I was giving a motivational talk about dreams. A young student asked me this "I want to be an excellent mother, is that a dream?" "Absolutely" I replied, "It's an awesome dream!"

Look up at those dreams, goals or plans that you may have shelved for whatever reason and say this: " ...you survive, you stay alive, no matter what occurs, I will find you, no matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you." (Daniel Day Lewis, The Last of the Mohicans)

No More but Plenty,

Michel De Lottinville

October 29, 2011

No more month but plenty of money to spend

No more war but plenty of peace to impart

No more pain but plenty of healing to offer

No more hunger but plenty of food to share

No more strife but plenty of harmony to go around

No more loneliness but plenty of hugs to give

No more homelessness but plenty of homes to fill

No more road but plenty of energy to run or walk

No more racism but plenty of acceptance to mete out

No more criticism but plenty of optimism to voice

No more complaints but plenty of appreciation to speak

No more frowning but plenty of smiles to wear

No more conflict but plenty of communication to put forward

No more, let’s say it together!

No more let’s hope for it together!

No more let’s dream of it together!

No more!  Why Not? 

Copyright 2011 Michel De Lottinville

My Book Release

Please visit my author site to purchase my book and view the Video Press Release

http://sbpra.com/micheldelottinville/

Langkawi July 2011

Variety Photo Pack

Singing 'Lose Yourself' by Eminem at Karaoke. I was advised to stick to teaching or picking up dog poo:)

 Gord Cavanaugh REPRESENTING the Lizard King!












Our new linen. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! And I picked it!

Karaoke, that's our favorite pass-time here in Malaysia. This is our new Quartet, 'The Singing Shes'. Hmmmm, actually, that title sucks. Give me some time to rename them. But, they had a blast. The one on the far left...she had me biting my knuckles.

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Well, this sign, posted all over Langkawi, speaks for itself. Here I thought that tsunamis were caused by shifts in the earth. Had I known, I wouldn't have......OMG, I could have caused the tsunami:(

Tanya's Red Tomato, it is the best spot to eat in Langkawi because whatever you order will be delightful, tasty, and succulent to your taste buds. We've eaten here, let me see, I can't count how many times. The new location, down the street from the old one, is beautiful and uniquely decorated. This is a MUST stop when you go to Langkawi.

 Tanya's Red Tomatomobile!

 Daily action in Langkawi!

At this point, I was thinking "If I don't go up, Jessica will think I'm chicken...and I am, damn, now what do I do?" So after this photo was taken, I fell down and yelled "OMG I'm dizzy, I can't feel my limbs". She still made me climb!

Profile of a Student

Profile of a Student

Michel De Lottinville

This is an opinion. Void of research and expert commentary. No books were consulted and no advice was sought. This opinion originates from 21 years of teaching experience, from teaching my children to eat with a spoon to teaching adults to speak French, and plenty in between.

Students come in three categories and for the sake of reflection rather than judgment; I’m not advocating preference of one over the other. The bottom line is that they are all at different junctures in their journey through their education, and their lives for that matter.

All students, at any given time, are dealing with family issues, social issues, peer issues, and self-esteem issues, to mention a few of the many elements constantly challenging their capabilities. Each student is at a very different level of understanding accountability, time management, moral development, self-regulation, and team work, to mention a few of the expected educational objectives. Each student has been ushered into the education system for various reasons and by various mentors. Their upbringing, background, or genetics cannot be attributed to any specific type because my experience has shown that students from all backgrounds have fallen into all three of the types discussed herein.

In keeping with my effort to refrain from terms that will qualify or favor any of the three types, I will call them today-students, tomorrow-students, and someday-students. With the elimination of any attempt to assess or evaluate these students, I firmly advocate that they are all intelligent and all capable. So, we have the today-student, the tomorrow-student, and the someday-student; these nouns mean absolutely nothing.  These are the students who are assigned to teachers on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. In the end, all students either hover around or fit perfectly into one of these three types.

The today-student only participates when asked. They observe, think, analyze, and remain, for the most part, silent participants in the classroom. They never disrupt. They take initiative only when strongly encouraged to do so. They never settle for less but rarely aim for more. They have one goal in mind; to pass with the highest average possible. They are silent participants, quietly absorbing information and the atmosphere. Their talents, initiative, and drive, are stored away, waiting to be pried out of their inquisitive beings. Assignment are completed on time, and homework is delivered on due dates. They usually refrain from other interests such as groups, teams, extracurricular activities, and the like. When they do participate in such events, they assume low-key roles or positions. They are like rainbows hidden behind a sheet of “when I’m ready”. Stepping up or stepping out, is, for some reason, a scary or tough choice to make. They are punctual and rarely absent. These students only ask for assistance when they feel safe, secure, and confident that the helper is a willing provider of insight or information. Their minds are constantly processing the daily flow of thoughts that fill their brains. Today-students wonder how they measure in comparison to their peers. They usually envy tomorrow-students, and protect themselves from being a someday-student. It’s not a matter of judging the someday-student; it’s rather a matter of having a different goal in mind. Today-students are quietly decisive; they get to where they are going, eventually. They offer insight and academic help to any other type of student who asks.  On graduation day, the today student is thinking “I’m done for now, let’s have lunch”.

The tomorrow-student is the energetic and driven student who completes all tasks and assignments on or before the due date. This student works diligently and very effectively in group settings, they raise their hand to answer questions, they offer creative and often unique answers and perspectives, and they ask tough questions that can send teachers on a research adventure. They never make excuses, are consistently prompt, never disruptive, and they make it clear that they appreciate their teachers and that they love to learn. Tomorrow-students keep their teachers on their educational toes. They come to class when they don’t feel 100% and they manage their time very well. They know ‘no’ stress, and to them, another assignment equates to another opportunity to learn something new. These students walk through the curriculum as though they have seen it all before; if understanding snags arise, they ask for clarification or they initiate further research, which may include asking for help from a peer, a family member, or anyone known to have the knowledge they need. Tomorrow-students usually complete their class work before the others, then, they study another subject or ask for more work. Their voices and their opinions are shared on a regular basis in the classroom. They rarely ask the teacher to justify the mark they received; instead, they want to know where they went wrong or what they missed. Their dog never eats their homework and they beat the ‘jam’ every time. These students participate in extra-curricular activities, they join clubs and associations. Often times, they also find time to volunteer for valued causes. They help teachers when they can and they bring a rewarding energy to the teaching experience. On graduation day, they have their diploma in one hand and a career or university pamphlet in the other. The tomorrow-student eats energy for breakfast, knowledge for lunch, and anticipation for dinner. Their desert is usually loaded with ‘give me more’ syrup. They are there to learn, period. All other life related issues are secondary to their primary goal of educational success, and they know it!

Someday-students arrive to class, when they arrive. They want to be punctual, but if they aren’t, it’s not an issue unless the teacher makes it an issue. Assignments are usually a chore and a demanding task that infringes on their ultimate goal of socializing. Assignments are usually left to the very last moment. They stay up late, attempting to study. They have a tendency to ‘find’ an answer to their assignments elsewhere, unless the topic is a passionate interest of theirs, then they deliver. Group assignments are a huge undertaking for someday-students. They usually deliver a very limited effort to the team. They ask that others ‘help’ them with their portion and they willingly let team members complete their work. Assignments are rarely, if ever, delivered on the due date. Sometimes their assignments never even appear, and there’s always a reason from the ‘reason bank’.  Their understanding of accountability is “Well I was going to do my assignment”. Someday-students actually care about their future, just not right now. They are often absent with a good explanation from the ‘reason bank’. If they participate in extracurricular activities, there must be an opportunity to be noticed, to socialize, or to have some fun. They have needs to be met. Their initiatives are short lived and the life span of their dedication is often disrupted by social networks, personal interests, or relationships. They are loaded with a desire to accomplish, conquer, and succeed, but they haven’t developed the discipline to attain those objectives just yet. At times, when they feel the pressure to ‘pass’, they may resort to, well, cheating or plagiarizing, but, they usually ‘didn’t know’ that it was plagiarizing. Unlike tomorrow-students, someday-students are highly impacted by the teenage challenges of life. Family issues, relationship issues, money issues, loneliness issues, self-judgment, and future expectations, can really inflict havoc on their academic attempts. They push the lines of accountability and they ride the fine line between work and play. Someday-students walk off the graduation stage, if they manage to earn the spot, and they wonder ‘what now?’ Tomorrow is as far away as Jupiter, only the moment matters, for now.

Some students are ready today, some students will be ready tomorrow, and some students will be ready someday. All students will certainly end up somewhere…one day!   

Copyright ©2011 Michel De Lottinville.

Gambling Natives & my Home and Native

We were expelled from the casino because we won too much money. So, we disguised ourselves and went back. They didn't suspect a thing!

A bunch of PRICKS! That's all I have to say about that!

My home is where my heart always is!

More of the best!

No negotiating here, I followed orders from this police officer in Aruba. He said to enjoy Carnival and I did just that:)

I don't know who sent me this shot, but it's amazing. I love Canada, my Home and Native Land. ALWAYS!

Thai servants, holding up the fort!

This guy missed his lunch too!

Huge snow storm last night in Malaysia. Then... I woke up:)

Me and the BOYZ. They tried to fit me with a pair of cement galoshes when I left for Malaysia. The wedding was awesome though!

Having a blast in the waves. The water was quite wet!

"M" for Man I Miss My kids!

From my balcony. Isn't it a cool shot? Come on...it is so...you're just jealous.

Water always calms me!

Thai children at play!

Thai children playing in the sand on the beach, just like we used to do way back when life wasn't fast paced and complicated. They must have played there for 2 straight hours, making sand castles, getting along, and helping each other. It was warming to watch.

HUGE!

I hope you enjoy this line-up of pictures that I really like:)

 This stump on the beach is actually the size of big dog.

I caught this tree stump, at the perfect angle; it looks like a Jamaican Goddess.

 Nature and industrialization collide and merge.

 This boat team was heading out to earn their days keep of fish:)

It's HUGE, it's yellow and it's hard as rock..literally. This is exactly what you think...a gigantic phallus member. It sits in the countryside in Thailand, on a small farm. It represents and celebrates fertility and vigor. The owner came out, as we snapped pictures and explained it's purpose. Look at the pictures further below and you will see it's 'natural' resting place...literally. This is quite amazing and 'insert-resting'. As Tom Cooke would say "You can't make this stuff up"

I just didn't know where to start.
It's simply gymunganormousbig! That's my new word. I better copyright that today:)

 The natural resting place for the phallus, between a rock and a hard place:)

There's that referee and his helper, fishing for 'calls'. No wonder so many NHL players end up in the penalty box for no reason!

In Malaysia, right down the street from where we live, the saga of the hole in the sidewalk continues. Over a period of four to five months, they covered this hole with branches and twigs, then, they laid this car bumper across the hole. Finally, recently, they actually covered the hole with steel grills.