I returned from São Paulo last weekend tired and relieved but also full of new ideas and skills to start the new semester.  My workshops went really well and I have received a lot of emails with positive feedback and requests for additional materials and answers to questions.  This past week we were supposed to start classes officially at UFPA but because of a computer glitch in the registration system they moved it to this Monday.  English Without Borders classes are in full swing, however, and we used last week to get our schedules in order, advertise for Conversation Clubs and events and nail down our extracurricular community projects.  This semester I will be working long days Monday through Wednesday at the university and then I have Thursday and Friday to study, do research and help out with some writing workshops and pre-departure orientation seminars that the U.S. embassy offers to Brazilian students hoping to apply and then study at American institutions.  In other news, Sean and I finally received our Brazilian ID cards yesterday after waiting for about seven months and just in time to be leaving the country in about two more months. 

At the enhancement seminar there was a great photographer (Mary Evans) and her pictures were recently shared online.  Here's a few where she caught me to give you an idea of what our experience looked like:

Downtown São Paulo (photo cred Erica Johnson)

São Paulo's Train Station (photo cred Erica Johnson)

At the art museum (photo cred Erica Johnson)

São Paulo grafitti (photo cred Erica Johnson)

Fulbright ETAs 2014

Speaking at my first workshop "Toward Learner Autonomy: Language Advising Outside the EFL Classroom"

Opening remarks in the main hall

Participants in one of my workshops talking about language learning challenges and strategies

Activities during my second workshop on language teaching (this is the first activity I learned at OSU)

Leading a small group discussion on the highs and lows of the first semester

More fun times in the teaching workshop - I didn't use a PPT and we hardly sat down

Tom Healy, member of Fulbright Board

Patricia - my fabulous supervisor

Something else Sean and I are thinking a lot about is what we are going to do next.  We know that right after the grant in Brazil ends, we are going to take a month long CELTA (Certified English Language Teacher of Adults) course in Colombia and then head home to Holland, Michigan on December 15.  But after that we are not so sure.  Your prayers, thoughts, ideas and suggestions would be appreciated!

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