Just a thought....
Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

Showing posts with label ESL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ESL. Show all posts

Monday, 22 June 2009

No more excuses

seal language


"A man who wants something will find a way; a man who doesn't will find an excuse."

Stephan Dolley Jr.

It’s been said that some of the smartest people make lousy entrepreneurs. How can that be? The problem is that some people are so smart they can easily predict all of the problems, roadblocks and hurdles they’ll need to overcome to succeed. They can think of all kinds of reasons why an idea won’t work. This foresight can crush possibilities and dreams. When you want something, do you focus on the positive things, or the barriers? To reach your goals, you have to really want them. More importantly, you have to believe that you can do it. Think more about why you CAN make it happen instead of why you can’t.

from Sparkpeople.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This weekend was spent in a flurry of spring cleaning, making picture frames, and moving furniture around. This morning was our first interview here with our first caller from the ad we put out. I went to bed nervous, knowing the house was ready, but was I? I looked at the 'office' this morning and was satisfied. There was no more we could do to be prepared. I went off to teach. We did the last swapping out of chairs and flicked the dust off the table. You won't believe the amount that collects overnight!

Then we waited...

In fairness to the student, she's Brazilian and it's almost cultural to arrive late and, again, in fairness to her, she apologised for being late. She wants a one month intensive, three times per week. She has no English at all. Tat will have to take this one on. She is delighted, naturally, except.... the student wants classes at 7:30am... not teen 'awake' time! My Portuguese was the subject of much hilarity during the interview *groan* In all, it went well. Now we need a few more like that : ) A large chunk of our students are stopping now for the mid-year holidays. Many of them may not return to class or they will return, but to other teachers.

If ever, then, there was a time to move forward and not make or accept excuses, now is it. This can work. It has to work. We're once again moving into a phase of big change. Once before, I worked for a school, then moved to private teaching. I can do that again. In fact, this time will be even better! Yes... it will.... right?

 

Technorati Tags: ,,,

Wednesday, 11 February 2009

The working world


students


It seems that I'm back in the world of English (ESL) teaching in full force now. I went today to register with the 'corporativa' (co-op). Hearing 'corporativa' all day made me think of "Corporasie stories". Remember that series? It was a South African tv series way back when. The 'corporativa' here seems to be some sort of a union type of organisation. I don't rightly care what they are. They are organising a bank account for me. Heck, I don't even need to go into the bank to get it. The girl from the 'corporativa' fetched myself and my translator (Jorge) from the School and drove us back. She offered. She said it was too unbearably hot to walk and bus back. She had a point. The car was like an oven. Trust me, we were grateful for the ride.

I'll be teaching every day, it seems. Not all my students are back into 'school' mode yet, but Monday to Saturday will be the norm, with classes in the morning before the working day, in the afternoons (those would be the kids after school), and in the evenings, ending at 10pm. Then there's Saturday morning and afternoon. Next time you hear me complain about lack of work, please kick me. The 'corporativa' wants me to go back to private teaching where I go to the students' companies. That will mean going into the city in the evenings by bus. It will also mean more money, but I'll be taking a very late bus home every day. I'm fairly keen to do it, but the idea of all that travelling isn't appealing.

Tat was chatting to George tonight. Their chatting sent me on another trip down memory lane... the parts I don't usually explore. He got me thinking about my mother, who is now an old lady in a wheelchair with Parkinsons, still as feisty as ever from what I hear. And Christmases. Funny... with both my brothers, my gran's cooking is what seems the most memorable. It has been interesting comparing each 'child's memory. I need to upload more photos for them to see, not that I have many. I wonder where all the photos went. Jim, my grandfather, always had his camera on hand in its brown leather case. When not in use, it hung behind my bedroom door. I would fiddle with it in secret. I'm surprised it worked.

Oi... I'm tired and rambling. I'm off to bed. My social life has come to a grinding halt. I'm now having to make myself useful. Omg... that takes work! ; ) Oh and the photo? That was the two Japanese kids I taught. The condition of my teaching them was that Tat would go with to speak English to them while I taught the mother. Needless to say, that particular English never happened. I taught the kids for some years... close to 4 if I remember correctly. Ugh... I'm starting to ramble again...

Technorati Tags: ,,,,