Partridge and a Pear Tree
Ok. I know that Dec. 10 is probably NOT the first day of Christmas. However, I'm leaving for the Isle of Wight in twelve days, so... well, I hate coming up with titles, so this seemd like a good idea. I don't have to come up with an original title for 12 days! Yeah!
So it's noon on Saturday here, and I've got the vast majority of next week planned. I'll have to spend about half an hour on it tomorrow, but that's no big deal. It always helps when your students fall behind and/or cancel, because then you already have the lesson plan done. ;) Makes the work go by way faster! Planning is also a bit easier because I'm re-using a lot of materials throughout a bunch of my classes. Lots of seasonal materials. My best one so far? I've got a wicked lesson for The Barenaked Ladies' Elf's Lament. It's great, because it's got a lot of business language in it, and I can use it for just about all of my classes. Plus, elves aren't part of the Christmas mythology in the Czech Republic (St. Nicholas brings small gifts during the night of Dec. 5, and "Little Jesus" brings gifts Christmas Eve), so my students get to learn about N. American culture as well. I did a trial run of this lesson with a business student yesterday, and it went over really well. It's such a fun song, and it's fairly easy to understand (I give my students tapescripts [pages with the lyrics] to help them follow), and it's a change from grammar and discussion. Whee!
Now people, I was completely serious about my request for Christmas activities last time. I've got a few lined up (e.g. a Christmas trivia game for children that should be about the right difficulty for my students, since they don't know a lot about N. American traditions). I've also got the Christmas Carol Title Game. You know, you get the name that's in formal or technical English and you have to match it to the traditional name? It's going to be tricky, so we're going to do it as a matching game. But I need more activities! More I say! They don't even have to be terribly "English" oriented, seeing as the whole class will be spent speaking English. A number of my classes are 90 minutes long, so I need a fair few activities. Yes, I know, we can always play "Christmas Hangman" to fill in that last 10 minutes of class, but that won't work for the last 45 minutes... ;) Help me, please!
I'm thinking I'll wrap my Christmas presents this afternoon - that is, if I can convince myself to get out of my pajamas, down to Tescos, back... oh. That sounds like a lot of work. Maybe tomorrow. :D I like my pajamas.
I went for a medical check-up for work yesterday, and the doctor weighed me. According to her scale, I've lost 20 lbs since arriving in Prague! No WONDER my pants keep sliding off. I don't think that I look all that different, but you'll just have to come to Prague and see for yourself (oooh, I'm so subtle. Look at me sneakily sneaking hints in to my posts... I'm sooo clever... I have a cunning plan... I'll write my blog post on a turnip and...).
Well my darling readers (according to the site metre, there are like 28 of you a day! Well, Ok. 26. Maybe 25. Yes, I check my blog a lot. For absolutely no reason, as your comments get emailed to me. Ahem. Out of these parantheses now, and one with real stuff...) I hope you all have a good weekend.
Love,
Elizabeth
PS - A big thank you to those of you who have sent Christmas cards. I haven't read any of them yet, because I'm saving them to have as Christmas presents in England. I will respond (maybe not snail mail, but email for sure!!) after Christmas. You all ROCK!
Love,
e.
So it's noon on Saturday here, and I've got the vast majority of next week planned. I'll have to spend about half an hour on it tomorrow, but that's no big deal. It always helps when your students fall behind and/or cancel, because then you already have the lesson plan done. ;) Makes the work go by way faster! Planning is also a bit easier because I'm re-using a lot of materials throughout a bunch of my classes. Lots of seasonal materials. My best one so far? I've got a wicked lesson for The Barenaked Ladies' Elf's Lament. It's great, because it's got a lot of business language in it, and I can use it for just about all of my classes. Plus, elves aren't part of the Christmas mythology in the Czech Republic (St. Nicholas brings small gifts during the night of Dec. 5, and "Little Jesus" brings gifts Christmas Eve), so my students get to learn about N. American culture as well. I did a trial run of this lesson with a business student yesterday, and it went over really well. It's such a fun song, and it's fairly easy to understand (I give my students tapescripts [pages with the lyrics] to help them follow), and it's a change from grammar and discussion. Whee!
Now people, I was completely serious about my request for Christmas activities last time. I've got a few lined up (e.g. a Christmas trivia game for children that should be about the right difficulty for my students, since they don't know a lot about N. American traditions). I've also got the Christmas Carol Title Game. You know, you get the name that's in formal or technical English and you have to match it to the traditional name? It's going to be tricky, so we're going to do it as a matching game. But I need more activities! More I say! They don't even have to be terribly "English" oriented, seeing as the whole class will be spent speaking English. A number of my classes are 90 minutes long, so I need a fair few activities. Yes, I know, we can always play "Christmas Hangman" to fill in that last 10 minutes of class, but that won't work for the last 45 minutes... ;) Help me, please!
I'm thinking I'll wrap my Christmas presents this afternoon - that is, if I can convince myself to get out of my pajamas, down to Tescos, back... oh. That sounds like a lot of work. Maybe tomorrow. :D I like my pajamas.
I went for a medical check-up for work yesterday, and the doctor weighed me. According to her scale, I've lost 20 lbs since arriving in Prague! No WONDER my pants keep sliding off. I don't think that I look all that different, but you'll just have to come to Prague and see for yourself (oooh, I'm so subtle. Look at me sneakily sneaking hints in to my posts... I'm sooo clever... I have a cunning plan... I'll write my blog post on a turnip and...).
Well my darling readers (according to the site metre, there are like 28 of you a day! Well, Ok. 26. Maybe 25. Yes, I check my blog a lot. For absolutely no reason, as your comments get emailed to me. Ahem. Out of these parantheses now, and one with real stuff...) I hope you all have a good weekend.
Love,
Elizabeth
PS - A big thank you to those of you who have sent Christmas cards. I haven't read any of them yet, because I'm saving them to have as Christmas presents in England. I will respond (maybe not snail mail, but email for sure!!) after Christmas. You all ROCK!
Love,
e.
posted by Elizabeth @ 05:06
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