Thanksgiving - Between Classes

Students giving gifts to teachers as a sign of appreciation is nice. I guess the greatest gift a teacher can receive is the inherent knowledge that their student has moved on successfully whether it is within the lower, upper grades or to University. I have been lucky to receive some nice presents from some students. The ones I remember include a gift certificate to a local grocery store, a sterling silver tea set (South Korea), and eating together at a traditional oriental restaurant, etc. The most presents I was presented with were in South Korea.

In the states, at my first elementary job, my student presented me with a bottle of sand, tall and lean with different colors and hues. She was my best writer and I loved her gift. Every time I see it, I think of her. At a charter school, one of the students presented me with a vase from the Islands to keep my writing tools.

At the University level, one student presented me with a wooden carving of my name written in Arabic. She also gave me a pretty necklace with earrings. An adult ESL student from China presented me with a beautiful silk scarf while I was teaching at a nearby community college. And then of course, there are the more intrinsic rewards like a student complimenting you on your teaching style, or remembering you years later or your name when they come to the shop you own, or hearing about their latest successes. I tend to bond more easily with my ESL students especially since I have lived overseas and can identify with some of their problems, etc. They are almost like your problem children who you remember teaching in lower elementary, the ones who seemed to need and crave the most attention but you realize the road may be paved with more difficulties and also more opportunities for the bilingual/bicultural students who survive and thrive in a country not their own.

At the University, we have one more week before Thanksgiving break. Some students (freshman) have faltered and other have flown. We are approaching the end. Research papers are due; finals are coming along with the last presentations. After this semester, I will continue with the blog after classes start in January. I will continue teaching English and perhaps an independent study with the Bridge Dept. I feel that I have a few things left to say about teaching Writing I, II and a remedial reading/vocabulary for the Bridge Program. I enjoy teaching English 121, 122(Advanced Writing I, II) and look forward to picking up a few classes of teaching literature and honing my craft. I hope that the Bridge Program will continue to grow and develop. If you haven’t already checked out Saint Leo University, I encourage you to do so. It is a well kept secret. You’ll enjoy your time there! The setting is beautiful and there are many talented instructors and students. And of course, the best gift, this past semester is having students from the Bridge Program drop by to tell me “We will be in your Advanced Writing I class next semester. We looked for your class on the signup sheet.”