Teaching and Traveling

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Saturday, February 23, 2019

Releasing Monarchs!

https://lyricstranslate.com/en/me-sempre-mine-forever.html

'd like thousands of butterflies

to colour the air around me.

Then I'd like to see them all

settle on you and clothing you.

That's the way I'd like...

to dream of you like this.

When the party starts

you'll be my queen.

Everybody will stay struck

marveling at you.

In my eyes you'll shine

as beautiful as the sun.

Heart beats without number

happines without end

when I think that you'll be mine... forever.

An then, as does the wind with the roses

Id like to take all of you breathing on you...

That's the way I'd like...

making love to you like this.

When the party will be over

we'll come back down to earth.

Everybody will remember

having seen a star.

In my eyes you'll shine...

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Monarchs will be leaving their home in the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico!

Soon, very soon the Super generation of Monarchs will be leaving their overwinter home in the Sierra Madre mountains in Mexico & begin to journey North!

Report sightings of Milkweed & Monarchs to Journey North:

https://maps.journeynorth.org/map/?year=2019&map=monarch-adult-first

And the butterfly cycle starts all over again!

Last summer after raising 90 Monarchs...and what did I find in my garden late fall?

Thursday, February 22, 2018

What does it feel like to be an ELL?

Sean Pang is a former ELL language learner. He came to USA from China when he was 6. He is the Washington Post Teacher of the Year, also teacher of the year by his colleagues at Rockvill H.S.

Here are some highlights from his interview:

He admired his teachers being understanding, patient, and giving him “wait time” to figure things out and that is why he’s a teacher today.
He was in ESOL for 3-4 years, when he “graduated” from ESOL he had confidence and was in classes with everyone else. He could play and speak to everyone and he felt “normal” like everyone else. (Research supports if you are literate in your home language and have parental support, an EL can be in the ESOL Program 3-4 years)
His parents encouraged him to speak his native language at home while he was learning English (Research shows that if ELs are fluent in their home language, they can transfer their skills to learning English)
After ESOL he was mainstreamed into the classroom. He felt he did not have enough language to keep up. (Research shows it can takes to 7-9 years to learn Academic language – He was an REL [reclassified ESOL student] and MSDE tracks RELs for 2 years – RELs may still need support). He still had this huge learning curve. Even though his parents did not speak English, they encouraged him to read, had weekly trips to the library, his parents read with him to learn English too, (parent involvement)
His first books were comic books because pictures are a universal language (this reminded me of Andy in 5^th grade!)
He participated in school activities to learn about American life
He felt he “caught up” in school by the time he was in high school (research supports it takes ELLs 7-9 years to get caught up)
The power of a teacher that encouraged him to take AP classes
As a former ELL and as a teacher now - he encourages his ELLs to try new things and to build confidence in themselves
Rockville has talent (listen to this great idea!)
Can Do approach by WIDA – looking at what ELs Can Do!

Great interview!

http://www.colorincolorado.org/videos/facebook-live-series/what-does-it-feel-be-ell-event-archive?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Hootsuite&utm_campaign=CCSocialMedia

Sunday, August 23, 2015

I Trust You'll Treat her Well!

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Dear World:

I bequeath to you today one little girl...in a crispy dress...with two blue eyes...and a happy laugh that ripples all day long.. and a flash of light strawberry-blond hair that bounces in the sun when she runs.

I trust you'll treat her well.

She's slipping out of the backyard of my heart this morning...and skipping off down the street to her first day of school. And never again will she be completely mine.

Prim and proud she'll wave her young and independent hand this morning and say "Goodbye" and walk with little lady steps to the schoolhouse.

Now she'll learn to stand in lines...and wait by the alphabet for her name to be called. She'll learn to tune her ears for the sounds of school-bells...and deadlines...and she'll learn to giggle...and gossip...and look at the ceiling in a disinterested way when the little boy 'cross the aisle sticks out his tongue at her. And now she'll learn to be jealous. And now she'll learn how it is to feel hurt inside. And now she'll learn how not to cry.

No longer will she have time to sit on the front porch on a summer day and watch an ant scurry across the crack in the sidewalk. Nor will she have time to pop out of bed with the dawn and kiss lilac blooms in the morning dew. No, now she'll worry about those important things...like grades and which dress to wear and whose best friends is whose. And the magic of books and learning will replace the magic of her blocks and dolls. And now she'll find new heroes.

For five full years now I've been her sage and Santa Claus and pal and playmate and mother and friend. Now she'll learn to share her worship with her teachers ...which is only right. But no longer will I be the smartest woman in the whole world. Today when that school bell rings for the first time...she'll learn what it means to be a member of the group...with all its privileges and its disadvantages too.

She'll learn in time that proper young ladies do not laugh out loud...or kiss dogs...or keep frogs in pickle jars in bedrooms...or even watch ants scurry across cracks in sidewalks in the summer.

Today she'll learn for the first time that all who smile at her are not her friends. And I'll stand on the front porch and watch her start out on the long, lonely journey to becoming a woman.

So, world, I bequeath to you today one little girl...in a crispy dress...with two blue eyes...and a flash of light strawberry blonde hair that bounces in the sunlight when she runs.

I trust you'll treat her well.

Author: Victor Buono

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Escape to Timeless Elegance and Exquisite Fine Dining

Nestled at the foot of the rolling Catoctin Mountains in Central Maryland there is a 24-acre Mansion and estate buildings built in 1844. Antrim 1844 is a wonderful getaway for all occasions!

We began dinner by the fireplace with hand-passed hors d'oeuvres, a remarkable selection of entrees, and a Panache of desserts by the award winning Executive Chef Spencer Wolff.

We chose a bottle of wine from the award-winning wine cellar containing over 20,000 bottles representing 2,900 selections of renowned and undiscovered selections from famed wine regions around the world! Yes! You can say we are multi-culture!

We went back to our room to find a delicate rose and chocolates on the pillow.

Hors d'oeuvres to wet your appetite!

We woke up to a tray of fresh fruits, homemade muffins, and a hot drink outside our door. This prepared us for the hearty homemade country breakfast with fresh squeezed orange juice waiting for us at the Smokehouse.