MY 'end-of-year' ASSESSMENT

Well, that's it!

I've finished for this year.  It has been a very busy year for me if I consider writing and maintaining this blog and sending regular weekly e-mails to my students. I’ve also communicated by NEWSLETTERS to former students, I think it's important to keep in touch! This has been excellent time spent writing and communicating, and, researching which I also enjoy doing! I found some very helpful internet sites which I passed along to you as ressources and also to help you hang on!

I've had a wonderful teaching year as well! Which I absolutely adore doing and through the classes I’ve met some really wonderful persons. The numbers are there: eight new groups and 70 somewhat new students. I also had some really committed individuals coming back and pursuing their learning. But I have also lost some :( That happens too! As the idiom goes: that's how the cookie crumbles! 

I've also made some important decisions concerning the content of ESL classes based on my students’ feedback. Thanks heaps!! So there will be some important changes because I need to take charge not only of content but of enrolment too.

I also experienced with four wonderful women, my first summer immersion classes. We decided on three days but after sitting down and discussing the time line, we came to the conclusion that even though you are beginners you can live easily through a FULL WEEK of English immersion. So I’m really looking forward to this coming time, between May and the end of September, to experience more immersions. WELCOME to my summer home in the forest! can you hear the birds ... and my world 'outside' of a classroom!!! There's a play-on-words, somewhere in there!

Of course I also have my personal LIFE which you are not necessarily privy too but, all in all, I’m a happy and content person. I owe it all to my CREATIVE spirit and BELIEF in my projects and the achievements that I am very proud of.

I've had a wonderful year and I am looking forward to spending more teaching time with my future and former students.  I am looking forward to reflecting on all the things I've achieved this year and I am very much looking forward to having some time over the holidays to make plans and goals for the year which lies ahead. I always create a 'story board' just like they do for the scenes and scenario of a movie.

As I move into the second year of posting here, on my blog, I hope to be able to continue to be inspired; to encourage and to help you as I lead you along my ENGLISH path and your ESL journey.  I am also looking forward to following the progress of my very talented ESL-ers!

This is the time to THANK YOU 

for your interest and for continuing to read my blog.  

You are all so wonderful and very supportive.  

This really is such a happy and positive time 

and I am so thrilled to have created this page!

                 HAPPY NEW YEAR and 
                 SEE YOU VERY SOON!

                                 Suzanne


P.S. CLICK on title if you want to see if you are in your best career or if you are really doing what you were meant to be!

DECEMBER 25 2010 ... Christmas Day!!!

    

The wish is old,

The wish is true,

A merry Christmas,

My friends and 

the best to you 

 Merry Christmas !!! 

To each and everyone of you!

                                            SUZANNE XXXX

FROSTY the SNOWMAN with a little bit of PINK!!!

          

Here are some JOKES about snowmen                                I hope ''You get it'' and 

   have a great laugh!!

What do snowmen eat for lunch ?  Icebergers !

A Few More Funny Snowmen Jok

                             What do hungry snowmen put on their ice-burgers? Chilly sauce!

                                      What do you call a snowman on rollerblades?  A snowmobile

What do snowmen eat for breakfast?  Snowflakes.

 What sort of cakes do snowmen like? The ones with thick icing!

What do you get when you cross a vampire and a snowman? Frostbite.

About Frosty The Snowman Frosty the Snowman is a popular Christmas song written by Steve 'Jack' Rollins and Steve Nelson and recorded by Gene Autry and the Cass County Boys in 1950. Like Jingle Bells and several other songs about winter, Frosty the Snowman is considered to be a Christmas song despite not mentioning Christmas at all. It was written after Gene Autry recorded 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' and the single sold 2 million copies.

FROSTY THE SNOW MAN.

If youn are looking for the 'words' to a song, 

they are called 'song LYRICS.

Type the title + lyrics and

 there are many sites that offer them.

Have a look!

                                     SUZANNE

MORE, More and More FUN!!!!

TEACHER and STUDENTS

 A GREAT TEAM!!!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

DANCING QUEENS and KINGS ... STUDENTS having FUN!

Hi! To all you readers and followers,

Not only do this last session's students

partake in English conversation

but they are also a very FUN and JOYFUL group of people.

Have a look at their dancing talent

and you may even recognise some familiar faces.

To see them in action,

just click on the TITLE above for one with teacher

 and on the two below.


Group Tuesday p.m. 
http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/Pb0r0OrXDQEhrOFV

Group Tuesday a.m. 
http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/ob1Khvy7lB0CuSEb
Guy Jacques    
http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/DgnFvz7wK9X6jKGB

This is what I call 

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

ENJOY!

Suzanne

HO! HO! HO! HO! HO! HO! HO! HO! HO! HO!

A Christmas Story

or

Why we often put an angel

at the top of the Christmas tree.  

When four of Santa's elves got sick, the elves in training did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones and Santa began to feel the pre-Christmas pressure. Then Mrs. Claus told Santa that her mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more.
When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out "Heaven knows where"! Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked and the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.

Needing a break, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drank all the cider and hidden the rum. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider jug and it broke into hundreds of little pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom.

Just then the doorbell rang, and Santa very irritated at that moment, marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree.  The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you, where would you like me to put it?'

… And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree. 

HO! HO! HO! HO! HO! HO! HO! HO!

People really think up these stories!
They have a fun imagination!
They make us laugh and 
give us such a different view of Christmas
and its time-old traditions.
Delightful !!!

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS

Christmas Countdowns at WiddlyTinks.com


Are you starting to feel the excitement of the Holiday Season!
If not, the children in your life will surely communicate this special energy to you.
Do you remember those days that preceded Christmas and how you felt?
What was your favorite gift of all time? How old were you when you received it?
What's your favorite Christmas memory?


If you feel like sharing, please do!
Keep your interest in English alive during this two-month break!
I am there for you and I'll be reading you!


Suzanne

*** Have a look a this cute reaction and
      Click on title for the link to Youtube
       

GRADUATION !!!

CONGRATULATIONS !!!

To all of you dear students.

You have completed 30 hours 

of Basic English as a second language.

I am pleased that you have committed so faithfully to your classes 

and putting in the extra time at home on assignments.

Time really went so fast starting in October

and finishing this past Friday at our little celebration.

I was impressed by your participation!

I really enjoyed working with all you beginners

 and was so glad to see some very familiar faces. 

It is always such a pleasure sharing my knowledge with you

and especially when you give me your very precious feedback

on what you have learned and

 to let me know of the progress you have made.

I'm a proud teacher!

I hope to see a 'bunch' of you coming back in February 2011.

I will be there!

SUZANNE

Facebook and social networking

Today I went on my Facebook account. 

Why ? Do you ask, are you on Facebook?

Well it started nearly a year ago, actually on New Year's Day. I had decided then that one of the words I was going to incorporate in my daily accomplishments was the word FUN. And I also wanted to communicate in a general way with my students.  It is called: social networking! There's also MySpace and Twitter and others. Of course you now know that I have my own page, right here ! And that I have full control of what I decide to write. And YOU don't have to become a Facebooker! ;)
Nevertheless, I have kept my account open and, after hearing of the new changes brought to get more information on your page, I was curious to see what they were. So I did complete some information and I thought I would share with you what I wrote about myself! Here it is:

PERSONAL INFO on Facebook

I am a retired ESL teacher. 
As a retiree from the public school system, 
with all the years of experience under my belt, 
I have now become an ESL teacher for retirees! 
How funny is that! Great fun! 

Two words my students get mixed up all the time! 

I say, FUN makes me feel happy and FUNNY makes me laugh!

So, that's what I'm up to. Having fun and laughing! 

Then there's the five months I spend in the forest 

in the Laurentian Mountains, north of Montréal. 

Now that's fun also! 
I run summer immersion sessions there. 

We learn and laugh. And I benefit from the company.

Isn't it 'funny' how English has been with me 
ever since my birth in England to living in French Québec 
for all my life (minus six months). 

The best of both worlds!!! 

And the best career anyone could wish for! 

I have been the happiest in a classroom. 

There are more happy times ahead because I know now that 

I am the one that creates these precious moments 

in a day, a week, a year, and 

that I make them happen with you also! 

And THAT MAKES ME HAPPY!

 SUZANNE

P.S. If you want to take a TEST to see if you are in your GREAT CAREER too, 

just CLICk on title.

The PURRRRRRFECT STUDENT

A SPECIAL STUDENT

Many years ago, I remember it was on a Sunday morning, I was just relaxing in my bed, not really ready to get up. I realized that my daughter Stéphanie who was three years old then, had already come down from her bedroom into the living room. She was speaking to somebody! Who could it be, I wondered. For my husband was beside me and she was an only child. So I was a little surprised to hear her speak and questioned the identity of the other person that I couldn’t hear.

So I jumped out of bed and went to find the answer. There she was sitting on the floor, holding some cards with a picture on one side and the corresponding word on the other side. Her cat, Socrate*, who was one and a half years younger than her, was sitting quietly in front of her. She was trying to teach him some vocabulary by repeating two or three times every word. It was so cute to see them that I observed a little while before joining in.

Finally, I don’t know exactly how many words Socrate learnt that day but I still remember the special relationship they had for many, many years. Socrate passed away when he reached the ripe old age of 18.

* Socrate is Socrates /tiz/ in English!

Thank you, Carole

for this touching litttle story 

about a faithful and 'educated' companion.

CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT!!

CURIOSITY killed the CAT is a very old proverb 

used to warn against being too curious lest one come to harm.

Here's a sad story from Huguette:

When my mother was a little girl, she lived on a farm where there were a lot of cats. One day, a female cat gave birth to a lot of kittens. My mother played with them just like they were babies. She placed them on the stove door and she forgot them there. The kittens went into the stove and they slept there. My grandmother closed the door and lit the stove to preheat it for supper. She hadn't seen the kittens. When she opened the door ... it was too late. My mother cried a lot. It's a sad story. 

The second story comes from Diane M., a former student. 

I received this email from Diane stating that she has her reasons

for having ' nothing to do' with cats!  

I thought I would share it with you. 

Here it is:

Hello, 

Thank you for your email (newsletter).

I am sorry that I don't have any cute stories about cats to send to you. 

Cats and I are not friends.

My next-door neighbours, who have now moved, had cats and with them came fleas! And eventually they became very unwelcomed visitors to my apartment! Luckily when they left, the landlord had all the rooms cleaned up and I am now free from these pests. So, please don't ask me to be around cats!

Short stories that show you different perceptions

and experiences 

that people have of cats!

What's yours?

Like them, love them?

Allergic to them?

Can't live without them!

Have a nice weekend!

From a cat-lover 

Suzanne

Ta ... Dammmmmmm ... And the winner is ....

 THE STORY OF CHLOÉ

On this very gloomy, rainy, terrible, terrible November evening 

I'm going to share with you the very warm 
and heartfelt story of Chloé, the cat. 

Not just an ordinary cat 
but a precious companion of the Jacques family.

That is Guy Jacques who is also the winner of this contest.

Here's her story!

      I have a cat and she’s a female ‘Calico’ which means that her coat has three bright colors : white, black and tan. People unanimously agree on her beauty and originality. This is how she became part of our family. 

In September of 1995, we lost our pet cat because of illness. At that time whenever we went to the shopping center, we used to stop at the pet shop and have a look at the animals. One day while we were looking through the front window of the store, we saw a group of cats that were sleeping. There was quite a variety. They were all bunched up together but one sat alone in a corner as it looked at us very attentively.

The next week we went back and the same cat came up to the shop window as though it had recognized us! We rushed inside and my wife then picked her up and into her arms she went. The cat purred loudly. And that's how she won our hearts over. We had been charmed!

In the beginning, we called her Chloé but we renamed her ‘Ma-Ma’ because she wakes me up every morning at five o’clock by making this sound. And ever since that spur of the moment decision, my sleeping hours have been shortened!

Here’s a bit of trivia (information) about these cats. In Québec, we consider the female Calico cat or ‘chatte d’Espagne’ (in French) as an official breed. She is quite apart from other female cats as she has a magical quality about her.

In Asia , they consider it to be a precious amulet. In Great Britain, they have for a long time thought that it is clairvoyant and that it can foresee future. In Scotland and in Normandy, they say that it is a guarantee of good health for the one who has one in the home. Finally, in Japan, they believe that it has magical powers.

En toute amitié,

Guy Jacques

THANK YOU!! Jacques 

for taking the time to send in your story.

As a NOTE, I want to tell you that I will publish more stories because you took the time to write them and send them in. 
Thanks to all of you!  SUZANNE

A WINNER ...

There's more than one way to skin a cat ...   

Will you be the winner and become like

THE CAT THAT ATE THE CANARY??

Or just be

The CAT'S pyjamas 

or the CAT'S meow!

A CONTEST and some prizes for your participation.

CONTEST

GREETINGS!

To all you students or former students

and friends out there!!!

I am starting a contest and would like you to participate.

I'm looking for some personal stories

or anecdotes that refer to  CATS.

It could also be anything that you find interesting

to share about cats.

Even something you find on the Internet.

WHY?

Well, unfortunately I had prepared a file on cats

and I deleted it by mistake ...SHOOT!!

So I'm asking for your help.

Interesting? Yes!

The prizes are a published story on my blog

and a few CAT prizes!

Thanks for participating,

SUZANNE

About a dead cat and a child's perception

WHY DO WE LOVE CHILDREN ?

They are the best comedians and they make us laugh. This little anecdote is one of my favourites and I have already posted it . I'd love for you to read it again or for some of you, a first time!

A  nursery school pupil told her teacher

she'd found a cat but, it was dead. 

'How do you know that the cat was dead?' 
she asked her pupil. 

'Because I pissed in its ear and it didn't move,' 
answered the child, innocently.

'You did WHAAAT?' the teacher exclaimed in surprise.

'You know,' explained the girl, 'I leaned over and went

 'Pssst' and it didn't move.'

KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS!
If you enter the above 'key-words' on YouTube,
you will be very much entertained!
HAVE A LISTEN!
Suzanne