To Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve.

Yesterday, I was teaching my students some new english phrases like "head over heels" and "wear your heart of your sleeve." I was having a hard time explaining what it meant to wear your heart on your sleeve to my ESL (english as a second language) students, so I brought out my superb acting skills. What happened next was one of the cutest things I've experienced as a teacher: 

PS - Brad, if you are reading this...I tend to use you as an example a lot in my lessons because my students have met you and they think you are funny. Don't let that go to your head. 

Me: When my brother finds out something sad, he will say "Oh, that sucks. That makes me sad." But, when I find out something sad *cue sobs, cries, and full body shakes.* 

Students laugh. 

Me: I wear my heart on my sleeve. I show my emotions easily and intensely. 

L: Melissa, I have a question. 

Me: Yes, L. 

L: What was your job before you were a teacher? 

Me: I was a student like you. I was a high school student, then a university student, and now I am a teacher.

L: Oh. Because you could be a famous actor! 

The students all started yelling "YA!" and clapping. I then said thank you and took a grand bow. 

I love my students and my job. They say the most wonderful things! 

Come Back Fall.

 Snow. 

6 inches of it (or more). 

Outside my window. 

On October 24th. 

Why? 

I can't say that winter is my least favourite season, because I find something I like in all of them. Spring smells good, summer brings sunshine and days on the beach, sipping cold beverages on the patio, and bonfires behind the house, fall brings the most beautiful colours and new smells, and winter brings comfort, the crunching of snow, and Christmas. 

HOWEVER 

Where did fall go? Here in Calgary it seemed like one day the leaves were falling out of the sky and the next there was white snow EVERYWHERE. I'm not exaggerating. Friday while supervising kids outside they were making piles of leaves and jumping in them and trying to catch the leaves out of mid air when they fell from the trees. Today they were building snow forts and snow men and bundled in layers of clothing. How is this possible?

What happened to the crunching of the leaves under my feet, wearing a light coat and sipping Caramel Apple Spices outside and the damp smell of leaves disintegrating on the ground. Now I feel like I have to move on to damp socks and cold feet inside winter boots, scarves around my neck, and peppermint hot chocolate on my walk around the city. 

And kids are starting to sing Christmas carols. Too soon. Too soon. (Blog post to come)

Come back fall. I miss your charm!

Bucket List.

A couple of weeks ago I did a warm up activity with my students that involved this video below. The first time I watched it, my jaw was practically on the ground with amazement. I had to watch a second and third time to catch everything that was happening and to get my goosebumps to calm down.

To see a murmuration is now on my bucket list thanks to this video.

My students had a lot to say about this video. They did an awesome job coming up with some figurative language to describe the flock of starlings. Such as, "the birds flew through the air like rapid waves on the water."

What are your thoughts? How did this video make you feel? Maybe I'm crazy to have such strong feelings about this video - I honestly can't express how it makes me feel. Exhilarated, maybe? And I didn't even see it in person.