Thursday nights, dinner with Dwight at our local bar, swapping volunteer stories. Photos from his greenhouse shift popped up on my phone including this particularly puzzling one: “Where do my eyes go?” Turns out, he snapped it with his boss, figuring out which plants needed TLC. That scrawny one by the pipes needed better support.
Category: Volunteer
Rude or Rooty?
On Thursdays we compare notes about our day at our local, Maxwell’s. This photo from Dwight’s day at the university greenhouse caught my eye with its unusual bulbous tuberous stem that looks like it should be covered in polite company. Apparently it’s Sinningia helleri (gloxinia) from South America, which leaves me none the wiser.
Time to Re-Fuel
Thursdays are for volunteering: him in a university greenhouse, me with adult learners. Later we have just enough energy to walk a couple blocks to our local bar for dinner and to compare notes about our day. Last week, I learned about a smelly flowering Corpse Plant; today, Lithops (Stone Plants) which are getting ready for spring when, presumably, they’ll flower.
Back to School
On my way into my Thursday gig, I was reminded I could’ve come by bike rather than bus. Later, during a phonics class focused on the short “o” sound, I had to concentrate on repeatedly using the American “aw” sound instead of reverting to the ingrained British pronunciation.
School’s Out
It felt like classic April weather when I arrived for English Language Learning classes this morning. Since I’ll be in Hawaii then Japan for most of the next two months, it won’t be until mid-April that I walk through these doors again.
Deciphering Metaphors
Thursdays are my ELL (English Language Learning) days. I support three classes: Intermediate, Advanced, and Writing For Advanced Learners. This week, metaphors were the main attraction. The Intermediate class delved into powerful lines from MLK’s speeches, like the “same boat” analogy. Later, in the Writing class we explored Frost’s “Road Less Traveled.”
Getting a Head Start on 2024
Took two online classes as part of a continuing education requirement. Previously I’d completed some English Language teaching classes, but today I took required general classes on teaching adults.
The Unspoken Rules of Adjective Order
An adjective order exercise was in the lesson plan today. There are many nuances in the English language that we are never taught explicitly, we just learn them through trial and error: correct adjective order is one of them. For non-native speakers, it needs to be taught explicitly.
ELL Training
Completed an online ELL (English Language Learning) training course this afternoon as part of the annual training requirements set by the Minnesota Department of Education.
Unwinding with Umami
Thursdays are our service days: Dwight in a university greenhouse, me in ELL classrooms. This leaves us with little energy for cooking, so we typically have dinner out. Tonight: our local Izakaya (Japanese bar/restaurant).