School in Session!

School has finally started.

I just wanted to apologize to everyone that has sent me an email recently and has not gotten a reply. Things have been really busy with getting lesson plans done and starting school so I have not been on top of my emailing.

Julie - the dress picture is so cute. I am glad you like it!

DJ - My skype name is Heebs6 but I am never on it.

Mom, Dad - I figured out how to present the material after reading some teaching websites, thanks for the encouragement and support.

Ann - ESL is really hard, I have a lot more respect for what you do and how hard you work. I put in 14.5 hours yesterday!

Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy - Doing my best to take care of Laura. She's doing great as a teacher! Was great to talk to you both and Alex and Roxie.

First day of school was rough. I had no idea what I was doing my first period class so they were out of it when I started to lecture because we had so much extra time after I went through the syllabus. Have one trouble kid, he sleeps through class. I made him stand the whole class period and then do pushups during the study time. He promised not to fall asleep in class tomorrow. Claims he has insomnia and cant sleep at night, I want to feel sorry for him but my IRON FIST must previal! I am going to find out if he really does have a sleeping problem and figure out how to get him to learn the material and not die from exhaustion.

I have a free period after the first class so thats 2.5 hours for planning and lunch. My third period class are one "level" higher in English ability and them seem like a good bunch, a couple sleepers though that I might have do pushups today if they get sleepy. I did not lecture yesterday but I got a solid chunk of material to get through today.

Fourth period is a riot, I got several boys that speak a little english but are so animated and funny that I dont mind them being a little rowdy. They were really responsive and engaged so I hope that energy carries through the semester. They kept asking me to take the class to the gym to play basketball, maybe I can pawn off a lesson about the body and we can go study the body in motion... and play basketball hehe. I got a solid lecture today so I hope we can get through it, I know that I need to explain a lot of things over but my initial discouragement about Intensive English Program (IEP) students is gone. My first period class proved that they can learn the material but I still feel that biology should be offered at a higher level to the students as their English proficiency improves.

A big group of us are hoping to spend Saturday night and Sunday in Seoul this weekend. I have a couple friends I would like to meet up with and HOPEFULLY pick up a cell phone. I also need to find a place to get my pants shortened... my legs are shorter than I thought!

So far so good, I really like my kids, some of them I need to find a way to engage them, maybe I will have to do a seating chart. Overall things are going well. Hope everything is well with all of you.

A little motto I put forward to my kids:
You can do anything you wish to do, you have anything you wish to have, you can be anything you wish to be. Robert Collier.