Preschool Preparedness

This month I would love to spread the love.  As educators, we get information that the average parent dos not.  I suggest you look at "600 Tips for Early Childhood Directors" by Silvana Clark.
The list is long and not all the tips are geared for you, the mommy or daddy.  That is why I have taken one of the gems out for you.

Many of my parents ask about school readiness.  I assure them that school especially, preschool is developmental.  The social and cooperative skills that are mastered in preschool are much more beneficial to a child than if they know the alphabet or can count to a hundred. So if preschool is a consideration, take Clark's advice.  You do not need to talk about preschool too far ahead of time.  By the time school starts your child will feel like this is a monumental event in their life. This is overwhelming for a little person.

 Instead, start talking about preschool in a casual upbeat manner about two to three weeks before class starts.  For instance, if you drive by a playground, tell your little one that there will be a jungle gym like that one at his or her school.  Drive by the school and let them see it with no children present so they don't feel that they will be lost in the crowd on the first day.  Go visit the teacher! Your child will feel more comfortable if he or she knows what to expect.

Preparing your child is good but there is no need to treat school like the only thing in their young life. Balance needs to be stressed at a young age so that stress is not imbalanced when their older.

Stay Focused in 2020!

Make time for reading this year.  Read. Read for pleasure. Read for yourself.  Adults are in need of reading as much as children.  Read to your child every day.
Creating a reading routine will foster a love for reading...and will enhance your child's vocabulary.  Reading, whether for our children or ourselves, provides imaginative experiences that are important in building creative thinking.  Innovation is a gift wrapped in a book.  We are able to unleash new ideas, products and solutions by fueling the mind through reading. Language always benefits the scholar and the person.  Spending time engaged in
literature provokes more comprehensible thought and better articulation.  No one was ever accused of reading too much! Envision a world in 2020 that thinks before speaking. The written word allows you to think, to process before reacting.  Our children, our friends and our colleagues  are more receptive to a thoughtful well-informed critically analysed approach.  Read every day. Read to your children. Read.

As 2019 comes to its end, I wanted to take the time to express how thankful I am for all those who have come alongside me.  This idea that "I did it on my own" is just not true.  We all have help, encouragement, assistance and a second set of eyes making our success possible. 
When I think of the times this year, I spent on the phone venting to a friend or asking advice from a colleague, I realize that those moments helped me, pushed me forward and made me rethink issues or problems.  The people in the background that never get mentioned on your business card or Facebook page are exactly the ones I want to thank for an easier year.  You made my load lighter, my nights more restful and my spirit less anxious. For that reason, I am grateful because without your readiness to listen, counsel and perform a menial task, I would not be where I am today.
 Appreciation is the attitude of knowing that you had help along the way.  Humility often is associated with a grateful heart.  I believe that the success I have had this past year and the decade I have directed TLP Education must be shared with countless people, tutors, friends, family members, colleagues, parents and students.  Thank you. Thank you for partnering with me to live out my dreams.  I am truly thankful.

After The Rain is Only Part of the Story

     This story is amazing, but the story about how this story came to be is even more amazing.  In November of last year, I had a gentleman inquire about taking Spanish lessons with me. He joined my small beginner's  adult class in a coffee shop here in town.  He couldn't help telling me that his wife and himself had plans to visit Cuba in  March of the following year.  He wanted to learn Spanish...period. His enthusiasm was contagious, and before I knew it his wife had enrolled in the class as well.  Hoping they were not learning Spanish just for travel, I made sure they had basics to get  around.  It is not uncommon for travelers to  take a couple of months of classes to gain a bit of vocabulary and confidence and then, not continue to become speakers.  However, I was wrong about this man.
    When he and his wife returned from their trip to the Key of the Antilles, I was happily entertained by his stories and adventures.  He was particularly excited to tell me of a art studio he had encountered.  An art teacher had opened his small studio to teach disabled children.  What a wonderful soul! My student couldn't wait to offer monetary assistance to this teacher. He wasn't sure how to get the funds over to the art teacher, but he quickly figured out how to fund raise. He told me that he had designed a tee-shirt from a motto he saw on the wall of the art studio. It read, "The only disability is to have no heart."
Like a flash of lightening, he called me one morning to tell me he had come up with the story you see before you.  He wanted to tell the story of two young kids. He presented it to me.  We had coffee many mornings to discuss making this story a book...a book that he wanted me to translate into Spanish.  I was honored.
     A trip to another country sparked a flame to do good, to be creative and to share a message of kindness.  As a teacher, it is a reward to see my students take what they learn and be innovative.  When you read "After the Rain," you will enjoy the heart and soul that went into telling John and Sofia's story whether you speak English or Spanish.  Enjoy. Disfruta.

Crayons, Pencils and Gluesticks, Oh My!

Please raise your hand if buying school supplies makes you smile?  For me, I become quite giddy.  Going down the aisle of backpacks and lunchboxes energizes me with new hope. Looking over the many new supplies and tools that teachers and students have an opportunity to use and the classic standards that no one can go without. 
Stores, as soon as July, put up banners and colorful advertisements to ring in the new school year. Yes, as a teacher, September is our New Year's! New students with fresh faces and possibility for days.  I can't tell you how good it feels to know that I get to start fresh and they get to too.  

I have made it a habit to center my school year around a theme or specific goal.  This practice has helped me to sort out the non-essentials tools or supplies from the truly important ones for better teaching and educating young minds.  This summer, I spent several mornings drinking my coffee and contemplating what I wanted to convey to my students.  What would be the take-away from every lesson? What did they absolutely need for learning?

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”  Aristotle imparted to me the great wisdom of ancient days passed.  I need for my students to understand that speaking a new language, or learning any new concept was a matter of time given to it.  Listening. Repeating. Listening some more. Repeating some more...until the very concepts become the very speech or action that was first introduced.  

Time should be on the top of the supply list. Now, when you think of time spent in learning, I charge you to remember that time must be a tool used for learning not the actual learning itself.  The magical moment when act becomes habit is the transformation of lesson into the second-nature.  Time is the tool we use to take  information in and make it easily accessible to draw a conclusion, respond to a question or create a masterpiece.  Once in this haven of long-term memory, rest assured that you will have a HABIT, LANGUAGE, or SKILL supplied.

Responding Positively

I had the opportunity to read the research for "employability" by Kent University, Canterbury, England.  It was a fascinating read and eye-opening because it mentioned nothing regarding test scores, GPA's or course study.  What the researchers found is that employers look for certain characteristics and personality skills rather than transcripts.  There were ten items mentioned in the dissertation but number nine was especially impressive to me.   

It is important in any work environment to be surrounded with positive people. No end-of-the-year evaluation will contribute a negative attitude as one of your strengths.  The difference most evident in people is their attitude. We are labeled very quickly if we are "positive" or "negative" people.  The amazing thing about having a positive attitude is that it can make problems seem so much more practical.  Basketball coach legend, John Wooden was known for his positive attitude and the well-spring of wisdom that attitude brought forth.  He said, "Don't let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." 

Individuals that are given a task, conflict or problem are able to look at it expecting the most favorable outcome.  Expecting the most favorable outcome motivates you to respond in a manner that WILL bring about a favorable outcome. A positive disposition drives our actions.  As we navigate through the steps of problem-solving, approaching each stage positively will ultimately result in a satisfying conclusion.  Saint Augustine figured it out that "faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe." 

Starting out positive will move you through the process of problem-solving in such a way that you will seek the best solution. Sounds like the kind of people I would love to work with!

Sorry for the delay or should I say Sumimasen.

I spent 13 days in Japan sight-seeing, learning and studying the culture and language. In the days I was in Tokyo to Hiroshima, I learned fluently ten words that after a month I still can say and recognize.  The sounds of these words in another language have become synonyms...I hear it and I know.


One of my goals in traveling to Japan was to experience the "fear" and "timidness" my student feel when they are learning Spanish.  I put myself in their shoes.  I was heavily relying on my cheat sheet to remember what words I needed but after a while I throw it aside and just focused on the words I was hearing the most. After all, I was committed to what was commonly said and not what I believed I should know.   I decided on 10 words that I just kept hearing and like magic, they transformed into extended vocabulary.  The following words were excuse me, delicious, good morning, hello, good evening, where is?, please, good bye, 1,6, yes, no and thank you very much. I was speaking to natives...slowly and not perfectly. However, they responded. They understood me and they understood that I was a novice.  I wanted my students to know that anyone they speak to will understand them and know they are a novice. 

Being a beginner is the scariest part of learning a language.  I was going to battle the intimidation with an attitude of goal-setting.  Each day, I added on a new word so the amount of practice was limited to one new word and very successful.  I knew the word from the day before and I piled on the new word.  This system of "sheltered" vocabulary which I have done with my students for over 25 years, really worked.  My goal was to move as many words to my long-term memory so that I would be fluent in those words.  If I heard them, I understood them. I could say them because I knew them.  The best part of this experiment was when I returned home and when a friend of mine asked me in English a question, I replied, "Hai."  Yes to me came in more than one form.  Real language learning is about using small amounts of language repetitively in different circumstances in order to recall without hesitation.