Poll

Ronyell wrote: "Gundula wrote: "And, one thing I forgot. I like doing German crossword puzzles, they help me relax, and also keep up with and develop my working vocabulary. Actually, I like crosswords in general..."

Teaching is fun, but can also be exhausting, and there is a lot of prep time, especially if you don't want to only rely on the textbook (and I don't want to do that). And, it's even more fun if the students are motivated and are taking the class because they "want to" and not because they "have to."

Gundula wrote: "Ronyell wrote: "Gundula wrote: "And, one thing I forgot. I like doing German crossword puzzles, they help me relax, and also keep up with and develop my working vocabulary. Actually, I like cross..."

Yes, I feel the same way about how children can enjoy taking classes even more if they wanted to take it rather than being forced to take the classes. I think children would learn more things if they want to learn the material rather than being forced to. But I'm glad that you enjoy teaching!!!

Ronyell wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Ronyell wrote: "Gundula wrote: "And, one thing I forgot. I like doing German crossword puzzles, they help me relax, and also keep up with and develop my working vocabulary. Actual..."

If teachers made classes interesting and used a variety of different teaching methods and activities (because students learn differently, I mean they have different learning styles), I think more students would be interested in classes and school in general.

Gundula wrote: "Ronyell wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Ronyell wrote: "Gundula wrote: "And, one thing I forgot. I like doing German crossword puzzles, they help me relax, and also keep up with and develop my working voc..."
I'm a teacher too and I agree. I always have my students write a little evaluation for me at the end of the class and many of them write that one of the most impressive things about my class is that I remember their names! Which means that until now most of their teachers haven't? That's just sad.

Gaijinmama wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Ronyell wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Ronyell wrote: "Gundula wrote: "And, one thing I forgot. I like doing German crossword puzzles, they help me relax, and also keep up with and develo..."

That's horrible, not remembering a student's name. I guess in certain university classes, when there are over fifty students, and all the instructor does is lecture, that's acceptable, but in classes where there is interaction between students and teachers (instructors), like in language classes, the instructor really should remember the names of his/her students. I think it's also great that you have students do evaluations, I think it's important to know what's going right and what could be improved.

Another activity that I have been relaxing into recently, inspired by reading Wesley: The Story of a Remarkable Owl is that I've been following the progress from roosting to 5 eggs to 2 owlets about to fledge in the owl box at Dorset Wildlife. Very sad that the smallest of the three has recently died, but readers of Wesley will know that this is commonplace in the owl world. Just so sad though. I cried!

Gundula wrote: "Ronyell wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Ronyell wrote: "Gundula wrote: "And, one thing I forgot. I like doing German crossword puzzles, they help me relax, and also keep up with and develop my working voc..."

You said it! :)

I guess "napping" doesn't qualify as an activity by definition, but it's comforting!

Amy wrote: "I guess "napping" doesn't qualify as an activity by definition, but it's comforting!"

I love to nap too!!! I actually usually do it all day!!!

A lot of my students say their hobbies are sleeping, eating and shopping. I always tell them those are not hobbies...hmmmmm. maybe I need to rethink my position on that?

Gundula wrote: "And, one thing I forgot. I like doing German crossword puzzles, they help me relax, and also keep up with and develop my working vocabulary. Actually, I like crosswords in general, English, Germa..."

Gundula: I have a minor in Spanish and I wish my professors had come up with fun stuff like Spanish crossword puzzles instead of boring vocabulary tests.

Hubby enjoys crossword puzzles but often asks for help at the worst time when I'm trying to read, reading aloud to my daughter, or watching something on TV >:(. And yet, he doesn't like it when I try to fill them in on my own. He says that if he needs help, he'll ask for it.

Mona wrote: "Gundula wrote: "And, one thing I forgot. I like doing German crossword puzzles, they help me relax, and also keep up with and develop my working vocabulary. Actually, I like crosswords in general..."

Vocabulary tests are pretty boring, aren't they? And, it's not generally a good method of getting the vocabulary to stick with you.

Gundula wrote: "Mona wrote: "Gundula wrote: "And, one thing I forgot. I like doing German crossword puzzles, they help me relax, and also keep up with and develop my working vocabulary. Actually, I like crosswor..."

Yes, Gundula, vocab tests and verb conjugation quizzes are borrring and so unoriginal. Some of my professors were more innovative than others. Memorizing is not a good method of learning.

Mona wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Mona wrote: "Gundula wrote: "And, one thing I forgot. I like doing German crossword puzzles, they help me relax, and also keep up with and develop my working vocabulary. Actually,..."

You know how I sometimes practice verb conjugations with my students (because it does need to be practiced)? I make up a board game and every square is a verb that needs to be conjugated, still rote learning, but much more fun.

Napping is totally a comforting activity! Especially when it's not something you're able to do very often. I love those sneak naps.

I added roller coasters & rides because I used to be a fanatic. I even was a member of American Coaster Enthusiasts and went to many of their conventions. http://aceonline.org/

But, in addition to all the additional ideas you've all had. I forgot to include:

attending sporting events (football, baseball, basketball, hockey, etc. etc. etc.)

and

attending live performance (theater, symphony, opera, ballet & other dance, comedy, etc. etc. etc.

The arts & crafts of knitting, crocheting, painting & doing other fine art, photography, etc. etc. etc., leaving those out was very unfortunate.

Here's to "other" as an answer for many of you!

Etc. ;-) I'm sure we'll all think of more.

Gundula wrote: "Mona wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Mona wrote: "Gundula wrote: "And, one thing I forgot. I like doing German crossword puzzles, they help me relax, and also keep up with and develop my working vocabular..."



Gundula: It's great how you try to think up fun ways to learn.

I had a Spanish teacher in high school who used to divide the class into teams. Each column of desks was a team. She would give us a question in Spanish and we would have to write the answer. Whichever team's member wrote the answer first and correctly won a point for their team. The winning team would get a prize(get to leave early from class,not have to take a quiz,etc).

Her efforts made the class fun.

I took "Cooking", it is really comforting to me! :)

Lisa wrote: "Ack! yet again. I should have at least added crossword puzzles & other puzzles to the board games and cards category, and computer games too."

And how could I forget to add that to the list in my original post?! I've been doing so many crossword puzzles lately. Computer games are another great one for me too.

Lisa, that is so cool that you were a part of ACE. That used to be a dream of mine when I was younger. Sadly, I don't get to amusement parks as much as I used to. Hopefully I'll be changing that soon.

Wow, Gundula, that is impressive you do crosswords in all those languages. I hope I can get proficient enough in another language one of these days to do that too. Crosswords in English can be challenging enough!

Lindsey wrote: "Lisa, that is so cool that you were a part of ACE. That used to be a dream of mine when I was younger. Sadly, I don't get to amusement parks as much as I used to. Hopefully I'll be changing that soon."

Yes, I was involved for many years, went to just about all of their conventions in California, many others around the U.S., sadly none in other countries. I really wanted to go to the one where they wernt to Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Ah well. Eating veg was a challenge in some parks, but I always found a way.

Very cool!

Eating vegan at the parks will be a new challenge for me, since I haven't been to one since becoming vegan. I used to go to my local Six Flags a lot and would often bring my lunch. They would let you leave the park in the middle of the day and come back as long as you got your hand stamped. I think most every park has lockers, so I would hope most places let you bring food in. So I'm hoping it will turn out to be no big deal! Usually I would be so excited about going on all of the rides that it was one of the few times in my life that I didn't care too much about eating anyway, hehe.

I think they all let you bring food in and most have quite a bit to buy. I always took lots of ginger v caps throughout the day and evening and those worked for motion sickness.

P.S. I am more prone to motion sickness if I have an empty stomach.

Taking ginger capsules - what a great idea! I will keep that in mind. I never used to have motion sickness problems as a child and teenager, but being a bit older now, I could see myself getting dizzy from some of the rides.

Writing, dancing, travel, walks/nature, movies and spending time with my husband and family and petting cats (my own at at kitty rescue) and listening to my husband play the guitar :-)

Kathryn wrote: "Writing, dancing, travel, walks/nature, movies and spending time with my husband and family and petting cats (my own at at kitty rescue) and listening to my husband play the guitar :-)"

Ah, What a lovely, lovely list of comfort activities!

Kathryn wrote: "Writing, dancing, travel, walks/nature, movies and spending time with my husband and family and petting cats (my own at at kitty rescue) and listening to my husband play the guitar :-)"

Kathryn, You're invovled with kitty rescue? I'm a volunteer at a local dog and kitty rescue too!

Oooh, how wonderful, Diane! Doesn't it give you just the best feeling!? The owners always thank us volunteers for all that we do but I tell them, really, it is MY pleasure! ;-)

Kathryn wrote: "Oooh, how wonderful, Diane! Doesn't it give you just the best feeling!? The owners always thank us volunteers for all that we do but I tell them, really, it is MY pleasure! ;-)"

EXACTLY! I think I get more out of it than the dogs and cats!

What a good poll!!!

For me I would have to vote for a combination of the above items and with an addition or two.....

I love gardening - ie getting on my knees and pulling up weeds, collecting pine cones, moving rocks. basically cleanning up the yard. I am not interested in planting flowers. Instead I like to see the the collected leaves the neat borders around bushes, to trim bushes, to smell the air, to call Oscar and throw him a stick/ tree limb.

I also love walking in the countryside with a dogg running around with me, splashing in puddles, yanking tree bits. Hearing birds twittering. And of course walkining on the beach is just as fun - battling the wind, digging up shells, smelling the salty air and flowers.

Playing with Oscar.

Reading about books and chatting with friends on GR!!!!

Honestly those are my favorite comforting occupations besides sinking into a wonderful book that pulls you from your own world into another place and time. Or a book that get you thinking, pondering what is important, funny and terrible in life.

being with my dog and cooking! Making a pot of soup and homemade bread on a cold day, when I'm off from work is wonderfully comforting!

It's a tough choice between taking a walk or cooking....both these things are relaxing for me. And I don't mean cooking for a dinner party! I mean fixing a regular night meal. I like to get lost in the chopping and stirring and I usually listen to NPR on the radio while I work. Cooking is a creative outlet for me and I love that I can steam an artichoke or cook up some pasta with fresh tomatoes and then eat it in less than an hour!

knitting, crocheting, and cross-stitching

I just stumbled onto this poll and realized I have so much more to learn about Goodreads!
Great list! If I remove making music (wish I had the talent) and riding roller coasters, the rest of the list sounds just fine to me - which causes me to be reminded that life sure is good!

my "something else" is taking a bubble bath. Preferably with a book LOL. Or hanging out with my best friend. Or cuddling with my pets.

I have an abundance of hobbies...reading being among them! I love to do all sorts of needlecrafts...crochet, knitting, needlepoint, counted cross-stitch....I collect stamps & coins, travel, take photographs...there are many more as well..I find all of these things equally relaxing.

It's a difficult choice. In addition to reading a good book, I have a lot of hobbies, but I prefer those that involve being outdoors, like walking or take a bike ride. Specially in season like spring or summer

I like those too..Andrew! see!??!?! I have too many hobbies.. :) there are simply not enough hours in the day for me! :)