I like getting emails, but please refrain from "shooting" me an email. I don't know. I left the country for five years (this, by the way, is my excuse for everything), and while I was gone people started shooting each other emails. Ouch, it sounds so dangerous!
On the other hand, or as some ESL students might say--in the other hand, I like how people clip avenue and actually pronounce the abbreviation. I don't know if the clipping started before or after I left, but I love how it sounds. Just the other day someone said, "Oh, so it's on Orange AVE", and my little word loving heart skipped a beat.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Busy Blessings
I had a friend who once told me something about math that I felt was good way to look at life. When his students asked him if math was fun. He said, "Math isn't always fun, but it is rewarding."
My blessings (a good job and a ministry) are like that. My blessings keep me busy. I sometimes want the "fun" of being able to linger in bed, have full weekends with nothing to do, or not stay in the office late, but on the other hand I love the sense of satisfaction, meaning, and joy that comes as a direct result of my busyness.
I'm not advocating overwork. In fact, I'm looking at ways to schedule more times for doing important things like sitting on the beach all day or long meandering drives around Florida, but I'm grateful--grateful to God to be so busily blessed.
My blessings (a good job and a ministry) are like that. My blessings keep me busy. I sometimes want the "fun" of being able to linger in bed, have full weekends with nothing to do, or not stay in the office late, but on the other hand I love the sense of satisfaction, meaning, and joy that comes as a direct result of my busyness.
I'm not advocating overwork. In fact, I'm looking at ways to schedule more times for doing important things like sitting on the beach all day or long meandering drives around Florida, but I'm grateful--grateful to God to be so busily blessed.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Extra Credit Competitions
Most of the people who read this blog are teachers or former teachers so I don't think you'll mind if I share a small activity that I use to reinforce what I'm teaching.
For key concepts I want my students to remember, I hold extra credit contests. (Usually I'll do this after a lecture.) I break the students into small groups and ask them to develop their own definition of the concept that I had just talked about. After collecting their definitions, I type up the three best definitions into my PowerPoint presentation and share them with the class. (The students with the best definitions get 2 points extra credit points.)
Not only are students forced to restate what they have learned, but then they get to see several different definitions of the same topic.
A small variation I do on this activity is to have students vote on what they think are the top definitions. This involves a lot more typing since I have to type up all the definitions, but it can be a lot of fun with different students promising to vote for each other.
For key concepts I want my students to remember, I hold extra credit contests. (Usually I'll do this after a lecture.) I break the students into small groups and ask them to develop their own definition of the concept that I had just talked about. After collecting their definitions, I type up the three best definitions into my PowerPoint presentation and share them with the class. (The students with the best definitions get 2 points extra credit points.)
Not only are students forced to restate what they have learned, but then they get to see several different definitions of the same topic.
A small variation I do on this activity is to have students vote on what they think are the top definitions. This involves a lot more typing since I have to type up all the definitions, but it can be a lot of fun with different students promising to vote for each other.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Julie Moments
My friends call them "Julie moments". From when they have said "that was a Julie moment",I take it to mean that it is usually when something awkward, random, or embarrassing happens to me. I suppose these happen at a higher frequency in my life so that is why they get a special label.
Well, I had a "Julie-moment" the other day at a Thai restaurant. My friend was talking about guys. She was saying, "I hope the man I marry understands how clumsy I am." While nodding my head in agreement, I managed to angle my fork in just the right direction so that most of the food from it landed on my lap.
For shame, I didn't want her point proven that fast.
Well, I had a "Julie-moment" the other day at a Thai restaurant. My friend was talking about guys. She was saying, "I hope the man I marry understands how clumsy I am." While nodding my head in agreement, I managed to angle my fork in just the right direction so that most of the food from it landed on my lap.
For shame, I didn't want her point proven that fast.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)