F2F Class Notes (Ally)[W]

Write something personal to you. What’s your unrealistic dream?

Grammar

proves to be : not for straight forward statements
– after investigation/experimentation, something “proves to be” ….

I began to study even harder. I was determined to show my abilities. In the meantime, my hard work paid off. I acquired more knowledge about English and teaching strategies. I was able to communicate better with my students’ parents.

There are other memories – memories of my family, my loved ones. Some of them have left me, and they will never come back, but I have to live on. There are memories of my colleagues. Some have left, but some are still here with me. We’ve witnessed each other grow into relatively mature teachers.

Photos carry my memories. Photos stop the past. Photos cannot change the present. Photos cannot tell the future. Some pasts/moments of the past/past moments I don’t want. Some pasts I want to remember for all my life. So I delete some and keep some. What about you?

***

One question that we would like to ask 8-year-olds is, “What would you like to be in the future?” The answers may vary: scientist, lawyer, teacher, astronaut… Ten years later, if we ask the same question to the same group of students, we will find that most of their dreams have changed. What about after another ten years? When those students enter the workplace, how many of them still remember their childhood aspirations? When we are kids, we are often taught that everyone should have a dream. As we grow up, however, we would come to realize that some dreams are merely unrealistic, so we gradually learn to focus on the moment/live in the moment/deal with the problems at hand, to carpe diem. IMO/from my perspective, this idealistic-to-practical pattern is natural and reasonable, and as responsible adults, it is better to be more down-to-earth than up-to-moon/on cloud nine.

Being practical in our work and studies makes us more efficient. When I work or study, I make concrete/solid goals which are within reach, instead of day dreams which are too idealistic to achieve. I don’t have to reach my destination/make grand achievements right away, as long as I spend time and effort in striving for these practical goals, I grow/become closer and closer to them. Even if there are sometimes minor adjustments on my way to realizing them, it would be more efficient compared to those occasions when you find your goals too unrealistic and impossible to achieve and therefore have to make big changes. / If our goals are practical, we can make minor changes or adjustments, instead of spending too much time chasing something that’s not meant to be.

Edit for next class:

As for me, big changes means a negation of all the previous hard work. If this happens, more energy would be spent, which means less efficient.

Be practical in our personal relationships makes us more relatable. Imagine a wife who idealizes her husband, or a mother who overestimates her child. These unrealistic expectations in personal relationships often cause serious troubles such as frustrations, misunderstandings and break-ups. If, however, we are more practical in dealing with personal relationships, we would be more objective, considerate and understanding, and thus live in harmony and happiness.

From those two aspects, I think it is better for us to be more practical. Admittedly, the moon is beautiful, but it is for admiration only. We should spend more time on practical things and less on unrealistic ones. After all, yesterday is history; tomorrow is mystery; only today is a gift; that’s why it is called present.