My Teacher Robin

04/19/2025

🌞 **Hello Dear Students!**

I hope you are enjoying the spring quarter and working hard to improve your English!

I’m still traveling. Yesterday, I visited a beautiful port city in Costa Rica. The weather was very hot, but the people were kind and friendly. I enjoyed our brief stay there.

Costa Rica is famous for its coffee, rainforests, and especially my favorite animal — the sloth! 🦥🌴I also learned that Costa Rica is home to approximately 54 species of hummingbirds, making it one of the most diverse places for hummingbird species in the World.

📝 **Let’s Practice English!**

Answer these 3 questions in the comments:

1. Where is the hottest place you have ever visited or lived??
2. What is your favorite kind of weather?
3. What is your favorite animal?

I will write more soon! Keep practicing your English and have a great day! 😊
— Robin

04/17/2025

🌎✈️ Hello Dear Students!

I’ve been traveling and also moving into a new apartment — so I haven’t posted in a few weeks. Thank you for your patience!

Right now, I’m on a big adventure aboard the Holland America ship Eurodam with another teacher. So far, I’ve visited beautiful Cartagena, Colombia, and sailed through the famous Panama Canal! 🚢💙

Tomorrow, I’ll be in Costa Rica! 🇨🇷 I’m learning so much and seeing amazing places. I can’t wait to share more with you soon.

🧠✨ English Quiz: What Did Teacher Robin Do?

1. What ship is Teacher Robin on?
A. Norwegian Sky
B. Eurodam
C. Titanic

2. Which country did she visit first?
A. Costa Rica
B. Colombia
C. Panama

3. What famous place did she sail through?
A. Amazon River
B. Suez Canal
C. Panama Canal

4. Where will she be tomorrow?
A. Mexico
B. Costa Rica
C. Brazil

💬 Bonus!
Write your answers in the comments!
Then, choose one of these words and write a sentence:
Ship – Canal – Country – City – Travel – Adventure – Learn

I’ll be checking to see how many of you get them right! 😊
– Teacher Robin

03/30/2025

Wishing all my students and their families a joyful and blessed Eid! May your day be filled with happiness, laughter, and moments of togetherness. May this special time bring peace, kindness, and countless blessings to your hearts and homes.

Enjoy the celebrations, the delicious food, and the time spent with your loved ones. Eid Mubarak! 💛🌸

03/29/2025

A Short American History Lesson and Two Questions:

This week marks the 114th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. It was a terrible event in New York City where 146 people died. Most of them were young immigrant women and teenagers. The doors were locked, and the building was unsafe, so they could not escape.

After the fire, the government made new laws to protect workers and make jobs safer. These laws are important to prevent tragedies like this.

But now, some states like Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Indiana, New Jersey, Missouri, Georgia, and West Virginia are thinking about changing the laws. They want to allow young teenagers to work more. This is worrying because it could make workplaces unsafe again.

Read more about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire here:
🔎 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire - History.com

👉 What do you think?

Should children as young as 14 be allowed to work?

What rules should we have to keep young workers safe?

03/28/2025

Happy Friday, dear students!

Have you ever heard someone say TGIF? It’s a popular phrase in the U.S. that means “Thank God it’s Friday!”

People say it when they’re excited that the weekend is almost here. It’s often used at work when Friday arrives and people are looking forward to relaxing, spending time with family, or having fun.

👉 How about you? What do you like to do on the weekends? Practice your English writing skills by answering this question in the comments!

03/27/2025

Hello, dear students! 🌟

In our winter quarter Speaking and Listening for Professional Communication class, we spent time learning how to manage conflict and navigate difficult conversations. This article, "The Simple Trick to Change Other People's Minds" by Dave Robson, connects to many ideas we discussed, including civility and respectful questioning.

It's a challenging read (mostly at level 4 or 5), but I believe my level 3 students can handle it too! One helpful strategy is to copy a paragraph into ChatGPT or Google Gemini and ask the AI to simplify the language for a low-intermediate or high-beginner English learner. Give it a try and let me know what you think! 👇💬

People will be far more open-minded than you realise if you adopt these simple conversational techniques.

03/25/2025

Hello, dear students! 🌞
Spring has arrived! The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining (sometimes ☔), and the world feels fresh and new. 🌷🌿

But... 🌼🤧 Ah-choo!
Spring also brings seasonal allergies for many people. Do your eyes itch? Do you sneeze a lot? You’re not alone! It's very common in the spring because of all the pollen in the air.

Let’s practice English together!
👉 Question of the Week:
Do you have a favorite seasonal allergy remedy? Please share it in the comments!

03/25/2025

Did you know March is National Umbrella Month? Spring is here, and that often means more rain!

☂️ This is a great time to practice reading out loud to improve your comprehension and pronunciation. One of the best ways to do this is by reading children’s books — they use clear, simple language and lots of repetition.

📖 Try reading "Who Likes Rain?" — a sweet book for ages 3–6 all about what we need to enjoy a rainy day, including an umbrella!
(Source: Reading Is Fundamental)

💬 You can read it out loud by yourself or with your child. Studies show that reading aloud—even to very young children—helps everyone become a better reader.

Happy reading, rain or shine! 🌧️☀️📚

03/19/2025

🏀 March Madness: March 18 – April 7, 2025! 🏀

March Madness is an exciting college basketball tournament! 🏆 Men's and women's teams from across the country compete to become the national champions. Will your favorite team make it to the Final Four?

📚 Want to learn more about March Madness?
Read the easy-to-understand article from VOA Learning English, which is linked below. 🎧 There is a listening practice, too!

🔗 What Is March Madness? https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/what-is-march-madness/3255200.html

🏀 Who do you think will win March Madness this year? I'm cheering for Gonzaga College in Eastern Washington! Share your predictions in the comments! ⬇️

03/17/2025

Hello everyone! 😊 Today is March 17th—St. Patrick’s Day! This special day is celebrated in Ireland and many other countries, including the United States! 🇮🇪 🇺🇸

✨ Fun Facts About St. Patrick’s Day:
✅ People wear green for good luck! 🍀
✅ The shamrock ☘️ (a three-leaf clover) is a symbol of Ireland.
✅ Some cities have parades and even turn rivers green! 🌊💚
✅ Many people eat corned beef and cabbage on this day! 🥩🥬

💬 Your Turn!
In the comments, answer one of these questions:
1️⃣ Have you ever celebrated St. Patrick’s Day? What did you do?
2️⃣ Do you have a special holiday in your country? What do people do?

Let’s learn and share together! 🎉💚