The last two days have looked fairly similar with one grade taking a quiz and the other working on two math lessons. I've had a lot of schoolwork in the afternoons - writing finals, answer keys, grading quizzes, and planning out the last few weeks of class (only fourteen days of school!) The days are getting warmer ... we've already turned on the A/C!
I wanted to dedicate this post to a couple people in my life here that I don't often mention, but who are extremely significant in the operation of the schools and who make my life just that much happier - the janitors of the school. They are the first to arrive, picking up after all the students who throw their trash on the floor; they prepare the school for large events and keep up with maintenance; and then they are the last ones to leave each day, making sure all the classrooms are ready for school to begin again.
This lady taught me some of my first Assyrian words. She reminds me of a "dorm mom" for the female teachers - she keeps up on the all the gossip and knows how everyone is doing.
Shamon likes to test my Assyrian, greeting me every day and grinning happily when I give the correct response. I often see him outside my classrooms, picking up trash and sweeping away the dirt. He always smiles and waves and I'm pretty sure he's checking to make sure my students are behaving for me. If he catches a kid outside of class, he'll be sure to scold the student and send him back to me.
There are several other janitors and a couple cooks who keep the students supplied with "finger chips" (french fries) and "kentucky" (chicken nuggets). Even though my interactions with them are brief and fairly routine, these people are an important part of each day and I'm thankful for their smiling faces.
