As a language teacher, I rely heavily on visual communication – flashcards, pictures, and, most of all, the blackboard. Trying to avoid direct translation and encourage my students to find other ways of understanding, I find myself constantly drawing as I teach, aiding my images with simple words, gestures, and sounds. The blackboard and chalk are the indispensable tools of this job. Perhaps other parts of the world, and even this country, have moved on to higher technology, such as white boards and markers or computers, but I remain semi-primitive. In this most recent episode of WAIJIAO – The Blackboard – I explore my connection to these simple tools.