Academic Competitions

Teachers do a lot in Mongolia, there’s no doubt about that. In addition to the paperwork, lesson planning, and classroom instruction, teachers are expected to take part in various competitions. Victory can mean great prestige and rewards from your school, while defeat can raise questions about your effectiveness on the job. In the fall, there […]

Summer School

Colorful badges And dirty hands, Blank notebooks Tickled by Emptying pens, Transfer from One generation To the next Across an ocean, Cold and vast. Raising voices With orchestral Arcs and adagios, Tempo changes How eyes dart From one Set of hieroglyphs To the next As well as How they escape Sun-blistered lips. Benches and tables, […]

To A Student

Repeat after me, In an accent I deem Appropriate For this particular case, Which may seem no Different From any other case, But I beg you to Consider Following my advice. You may think you Know what it is That comes out from My mouth, But I speak in Technicolor tones But it looks as […]

Managing Expectations

Teacher’s Day is a particularly popular holiday for teachers. It usually includes a multitude of events culminating in a large party where teachers gather together to celebrate their hard work. One of the events leading up to the big celebration is a day when 11th grade students take over teaching responsibilities for teachers. In my […]

Conjunction Junction

Since I mistakingly overlooked World Teacher’s Day, I thought I would remedy such oversight with a post on what it is I do exactly. I’m labelled a “Teacher Trainer” with the Peace Corps. This means I work with teachers to improve methodology, English speaking and writing ability, and to help them come up with more […]