BlackBerry and Blogging!

I am so excited to meet the China Crew! I am having a field day with the brand new and very cool BlackBerry that arrived at my doorstep today. I should also mention that my visa arrived today..... thus ending my panic dream because now I can officially say, I'M GOING TO CHINA!

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I'm Going To China!

My name is Adam Controy and I am a fifth grade teacher at Bridge Valley Elementary School in the Central Bucks School District in Pennsylvania. I have attended that last two National Institutes and have been a DEN STAR for two years. I just found out a week ago that I am going to China.

Here is my story…

A day before the DEN National Institute in San Francisco was coming to a close, Discovery Student Adventures announced they were going to randomly take another STAR on their trip to China. All I had to do was fill out an information card and cross my fingers. I did both! Anson Lee, Senior Director at Discovery Student Adventures, pulled my name out of hat the next morning. It was announced that I would attended the China Adventure with three other STARs and their students. You could tell from the look on my face that I was in a state of shock. However, with a little bit of encouragement, I was still able to do a “happy dance.” The turnaround was quick. Within a week’s time, I needed to apply for my visa, complete an immense amount of paperwork, cancel and reschedule a few workshops, and move up my daughter’s birthday party. Thank goodness my passport was current.

My role on this trip is the same as the other three teachers. We will be working with their students to create a unique experience to take learning from the classroom into the real world. This is an opportunity of a lifetime to learn and explore China’s culture and traditions. I am fortunate enough to have been in the right place at the right time while attending the Discovery Educator's National Institute in San Francisco. I am very grateful for this opportunity and know that it will have a major impact on my life.

I Dream of China...

   






Well, it's official- our adventure in China is right around the corner. How do I know? Last night I had my first official China "panic" dream. What's a "panic" dream? I'm sure you've had them before- you probably just call them something else. You know, the dreams you start having a few weeks before school starts, where you:

• forget about your class schedule and students are sitting in your room waiting for you all day...
• not realize you were signed up for a course, then have to take the final exam without ever having been in the class...
• are not able to remember ANY of your students' names...

I think you get the picture now :)

Everyone has their passports & visas, so now we are just waiting to have our next teacher conference call on July 23rd. I'm really excited to compare checklists with Brett & Rita and talk about essential questions & "lesson plans" for our students to focus on during our trip.

Anyone have any funny "panic" dreams to share? If you can identify and have any stressful dreams of your own, please share!