Random Travel Observations

After today's seminar in Boston we traveled for only 45 minutes and are now in a new state....but we aren't. Tomorrow's seminar is advertised as "Providence", but we are actually in Seakonk, MA which is, I guess, a suburb of Providence, R.I. I have now driven through Rhode Island twice in my life...neither time actually getting out of the car and stepping on actual Rhode Island land! I need to stop at an ATM tomorrow since I spent all my cash on yesterday's cab driver. Hopefully my program manager will be willing to take me back into Rhode Island for this transaction! (I think she will since I owe her money for today's lunch.)

We are staying at the Johnson & Wales Inn which is affiliated with the Johnson and Wales University, a major school of hospitality "science". The hotel is completely run by students. It's fun to see all the young wait staff, desk staff, and managers in this very nice facility.

Another good thing was having my favorite dinner on both coasts within a week. Clam Chowder and crab cakes....Seattle Style and Rhode Island style. Yummy!

This week's program manager, Annie, is a real delight. She regaled me all the way here with her stories of life as a Fullbright teacher in Germany last year. We hear so much about how other countries are far ahead of us in test scores. As Paul Harvey used to say, "Now, the rest of the story." Annie taught English at a middle school (grades 5-8) in a town in former East Germany. Students are separated into college bound and non-college tracks in 4TH GRADE! She taught in a non-college school, trying to teach English to kids who had, by age 10, been told that they had no academic future...and it was miserable. The teaching she observed in her school was boring lecture, copying, sitting and listening. She visited academic high schools in the area which were endowed with all sorts of wonderful labs, technology, and high expectations. I think of all the students I have known who were not academic superstars in elementary or middle school but blossemed somewhere in high school or college. What an absolute waste for their German counterparts!

At the seminar today one teacher said it was too cold, several people were potential "Not getting it" types but they asked enough questions that they "got it", NO crabby German or Latin teachers, but a couple of crabby upper level teachers who were looking for advanced level conversation ideas that I simply don't have (and don't advertise that I do).

I was humbled by a second year teacher who is struggling with juniors and seniors in Spanish 1. In her classes are true beginning students, recently arrived well educated Spanish speaking students from other countries, and non-literate Spanish speaking students who have grown up here. They are eating her alive and her principal is on her case for "not using the book he bought for you"....a book that is inappropriate for at least 2/3 of her class. It's probably not professional, but what fell out of my mouth in my conversation with her was "I'll pray for you.". She seemed to appreciate that and our lengthly conversation about ideas for dealing with this crew. What a truly miserable situation.

Finally, we Chicago folks need to be thankful for our television offerings! First of all, we in the central time zone are the only reasonable folks regarding TV schedules. Who can stay awake to watch CSI or Law and Order starting at 10:00 p.m.????? I have now encounted CBS broadcasting nothing but directions for changing to digital TV 24 HOURS A DAY (in Spanish and English) in two separate cities (Tulsa and here). Hotels seem to get approximately 24 versions of CNN and Fox News, approximately 43 all sports stations and, MAYBE one or two stations with the shows I watch in Chicago. This hotel seems to get Fox, so with any luck I'll see "House" tonight. This hotel doesn't get TLC. How am I going to get through lunch tomorrow if I can't have a mindless 1/2 hour of "What Not To Wear" to accompany my sandwich?

Now that I've degenerated from the somewhat sublime to the totally ridiculous I'll say "Good Night"