Wow. Today was pretty darn good! Just being Friday (which means early release) put today a step above the rest. One class had an all-time best for vocabulary, so they got to play basketball for almost 20 glorious minutes. How does it get better than that? My small Spanish class of seventh graders had an even better time. We were lucky enough to Skype with one of my former bosses in Mexico. (Mrs. Cochran made it possible with the camera and microphone.)

The kids loved chatting with Joe, and so did I. After the call ended, though, I felt an unexpected moment of sadness. Just seeing the familiar buildings and faces made me realize how much I miss being there. I remembered everything…..the banana tree in the back patio, the classrooms, the street in front of the school. Simply describing things to my students is just not enough. They need to SEE it all. The entire class is willing to visit Joe and check out life in Mexico.

The kids learned that Joe has been in Merida for the last 20 years. He owns and operates the American English Center. According to Joe, more students study at his school than before. It’s good to know his business is growing. Joe’s a top-notch boss as well as a great friend. His home state (Texas) should be proud of him. At least I’m sure he’ll go down in history with my young students.