Teenagers Read and Write with Early Childhood Learners at the Garden School in Queens

In this blog post, I write about teaching international students at a school in Queens.

A Seventh Grader holds up a sign
he made for our school's annual International Night.

I am incredibly honored to teach a large cohort of adolescent English Language learners this year at the Garden School, in Jackson Heights — one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Queens. My students — representing mainland China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Turkey; each have an F-1 student visa to enable them to receive their education here in the United States — with many continuing their studies at college or universities both within and outside of America!

      To put into perspective how vast this group is: approximately one million international students are studying in the United States alone, according to the Institute of International Education (IIE). Of that group, roughly one hundred thousand are middle and high school adolescents. So I am one lucky teacher. My experience as an international student also adds further depth to my appreciation for this amazing opportunity - I had a student visa when attending the Higher Institute of Philosophy in Leuven, Belgium, and I lived in the American College.

      One activity I love doing with my students is having them read to younger kids. It is a fun, low-stakes way for kids to learn from each other. And it's fun. Here are some photographs to document our learning together:

A kindergartener and a Tenth grader write a story together for a Language Arts project. 

An Eleventh grader conducts a read-aloud for a couple of Early Childhood students.

PDF Copy for Printing

Recollection: Catholic Confirmation at Mary Queen of Peace Church (c. 1990s)

Me, Archbishop Philip Hannan, and Georgette Pintado (Nanan)

Throwback post to 1997 - a Catholic Confirmation ceremony at Mary Queen of Peace Church in Mandeville, Louisiana.

In the Catholic tradition, young people get confirmed. It's the standard rite of passage for Catholic youth. You take some classes. You go on a field trip. You take on the name of a saint and you choose a sponsor to help support you in your Catholicity. At sixteen years old, I was confirmed at Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Mandeville, Louisiana. The pastor was Father Ronnie Calkins - a really nice guy who I later knew better when I joined the Seminary. But that's another story.