...then took French for the rest of my years in High School...but I believe I turned bilingual in college...my best friend Monica was dating a Chilean guy and we hung out in Spanish...all the time....the language began seeping into every facet of me...from how I ate...what I listened to....and who I hung out with!!

My hope is that you guys begin to allow other cultures in...test drive 'em a bit...and feel it for yourself before you pass judgement...because no matter where you go in life...you will have to be open to other points of view....my goal is to help in that shift of perspective...just because it isn't how you do it...doesn't make it wrong...just makes it different....and different is not a bad thing!!

...Get 'Er Done...

http://www.doitdoitdone.com/index.html

I heard about this website on the WAAL this morning on my way in to school and figured I would pass it on.

As a lover of time management and lists...I think this is a cool way to not only to keep up with an exponentially growing "honey do" list...but also to really be able to see how one uses the time they have at their disposal.

URBAN DICTIONARY...click here

guess where she is sitting...in the walkway between the columns at St Peter's Square...I recognized it right away....I sat there many times myself...too cool!!

I am sitting in a quiet house...rarity by all means....and am watching Prime News on CNN. (YES again a sign of my age) I just watched a piece on cheerleaders who were kicked off the squad for what they call sexting. IMAGINE THIS...girls in HS sending well those kinds of pictures of themselves on their cell phones....and the kicker is that the parents are suing the school for kicking them off the cheer leading squad.....What do you make of this?? What are they thinking??

I mean really girls I DO HOPE that we all have much better sense than that..okay I remember how it was being in High School and all the stress that comes with it. The right group, the right grades, the right clothes, the right everything...like I said adolescence is ROUGH!!! But with all the tech and stuff that you have now....have the limits been pushed that far that one might even CONSIDER doing something like this??

What is your opinion...we'd like to know!!

The program's website is:
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/prime.news/

At the time I took the poll below...the stats looked like this...

Should the cheerleaders have been kicked off the team for sending nude pictures of themselves?

Yes	72%
No	28%

This is not a scientific poll

...Shlumpy Hump-day....

Ambiguous is pretty much the word that can sum up my mood for today.

What do you do when you care but the folks you care about don't care about the fact that you care??

When is it, that there is that light bulb that goes off in their head, that gives them that "a-ha" moment, that it dawns on them that just maybe they are cared about unconditionally.....one doesn't expect anything back for caring....well...nothing except honesty and respect....is that too high a price to pay for having someone genuinely care about how you are??

On the other hand, it may just not be cool to have someone like me care about what you do, who you hang with, why you are absent, or how you are handling heavy duty life situations that your circumstance has dealt you. Maybe it is the people that are in your posse that scoff at the idea. Maybe it is that that same one that scoffs secretly wishes it was him I gave a hoot about...well FYI...I care about him TOO!!!

There is no greater challenge than adolescence....I sure wouldn't want to do it over again...even if I could go back and do it all again knowing what I know now!! NO WAY!!!!

This is why I care...whether you see it now or not...I want to make sure that you make it out there in the real world...no matter what you wanna be when you grow up.

...parent teacher night...oh my!!

Today I spent my day waiting....waiting to sing your praises to your folks...and the one parent I saw I had to go track down in the cafe....lol!!

No worries...it is all good!!

I do need to say tho that I am very proud of the effort I see you all making in my classroom. From the way that the Spanish IV group has taken the ball and are running with it for their midterm video project, to my Spanish I class' ability to actually express themselves in Spanish and their desire and genuine interest in starting to e-mail a group of kids in Salamanca, Spain, to my French I kids that are breezing through all our units so quickly!!

YOU GUYS NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE ME!!!!!

Rock on!!

who can you run to??

I heard the saddest news this morning as I was preparing to come to school. On the Good Morning America program the mother and sister of a young man who took his own life live on line were interviewed by the program's host. The young man's sister spoke of community...of a communities responsibility to look out for the well-being of its own members.

I believe that all of us cyber-junkies understand what the virtual community is and how it functions....yes we all know that there is etiquette and protocol and just plain ol' common sense rules that should always be followed. But my question to you all is this....is your real time community involvement just as important to you as your virtual community?? Do you hold your virtual self up to the same strict standards that you do your real-time self?? Do you portray yourself and your activities honestly, with integrity and honor??

As my on line following begins to build and noticeably expand I hope that you all remember the importance of being true to yourself and your community...be it your MySpace community, your Facebook community, or just the community you find outside your front door.

In light of the greater good....PEACE!!

Well as quickly as it came is about as quickly as it went...this mini-vacation I mean. I can't believe it is back to work tomorrow!! But hey...let's look at the bright side...Christmas vacation will be here before we know it. LOL!!

In the meantime it is my role to make sure that you guys are really learning...so I think the best thing for us to do is just back it all up and run thru it all over again in a more general view...just so we are solid as we wind down till the end of 2008....and make sure you guys know how to use what we have taken in thus far!!

¡Hasta mañana!

Black Friday...oh my!!

This cartoon pretty much sums it up for me this year!! I had all the best intentions to get out there and snag all the great deals that "black Friday" has to offer, but then my rational mind took over...(yes...just another my age is showing moments)...and I decided to stay in.

Can it be that all the years in Europe have actually served a purpose for me personally?? See...over there it was nearly impossible to have or obtain all the credit that you can get here...so I just got used to living in a certain way and learned that immediate gratification was not always the smartest thing to strive for. After all...it is only STUFF!!

I hope you all are enjoying the time off...I am!! LOL

In light of the greater good...Peace!!

Happy Turkey...

So it is officially Thanksgiving Day vacation!! Phew...we made it!! *giggles*

How cool was it to see Mr. Reed today!!! Too bad we never started the wave up there in the bleachers. Next time!! *grin*

I hope that you all do realize how much effort it took for Mr Reed not only to come visit but also overcoming the thought of the risk he was taking by simply exposing himself to all your wonderful kid germs. He loves you guys that much that he put doctor's orders on the back burner just to share your space!! How awesome is that??? See you guys DO ROCK...and I am not the only one who notices!!

I hope that you guys sleep late, rest, and totally enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday...remember that there is always something to be grateful for everyday...not just on November 28th...ya just gotta look! :))

Peace

happy sno-day

First snow day of the season and the coolest thing about it was that the kids in my house had to get up and go to school!! It was funny...for the shoe to be on the other foot for a change. I was reminded on more than one occasion this morning not to rub it in, but I just couldn't help it.

With the schedule shift tomorrow I get the pleasure of teaching first thing in the morning. Tomorrow will be my littlest one's big test...will she remember to shut the front door before getting on the bus??? LOL!!

Hope you all enjoyed your day off...see y'all tomorrow

my wish for you... *smiles*

Listen as your day unfolds
Challenge what the future holds
Try and keep your head up to the sky
Lovers, they may cause you tears
Go ahead release your fears
Stand up and be counted
Don't be ashamed to cry
You gotta be
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day
Herald what your mother said
Readin' the books your father read
Try to solve the puzzles in your own sweet time
Some may have more cash than you
Others take a different view
My oh my heh, hey
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day
Don't ask no questions, it goes on without you
Leaving you behind if you can't stand the pace
The world keeps on spinning
You can't stop it, if you try to
This time it's danger staring you in the face
Oh oh oh Remember
Listen as your day unfolds
Challenge what the future holds
Try and keep your head up to the sky
Lovers, they may cause you tears
Go ahead release your fears
My oh my heh, hey, hey
You gotta be
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day
You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together
All I know, all I know, love will save the day

courtesy of:
http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/thatssoraven/yougottabe.htm

Happy Saturday

Happy snowy Saturday y'all...I am so excited about next week. Not only is it Turkey-day next Thursday, but I also get to meet your parents on Tuesday. I can't wait!! As a mom of two sometimes darling daughters...I assure you there is nothing better than to be validated as a parent by the people who actually spend as much time or more than I do with my most precious responsibility.

I am a true believer in the adage "It takes a village to raise a child"... and in that same vein I feel that simply knowing you guys gives me the responsibility of being part of your personal village.

I hope to only encourage you all to strive for excellence...to help you see how smart you really are....and most of all show you that learning something foreign is within your grasp...no matter who you are....you can only if you want to....wanting to also includes admitting that you don't understand something.

I am so proud of each and every one of you for the huge improvements you have made, it makes being your teacher just that much more worth the trip!!


Have a great weekend :))

ready for the weekend???

I know I am ready for the weekend...so SMILE!!

makes me wonder...or should it frighten me???

walking and really being among you ...the more I am privi to your just being...I wonder why you guys do what you do....I am so glad that you all feel at ease when you run into me around school. So much so that there is no personality shift into the person you would be if it was just any teacher or administrator walking the halls, but with me you guys feel free to, well for lack of better terms...just to be yourselves. Thank you for this!!

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it....but it also makes me think!! (Oh no...my age is showing again!! LOL) I hear you guys joke about what it is that you guys do for fun, or what it is that happened to you when your parent walked in to your private hooky party...or even knowing what the whole battle of the bang thing between the grupo de cinco and Mrs. Bays French class next door was before the start of the next days classes...lol....but the thing that puzzles me is this....In my day, back in the 80's we also spoke out in our own way. We had our own personal revolutions, our rebellions, our outcries to be heard...we showed it through how we dressed (remember big hair and the early Madonna look??)...through the music we listened to....and the civic engagement we took part in......Hands Across America anybody?? and what about Band-Aid!!

But to me it seems that you guys are going to an extreme that my generation would never have dreamed of reaching for...none the less even going there. Those who did go there in my day were doomed to certain failure in life!! We all were into the "rebel yell" and stuff but it WAS all talk....we saved the action the older moments in our lives....like our college years....that is a blog topic for another day...rofl....but ultimately...I think we did have that invisible line that we never crossed....at least not in 9th grade...my gosh!! But let me say one thing guys...your frontal lobe where judgement lies...is still growing....so you aren't as big "know it all's" literally that you think you are...BIOLOGICALLY!!

...so just think about slowing down....just a bit....slow is good...but then again...my middle age is showing again...*smiles*

¡Feliz Lunes mi gente!

Well a Happy Monday to you all!!

I must say that as usual it was a pleasure to be among you all again today...it is also nice to see that there are those among you that have realized that attendance is mandatory and I truly hope that at least during the time we share together you guys really enjoy learning!! LOL!!

Honestly...I think that you guys have no idea how much you actually do know...those of you who have been fortunate enough to have absorbed all that information on foreign language taught to you over the years in Middle School...KUDOS...and those select few who are new to the whole idea of foreign language acquisition....WOW....I hope you all realize just how smart you really are. Then there are those of you who just need that slight nudge to see how brilliant you are...I will keep poking you with more challenging aspects of the language!!

If there is just one thing you walk away with from having known me...let it be confidence!!

Confidence in what you know and the desire to only strengthen that knowledge, build on it, and of course have it all help you develop into the wonderful insightful future leaders I know you will be!!

Peace out Sailor Scout!!....**rofl...that is for someone who knows who they are....smiles**

Another week has come and gone....Where did it go??

I can't believe that a whole week has gone by...where did it go??

I suppose that the old adage "time flies when you are having fun", is a perfect fit for this week. I dunno if it was the sunshine this morning or just all the little things in life that have encouraged me to smile a bit more today!! Whatever it is...keep it coming.

The first quarter is over and behind us because the report cards were mailed today. Let's mark the moment, realize that time is passing....and start anew on Monday! As for my grupo de cinco....you KNOW what I expect from you in my learning environment...don't make me become someone I don't want to be in my classroom. But if you continue to test my patience I WILL. Even your classmates, the ones who WANT to be in my Spanish class, think it is getting a bit old! They just don't want to tell you to your face. So there...I said it and put it out there for all of cyberspace to know...do with it what you will!

Happy Weekend Y'all

It is so great passing time with you guys, sharing with you not only what I already know, but sparking interest in it within each of you. It is nice to hear some of you admit that you are making out words and sayings in the movies in class. It doesn't just sound like incomprehensible gibberish!! Behind all that stuff there is meaning...honest!!

Hope you guys enjoy your weekend! See ya Monday

Do we all serve an ultimate purpose??? Hmmm....

I ran into this video and wanted to share it with you...


isn't it amazing how life unfolds?

Who are YOU going to develop into??

There is so much wonderful potential in each and every one of you...honestly it is electrifying to be around!!

Look forward to tomorrow!!

Being a Verb?? CLICK ME FOR IDEAS...LOL

I love School House Rock!! This lovely blast from my past gets me wanting to DO stuff with you guys!!

So far the Spanish IV class is working on a SNL type parody about their "Global Opinions" and how it effects us here "en El 'Bern". The French I class is almost done with the Valise song for Mrs. Bradley, and will do a MTV type music video for their next project.

My only challenge is my Spanish I class, not just because of the size of the group, but my GRUPO DE CINCO has diminished to two or three, depending on the attendance list of the day...it is hard to trust that you will learn if left to your own devices. Can you believe that there is ONE who owes me all 6 packets and still thinks that they are allowed to be a square peg in a round hole in my world WITHOUTREPRIMAND ?? Huh...I think that sort of misguided entitlement needs to be addressed by higher powers than myself...after all it is a matter of Respect!!! Not ability...is it not???

daylight savings time ROCKS!!

It feels later than it actually is....OH WHAT A FEELING!! At least for a few weeks I will feel like I inherited an extra hour from life...too bad, like jet lag it goes away after a short time. I am preparing your exams today...and as always I will make you strive for excellence and hopefully give you faith in what you already know. Remember that in my class initiative and daring are rewarded...because ultimately, the worst thing that may happen, is you make a mistake...and mistakes mean that you are learning according to my take on things.

I sometimes wish that my advanced classes would be a bit more willing to take those baby steps forward and accept that in order to learn you NEED to make mistakes. Like a toddler learning to walk...you have to take a few choice face plants before you "get it"...and once that door opens in your brain it never closes again!!

I wonder sometimes if it is just that if you seek perfection rather than excellence...it is a sermon I have preached to my own kids since Alexa was in asilo nido (universal pre-K that starts at 3 years of age in Italy)....Perfect is an unattainable thing....Excellent is always within reach!!

It was my experience among the Nursing students at Hunter, that the hardest thing they had to cope with, wasn't the massive amount of work it takes to get a Bachelor's in Nursing, but the idea that their efforts weren't worthy of a PERFECT grade...or that the Professor had the nerve NOT to agree with their discussion or presentation of facts on a term-paper...because they were so accustomed to getting straight A's...or in their psyche...being the PERFECT STUDENT....that simply striving for excellence was the farthest thing from their mind's. They NEEDED to be perfect...but then they figured it out. :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN-IE

Well after buzzing over the hill to my neck of the woods we made it into the village to catch the downswing of tricks or treats here in my town...TOO FUN!! My pockets were full of all sorts of yummy, sugary, chewy, cavity causing CANDY!! LOL!!

Seeing all the kids from Afton's school was the icing on the cake though, I must say!! They miss me...they told me so....but my answer to the smaller ones was simply that there are some kids in Sherburne that need me just a little bit more than they do...and that thought makes me happier than any candy bag!!

Have a spooky-ookie weekend guys!!

In Latin American and Europe November 2 (Sunday) is the day that all the dead are remembered!! Honor your own *smiles* I will :)

wall of shame

Had a great chuckle at the thought of creating a wall of shame today, right beside the save a wrapper save the world cabinet in my room....it may become a reality!! I mean honestly guys....why skip...YOU KNOW I WILL BUST YOU!! best to just COMPLY...sometimes it is the best option. So if you are sick...go do it the right way...officially....What is integrity to you?? Who is your example in your life for this thing they call integrity??

Webster says:
in·teg·ri·ty
Pronunciation:
\in-ˈte-grə-tē\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English integrite, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French integrité, from Latin integritat-, integritas, from integr-, integer entire
Date:
14th century
1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility
2 : an unimpaired condition : soundness
3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : completeness

SO WHERE IS YOURS???

first storm of the season

Well we saw the first flakes of white stuff today...it was pretty to look at but wasn't fun to maneuver through.

I wonder sometimes what makes stuff just stick in your head the first time you hear it, and what is it about stuff that you can't wrap your brain around, no matter how hard you try.  Is it just a question of confidence??  Is it as simple as accepting that everyone remembers stuff differently??  Is it a matter of repetition??  I can't say  if it is all or any of these things....I just know that it is my ultimate goal to help make you wonderful future global citizens ready to deal with the multi-lingual world out there...and I know I can do it!!  

Are we ready for another week??

What a beautiful day today...nice, sunny and warm!!

The thought of another fun filled week with you guys makes me smile still...I am sure that feeling will only grow exponentially over time!

super soaker of a Saturday

It is kinda nice to be hold up in the crib all day today....let the rain fall...and the wind blow....I am just sitting back and watching it all happen.

We shared another great week together guys...I hope that you all feel the same way!! I would like to begin having discussions about our Christmas Project...if we plan it all well, executing it will be a no brainer....I made a short playlist with some songs I think we could use...if you have any tunes that you think might work better...speak up!! I mean you guys spend so much time surfing the Net I am sure that hunting for cool world music may be more productive for your brains than just idle mindless clicking....N'est ce pas?

See ya Monday!

...So they call it ENTHUSIASM.....

en·thu·si·asm
Pronunciation:
\in-ˈthü-zē-ˌa-zəm, en-, also -ˈthyü-\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Greek enthousiasmos, from enthousiazein to be inspired, irregular from entheos inspired, from en- + theos god
Date:
1603

1 a: belief in special revelations of the Holy Spirit b: religious fanaticism2 a: strong excitement of feeling : ardor b: something inspiring zeal or fervor

Someone thought of me today because they felt that I was so ENTHUSIASTIC that it has to work!!

I am so proud of my enthusiasm, I wear it as a war hero would a silver star! You see, when I left Hunter, I didn't quit because I wanted to....I left because I had to. My father, a person who I spent a large chunk of time quite estranged from, is going blind, and he needed me to move closer, so he made me an offer I could not refuse. So needless to say, I left a job that I loved as much as the air I breathe...to come back to the town that I RAN away from so many years ago...ran away so fast that the inertia took me around the world twice!!

I separated from this renowned institution of higher learning with such a bittersweet sense of regret and hope for grander things....and as we all know, life happens....so I took my lemons and with the faith of your Principal and his first mate....and other powers that be....I think we got LEMONADE guys!! Again THANK YOU for that....and I want you all to know that you can always count on me....because in my eyes, it is all about YOU and all the you's to come...*soft smile*
¡Saludos!

CLICK MY LINK....melding of languages....can we be as open minded??

...in the midst of my administrative duties today I was given a great complement...there seems to be an actual question on some formal form that talks about a person's ability to get to know the people that they teach...I don't think that it is a duty for me to try and get to really know the students that travel through my classroom, but I feel that it's my natural, innate desire to figure you out before I figure out how to teach you....I don't know if it is because I was once one of YOU...inside each and every one of you, there I see a little piece of that younger me....and maybe over time, I realized with age what I was lacking in my youth....and moved passed it...but now as your teacher...I think it is important that I provide you guys not only with my take on language acquisition...but also I feel it is my obligation to teach in a way that you get it....and above all like getting it. We all have responsibilities...YOURS is going to school....I am just trying to keep it fun!! :))

Thanks guys....for just being you...and trusting that I have something to give you...confidence....be it en Esapñol or en françes....right??

What a great day!!

Nudged someone to give of themselves and help out so she can begin to feel how great it can be to help someone just because.....Have my posse that have to check in so I don't call out the search party to snuff 'em out of hiding...*giggles*.....or beats 'em outta the bushes!! ROFL..okay exaggerating a bit, but you know who you are..*smiles*

You guys make it so worth the ride!!

Let's hope that I feel the same way about my commute come wintertime...LOL!!

senza pietá....NO MERCY!!

Tutti voi sapete che io sono un sacco furba!

Non credere che ci cascheró per tuttle le vostre balle e promesse di far del vostro meglio...Fate me lo vedere....caspita!!

Ho dovuto cedere e dinnunciare che un ragazzo ha saltato la mia classe di nuovo...quanto mi scoccia dover farlo...ma non vi adzartate a pensare che io coprirei il fatto che qualcuno abbia fatto una cosa che non doveva!! Vi guardo sa!! Atenti!

Non mi fermeranno le paludi o la neve,
la tua capitale oramai s'intravede,
giorno dopo giorno verso la tua vita cavalco...
Sono il generale più crudele del fronte,
non faccio prigionieri e la mia spada è lucente,
terra dopo terra ad ogni tua fortezza io assalto...
Ti troverò...
Ti prenderò...
Ti porterò...
Per sempre con me...
Ti stringerò...
conquisterò...
proteggerò...
E senza pietà
io ti amerò con tutto questo amore mio...
E senza pietà
diventerò una fonte
nel deserto...
ti disseterò...
Le mie mani, le tue mani in questa battaglia,
è un agguato a tradimento in questa boscaglia,
rotolare insieme lungo il fiume dei sentimenti...
Ti troverò...
Ti prenderò...
Ti porterò...
Per sempre con me...
Ti stringerò...
Ti conquisterò...
proteggerò...
E senza pietà
io ti amerò con tutto questo amore mio...
E senza pietà
diventerò una fonte
nel deserto...
ti disseterò...
Non avere paura di me...
anche il buio più fondo
può valere un azzardo...quel brivido in più...
che sei tu...
Senza pietà
io ti amerò con tutto questo amore mio
e senza pietà
diventerò il tuo regno
dolce sogno...
io ti vincerò...
io ti darò me stessa e questo cuore mio
e senza pietà...
ti bagnerò le labbra
con le labbra
ti disseterò...

are you a fighter??

How easy is it to just not care anymore? How easy is it to not face the challenges the new day brings? How easy is it to not want to do any work because it is Monday and you want it to be the weekend still? How many of you guys will think about skipping school, or not participating in class only because it is Monday and you are still in the weekend swing? Or even better how many of you will try and do their math homework in MY Spanish class tomorrow?? Or tell their English teacher that we have parties on Fridays in French, then tell me they went to hand in the English assignment you fixed and NEVER EVEN GO to the class!!

It all goes back to how much of a fighter you are??

Do you fight for what you want and need, or do you just expect it because you breathe and occupy space in society....it is hard to reflect on all the challenges I face on a daily basis just living true to myself, and then it dawns on me that there are folks that freak out if they get gum on their shirt during class...and they are upper class men...OMG!! Am I old or is it REALLY the end of the world??

Was it only in MY generation that assignments were to be handed in and there WAS NO OTHER OPTION!!! Well again, I still wait for packets from some of you and have had to integrate it into class time because you guys think when I say something is due....YOU decide if it is important enough to do or not!!! I will just make it a zero sooner or later by default.

SO....are you a fighter?? or not.....another thing to make you go Hmmmm......

up with the birds...

yep, it is Saturday and I am up at the crack of dawn, dogs have been out, fed, and I am on my second latte. I have my Teacher Certification exam today, the Content Specialty Exam in Spanish. Funny how little anxiety I have about sitting for this test, when I took my Language Arts and Sciences portion of the exam, I swear I was a wreck!!

I guess it is all about confidence. The thought of taking a three hour long standardized test that ascertains your abilities for success in the field of teaching, with a content base as vast as EVERYTHING I LEARNED IN SCHOOL, shook me to the core to a point of immobility!!!

Today I sit and sip my latte, looking out into the morning darkness, watching the light of day break through over the horizon....and quietly thank the powers that be for my just knowing. Do I feel smart?? Heck NO!! But I do feel fortunate that my head just works that way, and happy that I figured out how to make it work in my favor. :))

High Ho...High ho...it is off to Syracuse I go.....exam starts at 1 o'clock and is three hours long...so send positive vibes to the universe that your Miss Ridikas doesn't have a major meltdown when she looks at this thing...and doesn't blank out and tank the exam....old habits die hard guys....remember I mentioned my profs giving me oral exams??? *giggles*

Hope I outgrew that habit...LOLOL

¡Saludos!

when will you know that you are rising to the challange???

...I forget that you all are still so new....or maybe I have to realize that I am getting old...but I asked of you today and some rose to the occasion swimmingly and others didn't fail to show their conventional hard headed nature....was it that hard to shine??

...it shouldn't be that hard for me to wrap my brain around though, seeing that each and every one of you thinks that you are the first ones to invent that type of reaction and response....well...ummm....NOT!!

...I think even those that came before me laughed when I attempted it...and I am now in their shoes...go figure!! Karma is a great thing...or can it be the action and reaction thing Einstein came up with...whatever be your take on it....trust me...been there...way done that....and it don't fly in my learning environment....okay I am off my soapbox....and Monday is a new day...and there is no handing in old work from the first five weeks...ZEROS will be put in by default in all the holes in your personal assignments portion of your grades and there is nothing I can do about it!!

Happy Weekend!!

how cool is that????

As the days meld into weeks and the end of the first marking period begins to show itself on the horizon....I feel more and more a teacher than just a person who speaks a slew of languages....and I have all of you guys to thank for that.

From the official visit for an unofficial dip into my candy cabinet, to the habitual walk through after last mod to just chat, or wait for friends....all the way to having my name be the answer to the who is your favorite teacher question in the lesson packet...it all adds up to personal validation of a major life choice!! Thank you.

Being your teacher is the second best job that fate has given me....the first is being my girls' mom!! :))

...every action has an equal and opposite reaction...

Credo che a quest'ora sia meglio che vi scrivo in italiano perche i pensieri mi scorrono cosi stasera. Se vi interessa sapere ció che ho da dire, trovate un dizionario!! LOL!!

Certe volte noi siamo messi alla prova nella vita, e ci tocca affrontarla punto e basta. In questi ultimi tempi credevo che le mie responsabilitá fossero un po meno complicate....ma ora me ne rendo conto che nella mia vita le cose belle non venganno senza tanti sforzi....beh ragazzi...mi tocca sforzarmi anche a me da oggi in poi....perché é vero che le cose piú belle che abbiamo nella nostra vita....ci vengono soltanto dopo TANTI SFORZI!!! Chi lavora sodo sempre ottiene ció che merita....buona notte a tutti!!

Non vedo l'ora di rivedervi domani a scuola :))

Brain teasers...eso es lo que me pasa por la cabeza ésta noche. Mi tarea cada día es preparar para mis clases del día sigiente....y cada noche, me pregunto siempre la misma cosa...¿Qué hago mañana?

Yo estoy trabajando con mucho querido para todos Ustedes y quiero qué lo sepan...es un papel muy importante para mí...que Ustedes me dejen en junio más cultos y sabios que antes deconocerme. ¡Hasta pronto! :))

what wonderful weekend weather!!

I remember watching these kinds of sunsets every night in Europe...these past few evenings, as these holiday weekend nights came to an end, I was fortunate enough to be out and about at just the right time and witnessed such breathtaking panoramas here at home.

In moments such as these I find myself teetering on the border of existentialism...these natural phenomena make me just stop a minute and just think....makes me realize just how small I really am in the scheme of all things...and eventually in the end, it makes me think deep and hard about making each and every day count for something!!

So as we begin another short week together....let me just say again...how happy I am to be able to share what I know with you guys!!

check y'all mañana...lol!! :))

Some food for thought...

I found this on the Net and figured it worthy to post here
for you guys to review.  I mean after all this is what
"they" say is what you should be able to do
after studying foreign languages since Junior High School

STANDARDS FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING

The 5 C's:

COMMUNICATION

Communicate in Languages Other Than English

Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations,
provide and obtain information, express
feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.

Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret
written and spoken language.on a variety
of topics.

Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts,
and ideas to an audience of listeners
or readers on a variety of topics.

CULTURES

Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures

Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding
of the relationship between the
practices and perspectives of the culture studied.

Standard 2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of
the relationship between the
products and perspectives of the culture studied.

CONNECTIONS

Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information

Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further their
knowledge of other disciplines through
the foreign language.

Standard 3.2: Students acquire information and recognize the
distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the
foreign language and its cultures.

COMPARISONS

Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture

Standard 4.1: Students demonstrate understanding of the
nature of language through
comparisons of the language studied and their own.

Standard 4.2: Students demonstrate understanding of the
concept of culture through
comparisons of the cultures studied and their own.

COMMUNITIES

Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home & Around the World

Standard 5.1: Students use the language both within and
beyond the school setting.

Standard 5.2: Students show evidence of becoming
life-long learners by using the language
for personal enjoyment and enrichment.

Happy long weekend

Ahhh...the first long weekend of the school year could not have come at a better time!! I think you all would agree with me...N'est pas?

I plan on staying on the ponderosa all weekend and just catching up with life's duties and chores. I hope that you all enjoy the beautiful weather that is in store...I know I will!! :))

See you on Tuesday!

Oh lay your hands...lay your hands on me!!!

On a personal note....My little man came through his surgery okay and is recovering....phew!!

Happy hump-day...and what makes it better is that it is a short week!!  Yippeeee..For YOU...LOL!!  We guys have schoolie-duty Friday, so we have a regular work week.  I look forward to seeing my peeps from ACS as well as mixing with all the educators from our area to learn from each other and to be the best we can be....ALL FOR ALL OF YOU!!!

On my way in today as I drove over hill and dale, I wondered if you guys wanted to do something to cheer up Mr. Reed....lets put our thinking caps on and start brainstorming about how we can make him feel among us even though he is not???    LAYING ON OF THE HANDS....your hands....they are our future!!  Okay getting sappy time to say good night!!  :))  

How much do you show YOUR teachers that they are valued??

How many of you go through your day at school not wanting to be there....and letting EVERYONE that surrounds KNOW that you that you hate it???

I think that people give off a vibe...and I feel that negative vibes really resound longer and harder than positive ones. Ever notice that if you are in the presence of someone in a bad mood, or a "glass half full" type....you kinda catch their drift...and have very few positive things to say??

Where does this fit in with my title of today's blog you ask??? Well I offer yet another Pearl of Wisdom to you all, and that is....I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.... again it is a swiped pearl....not my own but belonging to a wonderful lady named Maya Angelou. I had the pleasure of witnessing her speak at Hunter College, and once she made this declaration I have quoted here....it STUCK.....like that proverbial light bulb that goes off in your head when you finally "get it".

I have tried to be a feel person much more than a said or a did person....and I hope that, what is sometimes misconstrued as being hyper...is interpreted by you all as nothing more than my enthusiasm and my love of what I do, exuding from every pore of my being....and hope that you kids can feel it!! :))

Getting back to the title of today's blob....I was shown today.....and it FEELS great!! Thank you :)

Yet another week begins...

And so another Monday among you great leaders of tomorrow has come to an end.  I was asked how I am today and honestly, it was Monday and I was so glad to be there!!  Who could ask for anything better???  I feel very lucky to be your teacher and thank the powers that be for my good fortune!!

My wish for each and every one of you is that you find that niche in life where you can feel as much exhilaration as I do at the mere thought of making a living doing something so satisfying. 

5 Mondays down, 35 to go!!  :))  

Happy Homecoming

...well guys....I just can't figure it out on my own...I have all your stuff ready on paper, but I can't seem to wrap my brain around posting them virtually before Monday. My apologies!! But on the other hand...patience is a virtue....or even better, think of it this way....it is like Christmas Eve and you are waiting for morning to come so you can finally unwrap your presents....lol....let's equate that fun feeling to getting my grades....okay?? ;)

As for my civic engagement here in this neck of the woods...I was out in the morning fog, filling the dunk tank, taping flyers all over, buying ice and ice cream for the root beer floats booth, blowing up the jump house and slide, and well, just plain ole doin' a whole bunch of stuff...Ms. Decker needed the help and I couldn't let one of my old classmate's sister down now could I???!!

The MOST fun part of the day was running the dunking booth...we had athletes, teachers coaches, even the Dean of Students up there on this brisk autumn day offering themselves up for the dunkin'.... all for a good cause!!

I had them buying balls BY THE BUCKET...3 for a buck was too little for such a priceless opportunity....COME ON....dunk the man who won't believe you when you say that you really DIDN'T DESERVE THAT DETENTION????.....or the man who made you do those extra laps for giving backtalk???.....Wooo Whooo....glad I work at S-E now....LOL!! It was all in good fun...the most dunked was the Middle School Science teacher...her children got a bucket full....and hit the bulls eye on almost every throw!! Wonder if Mrs. Jump will be feeding them tonight...I think I heard her say something about that between squeals as she took yet another plunge for the greater good.

Afton's bonfire/dance was fun....BUT THE SILENT RAVE and the parade was mo' betta!! :))

Well guys...I just got home...and my grades are ready and on paper, but my brain is not in any condition to tackle a new software program and trying to click willy nilly through it, to learn as I do kinda thing.

So...I decided to bring my laptop with me to ACS and find a hot spot to input the numbers into the system for you, as I watch over the dunking booth, or sell raffle tiks....or whatever it is that Ms. Decker will have me doing tomorrow. 8 AM roll out...hope they have COFFEE there for us volunteers....*note to self* BRING YOUR OWN!!! LOLOL

Over all you ALL are getting out of my class (in numbers) the same amount as the effort that you put into it...do any of you expect an A if you do D effort??? UMMMM...REALITY CHECK....NOT!!!

The files are posted in downloads for any of you that want to better your grade...if you are happy being "average" or "proficient", well so be it....for those of you that want to be proactive about their education...you have until Saturday evening to get me your attachment....a blank attachments will not get you anything but your original grade...*cough, cough* HIT SAVE before you send... : S

I wanted to get all this administrative work done for all you grades hungry kidlin's...but life happens....and I ran out of hours in the day. :( Anybody know where I can get a few extra hours...cheap???

So...my numbers oriented youngins...I am gonna try and squeeze some rest into my honey-do list. I really enjoyed sharing in the festivities and the parade with you guys...P.S.....between you me and the rest of the Internet world...I think the Junior Class stayed closest to the theme of this years parade...and made their float not only pollution free....but completely out of recycled materials....so KUDOS from me....and all Juniors can hit my candy cabinet on Monday....

¡Que pasen un buen fin de semana!

Feelin' a bit cross-eyed after correcting all your exams, while I listened to the vice presidential debate...not forgetting to take the time to interject my own "two cents" at what I heard on TV....just like my grandfather used to from his chair. Multi-tasking, you see!! :)

Grades will be up for you guys by the end of my day tomorrow....so hold tight just a bit longer :))

I must say that I can tell who is doing what with the tools I have tried to give you over these past five weeks.

It is obvious to me where your personal disconnects are...I can see from how you answered the questions on the tests, who out of you actually took my test taking advice....who cares to know some of what I have learned while acquiring all these languages I have categorized in my noggin....and who it is that still needs to wrap their brains around all the information you have taken in over time, and who out of all of you still just doesn't want to do nothin'.

I am looking forward to connecting the dots for you....reinforcing your scaffolding.....and watching you develop as critical thinkers!!

I BELIEVE IN YOU :))

Tuesday's used to be a soda float at Jahn's Ice Cream Parlor

Yes...it is Tuesday, and I enjoyed yet another day among you great citizens of the world!!

I imagine you all have allot going on and many expectations to live up to, and I just wanted to let you all know that it is AWESOME to be among such great minds at work.

If there is a pearl of wisdom I can give you all as these first five weeks comes to a close, let it be this.....accept the challenges so that you can FEEL the exhilaration of VICTORY. Actually it isn't my pearl...it belonged to George Patton.

As you move up and through life you will be faced by challenges and find yourself in competition with people who were, for a lack of better terms, breed to succeed. Those ones from Bronx Science, the same ones who attended a French Immersion School on the Upper West Side of some metropolitan area..*giggles*...but you ALL should walk tall and proud...because you have S-E to get you ready for FUTURE CHALLENGES. You will make us Shine!!!

STUDY HARD!!!

Spirit Week Is Upon Us....

Seeing all your faces pop into the doorway of the auditorium today made my Monday!! I hope you all enjoyed yourselves...totally worth breaking a sweat for I'll say.

I do hope that you all walked away with a little somethin' somethin' to practice in the comfort of your own private space. :) All I know is that while trying to pump y'all up, I overdid it and pulled something in my hip...*note to self* you are older than you feel...LOL.

I hope that more of you gather this week, take advantage of the space the School has made available to us and use the time available to dance it off!! It is allot of fun to get the sheer utter silliness flowing before the end of the day...thanks guys!!

You ROCK!!

Rainy Sunday...full of laughs

Jeff Dunham is brilliant and has quite and entourage of, well let's say colorful characters....my 14 year old turned me on to him today...so this is what the freshman in Afton are watching.

I was laughing so hard at watching them laugh!! Can it be that such a "heavy" reality can be accepted and made okay through laughter??

How would you feel if you had to leave your country because if political unrest and instead of finding open arms you find bias??

My grandparents HAD to flee Lithuania because of fear of persecution because of their involvement with the Lithuanian Self-Defense Movement...and btw....they WALKED out of Lithuania with only what they could carry.

Life here wasn't easy but they worked hard, educated themselves and settled down after retirement in Afton.

Imagine how it is for the people immigrating to the US today...from places like the Middle East and Asia...looking for a better life. They don't look like we do, act like we do, eat what we eat, and maybe don't even speak like we do.....how out of place they must feel.

So if you happen across someone who is different.....SMILES are UNIVERSALLY UNDERSTOOD!!!

Peace!!

Workin on playlists....Wooo Whooo :))

It was so cool to see how many of you came to our Silent Rave Planning Meeting and Brainstorming session on how to make it as "loud" a statement we can make!!

I must say that when I first announced the Rave in my classes, the kids were snickering at the idea...and I felt since I DID live the early Rave scene personally it is my duty to make sure you UNDERSTAND that the birth of the Rave Party, like any worthy shift in society, was deeply rooted in the ANTI-GLOBALIZATION MOVEMENT...and NOT anything else but a response the the "man". The wheels of Globalization began to churn in the 70's guys....long before any of you were even an idea in any ones head....and now we are living it. When I was at the American University in Rome I lived off Via Cavour, and was woken up much and often by demonstrators raising cane under my window. When I asked Marco (the room mate at the time) what all the hub bub was all about...he said that it was an Anti-Globalization demonstration.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-globalization

In response to the feelings of having to live silly rules because of bar and club owners rules about hours and who DJ's and all the money driven decision making (it is the bottom line that matters for any business) we took our parties underground. Simply because we wanted the freedom to play the music we wanted and to have fun...at least that is how we lived it...in good clean FUN!!! Nothing more, nothing less....sheer adrenalin flowing crazy dancing...House music was what they played before it shifted later years into techno....and now I am so old I doubt that I would actually like the music they play at them things today!! LOL (admittedly aging...changes tastes...really...rotfl!!)

Anywhoo.....so I think I needed to set it straight....Rave like any other YOUTH movement was a good thing...so let's make this community SILENT RAVE next Friday the most coolest thing that S - E has EVER EXPERIENCED!!

It is your generation that has to teach the rest of us to GO GREEN...so lets Reuse, Reduce and Recycle....and Boogie down in Silence....

Dancing Lessons 8th mod in the Auditorium....thank the powers that be for helping make this MAGIC happen!!

Playlist will appear in my pod casts and such section accessible through my home page.

in light of the greater good.....PEACE!!

OMG...globalization in the news this early in the AM

I don't know what I am doing up this early in the morning....my eyes just opened and I am tooling around a quiet house, making tea (Yep...ran out of coffee *sigh*) and the next thing up on the news in Money Talks is.....outsourcing your CHORES....the piece opens up with the idea of sending off your most hated chores to INDIA....work at home people hire personal assistants (VIRTUAL ASSISTANT IS THE NEXT UP AND COMING MARKETPLACE ROLE FOR THE FUTURE SECRETARY).....Depak, and George got hooked up at www.getfriday.com.

Twelve dollars an hour paid through PayPal in dollars to a virtual terminal in India for the VA to feed his family. This is a reality that will be MAIN STREAM in YOUR FUTURE guys!! Believe me I saw the need already in my world as a Senior Administrative Assistant in the metro NYC area. Who among you will catch THAT wave??? ARE YOU READY TO COMPETE IN A GLOBAL MARKET??????

I remember in Italy all the old ladies (yeah the ones dressed perpetually in BLACK because they are forever morning their defunct spouse) used to say....oh the children of today are born with their eyes open.....well I don't think that it is the babies that are born different....but it is the WORLD that is different they were born into!! We treat infants like geniuses from birth, stimulating their brains with colors, sounds and images...(Baby Einstein anyone) and then EXPECT the children NOT to be different....hmmm...isn't it BAD Practice to think that doing things in the same way all the time, and expecting the outcome to be different....I know there is some Psychology mumbo jumbo that clearly states this point...but that is a post for a morning that I have COFFEE IN THE HOUSE!!! LOLOL

I just want to be able to have all of you stand proud as WORLD CITIZENS....Oh Captain, my Captain!!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!

To Thump or not to Thump???

Well, I think that today, my world has earned a post in English...lol....yep THAT is also one of the languages I try to speak!! ROTFL :))

It is amazing how the world turns...if I had done things the "right" way (or rather the way that everyone else thought I should have done it) I would have completed all my education course work as a minor when I was in college, and could have been doing this for a living a WAY LONG TIME AGO.....but then I stop and laugh and remember that while we are all busy planning.....well...you know who is laughing...so that said, I gotta keep the faith and move forward...hopefully that includes upward, but that is another days' post...LOL!

When I got out of school yesterday, and well...went head to head in what was called a "Thump Off"..(is that what you guys call it??) I think I won!! *giggles*

It is kinda cool to feel like I am beginning to fit in...thanks for that!!

It has not been easy being me....but it sure has been way worth the JOURNEY!!!

Honest!! I truly think that life happens, and you can either be a verb, or an adjective.

You can DO....or just TALK ABOUT IT!!

It isn't easy at all at times to DO what you have to even if you don't FEEL like it, trust me I know. It is even harder, looking at where you HAVE TO GET TO...wanting to be there, and NOT WANTING to BE A VERB to GET THERE....in the back of my noggin I know that anything worthwhile comes after much effort...if it didn't they wouldn't have called it WORK!! N'est pas? But as I rode home today, over hill and dale...I noticed the leaves changing and realized that time is moving forward...no matter if I AM READY OR NOT.....and it feels good! So, I personally will continue to be an action word....and will "get 'er done" :)) Thanks in a large part to all of YOU!!! Mis estudiantes de S-E!!

YOU ARE GREAT MOTIVATORS!!!!

YOU ROCK!!

Crederci....

Ma voi, ci credete?? Sí, stasera, di nuovo......le idee mi scorrono in italiano....Io ho allegato un clip di un ragazzino que ha un sacco da dire....una perspectiva che io personalmente condivido!! Io ne ho avuto poche di persone que hanno creduto in me da giovane. Se non fosse stato per le persone che mi sono capitati sotto piede, non saprei che fine avrei fatto!!

Scuola non m'é mai stato un posto dove volevo stare. Ma io sapevo que serviva!! Quindi continuavo ad andarci.....ma appena que io avevo dimostrato ai mei che c'é l'ho fatta....me ne sono scapatta dal altra parte del mondo! Ci sono rimasta per molti anni, é in fondo é lí che ci sono cresciuta. C'era Fabio Lucidi che m'aveva detto spesso che...io sono nata in america, ma sono cresciuta in Italia.

Uno non se ne rendo conto veramente il momento che "cresce"....io, solltanto adesso me ne rendo conto che sono VECCHIA!! aparte i cappelli grigi, mi viene la realisazione guardando mi intorno...'a mazza te'o...so' vecchia pe' d'avvero!! Insomma...e cosí che giranno le cose!!

Pace!!

¡No hay de papas! o ¿No hay de ganas?

No sé qué pensar...hoy para algunos de ustedes fué el día del ensayo, y lo que he leido no me sorprendió.

Para muchos no hay de ganas....qué lástima.

Algunas veces me siento como el professor típico de mi joventúd; adelante della clase; detrás de mí pulpito, dando un discurso que no interesa a nadie. Mi sorprende que algunos de Ustedes no tienen mucho entusiasmo en conpartir conmigo todo lo qué yo abbía adquirido en mis viages por éste mundo.

En vez de abrazar la oportunidad con mucho gusto, mi intúito me dice que todavía hay personas que verdaderamente creen de ser más informadas que yo. La sensación que siento desde algunos de Ustedes es que todavía creen que mi clase es una pérdida de tiempo, o quizás creen que es solamente una clase de Español que no podría servirte en el futuro más que saber ordinar quesadillas y tacos con la estructura gramáticalmente correcta. No se olviden nunca decir...MÍ LÁPIZ ES AZUL!!!!

Mí papél como maestra no es solamente hacer en manera que Ustedes saben MEMORIZAR cosas......mi papél es darles a Ustedes las herramientas necesarias para poder UTILIZAR lo que Ustedes habbían memorizado....¿¿PARECE JUSTO??


Como siempre....todo ésto es SOLAMENTE MÍ OPINIÓN!!!
Nosotros todos la tenemos....una opinión....¿cuál es la tuja?
Soy curiosa...¡vemos lo qué me dirían mañana!

Buona Donemica..

Finalmente mi sento riposata...oggi mi scorrono i pensieri in italiano!!

Che si puo fare?

Quando avete una maestra che parla un sacco di lingue mi sembra naturale che abbia dei momenti di collasso mentale. Non vi rendete conto cuanto mi sforzo a zompare fra le lingue che so....che fatica...verramente!!

Insomma....la conferenza ieri era tremenda! Piena di studenti svogliati, e magari una manciatta di professori di lingue. Che gruppo di intelectuali, sono rimasta impresionata e gazata per riportare nella mia clase tutte le idee che loro hanno presentato.

Mi sento piu sicura nel mio modo di fare con voi. Perché é davero una metodología...Insegnare lingue in contexto....Ho speso 200 dollari nella librería...mi sono dimenticata cuánto costanno i libri della universitá.

Beh!! Ho da leggere e compiti da fare....non ne parliamo dei panni che ci sono nella la lavandería che hanno bisogno della mia attenzione....lolol!! Ci sará sempre qualcosa che aspetterá fino a domani.

Peace

¡Feliz Viernes!

¡Qué día maravilloso! Quando llegué ésta mañana, estaba tán cansada, péro mi entusiasmo de condividir con mis estudiantes todas las ideas qué tenía por la cabeza, me dió la fuerza de no quejarme demasiado.

Encontrar sus padres fue electrizante. El jueves por la tarde quando regresé a casa no podría dormir por la emoción....Nota a sí misma....comprar manzanilla....lol!

Ustedes habían trabajado bien ésta semana. Vamos adelante con el mismo entusiasmo la próxima semana y el viernes que viene invento diversiónes. Recuerden qué se juega el viernes SOLAMENTE si cubrimos todo el material didáctico de la semana.

Me levanto mañana a las cinco, porque hay una conferencia en SUNY Cortland para profesores de idiomas extranjeras...*sigh*...sigue corriendo Forest....que empieza a las ocho de la mañana. ¡Con ésto, les dejo para ahora!

El domingo les busco enlaces para "Clicking Willy Nilly"...quizás tambien algo no vinculado al LOTE....rofl.

¡Saludos!

¡Con la Mega no se juega!

Fué una publicidad que se ponía en la radio a Nueva York para un talk show por la mañana . Bien, hoy empiezo mi blog con éste dicho porque es verdad...Aprovecharse no hace daño a nadie....péro ya se alcanzé mi límite.
SPAN IV: abrumadas, tímidas, o simplemente es una question de incapazidad. Con las buenas, Ustedes tienen que HABLAR!!! Toda la classe tenía un buen exito en el examen del Regents...por eso mis expectativas subieron de nuevo al nivel dónde estaban antes qué me dijieron que algunos de mis estudiantes pensaban que soy demasiado difícil de entender y enveces de salir mal en mi classe preferirían dejarnos. Sea lo que sea....ahora a todas las muchachas que se quedaron conmigo........ABRA LA BOCA, Y EXPRÉSATE!! El peor es que nosotras podemos reir juntas y aprender algo....¿Qué les parece? No creo que es una injusticia...


SPAN I: ¡A los cinco que habían tomado el actitúd de suponerse qué Ustedes estan el Director de mí clase! ESTÉN EQUIVOCADOS...Mañana....asientos nuevos y se Ustedes siguen aprovechandome....hay siempre mi ángulo dónde se puede pasar un ratito para pensar envez de disturbar la clase...porque lo sabes hacer. Solamente para el placer de mantener el control....en mí clase MANEJO YO!!! ¿Entendido?


Por los demás que tenían mucha paciencia mientras LOS CINCO habian así mucho de contribuir...como lo qué querían hacer a la fiesta...disculpa.

FRENCH I:

We are moving right along....nothing to add since yesterday....