What six books would you never be parted from?

An interesting question posed on the NYTimes website.  I am going to ponder this question.  But I do wonder what your opinions are?

Exhaustion Commute

Be careful when riding the Metro when exhausted (which is generally the life of a teacher) because it's very easy to miss your stop.  As happened to me.  You doze off even standing.  It's embarrassing to have the backtrack but it's also potentially harmful to your paycheck.  No busy student likes to wait for his teacher.

So, see coffee advice...

Macbook Blues...

Macbook Pro continues to give me problems.  Even though I've diagnosed the problem, I won't be able to fix the graphics card easily or cheaply here in Europe.

Quote

"The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of Hell, a hell of Heaven." -John Milton

advice

As much as possible, you should participate in the activities that you assign to your class.

advice

Longer travel time doesn't mean more money.  It just means more hassle and time.  Even if you're reading for an hour or more, you're better off waiting for a job closer to the center of Madrid.

Activity

Make a list of famous people.  Have students think of 3 adjectives to describe the person.  Then they say each adjective and the class attempts to guess who the famous person is.  Repeat 2-3 times.  Each time the students list their adjectives, you should attempt to improve on their choices, and give them examples of vibrant adjectives.

Advice

Always ask about their weekend.  It's a good conversation starter and can, in all honesty, eat up 5-10 minutes per student.

unisex

I have imaginary enemies.

Advice

Always make time for coffee

"Definitely. Maybe"

...is a cute movie.  Funny, well-written, diverting.  And important, it made me smile at the end of a long LONG day of teaching.

Random Thoughts...

The universe doesn't lie, but that doesn't mean you understand what it is saying.

Unisex

Silence!  I kill you!

Advice

Always watch the clock.  Time management is key in almost every circumstance.  So even if it passes slowly and painfully, you need to watch the time.  I keep an iPod Touch, which allows easy access to the clock with a touch of the button.

Kindle

All books since November are in Kindle format.  I know people have argued that ebooks are soulless and not as "fun" to read as paper books.  But I reply, as a constant metro rider, the ereader, be they sony or kindles or others, are easier to read.  In a crowded train, slammed up against five people, it's nice to be able to read easier with a button to flip pages and grapple with handholds.  As it stands, I no longer wish to go back to paper books, even in trains with less passengers.

Advice

Review, Review, Review!!

Even more important than location...  it is an essential tool AND it eats up 10-15 minutes minimum during class.  Also, it is boss foolproof as you can simply explain that your students are benefiting from a bit of review time.

Unisex

Ashley Militia

Current Reading

As of the first week in April, I am reading these books on my many hours of metro riding around Madrid:

1) Some Golden Harbor















2) Patient Zero















3) This Time is Different















4) Everything Bad is Good For You