Kowloon, Hong Kong — Like many languages, Hong Kong Chinese uses a myriad of idiomatic expressions or 成语/chengyu. One I recently learned is “Because you are greedy for the small thing, you end up losing the big thing” or tan xiao shi da/贪小失大 (Thanks for the CSP tip karl hanratty). My first few days in this country has been bogged down with finding a flat. They’re tiny in this country for a lot of money (250 ft² for about US$2,000/month). I’ve seen around 10 in my short time under suffocating heat. And I still haven’t locked one in. It’s been a frustrating process to say the least.

from Charles “Chaz” Phillips, Anglo-American School of Sofia (Twitter: @CharlesMackLux) — American and Canadian Black History Month is in February. I realize that many of your schools might only have an handful of or even no people from the African Diaspora at your school. However, you can still celebrate Black History Month. …

Sofia, Bulgaria Today, I observed a brand new middle school elective this year, “HOGS” or “Hands On Green Stuff” taught by MS science teacher Lori Riggleman and assisted by secondary school secretary Krasimira Kodzhabasheva. While the goal of this elective is to give hands-on experiences with gardening including planting, transplanting…

Helsinki, Finland & Sofia, Bulgaria — On September 10, 2016, teams of educators from various schools within the CEESA, Central and Eastern Europe Association, including the International School of Prague, Cazech Republic; the American International School of Budapest, Hungary; the Anglo-American School of Sofia, Bulgaria; the International School of Helsinki, Finland and the International School of…

Sofia, Bulgaria — What is the meaning of where and when? This essential question guided my English 9 students and me through our first unit. We read several short story memoirs and analyzed the authors’ choice of setting, character development, plot structure, stylistic devices and how all of them helped to develop themes. …

Sofia, Bulgaria — In their essays “Mother Tongue” and “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, Amy Tan and Gloria Anzaldúa explore the connection between the “languages” they speak and the role these have played in shaping and reflecting their identities. IB Year 1 English Language & Literature HL, Part 1, Written Task Assignment …

Sofia, Bulgaria — “According to Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, there can be no clear detailed thought without speech or the acquisition of articulated language” (Allison and Chanen, 36) Ultimately, that means that every teacher is a language teacher at the heart of his or her discipline. To teach content or skills, students…

Sofia, Bulgaria — Today, the new hires of 2016–2017 stepped foot on the campus of the Anglo-American School of Sofia, home of the wolves. The campus is located on the southeast outskirts of the capital of Bulgaria. It is nestled at the foot of the Vitosha mountains.

Sofia, Bulgaria — Transitions On Friday, August 5, I boarded a one-way Lufthansa flight to Sofia, Bulgaria via München, Deutschland. The familiarity of being told what to do in deutsch assuaged any anxiety I had. So did the rotwein. Six years ago, when I first embarked on my international opportunity, the feelings were…