Teaching: USA

Being an English teacher, it's understandable to sometimes be mistakenly identified as English... given that's the language I'm talking about.  This year I've struggled with showing my classes (mainly the younger groups) that I'm from an altogether different country. In an effort to reinforce that I'm not from England, I spent my lessons this past week talking about the USA. I talked about the flag (colors, 50 stars, 13 stripes), the size of the US (it's more than 15 times the landmass of France), and the American dollar. I even brought in some real money for them to check out... which they got very excited about! The best/funniest question I received about the $1 bill: "Is it yours or did your mom give it to you?" They were pretty impressed that it was all mine! Haha, it just reminded me that I am teaching young kids who have a lot to learn! Now, after I gave them American flags to color in, I expect I'll probably be receiving a few of those as "gifts." Up until now, I've kept receiving UK flags.

Now I'm thinking about this week's lessons. I'm struggling I find a suitable topic to keep their attention since I'll be in the schools the last two days before everyone goes on a two-week vacation. I'm sure they'll be bouncing off the walls! But I'm looking forward to break as well. I'll be heading to Paris for five days to discover the city, museums, and culture and meet up with some Colorado State University friends. I plan to do some typically touristy things such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre while enjoy the company of those around me and seeing a new side of the famous city. I can't wait!