Well, it's Friday afternoon, and I've almost made it through the first two weeks of school. The students have me on one heck of a learning curve, and I am doing my best to quickly adapt. My grade 11 class was a bit nervous when I told them we weren't going to do any math for the first few days. On the second day of class, I started my trig unit, and they really felt a lot better doing math. Overall, a really nice, bright, and self-motivated group of 15 students. I'm also teaching a geometry class. This is my first time teaching a pure geometry course, and my grade 9 students are very patient with me as we all do this geometry class together for the first time. Then there are my two sections of grade 7 pre-algebra. I have never taught such a young age group, let alone for 90 minutes. They have a fair bit of energy. Okay, that's such an understatement. Who needs nuclear power plants when you have the energy of seventh graders!! :) Teaching grade 7 is training me quite quickly on keeping the pace moving and the students busy with work. Otherwise, with a little downtime, it's just not pretty. Suddenly, they may have to have an angry math teacher....
One of the challenges of the first month of school is Ramadan. Ramadan is a Muslim holiday where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. So, having students not eat all day takes a toll on everyone. Plus, there are many cultural considerations to be aware of. When fasting, nothing is to pass the lips. This includes brushing teeth. As I am not fasting, which makes sense for those of you who know how much I love food, this can be difficult. It is best to be sensitive to those fasting to not eat or drink around them, and if in public, definitely don't! To not be able to snack and drink water during my classes is a headache - literally!
However, there is one interesting thing about Ramadan I have found outside my apartment. When F'tour (the breaking of the fast) is signaled from the Mosque near my place, the streets are totally empty. All the families are in their homes, with each other, eating. About 15 minutes after the fast broke, I stepped out onto my balcony and listened to the silence. The silence, however, was broken only by the sound of silverware on plates. It was the coolest thing ever.
As for the saga of the boxes, they have arrived!! Only one of my boxes did not make it onto the shipping container, and is being air-freighted over along with others' boxes. Sadly, the box that didn't make it is the one containing all my teaching lessons and supplies. What can you do but laugh over a refreshing summer beverage!
Another reason to adore my housekeeper: I unpacked most of my clothes and left them on my spare bed. I came home from school, and not only had she prepared an amazing meal, done the laundry, cleaned the joint, but she also refolded all of my clothes and put them all away for me!! I love her! She is beyond amazing!!
Now, the adventure of unpacking the rest of the boxes and finally moving in.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
First Day of School
Today was the first day of school here, and what a fun experience. We have restarted the advisory program here in the upper school, which is grades 6 through 12, and we changed the name from advisory to forum.
In my forum, I have ten adorable students in grade six. They were so cute, nervous, and excited about the transition from lower school to upper school. I was able to give them their schedules, fill in their study hall blocks, and then it was off to practice opening lockers. The lockers here have a terrible trick to opening them, and with some brute force and practice, we were finally able to get most every one's locker to open. However, during all of the breaks today and lunch, many of the students in grade six found me to help open lockers. It's so good to feel loved!
We had an all upper school assembly during the first block of the day, so I did not one of my classes, but I did see my second class of the day. These were one of my grade seven sections. Oh my gosh, what a riot!! These are going to be some fun kiddos. I was pleased I was able to accomplish about 80% of what I had planned, but we did manage to discuss tattoos and divorcing. I had one student raise his hand and ask permission to ask me a question about detention. I asked him if he wanted a detention. This really threw him off his game plan. He said, "No. I don't want a detention, but we were told if we 'goofed off' we would get a detention." I replied, "Well, why do you want to goof off?" He said, "I don't want to goof off." I said, "Good. I don't want you to goof off." Still not satisfied, he tried again. "But, what about detention?" To which I said, "If you really want a detention, I guess I can give you one." Dismayed, he said, "No! But if I goof off, will you give me a detention?" Again, I said, "But why would you goof off? Unless you want a detention." He then said, "So, if I goof off, I will get a detention?" "What do you think?" I replied. He then came to the conclusion that goofing off would be a bad plan, and yes, he would get a detention. Either way, it was fun to throw him off a bit.
I think my favorite comment from this class today is a nice closing. "You know, you should be very happy to have us as your students." "Oh?" I said. "Why is that?" "Well, we are very good at math, and we like math." This should be a fun class....
In my forum, I have ten adorable students in grade six. They were so cute, nervous, and excited about the transition from lower school to upper school. I was able to give them their schedules, fill in their study hall blocks, and then it was off to practice opening lockers. The lockers here have a terrible trick to opening them, and with some brute force and practice, we were finally able to get most every one's locker to open. However, during all of the breaks today and lunch, many of the students in grade six found me to help open lockers. It's so good to feel loved!
We had an all upper school assembly during the first block of the day, so I did not one of my classes, but I did see my second class of the day. These were one of my grade seven sections. Oh my gosh, what a riot!! These are going to be some fun kiddos. I was pleased I was able to accomplish about 80% of what I had planned, but we did manage to discuss tattoos and divorcing. I had one student raise his hand and ask permission to ask me a question about detention. I asked him if he wanted a detention. This really threw him off his game plan. He said, "No. I don't want a detention, but we were told if we 'goofed off' we would get a detention." I replied, "Well, why do you want to goof off?" He said, "I don't want to goof off." I said, "Good. I don't want you to goof off." Still not satisfied, he tried again. "But, what about detention?" To which I said, "If you really want a detention, I guess I can give you one." Dismayed, he said, "No! But if I goof off, will you give me a detention?" Again, I said, "But why would you goof off? Unless you want a detention." He then said, "So, if I goof off, I will get a detention?" "What do you think?" I replied. He then came to the conclusion that goofing off would be a bad plan, and yes, he would get a detention. Either way, it was fun to throw him off a bit.
I think my favorite comment from this class today is a nice closing. "You know, you should be very happy to have us as your students." "Oh?" I said. "Why is that?" "Well, we are very good at math, and we like math." This should be a fun class....
You know you're not in Kansas when...
Well, it is slowly creeping in. The realization that I have moved to a whole new place. Although I am (we all are) without boxes, I am doing my best to feel at home. One item I realized I did not need to get was an alarm clock. With the call to prayer from the mosque at the end of my block at about 5:20am quickly followed by the rooster, I figured why bother with the alarm clock! :)
Orientation with the full faculty was as busy as all orientations generally are. The entire faculty and staff here are such wonderful, helpful, friendly people. It's really a great community to be a part of.
One crazy thing to get used to is the fact that I have hired a housekeeper. She is so sweet and amazing. Now, I am all about taking care of myself, but when laundry has to be hand-washed, I am okay to let someone else help out. It was difficult for me to come to the conclusion to hire a housekeeper, but when it was presented to me as an opportunity to employ someone in a country that has (realistically) close to 60% unemployment, it is helping out a family. In my case, a single mother. My housekeeper, though, she is so sweet and wonderful. She comes to my apartment twice a week and will clean, do the laundry, and cook dinner for me on both nights. All of this for a minimal cost of 240 Dirhams, or $32 per week. Also, she will go to the market and buy food to cook for me. My first week with her was last week, and she cooked me the most amazing homemade feast! I had a delicious appetizer of cooked bell peppers with a thick, warm tomato salsa, followed by a huge salad with fresh vegetables, then a main course of something close to homemade beef stew, and for dessert, diced bananas and pears in fresh squeezed orange juice. At least we can all be sure I will be eating quite well. Needless to say, the meal was delicious and lasted for several meals. And when it comes to laundry, she not only hand washes all of my clothes, but irons them and puts them away. Such an amazing woman! I am so spoiled!! I am so not anywhere near Kansas!
Orientation with the full faculty was as busy as all orientations generally are. The entire faculty and staff here are such wonderful, helpful, friendly people. It's really a great community to be a part of.
One crazy thing to get used to is the fact that I have hired a housekeeper. She is so sweet and amazing. Now, I am all about taking care of myself, but when laundry has to be hand-washed, I am okay to let someone else help out. It was difficult for me to come to the conclusion to hire a housekeeper, but when it was presented to me as an opportunity to employ someone in a country that has (realistically) close to 60% unemployment, it is helping out a family. In my case, a single mother. My housekeeper, though, she is so sweet and wonderful. She comes to my apartment twice a week and will clean, do the laundry, and cook dinner for me on both nights. All of this for a minimal cost of 240 Dirhams, or $32 per week. Also, she will go to the market and buy food to cook for me. My first week with her was last week, and she cooked me the most amazing homemade feast! I had a delicious appetizer of cooked bell peppers with a thick, warm tomato salsa, followed by a huge salad with fresh vegetables, then a main course of something close to homemade beef stew, and for dessert, diced bananas and pears in fresh squeezed orange juice. At least we can all be sure I will be eating quite well. Needless to say, the meal was delicious and lasted for several meals. And when it comes to laundry, she not only hand washes all of my clothes, but irons them and puts them away. Such an amazing woman! I am so spoiled!! I am so not anywhere near Kansas!
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