The Teachers
Shelby HouseHey you guys! I'm Shelby. I'm from southeast Georgia--forgive my accent! I'm a freshman, and I'm majoring in Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies, probably with a minor in Arabic. I don't know exactly what I'd like to do as a career, but I want to travel, learn, and immerse myself in the world. I feel that often Americans live too much in a bubble, and we don't pay attention to the world around us. I love people, reading, movies, and soccer. I'll be cheering hard for Portugal this summer! Lauren and I are beyond excited to meet you all. We know that this isn't one-sided, and we're excited to learn from you all! (I'm actually learning Urdu right now, so don't make too much fun of me if I ask for your help.) [email protected] |
Lauren PakA warm HELLO to you!! Hi y'all! My name is Lauren and I hail from the very sunny southern California. I am studying Human and Organizational Development with a double major in Public Policy and a minor in Spanish here at Vanderbilt. I am a self-declared Spoken Word poet, an avid long-boarder, a hugger, and a laugher! I love to travel and gain new perspectives from the people I meet and places I visit! Shelby and I are BEYOND excited to get to know you all this coming semester! I firmly believe that stories are a way in which we are able to learn from each other, and I can't wait for us to gain new insight through the experiences we share! [email protected] |
April 14, 2014
We were supposed to meet for our final class today, but unfortunately we had some major connection problems. We will try to meet up one last time in the coming week; you and I both have finals, so if it doesn't happen, I'll send you a farewell video message for summer. I hope I get to see you all one last time before summer! -sh
April 8, 2014
This week we talked about our families. You all told me about what your parents do and how many siblings you have. We discussed where you would live after graduating--most of you will stay with your families in Pakistan. We talked about travel. Most of you want to stay in Pakistan, but all of you want to visit Saudi Arabia! You all hope to visit Makkah and Medina. So we talked about religion for a bit. We discussed Islam and what you love about it: its peacefulness and equality. We talked about misconceptions of Islam throughout the world, and then we talked about our religious festivals. We discussed Ramadan, Eid ul-Fitr, and Eid ul-Adha, and then I told you a little bit about Christmas and Easter. Then we talked about weddings--you guys sent me a picture of Zahra, who was recently married!
See you ladies next week! -sh
See you ladies next week! -sh
Spring Break -- March 4, 2014
Although it was Spring Break, we were going to meet this week! We were going to talk about family. Unfortunately, we had technical issues that dictated otherwise. Hopefully things will go more smoothly next time, so I can hear about your wonderful families. -sh
February 18, 2014
Yesterday was pretty free-form. We got to know one another just by asking questions--we talked about private schools, weather, education, movies (Titanic, My Name is Khan), news, Urdu, and Arabic. You made plans to teach me a bit of Urdu each week! We talked about seasons, snow, Murree, and Bahawalpur, both of which I'm now slated to go visit. We discussed negative preconceptions of and the capacity for change in Pakistan. We talked about how, in Pakistan, the few ruin it for the masses. In particular, we discussed the preconceived notions of violence and a lack of women's rights. You expressed a desire and belief in change.
"Homework" for this week: write your names in Urdu for me, and come up with one question you'd like to ask. Next Tuesday, we'll address those questions, and we'll also talk about travel and post-high school plans. I can't wait to talk to you all next week (insha'Allah)! -sh
"Homework" for this week: write your names in Urdu for me, and come up with one question you'd like to ask. Next Tuesday, we'll address those questions, and we'll also talk about travel and post-high school plans. I can't wait to talk to you all next week (insha'Allah)! -sh
November 19, 2013
Today we are going to talk about Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is an American holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of every November. We want to share what Thanksgiving is like and hear your opinions. We also want to take the time to talk about things we are thankful for.
thanksgiving_powerpoint.pptx | |
File Size: | 6347 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
November 12, 2013
Today we are going to talk about music! We want to talk about American music as well as Pakistani music, since it is a huge part of our cultures. Think about dances and songs that you are a part of your culture to discuss.
music_lesson.pptx | |
File Size: | 1760 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
November 5, 2013
Today we'll be talking about popular dishes in America and Pakistan. We hope you'll share a few more of your favorites with us!
common_phrases_11-5.pptx | |
File Size: | 103 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
recipes_lesson.pptx | |
File Size: | 5555 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
October 29, 2013
Today's lesson is all about Halloween! We're going to talk about the holiday we celebrate in America on October 31st. We will be talking about different vocabulary words that relate to the celebration of Halloween and how our cultures differ.
halloween_vanpak_lesson.pptx | |
File Size: | 983 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
October 22, 2013
We are so excited to see all of you again this week and hope you enjoyed Eid celebrations! Today's lesson will be about Dr. Seuss, a famous American children's poet.
lesson_4_dr_seuss.pptx | |
File Size: | 1513 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
american_english_phrases_of_the_week_4.pptx | |
File Size: | 93 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
October 8, 2013
Great job with your homework on culture! We loved hearing your definitions and are looking forward to seeing your flags this week. We are going to talk about a few more common phrases and then discuss our families today.
family_lesson_3.pptx | |
File Size: | 4931 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
Your homework for the week is to write a paragraph describing what you would want your future family to be like. Do you want to get married? Do you want to have kids? Do you want a big house or a small house? Do you want animals? What kinds of traditions would you like to have in your family?
October 1, 2013
We had so much fun meeting all of you last week! This week we are very excited for you to share your homework with us. We are also going to talk about a few common English phrases used in America and the importance of national flags.
Click here to upload file | |
File Size: | 834 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
Homework:
Option 1: Make your own flag! Create a flag and tell us how you can represent yourself though the design. You can use some of the things we talked about in the powerpoint, such as what some colors mean, or you can just be creative and do whatever you want! We will share these next class.
Option 2: Pretend the Earth was recently attacked by aliens, and now we need a flag to represent the Earth as a whole. What things would be on it? Draw a flag that could stand for the unity of the Earth.
Option 1: Make your own flag! Create a flag and tell us how you can represent yourself though the design. You can use some of the things we talked about in the powerpoint, such as what some colors mean, or you can just be creative and do whatever you want! We will share these next class.
Option 2: Pretend the Earth was recently attacked by aliens, and now we need a flag to represent the Earth as a whole. What things would be on it? Draw a flag that could stand for the unity of the Earth.
September 24, 2013
Its the First Day of Class! We are so excited to meet you guys and do our first Lesson. This lesson is all about what culture is and the differences between our two cultures. We are looking forward to sharing a bit about American culture and learning about the culture in Pakistan.
culture_lesson.pptx | |
File Size: | 2199 kb |
File Type: | pptx |
Homework:
•Choose one of the following options:
1.Write a paragraph and draw pictures of the music, books, art, etc. that make up your culture.
2.Write a paragraph about what culture means to you. How do you define it for yourself? For your country? For the world?
3. Choose a quote on Slide #3 and talk about what it means to you.
We want to hear what your thoughts are about culture and get a bunch of different ideas so be creative! We will share next class.
•Choose one of the following options:
1.Write a paragraph and draw pictures of the music, books, art, etc. that make up your culture.
2.Write a paragraph about what culture means to you. How do you define it for yourself? For your country? For the world?
3. Choose a quote on Slide #3 and talk about what it means to you.
We want to hear what your thoughts are about culture and get a bunch of different ideas so be creative! We will share next class.