On my QUEST...

My QUEST started the second I arrived in Strasbourg, France back in 2004 and continues today. Here are my thoughts and the many lessons discovered.

[icquest]

17 years…. 2Pac!!

[littlemsjetsetter]

Loving my bestie’s style. Just like most Nyers she knows exactly what she wants. @onequest727 thanks for sharing it. #traveltip NYers love fashion…get ready to shop when you’re here! Go to places include the boutiques on the lower east side, Herald Sq., and Soho. #travel #bff #fashion #cute #kids #kidzfashion #animalprint #curly #love #naturalhair #adorable #allaboutjordin #nyc #brooklyn

[icquest]

Slovenia, baby! These are just a few shots of this beautiful country.

[icquest]

Soccer? What's that again?

Usually, the boys at my school are playing soccer, but because of a couple of trips to the basketball court last week with a couple of students, basketball is here. Basketball won over soccer today: 10-4. Usually, it's 20-0. 

[icquest]

It's not how much you give that matters, but how you give it

Got taught a thing or two about giving today. My school had this little bazaar/market to raise money for the poor. I love contributing to anyone or anything in need, so I thought $10 at the cotton candy stand for the next however many customers would be cool. 20 kids later and my money was gone. I decided to give another $10 because that's my way of contributing, but perhaps deep down I wanted some acknowledgement for this "kind" act.  Monks give because they're well aware of the intrinsic benefits of giving and I've always known this, so perhaps that's why I give. 

Anyway, this second grader comes up to me and ask me what I'm drinking. He looks into my cup and sees that it's empty. He grabs my hand and says "come on." With the little money that he has, he goes up to the drink lady and buys a cup of soda. He walks over to me and hands it to me and moves on. Side fact, this is the same little boy that greets me every morning he sees me. He walks up and really treats me like a big brother or father. As I was saying, he gave me a gift and walked away. Maybe it felt good to give a cup of soda or maybe it was just respect. Either way, that little boy schooled me on giving without asking or thinking for anything in return. It really doesn't matter what you give, but how you give it and where your heart is. Lesson learned. 

[icquest]

If you're going to act like one, I might as well treat you like one

I decided to treat my baddest 6th grade student as a 1st grader. He's been problematic for some time now. I'm sure all his behavioral problems stem from something, but I'm definitely not given the resources to deal with them. I honestly don't even know school protocol, but my attempt to isolate him and treat him like a 1st grader really freed some of the other students.

How did I treat him like a first grader? I gave him an ABC worksheet and told him to complete it in the small room within my classroom. After class, I made it very clear that the work he had just completed was for 1st graders and that if he continued to talk and misbehave in my class, he would continue to be treated like a first grader.

I'll have to wait and see how this approach works with him moving forward. I don't want to tell him what to do--I want him to change on his own. Again, I'm trying not to scream at the students or raise my blood pressure, so this worked quite well. 

Behavior problems only intensify when the weather gets crummy and Gyeongsan is that right now--crummy! Here's to a better tomorrow! Teaching is quite the circus act, but I'm constantly learning how I can improve as a teacher, so I'll more than manage. 

[icquest]

Japanese greeting

Have a Korean-Japanese student and always try to get him to speak a little Japanese with me. Today, without any promoting from me, he greeted me in Japanese. I think he's finally understanding that I think it's cool he speaks Japanese. He has to think both sides are cool, right?

[icquest]

Ludovico Einaudi. Yup, that's all that is needed to describe this genius of a musician. Absolutely love this track. Enjoy! 

[icquest]

Best tool for language learning

Pimsleur? Busuu? Babel? Rosetta Stone? Barron's? 

None of the above. Dedication is everything. If your dedication is where it's needed, you'll do well with the hundreds of free options online, at your public library or in the respective country. Now, these options may help, but they won't get you the fluency you need. Study abroad, find a native speaker and DEDICATE YOURSELF. 

[icquest]

I won't get into what points I like, are feasible or even inventive. I just want to share and hope that New Yorkers think long and hard about who's best for the city. 

[icquest]

Got to see this man live and absolutely loved the energy he gave. An act worth checking out in concert. 

[icquest]

The challenge of teaching...today.

I've always hated it when "older" folks would compare their day to the present day, but that's just what I'm about to do...kind of.

Of course, we didn't have the luxury of an air conditioner at my elementary school, so already I know the difficulties in trying to remain focused with hot and humid weather, but for the most part, we remained somewhat (I could be focusing on the good here) on task. Anyway, my students in one particular class could not focus on any of the tasks presented. Usually, this bunch are a bit more understanding to the foreigner trying to teach their class, but this time, I got the same treatment that my Korean co-teacher got: chaos. 

This whole experience has me thinking about the education system and what we're actually trying to accomplish with it. Kids still don't like school, who knew? I wouldn't get very far on that TV show where you compete with 4th graders and yet we still put young ones through this difficult rite of passage. Are we doing our best to ensure that the generations of the future have better lives? Or are we merely trying to replace the aging workers? These questions constantly pop up. 

Getting their participation is difficult, but getting their behavior requires a whole bunch of other tricks and thanks to some other teachers, it's become a world of tangible incentives for these youngsters. Do I really have to give you a sticker or candy for you to want to learn? It often seems that way. Yes, I tried and failed to use modern methods, so that I wasn't relying on screaming and extremely disciplined students to create an ideal learning environment, but to no avail.

The challenge is enormous, but hopefully, things pick up for me. Furthermore, I'm learning that there are some benefits to having teacher-student relationships with your students--it doesn't pay to be their best friend. Ultimately, what I'm saying is that I need to be an innovator and think of ways to get students wanting to engage in the learning experience. I won't scream, nor will I resort to the methods that tried to demarcate my creative spirits when I was a youngster. I'll keep you posted on what I find works with students that speak a different mother language and are completely over school. 

[icquest]

Teaching can be quite draining, but gifts like this make it all worth your while. Thanks, Lily!!

[icquest]

Downton Abbey and Dan Stevens

Why Dan Stevens?! I'm deeply saddened by your departure. Matthew Crowley was the best!

[icquest]

Rest in peace! The late Donald Richie, a friend, film guru and friend. You will most certainly be missed. 

[icquest]

My shot at a trip around the world!

[icquest]

Unconditional love is hard to come by. Pinot was a champion of it. I already miss you, buddy!