My Corner for Education

I am coming home! Taiwan, here I come!

I am visiting Taiwan from July 3 to July 29.

Mama, I Am Coming Home!

For my birthday, I watched a movie, the Ron Clark Story, and I saw my reflection in the movie. Hehehe.... 

It's too funny to watch some of the scenes because I often use exactly the same words that he used in the movie to talk to my students. For example, I am quite over-the-top dramatic in the classroom and I always tell my students that I have six eyes with two behind my ears. I can see exactly what they are doing behind me or know what they are trying to hide. So, they are warned right from day one not to fool around but pay full attention in class. When the students get caught, it is so funny to see them act like deer that get caught in the headlight. 

Ron is an amazing teacher. I read his first book, the Essential 55, in 2003. Now, the movie based on his story is on DVD and he also has a second book out. I highly recommend Ron Clark's books to all teachers out there who are dedicated and trying their best day in and day out. His books are motivational books for teachers and it is definitely a great read.

He is so funny. You will enjoy this little clip.

I haven't got much time to write, so here is my cheat for the day. Let's just watch a few thought-provoking clips by Karl Fisch.

Did You Know


Did You Know - 4.0


Did You Know - 2008

I always like a song called Long Night by this Canadian band, Rawlins Cross. They wrote this song Long Night for one of their dear friends who passed away. The song was written for the “wake” for their friend. What is a wake? You can check it out yourself. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wake_(ceremony)
Whenever there is a death, friends and family always get together to remember the deceased at the funeral. Thousands of deaths in Myanmar and Sichuan did not have the opportunities to be remembered. In fact, some could not even be found. A tragedy such as these large scaled disasters somehow has brought people closer together and truly shown humanity that was rooted deeply in every one of us. (Well, most of us, I guess.)
Here is the song for those whose lives were lost and those who lost their loved ones.

Long Night
By Rawlins Cross

Long night
So this is what it all comes to
Oh long night

February 13, 2008

Most Canadians believe in love at first sight

My First Stained Glass Panel

Co Co and Po Po Time

I have always wanted to do something for children who are going through family hardships. I believe that it is (or should be) everyone’s mission to reach out to others whenever they can. When I first started teaching in Taiwan, it was great to make money as an English teacher but it did not mean that I should forget our social conscience. As a student who could not afford to go to any cram school, I often thought about those children whose families could not send their kids to study English before junior high school. If I could make it, I should try my best to help others.

The year I got my first job teaching English at Fu Jen, I also started teaching at two other different language centers in Tien Mu and Shih Lin in Taipei. Parents were in a rush to send their children to the centers to learn English then. Adults paid big bucks to study in the evening to advance their language skills. Immigration boom just started to be on the rise which also helped the booming of the language centers business at that time. It was a great time to teach English and earn a decent income. We did have foreign teachers working at the centers, but the domestic teachers were greatly in demand.

While I was having a great time enjoying working full time at three different places, I got a phone call from a friend TL one day to ask me if I would like to help her plan a radio program called Fu Di Tien Tien Chuan. TL was a school friend of mine who actually hired me to work at Fu Jen’s Continuing Education Department. She was invited by a friend SY to design a segment for a children’s daily radio program.

If I wish hard enough, I guess my dream may come true. Hahahaha..... Check this out. http://jobedu.net/article1/science/Robots_Shoveling_Snow_Humanoid_Robot_Inspires_Students_to_Study_Science.html

Video Premiere: Santana Teams With Chad Kroeger


The legendary guitarist, Carlos Santana, teams with the Nickelback frontman, Chad Kroeger, for a duet from the forthcoming hits package 'Ultimate Santana.'


Song Title: Into the Night

I just bought the CD two days ago. KT Tunstall is the singer from UK, born to Chinese mother and Irish father but adopted at birth. KT grew up in St. Andrew, Scotland. I think she is quite a talented song writer. These are the three popular songs on the CD.

School Is Out!

The year is finally over. Due to the extreme heat for the last two

days, my room temperature was literally up to 42 degrees Celsius because of no

open air through the window, malfunction air vent and no sun-blocking curtain in the new room. We were all on the edge of breaking down because of the heat plus we all had a group of kids who looked extremely hot and sweaty in a stuffy classroom. We had a luncheon one day

and a movie day on the last day. My students voted to have luncheon and movie because of the many awards they have received. As a teacher, what can I say? I am just too proud of their accomplishment. Anyway, my friend did a slide show of photos she had taken at

This is from my first Yam blog. I think it is about time for me to consolidate or delete some of my old writing. So, here are a few just for the record keeping. Please read them in reversed chronical order.Unfortunately, the computer input device for writing Chinese is not working any longer. I promise I will try to get it fixed in July.

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August 16, 2006結緣體育系雜感

我身在海外多年，由於多次搬遷，已經與很多過去的老朋友們失去聯絡，我甚至連閱讀或書寫中文的機會也變的很少了。幾個月前我新增了一套中文硬體之後，終於可以開始在電腦上找尋中文的資訊。當我無意中閱讀了一則與輔大女子划船隊及謝茂松老師有關的新聞之後，我很興奮地送了一封email給輔大新聞網，請他們代我向謝老師恭喜有關他們的成果，並且代我向其他師長問好，沒想到竟然出乎意外地和体育系辦公室聯絡上。体育系秘書很誠意地邀我寫一篇感想，我雖不是體育系的校友，但我常往自己的臉上貼金地自認為我是體育系的榮譽會友，所以我也就欣然的接受邀稿。現在回想起來，我與體育系最初結緣也大約是在二十多年前了，當時我還是輔仁大學夜間部英文系大一的學生。

選擇英文系是我的興趣，上夜間部則是家庭經濟與聯考現實的無耐，而選擇輔仁大學卻是我多年的期望，因為我是標準的輔大棒球迷。從小我們全家常以老家嘉義的棒球隊為榮，許多球員後來都陸續地保送輔仁大學體育系。中學時我的願望就是希望有一天我能見到我心目中棒球偶像們，特別是明星投手許正宗！只是萬萬沒想到，我竟然陰錯陽差地跑到體育系辦公室打工。

大一時由於參與了不少社團及學生活動中心的活動，為了經濟需求及能就近參與社團的活動，我便開始在中美堂下的福利社打工當影印小妹，福利社的曾媽和曾姊非常照顧我，所以我可以白天打工，晚上上課。由於福利社地理位置非常接近積建樓，因此它也就成了體育系學生常聚集聊天聚會的地方。每天我都有機會看到好多明星級的運動選手們，可想而知剛開始我是非常興奮！

 
I am very proud of these students from my first class in Canada. Eric Lee has been accepted by the University of Toronto for their graduate study (Occupational Therapy). He is in Taiwan right now attending his sister Amy's wedding. Irene Ha has been accepted by at least three medical schools (possibly five) and has decided to attend University of Ottawa for their medical program. Christina Han will be attending the grad school at Queen's University as well. I only taught them for three years at the Chinese School, but it is every teacher's dream to see the students grow up, be successful and eventually surpass the teacher one day. They really made me proud! I told my husband that although I did not teach them for long, at least my letters of reference worked, for helping two of them, Eric and Irene. Hahahaa. It is every teacher's proud moment, simply an honour by the slightest association. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY for them. I know that I will hear more from the other students soon.