September 30, 2008 at 7:44 pm (News)
I don’t think it was widespread in US newscasts, but Colombia is reeling from the kidnapping and murder of an 11-month old baby. The plan was masterminded by the father of the child, who wanted it “disappeared” because he couldn’t afford his alimony payments.
Yes. You read that right. There’s more here in English and here in Spanish.
I am appalled. There’s got to be a special place in Hell for a man like that. Wow.
September 30, 2008 at 9:56 am (Teaching)
I am generally a very patient teacher. I sit with the kids to help them understand the concept. I prode them in the right direction. I help them think about how to “crack” the grammar to get it.
It takes a lot for me to be angry in a classroom. Today, my Freshman Honors (and the one Junior who sits there!) managed the impossible. They got me angry. Really angry.
We are covering a difficult grammar topic, which requires them to study at home. Yet they show up to class without having studied it and get frustrated when they fail at the exercises I give them. I can explain the grammar 200 times, I can go over the reasons why an answer is the way it is. But I cannot LEARN for them.
They will probably fail the test on Friday. I don’t care. Maybe the scare will get them into studying.
September 10, 2008 at 9:13 pm (Life, NY, TV)
You know how they say that scent is the most powerful memory trigger? Well, while I agree with that, tonight, sound was equally powerful too.
There was a period of last spring when I obsessively watched the first two seasons of Criminal Minds on CBS. I got them via Netflix and every night I’d watch two or three episodes. I also liked watching them with the lights off, in bed. (I know, not a “going to bed type of show, but I’m weird).
Tonight, as I was grading quizzes, I had the TV on “The Greatest American Dog” (yes, I’m a sucker). After that ended, Criminal Minds started. And the weirdest thing happened: As the credits rolled by and the music started (if you’re a fan, you know it’s very unique, you know it’s that show), I was suddenly sitting in my bed, lights off, in my NY apartment. The memory was so strong, it almost felt weird to be watching the show with the lights on and in an apartment that’s not that one.
Weird.
September 10, 2008 at 7:54 pm (Teaching)
A few choice moments from the first weeks of school:
Exhibit A
We’re talking about the preterite (one of the past tenses in Spanish) with my freshmen. I explain that the preterite is used for talking about a specific point in the past, for a completed action. For example: “Yo terminé el colegio en 1994″ (I finished High School in 1994).
Shock across their faces! “What!?” says a girl “1994? That’s when I was born! WOW”
Thanks, kids. Thanks for making me feel ancient.
Exhibit B
I hand out a pop quiz. One of my kids goes “Scheisse” (Which means “shit” in German). I turn around and say: “Das sagen wir night in hier” (We don’t say that here). I don’t know what was funnier. The shock of him realizing I understood him, or the fact that I corrected him in German and that he didn’t understand me.
Ha! 4 languages, kiddo, 4 languages. Don’t mess with Miss NSLW!
Exhibit C – My personal favorite.
As part of an activity, the kids read about a man who went to Mexico City and visited the Museo de Antropología. Later, we did a reading comprehension activity. It went like this:
NSLW: ¿A dónde va el Sr. Smith? (where does Mr. Smith go?
Student A: Al museo de antropología
September 8, 2008 at 10:21 pm (Uncategorized)
All I’m doing is working. Either at home or at work, I’m working. And I don’t mean just work-working, I mean home-working (trying to keep my already messy house not too messy and cooking – because at least that I still enjoy doing). At least Sunday I had a nice dinner with Daisy and other fun people…
I want to blog. I want to blog so badly. But I can’t. Grrr… I hope things improve, or this new job will make my hair fall out. 
 | san on Sigh |
 | jenmata on Sigh |
| san on See spot, panic |
 | Ulli on Happy Anniversary/Birthda… |
| san on Here or there |
