I’m just on my way home from a great conference in New Orleans. Refreshed by many conversations with fellow teachers (but have lost my voice!). The small talk and conversations were even more important than any of the presentations I attended or gave. Really and truly, a conference is about all the little things and thoughts you share with others working in different and diverse environments. It all adds up and contributes to our teaching knowledge and will definitely transfer back to the classroom.

I took the time despite being so tired – to take in the blues. Spent two nights listening to Bryan Lee and his amazing Powdered Blues Band. Rejuvenating, especially how music, the blues in particular, are so full of insights into language and its use/worth/power. Telling a story, repetition, rhyme, emotion, identity… too much for this short post from the airport. I will comment more in another post.

Just want to say thank you to anyone I met and shared conversations with!

If you are interested in a great website your students or you can use in your class – try The Blues Maker. It is super simple and you can make a great song in a few minutes. Teacher’s might also find this Louis Armstrong power point useful 9thinking about it since I’m in the Louis Armstrong airport as I write this) or get the video on EFL Classroom 2.0.