apology - being absent for so long

Hi guys,

I have to apologize for having been AWOL for so long!

Despite my best intentions, I have not been able to come here half as often as I would have wanted. We are one month into our new semester teaching and work has just been piling on. I have taken over another teacher's morning class and there has been a whole lot of problems with the class. They are slightly behind their scheduled ability and on top of just staying on schedule we also have to catch up to our RIVALS... hehe! Add some new students who have never had any English teaching and the fun really starts...

Currently preparing for a week-long Demo teaching program as well as writing a script for our Xmas show performance. Each student has to have at least 15-20 lines in the script... added enough song and dance routines to take us all to Broadway! I haven't even started with that one... hehe! Supposed to be based on an African legend with a cameo appearance by none other than Santa Claus!

It is a lot of work and a mountain I have still to get to but I know it will be fun never-mind the stress of staging it, once we get going...

For any of you with small children: I can recommend some awesome sites...

Starfall
ESL writing wizard
Donna Young Educational site
Math Worksheet Wizard
Mrs Perkins Dolch Words

if you know of any other please share with me...

I have to go for training tomorrow (Saturday morning) and as a matter of fact I am set to be heading to my saponifactory... (spare storage apartment) to clear clean up and just plain organize and throw away all that I have managed to accumulate but never use after that. Luckily I have a friend that would come over on Sunday to help me make sense of it all and help give that final push for a good clear out... I suspect the soaping stuff would be boxed for the time being...

You are busier than a one armed paper hanger for sure. Just pop in when you can , don't worry, we know you are a very busy guy..{{hugs}}

Actually I feel a lot better now as I have cleaned and cleared out a lot of stuff that had just been sitting around my place... I am still not done, I went to IKEA to buy some storage boxes and also gave some surplus everything I had that was to good to throw out to a friend of mine... He's happy with two shelves, two chairs and some other smalls... now to get rid of another computer desk.

The whole place looks more inviting and inspiring and I can see I'd want to spend more time there again... if time allows... It had really just become a storage space with things stacked on top of another...

Kellie, you're hugs are very welcome and really does make me feel a whole lot better...

so slowly but surely i am working things out and getting used to my busier life... getting paid last Friday sure also made a big difference...

on the forum I have moved a few categories around and re-organised a few things... they are all still there but for a few changes and i hope it looks and work better now...

Hi Riaan....I pop in here from time to time and catch up on reading. It sounds like you have been BUSY!!! I am glad you have your saponifactory organised now

That sounds good, Riaan, I can't work in a cluttered messy space, it stifles my creativity. I don't know why,because it is trashed when I am done.LOL

Sounds very busy indeed. Happy you can see some light down the tunnel.

These are mostly math oriented, but here are some sites I have used when helping the grand kids

www.purplemath.com (great one)
www.teachertube.com (some interesting and unorthodoxed lessons)
www.algebrahelp.com
www.algebra.com