August 17, 2009

Thought of the day: Don’t waste your life in doubts and fears: spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour’s duties will be the best preparation of the hours or ages that follow it. –Ralph Waldo Emerson

By Pete

Crepes for breakfast! We are all overwhelmed by the quality and quantity of the food. Kudos to the kitchen staff.

9.30 a.m. and the start of classes, thank goodness for Marge who had previously cautioned us to do as much preparation as possible. We soon found out that the students are very bright and we went through the lessons real fast.

Leaving my able assistant (and grandson) Zack in charge of our students, I made a quick tour of the group, Marge in firm control with name cards and word games followed by a giant jigsaw puzzle of the USA.

Caroline and Kasia with the youngest group spelling out names of the week and months of the year.

Jean (John) discussing TV game shows, challenged by a student named John who says he is too smart to be a millionaire!

Jane using a great deal of animation in conducting a game of Apples to Apples and throwing in a few observations whenever the opportunity arose.

Megan showing her professional teaching expertise and commanding rapt attention.

Judy and Ryan out under the apple trees discussing future dreams and school transportation.

Zack and Pete gave a lesson on opposites and showed some pictures of home. Zack performed a mini concert on the guitar.

We assembled to sing American folk songs and during another hearty meal we compared our countries’ educational systems. While the students participated in various sporting events, we all seemed to converge in the resource room feverishly planning lessons, too busy to snack in the dining room so Dorota did “take out” by bringing the snack to us.

Hot dogs for supper followed by a delicious strawberry cheesecake. In the evening we watched the orientation ceremony for the “first timers” including our own Carolina, Ryan and Zack who earned their official Reymontowka certificates.

A great day of learning and sharing and, yes, teaching.