Kendall Defoe
Bio
Teacher, reader, writer, dreamer... I am a college instructor who cannot stop letting his thoughts end up on the page. No AI. No Fake Work. It's all me...
And I did this:
Stories (824)
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The Japanese ESL Shuffle
Okay, back to the old story... I spent three years in Tokyo teaching ESL, shuttling from private companies, colleges, schools, offices, and the occasional private home on multiple calendars and schedules. Now, I know that I have discussed this and written about my time there in other pieces here and other online pages. But I also realized that I could provide a lot of good advice for those of you considering such a career. There are guides to life in Japan; how to communicate; proper etiquette and dress. And yet, I have never read anything about what types of students you should expect with such a life. And that is why, with the best of intentions, I have come up with a list of who to expect when you are teaching English as a Second Language:
By Kendall Defoe 3 years ago in Education
Advice to a Nephew. Top Story - September 2022.
This was a list of advice that I gave to my nephew when he was about to begin high school in the late 2000s. It was in a letter that I never sent, and a part of me regrets that I did not get to at least talk to him about most of these points. I did share some advice in texts and conversations, but I recently found this page in my notes and I thought that it was only fair to share it with the rest of you. Your judgment counts…
By Kendall Defoe 3 years ago in Education
A Review of ''Three Thousand Years of Longing''
I went to see this film at a repertory theatre on Friday night expecting to be transported through some sort of carnivalesque ride on magic carpets, through ancient palaces, and over images of wealth and power that I had seen too many times before to be really impressed.
By Kendall Defoe 3 years ago in Geeks
Summer Reading for 2022
This is not a complete list of all the books I am still reading as the season ends, but I thought that it would be interesting to look back at certain titles that I am glad to have picked up and enjoyed. They do not cover only one particular genre or style (my reading habits have always been very open and liberal; only science fiction and westerns have never really haunted my lists), but I did decide not to include graphic novels or comic books (I am still a fan, but I want to focus of novels and books that may not have the appeal of Marvel, Image or other imprints).
By Kendall Defoe 3 years ago in Education
Clare Torry and the Great Gig. Top Story - August 2022.
I have always been fascinated with the stories behind those moments in the arts when one person, event, change, movement or accident created something very new and exciting; something that no one else could have done. This is the story of one woman who does not have the level of fame that is equal with her role in popular music history. There might be some fanatics out there who do know her and even love her, but I have had too many responses over the years when I mention this story gape and feel as though they are learning something new and exciting. I hope that this adds to the story of one of my favourite groups and that you also feel as though you have discovered something new.
By Kendall Defoe 3 years ago in Beat
Sex vs. Books
I have a room at the front of my place with a lot of natural light being reflected off of the windows of my neighbours' homes across the road. Never really considered how I had to watch out for my own privacy after five years living so closely in my own darkness and with no real concept of the word. It is a type of comfort that I never knew I missed.
By Kendall Defoe 3 years ago in Filthy
How to Play Dominoes with West Indians
Summer is coming to an interesting conclusion. We have faced Covid-19, monkeypox, inflation, criminal actions of elected officials and weird weather patterns. People have needed an escape from the insanity of day-to-day life, and have found it in many different ways. Some of us have returned to the gym; some have become even more deeply invested in their computers (laptops, desktops, cellphones, etc.) Some people have quit jobs; others refuse to return to the office to do things that they have proven could be done at home. And there are others who just want to make a connection with people again…or at all.
By Kendall Defoe 3 years ago in Humans
Golden Years
Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say… Major Culpham had that thought in his head as he prepared for the day. He looked through the viewfinder and studied the material captured. All the scanning of the previous day was uneventful and he felt that he should just get this out of the way early to complete his other duties. And yet…he felt an urge to go back once more and review what he saw…and heard.
By Kendall Defoe 3 years ago in Fiction
