J MASON EMERSON

First let me acknowledge pictures and some other help that I also get with some of the publications here from my youngest daughter, now an adult on the east coast. As to experience I have Pre-K through 12 and some college experience too. I began as a high school teacher of German, Spanish and some regular English in 1973; later taught mostly middle school foreign languages; then taught Pre-K through 8th grade ESL. Along the way I also was first a college TA and later a part-time college instructor. I had much masters level training and practice in ESL; attained a Masters in English with a concentration in composition, linguistics and ESL. While teaching ESL, I also incorporated much in the content areas of science and math; tapping into various modalities of learning including the visual arts. I retired in recent years after heart and cancer issues and rejoice that via developing TpT resources I am still able to contribute educationally toward a better world..

As to teaching style, the word is "ecclectic," -- that is, I believe in doing what works and for different students different things work, meaning flexibility is especially good. Becoming aware of student group and individual needs helps with addressing those even better. Overall the kids, or really any students regardless of age, enjoy learning the most when the works includes some fun with excitement and joy. The busier they stay at learning happily, the more they learn; and being successful at learning builds their confidence and desire to learn even more as they discover: "Yes! I can do it!" -- That's a fact.

As to honors/awards I have been praised for having raised the state test scores by administration but for me the greatest praise has been from the students themselves including those whom I had in class long ago who have come running up to me and congratulated me on having been a teacher who helped them move up in life. I'm now putting a lot of what I learned along the way into the learning packets or units that I try to jam-pack with activities, handouts, etc for yourselves and the kids.

In brief I've had been educated at C of O (Missouri), SIU-C (Illinois), SEMO (M.A.), U of MO at Warrensburg; mostly taught in southeastern and northwestern Missouri; now reside just over the border in Kansas. For me the greatest source of education, though, was in class where the kids taught me in the sense that some would say or indicate "Mr. Emerson, I don't really want to learn or even be here. I can't, learn and you know, you really can't make me." That helped me grow and rise to the occasion by getting them so busily and happily engaged that their attention was diverted and channeled into learning not just from myself but the high interest materials and successful strategies that I developed and used. To say more on that would be soon to have written a large book.

I enjoy teaching languages, photography, writing; and when I get the chance also love to travel. I like it whenever I can drive into the Ozarks and have greatly enjoyed it when able to visit the beautiful hills and lakes of northern Minnesota around Grand Marais and into southern Ontario. I have been through most of the states of the U.S. except in the Northeast, also to Canada and southern Mexico at Cancun, Valladolid and Chichen Itza which has Mayan ruins. My formal foreign language training is for German and Spanish but informally I have learned a lot in many other languages including Indonesian, Chinese, Russian etc; plus enjoy writing computer programs. In short I enjoy life, like to learn and even more so, I love to impart what I know to others and to help colleagues via what's practical, interesting and really works.