Happy New Year!--An Old Entry Re-posted

Today is New Year's Eve.  Again, the song sung by ABBA "Happy New Year" flashed into my mind.  Here I'd like to post the entry I kept on Life Type system a year ago in which the video of the song was presented.   Just sing along.  This song is 30 years old!

http://www.tiec.tp.edu.tw/lifetype/post/1130/19093

May everyone have a beautiful and happy 2009!

 

Keep Moving Up

The result of the 2nd mock exam came out this moring.  Some students were exhilarated that they had made a great improvement; some were frustrated, dissatisfied with their performance.  What I'd like to tell those who have lost or are about to lose heart is

"This is not the end of the game.  Keep moving up.  Things can go better."

To Losan (羅珊老師)

Dear Losan,

Thank you for visiting my blog, and the sweet words.  You're always generous in encouraging others.  Those who know you love you.

To Sandy (黃馨儀老師)

Dear Sandy,

Thank you for the comments on my two entries. 

I found you a great singer the day we encountered at Lungshan Junior High School.  Besides, the enthusiasm you showed was really impressive.  My intuition told me that you are a born teacher.  Annie spoke highly of you. 

Teaching Vocabulary

When I teach vocabulary, what I like to do most is use the new words to chat with the students and have the students make sentences.  For example, I've finished the discussion of the reading text of Unit 11 "The Cellist of Sarajevo," so what was left for today's class was the vocabulary part. 

"Speaking Passport"--a Way to Get Students to Talk

Last Monday, after my speech at Lungshan Junior High School, I drove Ms. Hsin-yi Huang (黃馨儀老師), a teacher from Blessed Imelda's School (靜修女中), to the MRT station.  In my car, she told me that her school has an English Day every week.  On that day students have to bring their "speaking passport" and went to a teacher to tell him/her the answer to the question the school posed on the previous day, for example, "What did you do last Sunday?" so that they can have their passport stamped.

The Secret to Happiness

"The Secret to Happiness:  Singing some songs when feeling nervous."  This is the title of an article on the front page of today's United Daily News as follows.

http://udn.com/NEWS/NATIONAL/NAT5/4662005.shtml

About Poetry Recitation

Today I told Class 314 why I'd like them to recite the poem "The Road Not Taken" to me individually.  I don't want them to learn English just to pass the tests, be they the mid-terms, the finals, the UEE, or even TOEFL.  

Merry Christmas!

I'm happy that we still sang two Christmas songs in class today.   Seeing students so excited about  Christmas, I cannot but let them sing.  We sang "Happy Xams War Is Over" and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus."  Most of them preferred the latter because "it's cute," as they told me.  Well, I love the naivety of the kid in the song.  He really believed in Santa Claus and so, when he saw his mom kissing Santa Claus, he thought she was having an affair.  He didn't know the Santa Claus, in fact, was his father. 

Happy Xmas

It is Xmas Eve. Merry Xmas!

Here is a song I'd like to teach students tomorrow but might not have time to. That's why I put the video on my blog for whoever wants to sing it. The title of the song is "Happy Xmas War Is Over," an anti-war song. It was written by John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono.

Unit 11 in our textbook "The Cellist of Sarajevo" is about how the cellist Vedran Smailovic conveyed his outrage over war through music. This song can be used as a supplement.

happy christmas war is over

Advice on How to Prepare for Biology on the SAT

An article on how to prepare for Biology on the SAT.

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=167711

Advice on How to Prepare for Earth Science on the SAT

An article on how to prepare for Earth Science on the SAT.

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=167890

Thank you, Annie (詹麗馨老師)

Dear Annie,

This is a thank-you note to you. Thinking that I might be too tired to cook dinner tonight after going back home from your school, you prepared tonight's dinner and even tomorrow's breakfast and lunch for me:curry beef, curry fried rice, marinated bean curd, stir-fried ground pork, and weet soup. Thank you. After the speech, I drove home with a heart filled with gratitude. You're always like this, ready to take care of people around you. You're an angel.

A Talk on "Teaching English Through Songs" at Lunhshan Junior High School

This afternoon, I was invited by one of my best friends Annie (詹麗馨老師) to give a talk on "Teaching English Through Songs" at her school.

To Someone

The following are the comments from "Someone" on my "Photos of My 2008-2009 Classes" and my response.

Advice on How to Prepare for Chemistry on the SAT

Here is an article on how to prepare for chemistry on the SAT.

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=167627

Please read on if you cannot get linked to the website.

Advice on How to Prepare for Civics on the SAT

An article on how to prepare for civics on the SAT.

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=167510

If you cannot get connected, just read on.

To Varren

Another former student Varren (洪儷珊) also gave her comments on "Photos of My 2008-2009 Classes." Here are her comments and my response.

To Eric

My former student Eric (李鎮宇) left his comments on my "Photos of My 2008-2009 Classes."  The following are his comments and my response.

Photos of My 2008-2009 Classes

These are the three classes I'm teaching now. They are all seniors. Each class is unique.

To 曉芳

The following are the comments from Hsiao-fang on "Still more reading lists for high school freshmen" and my response.

To Gara

The following are the comments from Gara on "Teaching the Song 'Whatever Will Be Will Be' and my response.

To Bubble

The following are the comments from Bubble on "Teaching the Song "Whatever Will Be Will Be" and my response.

To Sylvia

The following are the comments from Sylvia on an old entry of mine and my response.

Advice on How to Prepare for Physics on the SAT

An article on how to prepare for physics on the SAT:

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=167278

 

學測考前衝刺系列》物理 歷屆考題算3遍

Advice on How to Prepare for Geography on the SAT

Advice on How to Prepare for Geography on the SAT

 

Advice on how to prepare for geography on the SAT:

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=167044

Or read on in case you can't get linked to the Net.

 

學測考前衝刺系統》地理 一定會考地圖

Teaching the Song "Whatever Will Be Will Be"

Seeing that many students are in distress after the mock exam, I decided to teach them the song, "Whatever Will Be Will Be."  In fact, last night, I had intended to teach them "Hero;" however, I changed my mind after Se-heng sent me a text message after hanging up the phone telling me her favorite song was "Whatever Will Be Will Be."  It was the happy tune of the song.

如何準備學測及指考英文--鄭思恆學姐的經驗談

I intereviewed Ms. Se-heng Cheng on the phone about how she prepared for English on the SAT and the UEE. Se-heng, a classmate of Miranda, didn't go to cram school. She just followed the teachers in school. She did quite well on the UEE and is studying at NTU. Her UEE English score was 90.xx. The following is how she studied English in high school: She

如何準備學測及指考英文--萬修安學姐的個人經驗談

The 2nd mock exam was over this afternoon. It means that the SAT is just a few weeks away. Tonight, I called and asked Miranda, a former student who is majoring in English at National Central University, for her advice on how to prepare for English on the SAT and the UEE. Miranda got a 14 ranking score in English on the SAT and a 93.xx on the UEE. The following is her advice:

Advice on How to Prepare for History on the SAT

An article on how to prepare for history on the SAT:

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=166816

學測考前衝刺系列》中國史、世界史 要加強

Advice on How to Prepare for math on the SAT

An article on how to prepare for math on the SAT:

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=166640

Also, in case you can't get connected, here is the article:

學測考前衝刺系列》數學 留意時事+觀念題

An Inspiring Blog--Xuite 日誌

This is a blog you would like to visit for some inspiration. It is kept by Mr. Pei-kang Hsu (徐培剛先生). Reading it and knowing what somebody is doing for everybody will bring you strength to move on.  When you're at a crossroads in life, it might help you in the decision-making. Make sure you visit it once in a while.

http://blog.xuite.net/erickhera.tw/nomore

Advice on How to Prepare for Chinese on the SAT

This article provides tips on how to prepare for Chinese on the SAT.  It is also available on the webpage: http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=166423 學測考前衝刺系列》國文 多看名家作品

Tips on Writing the SAT Composition

In the following article are some tips on writing the SAT composition. You can also visit the webpage:

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=166340

學測考前衝刺系列》堆單字套公式 作文難拿分

Advice on How to Prepare for English on the SAT

The following is an article in yesterday’s United Daily News. There is advice on how to prepare for English on the SAT. You can also read the article on the UDN webpage:

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_MAIN_ID=12&f_SUB_ID=611&f_ART_ID=166339

2008/12/14

學測考前衝刺系列》英文 熟背5千字

How Long Hasn't Your Heart Leapt Up?

Words from Albert Einstein:

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

I came across this in the December issue of Reader's Digest. This reminds me of William Wordswoth's poem “My Heart Leaps Up When I Behold.”

A Touching Video: Chile's Highway Hero Dog

This surveillance video touched hearts worldwide.   On a busy highway in Chile, a dog ran the risk of losing his own life in attempt to rescue his canine buddy by draggin it to the side of the highway. The poor dog which had got hit did not make it, though. 

Students' Compositions: Apology Letters (SAT 2008)

On the 2008 SAT, the examinees were asked to write an apology letter.  

She is really in love with English

Pei-ling (陳培玲), a student in Class 310 was the first one to recite to me the whole poem "The Road Not Taken."   To my surprise, she later even memorized Hemingway's "True Nobility."   Today, after reciting it to me, she asked me to give her another great article.  I first thought of "General MacArthur's Prayer for His Son."  Pei-ling is a science major, but it seems that she has been much engrossed in English recently. 

My Assignment for Tonight

This evening when I listed the things to do, I was surprised.  The following is what the list looks like:

1. Grade 310 compositions.  (Thankfully, I have finished two-thirds in school this afternoon.)

How to Prepare for English on the SAT--過來人的話

Today, Sun sent me an email answering the question I posed the day before yesterday: "How did you get the highest ranking–15–in English on the 2008 SAT?"  With her persmission, I posted her mail here, in the hope that some students will benefit from the answer:

 

 

陳 桑 to me              show details 7:51 AM (11 hours ago) Reply

Reading Assignment

Last Friday before I handed out two stories to a class so that they could read them on the weekend, I asked the students how many of them had read Obama's winning speech, which I handed out three weeks ago.   As expected, I saw only a few hands up.  

To Sun

Dear Sun,

Thank you for the comments. Hmm, I can imagine your sweet smile when seeing the concluding sentence in "The Buzz of a Mosquito." :)

BTW, would you please answer the following question:

How did you get the highest ranking--15--in English on the 2008 SAT?

Your experience will be of great help to many high school students. Please feel free to answer in Chinese. After all, what's important is to get your message across.

To Der-chen

My 314 student Der-chen made comments on the entry "Teaching 'The Road Not Taken'" in verse form as follows. After that is my response.

Re:Teaching ["The Road Not Taken"]

What a spectacle [it] is.

A Teacher is A Teacher always.

I can`t touch the sky,

so I leave with a sigh.

Posted by Der Chen.Lin at 06/12/2008, 20:28

Dear Der-chen,

What Those Highest SAT Scorers Have in Common

An article in the United Daily News dated Dec. 5 was about the common behavior of 8 examinees who scored highest on the SAT.  It was a study done by an NTU student.  Quite interesting.

http://mag.udn.com/mag/campus/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=164449

According to her study, the 8 highest SAT scorers take a nap, love reading and writing, and exercise regularly.

If you have difficulty getting linked to the webpage, just read on.

Teaching "The Road Not Taken"

I did teach Unit 12 “The Road Not Taken” before Unit 11. Before I did so, I told the students why: First, they just read the poem on the 2nd mid-term, which involved choice-making. Second, they are now facing a crossroads in their life. They have to decide whether to apply to university in February or not and, if yes, which school/depeartment to apply to. Third, I’d like them to memorize such a beautiful and meaningful poem and recite it to me. That takes time.

Then we started our contact with the poem.

The Buzz of a Mosquito

Now I'm feeling very sleepy because I slept for only one or two hours last night. A mosquito kept buzzing around my ears. Though trying to imagining it talking to me, I just couldn't take the buzzing as sweet whispers. And whenever I turned on the lights and sought for it, it got out of my sight. The buzz of mosquitoes is really something unbearable to me. How I wish all mosquitoes went to bed at night, too!

Good night.

A Celebration of Perseverance

Today I celebrated my 1st blog anniversary by giving each of my students a piece of chocolate. I should have celebrated yesterday; however, yesterday I could only met two classes, 310 and 313. In order not to leave Class 314 out, I had the celebration today.

To Annie

Dear Annie,

Thanks for the encouraging words.   It is you that inspired me to keep a blog of my own.  Remember that you started your blog much earlier than I?  I believe that in the blog there is the spirit of sharing. 

Sorry that I usually keep my blog late at night.  There are so many things at hand to tackle every night, you know.

Your blog is also a valuable trove for teachers.  In there we can find your love for your students, teaching, and books.  I also enjoy reading your blog.

Thank you for being my friend.

My 1st Blog Anniversary

Today is my 1st blog anniversary.  I learned blogging on December 3, 2007 for the first time at Ching-mei Senior High School （景美女中）.  It was a Monday afternoon.  The instructor were Mr. Yi-chieh Chen (陳怡杰老師) and his lovely wife Ming-hsuan (明璇老師).  Then we had our 2nd class on December 17.

A Smiling Sky

This evening one of the TV news reports presented a smiling sky.  Then I went out searching for it, only to find a few stars twinkling in the dark night. 

Visit this webpage, take a look at the smiling sky, and smile. :)

http://blog.roodo.com/magthepig/archives/7746449.html

 

To Sandra from Taipei County

Sandra, a member of Taipei County English Education Advisory Group,  kindly posted her comments on my Life Type blog.  The following are her comments and my response.

Re:What Good Does Keeping a Blog Do?

Dear June,

It's really a pleasure to read your blog. Thank you for being such a diligent blogger that I can learn from your entries on a daily basis.

By keeping blogs, we English teachers can reflect on our teaching, share our experiences, and learn from each other. Therefore, blogging for me is also a good way to facilitate teachers' professional development, particularly when we have role models to follow, just like you.

       Posted by Sandra from Taipei County at 02/12/2008, 11:20

Dear Sandra,

What Good Does Keeping a Blog Do?

This afternoon, we English teachers had a meeting.  During the meeting, the chairperson Ms. Chang (張倚鳳老師) asked if anyone could share with all the teachers what they learned at any recent workshop.  Melody (陳美麗老師) said something about last Monday's speech, the one on how to guide high school students to write a good English composition.  She mentioned many good points.  Then Ms. Chang asked if anyone would like to say more about the speech.  To share what I learned, I raised my hand and invited the teachers tor read the notes I took in my blog.