Journal Entries
Another Year of ESOL
Posted Dec 31, 2008
Didn't realize how relieved I would be to have a whole 2 weeks off for Christmas Vacation. Christmas and New Year's Day should be on Thursday every year if it means getting an extended break.
I was a bit discouraged this year to discover that high school students no longer know the significance of the number 42. Not sure I want to enlighten them, considering that it's so much fun to discover these things on one's own. The movie hasn't been out that long, but for them by now it's "so middle school" they've forgotten it.
My kids in ESOL were a mixed bunch in the Fall semester. My seniors were delightful, most of the time. My freshmen were usually so distracted by the kids who thought they were still in middle school, that not much was accomplished. Managed to convince the powers that be to move several high level, low interest troublemakers on to something more useful for their graduation. They shouldn't have been dumped in ESL 2: Writing in the first place but, once again, Bureaucratese stepped in and insisted that kids who speak English from a family with a second language background must have ESL, whether they need it or not. But the troublemakers have at last been moved on. We'll see how the next semester goes...
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Latest reply: Dec 31, 2008
re: new semester
Posted Jan 22, 2000
I have 50 students, at least half of whom are hispanic. My point to the previous entry was to wonder how I can encourage these two boys to stop acting like a stereotype. Nothing defamitory was intended, but I suppose if someone thinks there was, Ford Prefect will certainly have the entry removed. Now if I could just find a babble fish to translate my real intentions, there wouldn't be a problem, I suppose.
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Latest reply: Jan 22, 2000
A New Semester in ESL 1: CALL
Posted Jan 22, 2000
Just when I thought the new semester could only be an improvement over the last one, because certain students were no longer in any of my classes, one of those certain students is back. If I were 15 instead of too close to 40 and old enough to be his mother, I'd be in love with him. Unfortunately cute only goes so far, and for him it ran out 3 months ago... aside from the fact that my name is NOT Mary Kay.
Now there are two of them. Seems a new friend of his who says he's 17 but looks like 25 has joined my class. Oh joy. Good thing I can speak Spanish. I wonder if he understands that when he says "I love you" to the girls at school, he reminds me of a few lazy loafers sitting in the bus station in Mexico City who hollered "I love you" to the passing gringas? "ey guara, guarita, I love jou." Not a class act. Maybe I should warn him. Wonder if he would heed.
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Latest reply: Jan 22, 2000
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