English as a Second Language

Years ago, when I was in my 20s, I encountered a recently retired superintendent of schools, who began telling me of the awful things he had witnessed on the soap operas he had seen on TV that morning--

I began to fear that that might be my fate--

So I have been keeping very busy--amongother things, joining Literacy Volunteers, which helps foreigners with their English. I joined the Englewood group because an old friend of mine, the late Roy Pollack, had belonged, aand had enjoyed himself. Nice group of teachers and would-be tutors. And a well-organized, thoughtful plan to teach students. Yesterday, for example, someone read a group of words in Mandarin, challenging us to remember what they meant. Difficult! But we got the point. And we learned some basic things about teaching and learning. And dealing with foreign students. Eg, don't lend them your books. They may leave the country next week!

I'm looking forward to it.

But I must also

clean the Woodstock house preparatory to a visit from relatives
write about income annuities
revise chapter for book on finance for high school students
continue writing my play
work on a book about investing
prepare to teach a course on Wed
prepare a talk about Richard Crooks

I guess I'm not gonna wind up like that super of schools!