6/30: cleaned out my classroom June 30, 2009

I had no idea how much stuff I had.  I am teaching summer school which is at a different school than the one I work at, so I had to load up the car with stuff to take there.  BUT I don’t have my classroom yet so it is in my car.  Please don’t break into my car to steal children’s books and markers.  Thanks in advance.

Here’s an idea: if any strong person wants to make some money, get a CORI check and call your local school on the last day.  I can pretty much guarantee that teachers will fall all over themselves to have you clean their classrooms and move their things.  I would personally pay you a ton of freaking money to avoid this horrendous task.  However, I truly enjoy setting my classroom up so I don’t know if you could make this a two season gig.

Also, I cannot even believe that this day one year ago I was zooming across the Atlantic to Spain.  I am really sad because that was a fun adventure.  But I am still working on the Spanish, so that’s good.

*Happy anniversary to Jill and Bryan- one year yesterday!*

4/6: signed up for Spanish class! April 6, 2009

I am taking a Spanish conversation class on Thursday nights.  I am really excited about it.  Mostly, I am afraid that I am going to lose all of the Spanish I acquired over last summer.  So hopefully I will be able to maintain this way.

7-7: spoke only in Spanish August 14, 2008

Wow- this was tough. I am not really working with a native proficiency here, but I tried. I figure that I’m in Spain so I should make the most of it. Especially difficult: speaking Spanish with the Americans in my dorm. I felt like a complete ass, but I am glad that I kept at it. Learning a new language is really quite tricky even if you took it for five years before coming to Spain. There was a bit of a gap (years and years) between my last Spanish class and my arrival here, so it is coming back (s l o w l y) and I am studying my cabeza off.

5/21: started my Spanish cd course May 25, 2008

Cost: $79.95 for the cds, books, and flash cards

Time: varies (I plan to do a unit every two days during my commute)

As you probably know, I am going to Spain over the summer to take intensive Spanish classes. I am hoping to come back at least conversational. In preparation, I bought the Berlitz kit and I started it today. So far, so good- but I did take Spanish for 4 years in high school (oh, so long ago.) The first unit is about greeting people, telling time, and talking about where you live. I can also recite my phone number in Spanish.

5/14: learned how to say hello in Indonesian May 17, 2008

On the Internet Public Library website (http://www.ipl.org/div/hello/) you can learn to say hello in a number of different languages. In honor of my friend Adam who is currently in Bali, I learned to say hello (good day) in Indonesian:

Selamat pagi

5/13: learned the sign for “bathroom” May 17, 2008

From http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/b/bathroom.htm,

“The sign for “bathroom” is made by forming the right hand into the letter “t.” The palm side is facing away from you. Shake your hand side to side a couple times. Some people use a twisting movement instead of the side to side shake. Either is fine.”

It looks like this: