My beloved Faro students (cont.) ...

... The Refresher courses continued in the following days and so did the encounters with the numerous students I feel for ... The tiring sequence of daily sessions didn't make me feel less committed than I was at the beginning of the week.

Their enthusiasm led the way ... I just followed suit. Overlooking the airport layout from the classroom within the Tower seemed to reinforce the importance of the ongoing Aviation oriented English lessons.

 

João, Anabela, Helder, Caldeira, Alvarenga, Neto, Cláudia, Geraldes and Nelson (from left to right).

Francisco, Dowling, Claudino and Peixoto (from left to right).





I must confess I did enjoy  these four days and feel that despite the "light" joyful type of approach to the Aviation oriented language we managed to revise and "cover" quite a lot, as well as further develop language strategies, so as to better express ourselves.

My beloved Faro students ...

Having to professionally travel from North to South ... and sometimes beyond mainland Portugal can be a tiring experience and particularly so if one has to teach all day long and still have to make reports throughout the night, but having the opportunity to  revisit places, like Faro I used to come regularly to (many years ago) or deal with students I've met at different stages of my professional life is the positive aspect of the whole process. 

 

 

I reached Faro (by train) late in the afternoon and  took  a hotel as close to the airport as possible, so as to easily "embark" on the extra evening work without spending too much time moving about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have had the first refresher group today and despite being exhausted (could I be getting older ?... or is it the ongoing work finally cathing up on me, I wonder ...) I feel happy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saboga, Ana, Raminhos, Rui and Marco (from left to right). 

 

 

 

 

It's undeniable that my students play a very important role in my life ... and will keep on playing whether I see them on a regular basis on not ... teacher-student bonds are very strong, or at least in my case they are ...  and I can't help thinking what it would be like had I not "got to know" them ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calheta de São Miguel in Cape Verde solidarity project (cont.)

(...)

I am really astounded at the recent incoming suport for the project of Calheta. Not only have I had colleagues, as well as some of their family members giving me money to ensure the basic school needs of specific children (this being the case of a number of people from the company's Legal Department) are paid for, but also new clothes brought to me, so as to take for children of various ages (by two colleagues).

Lúcia Casqueiro's extra contribution

The biggest surprise came from a colleague, former student and therefore friend (whose identity I won't disclose, simply because I know she woudn't like me to), who wanted to sponsor my trip (which I naturally didn't accept, despite having felt speechless and extremelly touched with the gesture).

Every gesture counts and so does every cent put to good use. I can't help thinking how joyful and happy these children and adolescents will feel with the new clothes and the little gifts and toys. Most important of all is though that they  manage to be children in their own right and keep on attending school.

My sincere thanks to José Saragoça, Helena Mendes, Lúcia Casqueiro and her mother, Fátima Maruta and her daughter and Rita Timóteo for their support.