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Wow, it’s Back to School time already! No one can say for sure what the new school year will look like for teachers and students in the U.S. There is pressure to open schools and there is pushback from teachers and parents who feel it is not yet safe enough
July 4th, Independence Day in the U.S., will be celebrated later this week. It marks the day in 1776 when the American colonists declared their formal separation from Great Britain. Actually, it was July 2nd when the Second Continental Congress approved the colonies’ independence but it wasn’t publicized until July
In a video chat this past weekend with my sister and cousin, they both said the companies they work for have made Juneteenth a holiday with the day off for employees. I did not learn about Juneteenth when I was in school nor did the businesses or schools I worked
Over and over, again and again. The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis a week ago is despicable, unforgivable, horrible, but it is only the latest in a long sad history of racist acts in the U.S. by authorities with power. Racist thought and action doesn’t start in adulthood. It’s
Do you know what Boom Cards™ are? Boom Cards are digital task cards. Just as printed task cards can include all sorts of activities for students, Boom Cards can also teach a wide variety of concepts and include different kinds of activities. They are great for English Language Learners because
(Updated April 20, 2026) Earth Day is on April 22nd so I’d like to devote this blog post to sharing a few teaching ideas and resources about the holiday with you. I’m including both online and offline activities in case you have students who don’t have access to the internet.
TeachersPayTeachers is having a sale on Monday and Tuesday, April 6th and April 7th, to help educators, parents, and other caregivers find resources they can use with students who are now learning remotely. The sale begins at 12:00am Eastern on Monday and ends at 11:59pm Eastern on Tuesday. Resources at
Are you affected by the school closings due to the coronavirus pandemic? This blog post offers you some tips for teaching English Language Learners remotely. I’d also like to give you some links to resources you may find useful. (More resources are being posted on my Facebook page.) Click HERE
Working with the parents and caregivers of my students was something I really enjoyed as an ESL teacher. In a previous blog post, I wrote about why it was such a pleasure. Source: The ESL Nexus One of my friends here in Tucson, Lin, is someone I first met when
Food is a great entrée into a culture. It answers all the who/what/where/when/why/how questions: Who prepares it, what are the ingredients, where are dishes prepared, when are they cooked, why are certain foods prepared, how are they made. Discussing these aspects of food preparation is also a great way to
I wasn’t planning on writing another blog post about China but I’ve been obsessively reading and watching the news about the coronavirus that began in Wuhan, China. Because, you see, I used to live and work in Wuhan – in the early 1990s, I spent 2 years teaching at a
(This post was updated January 7, 2023.) Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival as it’s known in China, starts soon so I’d like to wish you Xin Nian Kuai Le — Happy New Year! (In Mandarin, that’s pronounced: sheen nee-en kwhy luh.) This year, Spring Festival ushers in the Year
