Two Jewels from Class Last Night

1. Cultural Observations:
Last night a representative from SIT came to get feedback from us, the participants in the TESOL course. SIT always does this to ensure the quality of their courses around the world, and also to gather feedback to help improve upon the course.
So we all provided our praise, and our criticisms, freely. The one Swiss student had very specific feedback and wasted no time outlining anything she felt to be "inadequate" or "unacceptable." The one Turkish student, by contrast, got a guilty look on her face when everyone started to let loose about a certain topic. She leaned over to another participant and said, "I never used to be like this, always complaining. America has changed me. When I go back to Turkey, it's going to be a problem. Everyone will look at me and think I am stuck up. Now, in America, I don't hesitate to send back food or complain. But I think I need to change. It's not good, this feeling of never being satisfied."

2. And I found a touching poem while looking for a reading text. I love Seamus Heaney.

Scaffolding
by Seamus Heaney

Masons, when they start upon a building,
Are careful to test out the scaffolding;

Make sure that planks won't slip at busy points,
Secure all ladders, tighten bolted joints.

And yet all this comes down when the job's done,
Showing off walls of sure and solid stone.

So if, my dear, there sometimes seems to be
Old bridges breaking between you and me,

Never fear. We may let the scaffolds fall,
Confident that we have built our wall.