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Just be real!
Reclaiming humanity in the workplace… that sounds interesting! A student and I were checking out the website of one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming Best Business Practices Tradeshow to take place in Montreal. Her name is Patty Azzarello and is a northern New Jersey native who has risen to become a Silicon Valley […]
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Who do you choose to be?
Tomorrow is November 11, Remembrance Day; it’s a time to remember the soldiers that gave their lives to counter the forces that were jeopardizing the freedoms we take for granted today. As I ponder their sacrifice, I can’t help but see a certain, though obviously not so dramatic, parallel between the challenges they braved and […]
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How’s your company’s heart?
No, I’m not talking about the profit margin, sales, or ROI. I’m talking about how your company supports employees when they are under the weather, down and out, or fighting an uphill battle. What’s the plan when a manager realizes that one of the employees in their department is no longer cutting it? It’s when […]
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The Call of the Open Road
“No, I don’t know what I am going to do next, but that doesn’t bother me. It’s time [to go].” A friend and I were discussing her recent discussion to leave her job. She talked about the subsequent reactions from friends and colleagues: surprise, consternation and wonder, bordering on envy. She told me she was […]
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Outer mess, inner stress?
“Tell me something you don’t like”, I asked my student. “I don’t like when things are messy.” “”Really”, I responded, “why? “ I don’t know.” “Okay, well, what does it make you feel?” “No idea.” “You just don’t like it. You prefer when things are in their place, organized, structured?” “Yes, let’s say I arrive […]
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When saying good-bye is hard to do
‘There must be around ten people who have left the company lately‘, complained one of my students this week, as he went on to admit that he found it hard. As I asked questions, his colleague joined the conversation and I could feel the turmoil, questioning and well, sadness at the state of affairs. […]
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Teachers, you lead your students, but do you lead yourself, too?
Brené Brown defines a leader as one who takes responsibility for finding the potential in people and processes and has the courage to develop that potential (Dare to Lead, Random House, NY, 2018, p. 4). That is what you, as a teacher, do every day. In and out of the classroom, during school hours and […]
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Three Questions & A Birthday
“Why can’t I say Happy Anniversary when it is someone’s birthday?”, many an ESL student has asked me. That’s a great question and one that merits a post about to explain the answer – especially since I just attended a very special birthday celebration for someone close who was celebrating 90 years (name withheld to […]
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ESL Mixologist: What’s the deal?
I am never just teaching an English class! I am on the lookout for new insights or epiphanies I may have while talking about vocab, grammar or functional language. ESL Mixologist is all about my journey as an ESL teacher who just can’t get over the serendipitous glimpses into the parallel universe of philosophy while […]
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How can grammar improve your summer work experience?
My students wandered in — late, fewer than usual, not as bright and bouncy as usual, but faithful to their weekly summer English class. “What are the advantages to working during the summer?”, I asked them, perhaps a little precociously. They looked at me like I was out of my mind, so I explained. “This […]
CLAIRE MARIA FORD 