SATURDAY’S MYSTERY: WHO WERE YOU, DORA? CROWDSOURCING Q. 8

Dora and her father, Nochim Meir. The only two that remained at home ...
Dora and her father, Nochim Meir. The only two that remained at home …

Note: This is part ten of a new Saturday series, in which I, with crowdsourcing help, try to unravel the mysteries hidden in previously unknown letters written by my mysterious step-great aunt Dvora /Dora before and during WWll in Poland. For further explanations see previous post.

There are two words that I need your help with in this letter. The date is January, but I’m not sure of what year. In the future perhaps I will find the right marriage records which will help date the letter.

Note: Libby is Dora’s half sister on her father’s side.

“Dear Libby and Irving,

I am happy in your happiness, I wish you the best from the bottom of the hearth.  I am surely glad to hear from you good news, but my joy is mixed with a deep mourning because there passed nearly two months that my love mother died. The pitiful father he had built twice the life and what remained him. The children disseminated over the world , we remained two lonely lubu ???.  Such is the lot. I wish to write you a letter in Jewish because the nujuol ??? is me  clear to be able to write in English all have what to say you.

two lonely something

not a nujol

Please write about your new life, about your husband, what is his doing. Believe me that the only pleasure is to get a letter from you. Because from Palestine we hear  anything. Write me what happened with them

New dear Irving How it came that you are us dear? In my mathematics if you are dear to Lillian and she is dear to me, then you are also dear to me. If you have time and desire that we shall correspond, I’m going to write you a letter.

As ever,

your sister Dora”

 

 

Who is THIS at YOUR School? Conference FUN!

What? Naomi is asking questions again? (Naomi's Photos)
What? Naomi is asking questions again?
(Naomi’s Photos)

Sometimes we need to pause and take a humorous look at the different characters that make up the colorful tapestry we call a school – students, fellow teachers, administrators, parents, the person wielding a screwdriver, the one with the key to the photocopying machine… It could even be that pesky barrier to the school parking area that slows you down in the morning.

And what better time to do that than at the upcoming  ETAI INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE?

Conferences are a perfect time to celebrate teacher’s creativity, sense of humor and good advice. Seeing responses from all over the world just proves how we are all in the same boat.

Two years ago, teachers sent in their seven word autobiographies. Everyone chuckled over them as they were presented between sessions.

Last year the closing plenary showcased teachers’ messages from around the globe to their younger teacher self.  We all discovered what role “salad” and “moodhoovers” play in a new teacher’s life!

So, what question does one ask teachers around the globe, when it’s a  special three day international conference with first rate speakers?! This question:

“Who is this character at your school”?

From time to time I will be posting photos of animals or inanimate objects along with the question – who is this character at your school?

For starters, we’ll begin with two photos. Later on I will be posting one at a time.

Naomi's Photos
Naomi’s Photos

At my school, this would be the janitor in charge of changing the setting on our classroom’s heating system from hot to cold when the seasons change. This perfectly represents how long it takes him to make it one flight down and down a corridor to my classroom… Who would this be at your school? Fill out the very very short form here to submit your answer!

Now how about this pair? Who would they be at your school? I’m not going to share my own reply just yet – head on to the very short form and fill out yours!

Naomi's Photos
Naomi’s Photos

More to come!

Looking forward to your answers!

 

 

Saturday’s Mystery: Who Were You Dora? Visualising the Words

Dora's grandfther Tsoidek
Dora’s grandfther Tsoidek

Note: This is part nine of a new Saturday series, in which I, with crowdsourcing help, try to unravel the mysteries hidden in previously unknown letters written by my mysterious step-great aunt Dvora /Dora before and during WWll in Poland. For further explanations see previous post.

In this post I pause to visually sort out the family members mentioned in the letters so far and give them a time frame. This is a work in progress, updates will be made as I learn of them.

 

Next week I will post another letter.

 

SATURDAY’S MYSTERY: WHO WERE YOU, DORA? CROWDSOURCING Q. 7

This is Feige /Zipora, the other sister mentioned in part one of the letter. My grandmother immigrated in 1933
This is Feige /Zipora, the other sister mentioned in part one of the letter. My grandmother immigrated in 1933

Note: This is part eight of a new Saturday series, in which I, with crowdsourcing help, try to unravel the mysteries hidden in previously unknown letters written by my mysterious step-great aunt Dvora /Dora before and during WWll in Poland. For further explanations see previous post.

Note the text marked in blue. As an English teacher I can say I've never read an error that so broke my heart. We know her future...
This is part two of last week’s letter. There’s a word I can’t make out in English with a word in Yiddish above it. A kind soul online thinks it might mean”respected”. I can’t quite see how it fits in.

“…. I have not a dictionary and not using English I forget from time to time. My English is very bad now not true? That I can write you about me. I can add more, that my cousin from Kowel invited me to come to him for the Pesach. I could amuse myself for some days. But from known to you causes I can not come to him.

Perhaps have you good bews for us? Please don’t loook that I write not soon, write sooner answer. Understand, that I am younger and therefore all the troubles influence on me so strong. I must confess that I am not at all ??? Each little thing oldnesses me I don’t know what it is. Perhaps it will pass when all things will be better.

yiddish word 1

I write a little too more and such things that I have not to write. I hope that you will nit be angry, sometimes a man must tell something from the heart, it is very difficult to keep all in himself. Excuse for the letter full of blunders, I think you will understand it.

How do you do? Have you work? Let we hope that the bad will not be for ever, and there will come better times to our family. I shall finish now. My lovely regards to you and all our uncles and cousins.

Your loving sister,

Dora

An ALPHABET of Teens on the #iTDi Blog!

Naomi's Photos
Naomi’s Photos

There’s something about teenagers that seems to transcend borders and cultures. Reading the iTDi two-part special on teaching teenagers, written by six teachers from all over the world (including yours truly!) highlights that we all have a shared experience when teaching this age group and can benefit from each other’s experience and tips:

A stands for Audience – find out what a dramatic impact an audience can have in Barbara Hoskins Sakamoto’s  post “The Difference an Audience Makes”.

R stands for Respect – mutual respect is found in “No Respect These Days” by Marc Jones

C stands for Connecting – You’ll easily connect with Kevin Stein’s post “Over the Wall of Experience”.

I stands for Interviewing – Hana Ticha lets the teenagers weigh in on the question whether teaching them is “a Nightmare or a Challenge“.

F stands for fun – Pravita Indriati shows the way in Teens 2.0

T stands for Tired Teenagers – yours truly examines the issue in a post with the same name.

Enjoy the posts and your teenage students!

Saturday’s Mystery: Who Were You, Dora? Crowdsourcing Q. 6

This is Bluma, one of the half sisters mentioned. Photo taken sometime before 1935, when she immigrated. Bluma was the last sibling to leave. Very stylish!
This is Bluma, one of the half sisters mentioned. Photo taken sometime before 1935, when she immigrated. Bluma was the last sibling to leave. Very stylish!

Note: This is part seven of a new Saturday series, in which I, with crowdsourcing help, try to unravel the mysteries hidden in previously unknown letters written by my mysterious step-great aunt Dvora /Dora before and during WWll in Poland. For further explanations see previous post.

The answer to last week’s unknown subject at the University is stomathology, which means Dentistry. Thanks again to Beata & Sandy for the answer!

This week’s letter is clearly dated – March 18, 1939. Almost a half a year before the war.  Do you think the women really wore particularly fashionable dresses at that time ( “a great luxus”) or did it just seem that way to a 19 year old girl who couldn’t afford any?

Dear Lillian,

There passed a long time, that I did not write to you a letter. Believe me, that I am to occupied with the house work and troubles that I forgett even in myself. Many times I wish to sit and write to you some words, bit so it happens that I have nothing good to write you and I am also very lazy to write.  But in your letter to me I find so much warm words, I feel after reading it, that beside sickness and troubles I have even far from me an heart which loves me a little. Is it not true? Now is the Saturday at evening. All the day I set at house and I write you the letter.

Very good news I have not to write to you, the same as your letter does not bring them. You know, many times I fall in such a desperation that I think that over our family hangs such a fate, which directs our life. I see that all my school friends study farther, they dress themself according to the latest mode, they know from a life. None of them does not live in such troubles as I.  The same is with Bluma and Feige in Palestine and aslo with you in U.S.A. Bluma is a very beautiful girl (so she was when she goes to Palestine, now I do not know). Now she is in Palestine, she must work hard and care for herself and what has she there? The same is with you. But better not to speak.

No wonder Dora looks so sad in this photo - it was taken just before Bluma left. it says so on the back. They were close in age and must have been close.
No wonder Dora looks so sad in this photo – it was taken just before Bluma left. it says so on the back. They were close in age and must have been close.

I myself am also a little ill. I went to a physician and he said that it is aneme (wanting of blood). {obviously anemia,} He said that it comes from troubles et cetera. He said that I must leave the home for a month (because he cures my mother and the father, so that he knows all). But it is (not) possible, as it is (not) possible for me to come to America, But let I have such a trouble with my mother as with myself. All my time I spend at house, I does not go to any place, Many times I can not leave the house and the mother and sometimes when I can go or I have not fit clothes (there is is to day a great luxus in the country).

To be continued (it’s a long letter)…

 

 

Impromptu Use of Word Ladders – A Comment

A ladder of "playground don'ts" Naomi's Photos
A ladder of “playground don’ts”
Naomi’s Photos

Act One:

One sleepy teacher (played by yours truly) decides to read one post with an intriguing title before finally going to bed: “Games for Adult Learners – Word Ladders” by Teresa Bestwick”. With an opening line that stated: “Word Ladders are fun for any age and they’re easy to play with minimal preparation from the teacher” I simply had to read on.

“This could be useful, but I’m too sleepy to think about how I could use it in class now. I’ll think about it another time”, said the sleepy teacher.

Act Two:

Setting – second period, our high-school English Room. One wide awake teacher (still played by yours truly) and 8 students, who were not so wide awake. Some of the students who were supposed to be in class were absent, while some other students were there because their lesson elsewhere had been cancelled. Mixed levels and abilities.

“Class, we’re going to play word ladders” announced the teacher brightly and drew a ladder with seven rungs on the whiteboard. “You are all a team, competing against the hourglass. You can help each other but you have to complete the task before the sand runs out, in both directions (turning the hourglass over). {Note: In Special-Ed classes there are many advantages to steering clear of students competing with each other. No one gets insulted or feels inferior}.

Students wake up, as they’ve never played that before. Neither has the teacher.

Naomi's Photos
Naomi’s Photos

The word “train” is entered on the bottom rung. The last letter is in a different color. One student is then chosen to be “the scribe”, gets the whiteboard marker and faces the class, ready for my signal. “See the word train? It ends with the letter n. When I say GO, you must come up with a word that starts with the letter n. The word after that one must begin with last letter of the word before it. And so on”. GO!

The students talk and sign animatedly. Words that aren’t spelled correctly are not accepted. During the first round students simply replace the words they can’t spell with other words. Class beats hourglass easily. The task Bestwick called “Last letter first” was great fun but too easy.  Teacher decides to try Bestwick’s suggestion “Going Up”, but starts off by writing “a” as a one letter word at the bottom rung (as opposed to starting off with a three letter word). Students like the challenge. By the third word they start thumbing through the dictionaries the teacher had been  quietly placing on the tables. Answers are found, class wins. They want another round.

Naomi's Photos
Naomi’s Photos

A new scribe comes to the board. This task is a merger of the previous two tasks. The word on each rung must be longer than the first but also begin with the last letter of the first. The first word is “I”.  It sounds hard but with group work , a lot of thumbing through dictionaries and some unusual words such as “ogle”, the students win once again.

Though the teacher seems to think she has won.

Act Three

The teacher is sleepy again. Still played by yours truly.