Looking back on 2014

Well, this year went by fast! In a lot of ways 2014 was a good one for me.

I was able to do a fair bit of travelling and presenting, things went well at both the university and Cambridge, and I learned a lot.

Unfortunately I neglected this blog, and haven’t posted as frequently as I would have liked to.

Here are my highlights of 2014:

1. ER@TU
   The Extensive Reading at Tohoku University project went incredibly well this year. Not only did we receive special funding of 5 million yen to buy more books, but we were also noticed by the university administration. We’re working on rolling extensive reading classes out to more teachers and were selected to receive a prize for the project.
2. International Textbook
   I was really pleased to be able to contribute to Oxford University Press’ new textbook series Stretch. I wrote the presenting skills curriculum.
3. Presenting
   I was able to present at a number of international and domestic events this year, including delivering my first plenary at VUS TESOL in Vietnam, presentations in Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand, and a number of events in Japan.
4. Guest Lectures
   I really enjoyed giving guest lectures at Miyagi University of Education, Nika Junior and Senior High School, Sendai Second High School, and Tago Elementary School. It was a great experience to present on new topics to new audiences.

I will be working on my annual review and plans for 2015 over the next week or so, and will post some of my educational goals here in the new year.

Hope you are all enjoying a bit of a break. Happy holidays!