Working in Education through the Language Lens

RESILIENCE  :the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens : the ability of something to return to its original shape after it has been pulled, stretched, pressed, bent, etc. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resilience Every day I encounter students, friends, strangers with a story of resilience. The story of people who are stretched beyond what we would find reasonable - and yet who find success -  Today I want to share these three: 1) My son: James I happened to be leaving the high school (where I teach and he attends) to find a group from his aerodynamics class- testing an airplane. Please know that I realize sarcasm is lost on language learners, and well, most teens. BUT it is a form or humor that I felt comfortable using with my son present (just want to throw that disclaimer out there). http://youtu.be/D6v8Mo8YGLQ They have been working on a design (from scratch) while learning principles of physics - to ...

As an itinerant in three buildings across K-12, we had to devise a strategy this year to make utilize some hi-tech ways to stay connected. I had been using Voxer since the summer and I introduced it to my para. We started off with daily interactions to touch base on schedule issues/students issues and a general acclimation to our roles. A model example of how we were able to interact and connect to best serve a student happened: here's the scenario Student: 9th grade male from Somalia. He has been in the US for 3 years and lives with his mother and two older sisters. His father is a truck driver and their interaction is limited. Student had previously been assigned to the Alternative school for behavior issues (this is where I first met him). My interaction with the family has been constant since the beginning of school. I supported his sisters in class in a collaborative setting, while my paraprofessional worked more with Student during the first semester. Teacher: Engl...

It's Groundhog day! Overshadowed (*pun intended*) by the Superbowl aftermath - and at the elementary school level today - tons of talk by excited students about Katy Perry's half time show :) What I find significant about Groundhog day and the emphasis on seeing or not seeing a shadow - is the shadow itself. Whether we know it or not - our footprint is not just the size of our shoes, especially if we think in terms of our digital footprint. We cast a shadow (metaphorically speaking) - or leave a footprint wherever we are. I've been mulling on this idea of shadows and reflection for a few weeks and today is the perfect day to share my mulling: 1. A matter of perspective:  Don't you love it how you can appear "larger than life"? I actually enjoy the slimming effect a shadow can have :) Our view of the world, of ourselves and of others are all a matter of perspective and relation. A reflection in a shadow is an outline of who we are - not detailed l...