Every once in a while as a teacher you experience a true “a-ha” moment, watching a lightbulb go on and experience the joy of truly teaching someone something. For me this happened this week when I taught my students the... Continue Reading →
Ah, that sweet 'end of the school year' exhaustion point we have hit as teachers, where I honestly can't remember what day it actually is, only how many days until I'm on summer break. Where at any point after 2pm you... Continue Reading →
If I were to change careers (something I think all teachers consider every Monday morning), at the top of the list would be "Karaoke DJ." Beekeeper, baby goat cuddler, and sloth handler are also on the list. But karaoke is something... Continue Reading →
It's a profound moment when you move somewhere and subconsciously start calling that place "home." During the five weeks I was in the States, my home base was my parents' house in the Bay Area. I hung up some clothes... Continue Reading →
Today was my last day of my first year teaching in Brazil. This marks my fifth year of teaching, but everything about this year has been different. Here are my top moments and things that I have loved at my new... Continue Reading →
"But why are apples so boring and cupcake so delicious? This is first thing I asking Jesus when I go to Heaven." -- what I would classify as a legitimate question from one of my students last week, when I tried... Continue Reading →
Today I celebrate one month in Rio! And I am happy and I am at peace. It's not all rainbows and caipirihnas and capybaras, but I'm content for the first time in a year. I haven't cried in a month, which is a record... Continue Reading →
Kummerspeck (German) Excess weight gained from emotional overeating. Literally, grief bacon. As a brain break a few days ago, I showed my students a list of words from a Mental Floss article about words that exist in languages except English... Continue Reading →
Easily the most fun I've had this year as a teacher was in looking over this "assignment" I created when I had a sub come in. I asked the students to create "Missing" posters for me, and with a description,... Continue Reading →
So I was trying a new vocabulary exercise today in my 8th grade Latin class. We rolled a die (actually it was a virtual die I pressed on my smartboard) and there was a different activity assigned for each number... Continue Reading →
You know the scene - it's Christmas time (or "holiday tree time) and you want to show appreciation to your child's teacher. You want it to involve your child, be meaningful, maybe even fun. You want it to be cheap.... Continue Reading →
This is my fourth year of teaching junior high, and unfortunately I'm having one of those quarter-life crisis moments where you look at your job, calculate how much time you spend loving it minus the time you spend hating it,... Continue Reading →
Sunglasses Always Fit 