Classroom Visit and Kayaking on Monterey Bay
What a great end to the week!
On Friday all of the students visited a graduate class in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program called Principles and Practices. Each English learner was paired up with one or two master’s students and then engaged in conversation about the varying perspectives and opinions of laws, traditions, customs of where they’re from. It was a rich experience for all learners involved, so thank you to Dr. Shaw and his graduate students and to our wonderful English learners for sharing who you are!
On Saturday we took to the cool water of Monterey Bay in Kayaks. For most students (and their family and friends), it was their first time on a kayak. There was a little bit of fear at the beginning: What if my boat tips? How do I turn my boat? Will I get wet? I’m not a very good swimmer! (Answers: The boat very, very rarely tips. You move your paddle in a wide stroke. Probably. That’s OK since you probably won’t fall in! Plus you’re wearing a life vest.)
Despite the fear and the strong winds, everyone got in their boats successfully and paddled across the bay with laughs and smiles. We paddled past barking (and very smelly) sea lions, playing otters, several types of sea birds such as pelicans and seagulls, a kelp forest, beaches, and the beautiful scenery of the Monterey Bay. It was truly a wonderful day on the water, and we hope to go again soon!
