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Teaching = Loving
I’m a teacher, but I’m not a perfect teacher. But, oh how I love my students! This week I had the privilege of teaching students from Korea, Columbia, Japan, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and Brazil. It’s...
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Teaching the Macarena and brainstorming Samcheonpo Style
We have a short week, just Thursday and Friday, so I wanted to do something fun. Everyone here knows Gangnam Style ….hmmm what to do? I decided to teach the Macarena to my elementary and middle school...
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“I like being prepared”…a chaos buster!
Last year, I was in a meeting where one member recounted how another was such a good person to work with. He said it was because she was always so prepared, and she chimed in, “I like being prepared.”...
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Did you play yesterday? We did!
Filed under: Inspirations, Play, South Korea, Teaching English Tagged: cherry blossoms, Samcheonpo
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Hanging out …can you be content doing nothing?
The most powerful thing we can do is be 100% present in our interactions with each other. Unhurried. Open to the moment and each other. Be, rather than, Do. Rare chance to play outside with my...
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Poem: Supposes …invented yoga poses! Fanciful ideas from my Korean students
The seal, the seagull The chick, the turtle The monkey, the hamster The keyhole, the vampire The apple, the screwdriver The car, the middle finger The bear, the ruler The battleship cruiser The...
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Poem: Love is the Subject
English Science Calculus Class Just An excuse. Love is the subject – About the poem: I know now that teaching is just an excuse to hang out with cool people. It’s a precious opportunity to love them...
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Going for a Swim
Here in Riyadh, many compounds (expat residence communities) have swimming pools. But if you don’t have a friend on a compound, can you go swimming? Yes, you can!, my teacher friends told me. Here’s...
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Home of the Free
Walking around on the streets of Denver, I’m in awe of our freedoms. I just got back from two months in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Wow, look at that lady walking alone, head uncovered, no abaya, walking a...
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Love Your Students
Change your lesson plan. Renumber your objectives for the day and make number one: Love your students. I’ve taught English to students in the US, Korea and Saudi Arabia. One thing’s for sure. You can’t...
View ArticleWhat are your plans for the future? …oh no, not you
We are preparing our girls for the final exams. One part is a speaking test. We, the teachers, act as interviewers and assessors for this test. This week we’ve been practicing with the girls. In Part 1...
View ArticleNon-Alcoholic World
Non-Alcoholic World It’s a bit of a shock to walk into the classroom and see what looks like an opened can or bottle of beer on a student’s desk. Of course, it’s non-alcoholic. No alcohol is allowed to...
View ArticleA Real Picnic
Grass? What? Really? Where? …was my friend’s incredulous response when we told them we’d gone on a picnic, and sat on the grass eating lunch. King Abdulaziz Historical Center is an oasis in the city....
View ArticleReally …you can’t celebrate Xmas or New Year’s!
Teacher friends planned a Christmas part in their apartment, which has only foreigner residents. They posted a sign in the lobby saying “Christmas Party” with the time, date and apartment number....
View ArticleCrazy Women Drivers
Crazy Women Drivers The first thing you’re greeted with when you walk in Le Mall is the sound of electric cars tooling around. Driven by toddlers up to about age five, the vehicles are snappy, but not...
View ArticleYou’re Welcome: Marhaban
You’re Welcome …Marhaban! Living as a woman in Saudi Arabia means you’re constantly guessing as to whether you’re allowed or not. A few weeks ago, for example, I walked first to the tailor shop across...
View ArticleMulan: If I Were a Boy …Saudi style
Mulan …If I Were a Boy…Joan of Arc Just before I left Korea, I was teaching the story book of Mulan to my grade 5-6 students. The story of Mulan, I learned, is based on an old Chinese legend about a...
View ArticleClass-y Dressers
Class-y Dressers Sure, it’s the case that in any place, that the clothes one wears hints at your station in society. And it’s definitely the case here. For example, you often see men dressed in...
View ArticleBig Family Vehicles
This is a place where big cars are popular: – the average family size is six (down from higher numbers in recent years, and still lower in Riyadh than in smaller towns where the average size is 7-8) –...
View ArticleExtra Money: Saudi Budget Surplus
While the US posted its third consecutive highest annual deficit ($1.3 trillion), the Saudi government is faced with the problem of what to do with its latest surplus. That’s right. The Saudi...
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