ways to say no!

I couldn't help but publish some of the "Ways to say no" from About.com-secondary education, which seemed so funny. They also suggest of adding new ones as a way to cover some last moments you have in class and you don't know how to cover these minutes.

I'd love to, but...

1. I have to floss my cat.
2. I've dedicated my life to linguini.
3. I want to spend more time with my blender.
4. the President said he might drop in.
5. the man on television told me to say tuned.
6. I've been scheduled for a karma transplant.
7. I'm staying home to work on my cottage cheese sculpture.
8. it's my parakeet's bowling night.
9. it wouldn't be fair to the other Beautiful People.
10. I'm building a pig from a kit.
11. I did my own thing and now I've got to undo it.
12. I'm enrolled in aerobic scream therapy.
13. there's a disturbance in the Force.
14. I'm doing door-to-door collecting for static cling.
15. I have to go to the post office to see if I'm still wanted.
16. I'm teaching my ferret to yodel.
17. I have to check the freshness dates on my dairy products.
18. I'm going through cherry cheesecake withdrawl.
19. I'm planning to go downtown to try on gloves.
20. my crayons all melted together.

First day of school: done!

Although these two first weeks are all about "rehabilition" of the students, the teachers and the parents as well, today's first classes went through smoothly and without any drama!

I don't know if I'm lucky, or I have nice students, but we actually had fun today! Revision of last year's material went very well. On of the aids to this successful result was a great book called "Fun with Grammar" by Suzanne W. Woodward. I knew many activities and games, or even invented some new ones myself (who doesn't!), but I found a little treasure in this book,too!

I only have one wish: may all this year's classes be like the ones I taught today!

ready...set...go...

So, who's ready for the new school year? Certainly, the students for one thing! They are more than eager to wake up tomorrow morning at 07:00 and walk slowly and mostly leisurely towards to their respective school facilities.

Why is that? Not beacuse they are thirsty once more to learn new exciting thingies-oh my goodness, we (teachers) should find new lines for advertising our "products"- not because it's too boring sitting around the house all day, a whole country filled with a new generation of fresh couch potatoes, watching Spongebob in the mornings and CSI Miami in the evenings, but because they would have the chance to meet with their classmates again and exchange information about the past few months...

New schoolbags, new clothes, new pairs of shoes, the route to school appears to be not an ordinary suburbs road where I live, but a runway in the NY fashion week! New haircuts and new trends in jewellery as well! Michael Kors, I dare you and double-dare you to compete with tomorrow's fashion show!

Happy New School Year!!!!