Category Archives: ESL

A Brief Respite from the Noise

Posted on November 7, 2019 by

English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers can be a noisy lot. We might be blowing off steam about a bad class or bad student, debating grammar points, talking about our other great … Continue reading →

Posted in ESL, perfect moment, quiet, relaxation, teaching | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Going Global

Posted on November 1, 2019 by

For most of my students Halloween isn’t really a thing where they come from. They’ve seen it in movies, but they haven’t really experienced it.  Today, some of my students made an attempt at Halloween.  They cobbled together some kinds … Continue reading →

Posted in ESL, Halloween, multiculturalism, perfect moment, sashimi, students, sushi, teaching | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Overhearing a Student

Posted on October 29, 2019 by

When winter starts to make itself known, student numbers go down. As a result, fewer classes are taught, fewer teachers are needed, and teaching assignments can change.  This is as close to a universal truth as I can get. What … Continue reading →

Posted in accomplishment, compliments, ESL, perfect moment, rapport, students, teaching | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Shaking Things Up

Posted on October 28, 2019 by

I wish I could write a blog that sums up the weekend so precisely that no other weekend summary would even come close.   Saturday started out nicely with conversations, food, and even a bit of grocery shopping.  Sadly, both … Continue reading →

Posted in accomplishment, betting on college football, biography, blog, blog posts, blogging, blogposts, college football, comfort food, ESL, ethnic food, food, food blogging, food shopping, football, gambling, perfect moment, sandwich, teaching | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Receiving a Card

Posted on October 25, 2019 by

I received this beautiful card with some warm and wonderful handwritten comments inside from a lovely student. It is nice to be appreciated and I am glad the student was so successful. It was Today’s Perfect Moment.

Posted in appreciation, ESL, greeting cards, perfect moment, students, teaching, thanks | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Thank You Christine

Posted on October 24, 2019 by

I am not sure anybody really knows what my job is like. Actually, that sentence probably fits for a lot of people out there.  I have no idea what an actuarial does. It has taken years for my family to … Continue reading →

Posted in ESL, perfect moment, students, teaching | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Little Tibet

Posted on October 17, 2019 by

I would describe myself as a computer user of moderate ability. I have a few blogs, an instagram account, and a facebook account or two.  While I consider this a big deal, most of my students can rhyme off a … Continue reading →

Posted in Aspirations, Reflections, Perfection, bike shop, blog posts, cherry blossoms, commuting, computers, ESL, guide book, stamp collecting, students, Tibetan Buddhism, vacation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Like a Flea Market…..(sort of)

Posted on October 9, 2019 by

Wading through the days moments to select Today’s Perfect Moment is sometimes like visiting a flea market that has seen better days. You really don’t know what you’re going to find.  You might come across something odd.  You might find … Continue reading →

Posted in Aspirations, Reflections, Perfection, bus, commuting, ESL, flea market, green tea, kit kat, students, teaching, Viva, York Region, YRT | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Lost and Found

Posted on October 1, 2019 by

The other day I lost my lunch bag. Then I lost or misplaced my textbooks for the course I was teaching and then I couldn’t find another book I often use and was thinking I would need it.  I tried … Continue reading →

Posted in Aspirations, Reflections, Perfection, books, co-workers, ESL, hard work, mistakes, optimism, teaching, work | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Something Positive after Bad News

Posted on September 20, 2019 by

Since I am on a diet, I cannot, or should not, pick finding an uneaten chocolate bar in my lunch bag–regardless of how temping that might be. Instead, I have chosen something more heart-warming. When I arrived at school today, … Continue reading →

Posted in Aspirations, Reflections, Perfection, compliments, ESL, sandwich, teaching | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments