Saturday, February 20, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
JANUARY 9 SNAPSHOT
The fall semester is over! Most of the students have gone home, all
the exams are graded, all the paperwork is done (thankfully! this
week was a bit full because of all this), and tomorrow morning I also
leave campus. I can't believe how fast this semester has gone by.
After 3 flights tomorrow I'll arrive in Chiang Mai, Thailand where
I'll be taking classes for 2 weeks for my graduate degree in Teaching
English as a Second Language and Intercultural Studies through
Wheaton College. Classes start on Monday! A few days after classes
finish, I'll attend my company's annual conference. I'm really looking
forward to the warm weather, sunshine, and also the time to reflect
on this past semester and be renewed before the next one starts.
Next time I write it won't be -15 (F) outside, but hopefully
something more like 70 or 80 (F)!
the exams are graded, all the paperwork is done (thankfully! this
week was a bit full because of all this), and tomorrow morning I also
leave campus. I can't believe how fast this semester has gone by.
After 3 flights tomorrow I'll arrive in Chiang Mai, Thailand where
I'll be taking classes for 2 weeks for my graduate degree in Teaching
English as a Second Language and Intercultural Studies through
Wheaton College. Classes start on Monday! A few days after classes
finish, I'll attend my company's annual conference. I'm really looking
forward to the warm weather, sunshine, and also the time to reflect
on this past semester and be renewed before the next one starts.
Next time I write it won't be -15 (F) outside, but hopefully
something more like 70 or 80 (F)!
DECEMBER SNAPSHOT: MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I'm almost caught up! Here's are some of my pre-Christmas thoughts:
I can hardly believe it's Christmas already! This past month has really flown by. I give my last exam today, yes, on Christmas Eve (but in the morning). And then aside from grading and paperwork next week, the semester will be finished.
But, the semester isn't over yet! There's about one week until students go home for their holiday.
The other teachers and I have planned to do a lot today (Christmas Eve) - host an Christmas Office Party for our colleagues in the English Department, deliver cookies to people on campus to spread the Christmas cheer, and have some student friends over for a party. And later this weekend, I'll have my 80 sophomore's over for Christmas Parties (in groups of 20 ... I hope they all fit!).
Amidst all this busyness that comes at the end of the semester and with planning many activities I am trying to remind myself that Christmas isn't about what we do for or give to other people, it's really about something that was given to us.
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty G, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isa. 9:6)
Wishing You A Very Merry Christmas!
Snapshot: Becky and I and some of the Office hour regulars after decorating a Christmas tree we found hidden in the back corner our office. How come I'm the only one with antlers?!?
I can hardly believe it's Christmas already! This past month has really flown by. I give my last exam today, yes, on Christmas Eve (but in the morning). And then aside from grading and paperwork next week, the semester will be finished.
But, the semester isn't over yet! There's about one week until students go home for their holiday.
The other teachers and I have planned to do a lot today (Christmas Eve) - host an Christmas Office Party for our colleagues in the English Department, deliver cookies to people on campus to spread the Christmas cheer, and have some student friends over for a party. And later this weekend, I'll have my 80 sophomore's over for Christmas Parties (in groups of 20 ... I hope they all fit!).
Amidst all this busyness that comes at the end of the semester and with planning many activities I am trying to remind myself that Christmas isn't about what we do for or give to other people, it's really about something that was given to us.
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty G, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isa. 9:6)
Wishing You A Very Merry Christmas!
Snapshot: Becky and I and some of the Office hour regulars after decorating a Christmas tree we found hidden in the back corner our office. How come I'm the only one with antlers?!?
Monday, January 25, 2010
NOVERMBER SNAPSHOT
For most of this semester, the other foreign teachers and I have not been able to have large groups of students (large = more than 4) over to our apartments because of H1N1 precautions. We were thankful that we were able to have some students over because we heard from many teachers at other schools not allowing any students to visit them at all this fall!
This week, however, I am having a special class for my students in my Intercultural Communication class. I've invited some of my international friends from India, the Philippines, Kenya, and Canada to come and be interviewed by the students this Monday (it just finished as I'm writing this), Wednesday and Thursday. AND, I have the "go ahead" to have it at my apartment! ... at least I think I do.)
Earlier today I went to talk to Mr. Wang, our landlord, to ask him if I could have these 8 students and guests over for a class, but I found that Mr. Wang wasn't there. The door guard told me that Mr. Wang was in the hospital, and would be out in a week. I'm not sure exactly about the reason, but from what I understood, I think he's had a small stroke. The door guard then went on to say that it would be perfectly fine if I had a class over, as long as they leave by 10! They left at 8, so I think it was okay.
(Since I'm posting this a few months later I thought I should tell you that Mr. Wang is okay and seems completely recovered and that it was really okay to have the students over, in fact I had a lot of students over at the end of December ... which I'll tell you about in another post).
This week, however, I am having a special class for my students in my Intercultural Communication class. I've invited some of my international friends from India, the Philippines, Kenya, and Canada to come and be interviewed by the students this Monday (it just finished as I'm writing this), Wednesday and Thursday. AND, I have the "go ahead" to have it at my apartment! ... at least I think I do.)
Earlier today I went to talk to Mr. Wang, our landlord, to ask him if I could have these 8 students and guests over for a class, but I found that Mr. Wang wasn't there. The door guard told me that Mr. Wang was in the hospital, and would be out in a week. I'm not sure exactly about the reason, but from what I understood, I think he's had a small stroke. The door guard then went on to say that it would be perfectly fine if I had a class over, as long as they leave by 10! They left at 8, so I think it was okay.
(Since I'm posting this a few months later I thought I should tell you that Mr. Wang is okay and seems completely recovered and that it was really okay to have the students over, in fact I had a lot of students over at the end of December ... which I'll tell you about in another post).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)