Tuesday, October 9th:
As we walked to school this morning, Sarah made the comment that this was the coldest day yet ... somehow "frostbite" even made it into the conversation :) It still gets pretty warm by the afternoon, but the early mornings and evenings are pleasant.
I had a much better day, even though 5B wasn't very good. "Pedro" is acting out again. It's amazing how much his misbehavior affects the class; it has made me more thankful for his one week of outstanding performance. I know that a large portion of the overall class behavior is my own attitude. I went to school feeling more encouraged about the day, but by the second class, I wasn't feeling very well. Thankfully it wasn't a "just get through the lesson" day, though I did leave school wondering how/why I'd regressed (or the class had regressed) to teaching for two minutes, disciplining a student, teaching for one minute, sending a student out of the class...
During the breaks I visited with some of the older students. It is nice to build relationships outside of the classroom setting and apart from the teacher-student roles. I remind them that they are setting the example for the younger students. And every so often, I ask one of them to speak to their younger brother (or sister) about behaving in class ... and it works!
At 1 pm, I walked to the market to T's office. She is the lady I met last year who introduced me to the orphanage. She works for an organization that protects the rights of local citizens. When I arrived, she told me that they were waiting for the supervising organization to come and make their monthly inspection. The visits are unannounced, so she wasn't exactly sure when they would arrive. I ended up waiting for two hours. We talked for a bit, then I graded papers in a separate room while they conducted a meeting with the supervisors. Close to 3:30 pm, T and I left the office to walk around the market. We bought shwarma to-go and ate them in a juice shop. I had "keis" juice (apricot). Afterwards, we visited some of the shops that belong to her relatives and stopped by the "bala" or second-hand market to buy T a new bag. By then it was close to 5:30 pm when we said our goodbyes. I was able to have a profitable conversation with T. I trust that the Lord will continue to provide opportunities for good discussions, especially as she has expressed that I am her only friend here. I need to pray for wisdom in this area. T is twice my age and I often feel that I do not have the knowledge or experience to challenge her with deeper thinking.
I came home and graded papers. God was good to me; the work was not as difficult as I'd expected. I had prayed that my time with T would honor Him ... in His goodness, He blessed me with a more relaxing evening than I'd planned. After I finished grading, Sarah and I ate popcorn and watched a movie. At 9 pm, I got to Skype with Dad. It was encouraging to talk to him. Despite our vast geographical difference, we seem to struggle with similar trials.
Wednesday, October 10th:
There was a mosquito in my room last night! I was up until 11 pm with the biting and buzzing, then again at 1 am, 3 am, and 5 am! I tried to pray, but was overwhelmed with the physical exhaustion. The alarm went off, already 5:30 am! I felt myself sinking into discouragement, but was determined not to get ready for school, until I'd sought the Lord earnestly for a better attitude and a desire to please Him first. He answered prayer! My reading took me to Psalm 50. As I read, I began to ask myself, "Who am I to demand anything of God? Do I believe that He is the God who 'called the earth from the rising of the sun' and has 'a fire that devours before Him?'" Humbled, I read verse 15. "Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." This is the command of the God I serve. Today He will deliver me. Today He will cause me to glorify Him. Encouraging thought that this does not depend on my willingness, my health, or my attitude.
It was with a much lighter heart that I walked to school today. After my talk with Dad last night, I decided to change up my routine. Thankfully, I was able to start right away. A group of boys from 5B was hanging out in the garden before the bell rang. I walked up to them, "Cewani bashe!" (Good morning!) They shook my hand, eyeing me quizzically. Their faces relaxed as they realized I was just there to chit-chat. Eager to have my attention, they asked me questions and told me that in Kurdish, they say "charsham" (day four) instead of Wednesday.
When I walked into class, I wrote "Wonderful Wednesday" on the board and explained that my dad always tells my brother to have a wonderful Wednesday when he drops him off at school. I wanted to share that phrase with them, so they could have a wonderful Wednesday (or charsham gelleck hoshe) too! I handed out stickers to students who were working quietly and that seemed to keep them quiet until about the last 15 minutes of class. Sarah came in twice to check behavior and take students out of the class if needed. I didn't end up sending any of them out, but three of the boys may need it tomorrow.
5A can be emotionally difficult. They seem to have a lot of drama in that class. A boy made an inappropriate hand gesture behind my back that I happened to catch. One of the girls ended up crying. And half the class laughed at her for it! I took time at the end of the lesson to talk to individual students about their behavior. I tried to emphasize that God's command to love others more than ourselves is more important than math.
6B was really talkative, but I think they felt that I was in a better mood. One student commented, "Miss, you are happier today!" Of course they all wanted to know why this Wednesday was wonderful, and it took some time to explain that any day can be exciting!
During the break, I visited with one of the teachers who was "responsible" for the older grades during "garden". She taught me a little Kurdish and I told her about my weekend in Erbil. After she left for her class, I sat with some of my girls, eating "finger chips" and talking about the little things. Two girls insisted on giving me packs of chocolate biscuit-sticks. It was cute to watch them "argue" over whose were better. I enjoyed being around my students ... God gave me many reasons to be thankful for His mercies today.
6A has been an exceptionally good class. There are two students who can be disruptive, but the rest of the class has sat quietly, ignoring the distractions for the past two days! It's been fun to teach them and I hope I am getting to know them a little more.
After school, Sarah and I taxied home, then went to the corner store for fruit. I was able to listen to a sermon and take some time to think/meditate before we had to prep for our team meal. At 4:30 pm, we walked to A&L's with John and Mary. Lisa made an amazing stirfry with Teriyaki sauce. We had fruit salad on the side and for a special treat, Mary made homemade donuts! Mmmmm Good! A poor internet connection made for a short Skype call. We had more time to visit and talk about the plan for next week when Dave and Lisa will be here.
On another note, I have been missing home a lot lately. It is a slow emotional drain that I don't spend much time thinking about, but creeps up on me suddenly. There are the emails from home that remind me of all that I'm missing out on. I've missed the process of test-driving and buying a new van, going to Caleb's football games, camping out for battle of the bands with lemon meringue pie and hot chocolate, enjoying belly laughs with a house full of boys ... Lord willing, the boys' adoption will through at the end of the month. How I've thought about being there for them! It hurts to think of missing it ... Then there are the little things. Henry using the same sippy cup as Eithen ... the memories go back to Eithen at that age, my mind wanders through his first year with us, his second birthday, and then I stop suddenly, realizing that the next ten months will be blank. I won't remember what Eithen was like when he turned three - if he was reading words, or riding a two-wheeler, or singing songs. I focus on the present until I find myself playing Duplos with Zander just like I did with the brothers right before I left. The brothers and I built a huge staircase that bordered a house with tiny windows (much like a house in Duhok). Next thing I know, I'm watching "The Princess Bride" with Sarah and repeating all of the great movie lines that Hannah and I memorized. "Stop that rhyming now, I mean it!" "Anybody want a peanut?" The days move on, but every so often I am caught in the past and the longing to be back with my family. This email came from Mom just as I was finishing the blog:
Yesterday for nap Eithen wanted to bring his 'sissy book' (Guess How Much I Miss You) to nap. He wanted to "read" it to me, but after the first page of your voice, he got very serious. He turned to snuggle into me and made motions that I was to continue for him. When I turned the page he said, "where that big bear doe-ing?" "Why he over the water?" (the picture shows the bigger bear on the far side of the river and the baby is watching from the nearside.) I said, "Going to Iraq." "oh" E said, Then after a long pause..."dat me (the little bear) and dat sissy (big bear across the river). Then we finished the book and the last page the big bear and the little bear are back together and cuddling close. Eithen put me in the position of the big bear and made himself in the position of the baby bear and said, "dat me and sissy agether."
Showing posts with label Tuesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tuesday. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
October 1st and 2nd: Little Things to Remember
Monday, October 1st:
The pipes that collect our shower water and dish water are drained throughout the day into the alley outside our house. The sound of water splashing underneath my window as I get up in the morning is oftentimes deceiving, and my heart will leap with the thought that it is raining outside. On most days like that, I lay in bed and pretend that it is rain and that I am back in Oregon waking up to a Fall morning. I've felt more homesick these past few days. I find myself in the middle of my normal routine and all of a sudden I am reminded of a moment back home or thinking of what I would be doing if I were home. Other times, a familiar smell catches me off guard.
Each class took a test today. The students know that I will follow through when I say they will lose points for talking, so it ended up being a quiet day. I got to sit in on Sarah's class, just to be on hand for any classroom discipline she might need. They can be a handful, but were encouraged to be better behaved after she expressed her desire to make the lesson engaging provided they would listen. I shot up my eyebrows at two of the boys, but the class as a whole did really well and enjoyed Sarah's lesson. I stayed until 2:30 pm and visited with students on the way out. Hopped in a taxi and went to Andy and Lisa's to meet up with the Director's daughter from Erbil. She is in charge of curriculum and will be teaching at the school in Suly this year. John, Mary, and Sarah came over too and all of us visited for about an hour. After she left, we had our team devotional time. It was a good trial run. The meeting is more focused since we don't have to worry about a meal, catching up, and a Skype call. Andy challenged us with three questions, which helped us share what God has been teaching us. It was helpful to know how to pray for the others.
After team time, we went to Al Azaim and ate outside. It is Zander's favorite restaurant - he calls it "A to Z restaurant" because of the giant lettering on the top of the building. I think the name might have a double significance, since they really do serve it all, from A to Z. From salads, soup and bread to our main course to the chips and french fries and finally dessert and chai, everything was really good. We were stuffed full with food. I had parzola (lamb chop) since they were all out of beef, but brought a lot of leftovers home. John, Mary and Sarah headed out early so Henry could go to bed. Andy, Lisa, Z&Z, and I visited for half an hour longer while Zander played on the playground equipment. It was good to catch up with Lisa. We took a taxi home and then I worked on grading my stack of papers.
Tuesday, October 2nd:
Our first "phase" ends on Thursday; phase grades will be finalized then as well. I've been telling my kids to turn in their work for the past two weeks, but somehow it always manages to pile up in the last few days. I had a lot of grading to do last night. I finally quit at 10pm and got up early this morning to enter the grades in Excel.
Since most of the students did not do as well as I'd hoped on their tests yesterday, I offered them an assignment worth "extra marks" if they listened quietly to the lesson and made it through the material. All of the classes did well, but it was interesting to notice that the students in my disruptive classes were more excited about the opportunity than the students in my "better" classes. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw my usually "difficult" students working diligently. Most times I end up regretting these types of "great ideas" when quiet working time turns into mass chaos.
As it turned out, my first sixth grade class (6B) had a surprise waiting for me when I walked in. The classroom was in complete silence as EVERY single student was working on their warm-up problems. I couldn't keep the smile off my face! It was nice to reward them with no homework for the day in addition to the opportunity to earn extra marks. The students in 6B are eager learners and they often have lots of questions for me during the break. Today, as I was answering their math questions, Sarah came by with a Coke to help me get through my next lesson! That really made my day! As I saw my students studying my reaction ("Wow! Thank you so much! Isn't she thoughtful?"), I realized she had just provided a tremendous example of how Christians love one another.
As I left the classroom, I had the opportunity to encourage two of my sixth grade girls to forgive each other. Similar scenario to Sunday, except this time another student chimed in. "Remember, you are supposed to forgive each other 70 times 7!" I reminded them that friends are from God and we need to cherish the ones He has given us. One of the students (who is new this year) looked skeptical, but the other promised me she would keep trying to be friendly.
I stayed after my classes to grade papers and was thankful when I got through the entire stack! Said goodbye to students on the way out, jumped in a taxi, and picked up Sarah at the bottom of our street to go to Mazi. She picked up her wire, then we did some shopping for tomorrow's team dinner. John and Mary were just arriving as we left, so we took their taxi home. We are fighting off another torrent of mosquitoes. Sarah and I have almost sealed up every hole imaginable and poured bleach down the drains that we can't seal. We've started a scoreboard - Sarah and Helen vs. Mosquitoes.
After entering grades in Excel (I'm sure there will be one more large batch to process tomorrow), I joined Sarah for popcorn and a movie. We painted our nails and swatted at mosquitoes while we watched. Ended the night talking about home. For Sarah, it was probably similar to having a conversation with Doug the dog from the movie "UP." "So when was that? [Abrupt break and a pointed finger] Mosquito!" ... "Oh, right. I had something like that happen to me too. Right above your head!" By the end of the night, our "kills" board was pretty full.
The pipes that collect our shower water and dish water are drained throughout the day into the alley outside our house. The sound of water splashing underneath my window as I get up in the morning is oftentimes deceiving, and my heart will leap with the thought that it is raining outside. On most days like that, I lay in bed and pretend that it is rain and that I am back in Oregon waking up to a Fall morning. I've felt more homesick these past few days. I find myself in the middle of my normal routine and all of a sudden I am reminded of a moment back home or thinking of what I would be doing if I were home. Other times, a familiar smell catches me off guard.
Each class took a test today. The students know that I will follow through when I say they will lose points for talking, so it ended up being a quiet day. I got to sit in on Sarah's class, just to be on hand for any classroom discipline she might need. They can be a handful, but were encouraged to be better behaved after she expressed her desire to make the lesson engaging provided they would listen. I shot up my eyebrows at two of the boys, but the class as a whole did really well and enjoyed Sarah's lesson. I stayed until 2:30 pm and visited with students on the way out. Hopped in a taxi and went to Andy and Lisa's to meet up with the Director's daughter from Erbil. She is in charge of curriculum and will be teaching at the school in Suly this year. John, Mary, and Sarah came over too and all of us visited for about an hour. After she left, we had our team devotional time. It was a good trial run. The meeting is more focused since we don't have to worry about a meal, catching up, and a Skype call. Andy challenged us with three questions, which helped us share what God has been teaching us. It was helpful to know how to pray for the others.
After team time, we went to Al Azaim and ate outside. It is Zander's favorite restaurant - he calls it "A to Z restaurant" because of the giant lettering on the top of the building. I think the name might have a double significance, since they really do serve it all, from A to Z. From salads, soup and bread to our main course to the chips and french fries and finally dessert and chai, everything was really good. We were stuffed full with food. I had parzola (lamb chop) since they were all out of beef, but brought a lot of leftovers home. John, Mary and Sarah headed out early so Henry could go to bed. Andy, Lisa, Z&Z, and I visited for half an hour longer while Zander played on the playground equipment. It was good to catch up with Lisa. We took a taxi home and then I worked on grading my stack of papers.
Tuesday, October 2nd:
Our first "phase" ends on Thursday; phase grades will be finalized then as well. I've been telling my kids to turn in their work for the past two weeks, but somehow it always manages to pile up in the last few days. I had a lot of grading to do last night. I finally quit at 10pm and got up early this morning to enter the grades in Excel.
Since most of the students did not do as well as I'd hoped on their tests yesterday, I offered them an assignment worth "extra marks" if they listened quietly to the lesson and made it through the material. All of the classes did well, but it was interesting to notice that the students in my disruptive classes were more excited about the opportunity than the students in my "better" classes. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw my usually "difficult" students working diligently. Most times I end up regretting these types of "great ideas" when quiet working time turns into mass chaos.
As it turned out, my first sixth grade class (6B) had a surprise waiting for me when I walked in. The classroom was in complete silence as EVERY single student was working on their warm-up problems. I couldn't keep the smile off my face! It was nice to reward them with no homework for the day in addition to the opportunity to earn extra marks. The students in 6B are eager learners and they often have lots of questions for me during the break. Today, as I was answering their math questions, Sarah came by with a Coke to help me get through my next lesson! That really made my day! As I saw my students studying my reaction ("Wow! Thank you so much! Isn't she thoughtful?"), I realized she had just provided a tremendous example of how Christians love one another.
As I left the classroom, I had the opportunity to encourage two of my sixth grade girls to forgive each other. Similar scenario to Sunday, except this time another student chimed in. "Remember, you are supposed to forgive each other 70 times 7!" I reminded them that friends are from God and we need to cherish the ones He has given us. One of the students (who is new this year) looked skeptical, but the other promised me she would keep trying to be friendly.
I stayed after my classes to grade papers and was thankful when I got through the entire stack! Said goodbye to students on the way out, jumped in a taxi, and picked up Sarah at the bottom of our street to go to Mazi. She picked up her wire, then we did some shopping for tomorrow's team dinner. John and Mary were just arriving as we left, so we took their taxi home. We are fighting off another torrent of mosquitoes. Sarah and I have almost sealed up every hole imaginable and poured bleach down the drains that we can't seal. We've started a scoreboard - Sarah and Helen vs. Mosquitoes.
After entering grades in Excel (I'm sure there will be one more large batch to process tomorrow), I joined Sarah for popcorn and a movie. We painted our nails and swatted at mosquitoes while we watched. Ended the night talking about home. For Sarah, it was probably similar to having a conversation with Doug the dog from the movie "UP." "So when was that? [Abrupt break and a pointed finger] Mosquito!" ... "Oh, right. I had something like that happen to me too. Right above your head!" By the end of the night, our "kills" board was pretty full.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
September 25th and 26th: Trial and Error -or- Learning Lessons the Hard Way
Tuesday, September 25th:
6A went well. We were able to get through the material and everyone seemed to understand. Sometimes I think it is easier to explain things the second time around. Other times, I think I explain it better, but they don't necessarily follow since the explanation is shorter.
Graded papers in the teacher lounge until school let out at 2:30pm. I was able to chat with students as they left. The school gave Sarah and I two more bins so we could use them for a makeshift couch. As I was carrying them out, two of my students offered to help. I am really thankful for "my kids" - I even find myself loving the ones who cause so much grief in class. Class wouldn't be half so interesting without them ;)
I took a taxi home, then Sarah and I put together our "couch." We ate popcorn and watched a movie just to enjoy our accomplishment. Graded papers, wrote the quiz for tomorrow, then headed for bed.
Mary, Sarah and I took a taxi to school since we weren't sure if
our escort was picking us up again, and we waited until 8:15 for him to arrive (apparently
we don’t need protection anymore). :) My first class was not very good. One of the
students wouldn't sit still during the lesson and refused to stay outside for
five minutes. I told him to go to the principal and tell him that he could not
behave in class. Five minutes later, he was back with principal and it turned
into a “he hit me first” and “it wasn't my fault” drama. The principal ended up
telling everyone to sit in their seats and then left. It was frustrating. What I look to as my last resort seemed to
have no effect. In my next class, I had a student, S, pull the exact same stunt.
Since they had their 15 minute break afterwards, I took S with me to my 6th
grade class. It turns out his cousin is in that class (and also happens to be
the student who was held back and is doing extraordinarily well.) They sat together, but after a little while,
the cousin complained that S was bothering him. As I directed S to another
seat, S muttered something in Kurdish. The class gasped. At first, I didn't think anything of it, since S does this to me all the time in our 5th
grade class. I usually ignore it since the other students will only tell me,
“He said a bad word, Miss” and then laugh. My older students were not laughing
though. They said he called me a bad name. Two of the boys said they would take him to the principal. I let them
go, hoping that the principal would believe them, but not thinking anything
would happen after the scenario in 5B.
When they came back, they told me that the principal had suspended
him. I didn't get the whole story, but I hoped they had accurately represented what had happened in class. It bothered me for quite awhile after class since I worry that the administration will think I am complaining about every little issue that arises. I am trying to handle classroom discipline on my own, but not sure how far to let problems go. Anyway, we had a good class
afterwards and I was able to stay through the break to explain problems to some
of the students.
6A went well. We were able to get through the material and everyone seemed to understand. Sometimes I think it is easier to explain things the second time around. Other times, I think I explain it better, but they don't necessarily follow since the explanation is shorter.
Graded papers in the teacher lounge until school let out at 2:30pm. I was able to chat with students as they left. The school gave Sarah and I two more bins so we could use them for a makeshift couch. As I was carrying them out, two of my students offered to help. I am really thankful for "my kids" - I even find myself loving the ones who cause so much grief in class. Class wouldn't be half so interesting without them ;)
I took a taxi home, then Sarah and I put together our "couch." We ate popcorn and watched a movie just to enjoy our accomplishment. Graded papers, wrote the quiz for tomorrow, then headed for bed.
Wednesday, September 26th:
We walked to school this morning - first time this week! I had to make copies and ended up waiting in the copy shack for ten minutes. I was able to practice my Assyrian a little - I say a word, and then they pronounce it right back at me ... exactly the way I said it! :) Well, not exactly, but sometimes it seems I never get "close enough."
My first class went well, especially since we had a quiz and I took off points if they talked. Unfortunately, when I wrote one students name on the board, he left and got the principal. He insisted that he was only talking because the student behind him was calling him bad names. There are four boys that consistently tattle on each other and I'm not sure how to handle it. I've told them to bring it to me after class, but by then it isn't an issue. Of course, they have to turn it into a disruption in the middle of the class. At one point, three of the four boys had left (two to get to the principal, unbeknownst to me, and another to the bathroom). The class was unbelievably attentive and we got a lot of work done. Unfortunately, the two students came back with the principal. The principal could tell I was surprised to see him and asked if I had given permission for the students to get him. I told him no, hoping that he would realize the students are taking advantage of my lack of Kurdish and dragging him in unnecessarily. He scolded them and they were better after that. I ended up giving the rest of the class an extra point on their quiz for being so attentive. Still wondering how to deal effectively with my students when they go to the principal without permission...
The rest of my classes were fairly uneventful. I gave a quiz in each one. Because I take away points instead of writing X's on the board, I don't have to worry about losing my break. :) I ended up spending it with the students, giving them their phase averages and telling them which assignments they've missed. (It turns out that the student who called me a bad name wasn't suspended. He was in class today, but more subdued.)
Sarah and I met with the curriculum coordinator right after Sarah's last class. It was a short meeting about grade books and class attendance. Afterwards, we walked down to the vegetable den. We bought an "asberry" or fruit slushy, which involved a lot of pantomime in order to figure out the flavors. I got nectarine and Sarah got strawberry. Next, we got some fruit for team meeting. Again, this involved some pantomime. We wanted to get watermelon, but they were all too big. Then we tried some grapes but they had seeds. I figured out the name for seeds, then asked if they had some without the seeds. Apparently, Iranian grapes are seedless, but the Kurdish ones aren't. Bought some anyway, along with a kilo of oranges and a kilo of green apples. On the way home, we went by the DVD store to exchange a "na bashe" (not good) disc, and then picked up a new internet card. It turns out that our internet is either good for 45GB or one month, whichever comes first. On the 20th, I got a message saying we needed to recharge. Even though it was 5 days before the end of our month, I bought a new card, figuring that this is Kurdistan and the dates were off. It lasted for two days, then I got a message telling me I needed to recharge again. Turns out our month does end on the 25th and we only get 10GB between the time we use up our 45GB and the start of the next month. A teacher at the school explained all of this to me, so we waited until today to buy a new card. Anyway, Internet is back up and running and we are connected with the rest of the world.
Graded papers, then Sarah and I cut up fruit for our team meal. Mary made pizza casserole, which was delicious! We had fruit on the side, then Lisa (actually Andy) made apple crisp for dessert. Ahhh, the taste of FALL! We had a good Skype call, then chatted about how we want to organize our team time. We ended up deciding to meet another day of the week for more focused spiritual discussion and use Wednesday nights for team meal and Skype. We will see how it works on Monday ...
Finished grading, then off to bed. It took a long time for me to fall asleep last night because a mosquito kept bothering me. I finally killed it, but was up again at 1am to kill another one that had bitten me several times. Again at 3am, I found their triplet (or as Sarah dubbed him, the resurrected mosquito) and managed to exterminate it. Realized that I could use this as an exercise to pray expectantly and asked the Lord to put it to an end. I was able to read and pray each time I got up, so the night wasn't wasted, although I did get very little sleep. Pushed back my wake-up until 6:30 for the usual morning routine. Hopeful that tonight will be more restful.
We walked to school this morning - first time this week! I had to make copies and ended up waiting in the copy shack for ten minutes. I was able to practice my Assyrian a little - I say a word, and then they pronounce it right back at me ... exactly the way I said it! :) Well, not exactly, but sometimes it seems I never get "close enough."
My first class went well, especially since we had a quiz and I took off points if they talked. Unfortunately, when I wrote one students name on the board, he left and got the principal. He insisted that he was only talking because the student behind him was calling him bad names. There are four boys that consistently tattle on each other and I'm not sure how to handle it. I've told them to bring it to me after class, but by then it isn't an issue. Of course, they have to turn it into a disruption in the middle of the class. At one point, three of the four boys had left (two to get to the principal, unbeknownst to me, and another to the bathroom). The class was unbelievably attentive and we got a lot of work done. Unfortunately, the two students came back with the principal. The principal could tell I was surprised to see him and asked if I had given permission for the students to get him. I told him no, hoping that he would realize the students are taking advantage of my lack of Kurdish and dragging him in unnecessarily. He scolded them and they were better after that. I ended up giving the rest of the class an extra point on their quiz for being so attentive. Still wondering how to deal effectively with my students when they go to the principal without permission...
The rest of my classes were fairly uneventful. I gave a quiz in each one. Because I take away points instead of writing X's on the board, I don't have to worry about losing my break. :) I ended up spending it with the students, giving them their phase averages and telling them which assignments they've missed. (It turns out that the student who called me a bad name wasn't suspended. He was in class today, but more subdued.)
Sarah and I met with the curriculum coordinator right after Sarah's last class. It was a short meeting about grade books and class attendance. Afterwards, we walked down to the vegetable den. We bought an "asberry" or fruit slushy, which involved a lot of pantomime in order to figure out the flavors. I got nectarine and Sarah got strawberry. Next, we got some fruit for team meeting. Again, this involved some pantomime. We wanted to get watermelon, but they were all too big. Then we tried some grapes but they had seeds. I figured out the name for seeds, then asked if they had some without the seeds. Apparently, Iranian grapes are seedless, but the Kurdish ones aren't. Bought some anyway, along with a kilo of oranges and a kilo of green apples. On the way home, we went by the DVD store to exchange a "na bashe" (not good) disc, and then picked up a new internet card. It turns out that our internet is either good for 45GB or one month, whichever comes first. On the 20th, I got a message saying we needed to recharge. Even though it was 5 days before the end of our month, I bought a new card, figuring that this is Kurdistan and the dates were off. It lasted for two days, then I got a message telling me I needed to recharge again. Turns out our month does end on the 25th and we only get 10GB between the time we use up our 45GB and the start of the next month. A teacher at the school explained all of this to me, so we waited until today to buy a new card. Anyway, Internet is back up and running and we are connected with the rest of the world.
Graded papers, then Sarah and I cut up fruit for our team meal. Mary made pizza casserole, which was delicious! We had fruit on the side, then Lisa (actually Andy) made apple crisp for dessert. Ahhh, the taste of FALL! We had a good Skype call, then chatted about how we want to organize our team time. We ended up deciding to meet another day of the week for more focused spiritual discussion and use Wednesday nights for team meal and Skype. We will see how it works on Monday ...
Finished grading, then off to bed. It took a long time for me to fall asleep last night because a mosquito kept bothering me. I finally killed it, but was up again at 1am to kill another one that had bitten me several times. Again at 3am, I found their triplet (or as Sarah dubbed him, the resurrected mosquito) and managed to exterminate it. Realized that I could use this as an exercise to pray expectantly and asked the Lord to put it to an end. I was able to read and pray each time I got up, so the night wasn't wasted, although I did get very little sleep. Pushed back my wake-up until 6:30 for the usual morning routine. Hopeful that tonight will be more restful.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
September 17th and 18th: A Little Bit of Progress and Lot of Heartbreak
Monday, September 17th:
Sarah and I have been lamenting the fact that we are missing all things FALL - Monday night football, spiced lattes, and leaves changing colors.
This morning was tough for my students. I warned them that anyone talking during the test would receive a zero. Apparently they didn't believe me. Three of the students were sent outside to "reflect" on their behavior. Instead of staying outside, they came back in and distracted the other students. I took their tests and tore them in half. Though the three acted undaunted, the other students in the class realized I was serious, and we had a fairly quiet class afterwards. When students finished their test, they had to write an apology note to Miss Sarah. "Miss, why do you keep saying, 'Miss Sarah, Miss Sarah?' We don't want to talk about it anymore." They actually noticed! I explained that it is very important that they treat guests respectfully and that we will continue to talk about "Miss Sarah" until they realize that their behavior was disrespectful.
My second class went well and I didn't have to give anyone zeroes. After they finished, they wrote thank you notes to Miss Mary. My other classes wrote notes as well. During morning devotions, I had prayed that my students would learn to love others and I realized how much they needed it when each class would ask, "But, Miss, what do we say?" Many of them copied down what I had intended to be a suggestion, "Thank them for being here while I was gone since you wouldn't have had anyone to teach you."
Tuesday, September 18th:
Mary is not feeling well, so Sarah subbed for her class. We enjoyed a nice walk to school and noticed that it was actually "chilly" (not Grants Pass chilly, but Iraqi chilly).
Sarah and I have been lamenting the fact that we are missing all things FALL - Monday night football, spiced lattes, and leaves changing colors.
This morning was tough for my students. I warned them that anyone talking during the test would receive a zero. Apparently they didn't believe me. Three of the students were sent outside to "reflect" on their behavior. Instead of staying outside, they came back in and distracted the other students. I took their tests and tore them in half. Though the three acted undaunted, the other students in the class realized I was serious, and we had a fairly quiet class afterwards. When students finished their test, they had to write an apology note to Miss Sarah. "Miss, why do you keep saying, 'Miss Sarah, Miss Sarah?' We don't want to talk about it anymore." They actually noticed! I explained that it is very important that they treat guests respectfully and that we will continue to talk about "Miss Sarah" until they realize that their behavior was disrespectful.
My second class went well and I didn't have to give anyone zeroes. After they finished, they wrote thank you notes to Miss Mary. My other classes wrote notes as well. During morning devotions, I had prayed that my students would learn to love others and I realized how much they needed it when each class would ask, "But, Miss, what do we say?" Many of them copied down what I had intended to be a suggestion, "Thank them for being here while I was gone since you wouldn't have had anyone to teach you."
In sixth grade, I waited for the students to quiet down before handing out their tests. In the meantime, I wrote “minus points” on the whiteboard and wrote down a tally mark each time they started talking. In the end, both classes lost 3 points off their tests.
Stayed after school with Sarah and graded papers. For the walk home, we bought ice cream bars and enjoyed an after school treat. When we got home, Mary invited us over for tea. It was a nice time to catch up and relax together. I was able to get some grading done before we went back to their place for dinner. Mary made falafel, which we ate on flatbread with cucumber-yogurt dressing, tomatoes, and onions. Yummy! It was nice to eat an early dinner as I had lots of time afterwards to finish grading tests and homework. I had my first class tell me on the back of their test papers something about their class I should know. One student wrote, “Miss they hate you because last year you didn't teach the lesson you just put X’s next to names. But this year you are better.” Ouch! Hard words to swallow, making me doubt my discipline policy and wonder what I ought to do better. I wasn't able to see that I could do anything differently considering that no one hears the lesson when the students are misbehaving, but I did ask the Lord to help me learn and stay focused on teaching each lesson.
Tuesday, September 18th:
Mary is not feeling well, so Sarah subbed for her class. We enjoyed a nice walk to school and noticed that it was actually "chilly" (not Grants Pass chilly, but Iraqi chilly).
My first class went fairly well. It is a challenge to be
consistent with discipline, especially when it doesn't seem to have much
effect. Three of the boys continue to cause problems on a daily basis, but the
boys who are “on the fringe” are doing a little better. In my first and second class, we made it through two chapters in the book, which was a feat in itself. I was thankful to catch up after missing a day when there wasn't any paper for my tests. The students seemed to understand the material, which made it a double blessing.
Sixth grade went well. They were not pleased when they
realized that I actually subtracted points for talking. When they complained,
“But it wasn't me, Miss,” I told them that I was serious about no talking
during tests and that their entire class had to take responsibility since one
person wouldn't be talking unless others were listening. Most of the students had turned in extra homework problems, so their grades were largely unaffected. I hope it served as a reminder that I mean what I say and will follow through. Before looking at our lesson, I
told them I needed two minutes outside the text. In each class, I explained that math was not simply writing answers on the board for them to copy. I even went on to say that writing up answers was a terrible way to teach math. My goal was not to have them know the right answers, but to understand the ideas. Those ideas would affect the way they looked at the world around them for the rest of their lives. The students responded to my enthusiasm and agreed to be patient and "stick with it" even if my teaching method was different. "It may feel uncomfortable, but that's how you know you are growing." Those words have been ringing in my head since I got here. I actually took the idea from a workout article - "adapting to a set routine is what stalls progress." And I've been applying that concept to the way life works here. We strive to stay in our comfort zone, but God calls us out to teach us and grow us. I often react like my students - complaining, goofing off, or asking why without any trust.
During the long break, I took “Pedro” aside and talked to him. I felt like I gave the same spiel about consequences for bad behavior, but this time he seemed more attentive since we were talking one-on-one. It turns out he wants to earn a "Your student was TERRIFIC today" more than anything. I told him it was not very difficult. He simply needed to listen, do his work, and not distract the other students. I was encouraged by his reaction and tried to show through my words and actions that I care about him. "If you were the best student in my class, 'Pedro', I would be thrilled!" He looked at me questioningly, then beamed. "Really, Miss?"
Just after that, one of my fifth-grade students
came up to me and told me that another student had made obscene gestures behind
my back during class. I was shocked and didn't know how to respond. I knew I couldn't deal with the situation as it was too personal, and I was too stunned to even address it. I didn't doubt what the student said since I have noticed more perverse behavior and jokes in that class. Thankfully, Mr. B (the curriculum coordinator) walked by at that moment, and I asked him for his help. The student explained the situation. Mr. B was appalled, and went to talk to the student. I learned later that the accused-student denied doing it and even started crying. (It doesn't sound like either student denied that it had happened.) When the other student got side-tracked with how the class had been mistreating him, Mr. B didn't press it any further. He told the class that if anything like that was reported again, the student responsible would leave the school and not come back. Without anyone else knowing, he put the accused-student in charge of reporting any offenses to him...
It was a disheartening way to end the day. I was really heartbroken that my students would know something so obscene, let alone do something so obscene in front of everyone. Sarah also had a difficult last class. We talked on the way home about the frustration and discouragement of trying to be different from the local teachers, then being treated differently in a negative way. We want to discipline in love and teach in truth, but then we are treated with contempt and disrespect in ways that the local teachers would never be treated. We encouraged one another that Jesus also faced contempt and ridicule for coming in a lowlier state than the Jews had expected and for teaching hard lessons.
After scoring Multiple Intelligences tests for a little while, Sarah and I walked to Pizza Hot and ordered pizzas and french fries for dinner with John and Mary. Mary was still not feeling well, but better than before. We didn't stay long, since we wanted to pick up some food for tomorrow night's team dinner. Got home around 6:30, took showers, then finished paperwork while watching Swiss Family Robinson. Brought back good memories of acting it out with Hannah when we were kids.
Internet failure, so I spent part of the night uninstalling everything to try it again in the morning.
It was a disheartening way to end the day. I was really heartbroken that my students would know something so obscene, let alone do something so obscene in front of everyone. Sarah also had a difficult last class. We talked on the way home about the frustration and discouragement of trying to be different from the local teachers, then being treated differently in a negative way. We want to discipline in love and teach in truth, but then we are treated with contempt and disrespect in ways that the local teachers would never be treated. We encouraged one another that Jesus also faced contempt and ridicule for coming in a lowlier state than the Jews had expected and for teaching hard lessons.
After scoring Multiple Intelligences tests for a little while, Sarah and I walked to Pizza Hot and ordered pizzas and french fries for dinner with John and Mary. Mary was still not feeling well, but better than before. We didn't stay long, since we wanted to pick up some food for tomorrow night's team dinner. Got home around 6:30, took showers, then finished paperwork while watching Swiss Family Robinson. Brought back good memories of acting it out with Hannah when we were kids.
Internet failure, so I spent part of the night uninstalling everything to try it again in the morning.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
September 11th and 12th: Agony and Adventure
Tuesday, September 11th:
I have noticed the last few mornings that the weather is a little cooler. It definitely heats up by the afternoon, but we have had some pleasant walks.
Woke up this morning at 4am to pray, which was in itself an answer to prayer. I was afraid of falling back to sleep, but God kept my mind alert and in addition to the hour of specific prayer and then devotions, I was able to get a lot of work and preparation done for school today.
Unfortunately, my first class was even worse today. They were a little off track, but derailed completely after I tried to have a discussion about why God created math. I made the point that math was given to understand God's creation and explain the patterns we see around us, but I'm not sure anyone was listening at that point (or could hear over the noise). Once I had given four of the boys their third strike, they decided to keep pushing (figuring that there wasn't anything worse I could do.) They continued to talk and make obnoxious noises. I rallied on, solving problems on the board for the students who were paying attention and interested. When the "good" students are focused and engaged, the class period is much better, but it seems that we are quickly overrun by the 11 attention-seekers of the class. Pedro (the one I made a daily progress chart for) has not been doing well these last few days either.
I walked into my next class feeling frustrated and worn out. I am sure they thought I was very stern, but I tried to take notice of each student and think of ways to serve. My 10am class was better, but I noticed a lack of interest among them too. I think the lecture on mastery yesterday made them leery of today's lesson. By the time I got to my 30 minute break, I had a headache and felt like I'd run into a brick wall. Sarah and John expressed similar frustrations with their classes, so it makes me think that spiritual oppression is high right now. [I found out later that God answered my prayer this morning in a very specific way, so I think the enemy was trying to hinder in another area.]
My last 6th grade class did not go very well. Not only did they complain, "Miss, you don't explain the lesson," but they wouldn't listen as I was giving the lesson! I pointed out to them that if they would follow along they could see exactly where I was in the book. To make matter worse, during the last fifteen minutes, four of the boys from my first class had to sit in the classroom as the consequence for bad behavior. I meant to have something for them to work on, but had forgotten in the midst of my frustration and discouragement. After class, I took the boys aside and tried to obtain honest answers as to how we could work together to make their class better. They told me over and over, "Miss, we will be good tomorrow." An older student, who may end up joining my 6th graders if he doesn't pass his re-take final exam, noticed them saying this. He has been watching me the last few days as I've interacted with my students. He is known to be a difficult student, but we got to know each other during the soccer clinic and he has helped me a few times - scolding the younger boys for not listening to me and keeping them from running off. If he does end up in my class, I wonder how his observations of my discipline will affect his behavior.
After school, Sarah and I went to the market where we met up with Lisa and Mary. It was Sarah's first full-length experience in the secondhand section. I know it must have been overwhelming. I was exhausted when we got home and was thankful to take a 30-minute nap. After finishing a lot of my grading and prep work for tomorrow, I was able to Skype with Mom.
I tried to process some of the events of the day, but it was overwhelming to take in every comment and look and misbehavior. I was thankful to go to bed and put the day behind me. Hopeful that tomorrow will be a better day.
Wednesday, September 12th
Got up this morning and packed for my trip to the Assyrian village. I've had to do a lot of prep work (instructions for Sarah, Mary, and Andy who will be subbing for me, grading homework, preparing an activity for them to work on, and writing a test to give on Sunday). I think it is actually harder to miss school for one day than it is to be at school!
During my first class I tried to change things up to see if I could improve classroom management. I assigned all new seats and then gave out stickers to the students who were following procedure and working quietly on their warm-up problems. I was surprised by how much the students wanted to be recognized with a sticker. (Stickers are uncommon here so I'm suppose it is more intriguing than it might be to an American student.) After explaining the lesson, I outlined what the next day would look like. I told them that I expected only their best behavior for Miss Sarah and that she is going to tell me about any misbehavior.
My second class wasn't as motivated by the stickers. It always amazes me how different the two classes are from one another. One student could not stop talking and ended up losing his break. I gave them the same outline for tomorrow and the same lecture about my expectations and how they are to treat Miss Mary. I really hope things go smoothly for Sarah and Mary tomorrow.
In my next class, the split wasn't working, so after they corrected their assignment and I gave a quick explanation of the lesson, I took them outside. There was a nice breeze in the shade. The students gathered around and I explained what they would be doing tomorrow with Mr. Andy. They are eager to learn and I think they will do well on their activity. We went back into class for the last 10 minutes (the split was working again). I explained the next lesson so they would understand how to complete their homework for the weekend. We talked about scales and I told them I needed five examples before they could leave class. They really started to think; the boys were coming up with answers like speedometer and fuel tank. Their eagerness to learn made me excited about teaching them.
During the break I tried to talk to students and check in on the quieter ones. Some of the students turned in their letters (an assignment from the beginning of school). One student wrote, "Miss I like math because when I am doing math I feel like an adult." Another said, "Math is my favorite subject because it is the language of science and the mirror of civilizations." I'm not sure what he meant about the mirror, but he is one of my favorites and always has a math question for me during the break. I can see his eyes light up during the lesson and that makes me happy.
In 6A, we had a good half hour of following procedures and getting work accomplished. When it was time for the 5th graders to lose their long break, I had them sit outside the classroom and copy the sentence, "He who finds wisdom finds a good thing." It kept them occupied and I was able to finish the lesson. Unfortunately, a little 3rd grader kept interrupting my class, kicking over the garbage can outside the door and throwing erasers at the students. I asked him for his name and grade, torn between using up class time and dealing with the distraction. I decided to wait and power-through the lesson. Even though 6A can be difficult, I hope they will do well for Mr. Andy (and I made sure they understood that their behavior with him was very important to me.)
After class, I talked to my fifth graders about what the sentence meant. "Wisdom is taking what you know and using it. You understand how to be good in my class, but you don't do it. If you knew to be good and did it, that would be a good thing!" One of the students chimed in, "Like math, Miss. God created math so we could understand." I was stunned, "Excellent! And did you know, God intended that we use math too." So they were listening! The older student that has been watching me, pointed out that one of the students told me yesterday that he would be good. I pointed out that saying something doesn't mean very much if you don't follow through with your actions. He seems to be taking all of this in, but I really don't know if he is getting anything out of it.
When I dismissed the students to their class, I found the interrupting 3rd grader and told him not to disturb my class again. I think he was shocked that I actually "tracked him down" since they are used to idle threats. On my out, I found Pedro and another student standing in the hallway. The one student wanted to let the principal know that he didn't want to be in 5B anymore. "The other students make fun of me, Miss, and call me names." I told him I was sorry that they treated him that way, but that if he wasn't in the class, it would be a lot harder for me and I wouldn't enjoy teaching as much. He turned and went back to class, but I saw a smile creep across his face. Pedro told me he needed a water (which was true judging by all the sweat pouring down his face), but that he didn't have any money. I took him down to the shop, intending to buy him a water, but the manager (who is very gracious) gave us both a water for free. I talked to Pedro a little bit, hoping he will someday realize that I care about him as an individual, not simply as my student. He told me yesterday that he likes losing his break. I think it is because he'd rather spend time with me than with his peers. Trying to spend more positive time with him, rather than making it a discipline.
When Sarah and I got home, we made dinner for tonight's team dinner and I finished packing my things. My friend is picking me up to go to her village for the weekend. I am not sure what to expect, but I am praying that I will get to know her better at the very least. I know that her family is going to the village for a religious celebration, so we will be going to her church tomorrow morning and then to a party tomorrow night (ironic?) :)
I have noticed the last few mornings that the weather is a little cooler. It definitely heats up by the afternoon, but we have had some pleasant walks.
Woke up this morning at 4am to pray, which was in itself an answer to prayer. I was afraid of falling back to sleep, but God kept my mind alert and in addition to the hour of specific prayer and then devotions, I was able to get a lot of work and preparation done for school today.
Unfortunately, my first class was even worse today. They were a little off track, but derailed completely after I tried to have a discussion about why God created math. I made the point that math was given to understand God's creation and explain the patterns we see around us, but I'm not sure anyone was listening at that point (or could hear over the noise). Once I had given four of the boys their third strike, they decided to keep pushing (figuring that there wasn't anything worse I could do.) They continued to talk and make obnoxious noises. I rallied on, solving problems on the board for the students who were paying attention and interested. When the "good" students are focused and engaged, the class period is much better, but it seems that we are quickly overrun by the 11 attention-seekers of the class. Pedro (the one I made a daily progress chart for) has not been doing well these last few days either.
I walked into my next class feeling frustrated and worn out. I am sure they thought I was very stern, but I tried to take notice of each student and think of ways to serve. My 10am class was better, but I noticed a lack of interest among them too. I think the lecture on mastery yesterday made them leery of today's lesson. By the time I got to my 30 minute break, I had a headache and felt like I'd run into a brick wall. Sarah and John expressed similar frustrations with their classes, so it makes me think that spiritual oppression is high right now. [I found out later that God answered my prayer this morning in a very specific way, so I think the enemy was trying to hinder in another area.]
My last 6th grade class did not go very well. Not only did they complain, "Miss, you don't explain the lesson," but they wouldn't listen as I was giving the lesson! I pointed out to them that if they would follow along they could see exactly where I was in the book. To make matter worse, during the last fifteen minutes, four of the boys from my first class had to sit in the classroom as the consequence for bad behavior. I meant to have something for them to work on, but had forgotten in the midst of my frustration and discouragement. After class, I took the boys aside and tried to obtain honest answers as to how we could work together to make their class better. They told me over and over, "Miss, we will be good tomorrow." An older student, who may end up joining my 6th graders if he doesn't pass his re-take final exam, noticed them saying this. He has been watching me the last few days as I've interacted with my students. He is known to be a difficult student, but we got to know each other during the soccer clinic and he has helped me a few times - scolding the younger boys for not listening to me and keeping them from running off. If he does end up in my class, I wonder how his observations of my discipline will affect his behavior.
After school, Sarah and I went to the market where we met up with Lisa and Mary. It was Sarah's first full-length experience in the secondhand section. I know it must have been overwhelming. I was exhausted when we got home and was thankful to take a 30-minute nap. After finishing a lot of my grading and prep work for tomorrow, I was able to Skype with Mom.
I tried to process some of the events of the day, but it was overwhelming to take in every comment and look and misbehavior. I was thankful to go to bed and put the day behind me. Hopeful that tomorrow will be a better day.
Wednesday, September 12th
Got up this morning and packed for my trip to the Assyrian village. I've had to do a lot of prep work (instructions for Sarah, Mary, and Andy who will be subbing for me, grading homework, preparing an activity for them to work on, and writing a test to give on Sunday). I think it is actually harder to miss school for one day than it is to be at school!
During my first class I tried to change things up to see if I could improve classroom management. I assigned all new seats and then gave out stickers to the students who were following procedure and working quietly on their warm-up problems. I was surprised by how much the students wanted to be recognized with a sticker. (Stickers are uncommon here so I'm suppose it is more intriguing than it might be to an American student.) After explaining the lesson, I outlined what the next day would look like. I told them that I expected only their best behavior for Miss Sarah and that she is going to tell me about any misbehavior.
My second class wasn't as motivated by the stickers. It always amazes me how different the two classes are from one another. One student could not stop talking and ended up losing his break. I gave them the same outline for tomorrow and the same lecture about my expectations and how they are to treat Miss Mary. I really hope things go smoothly for Sarah and Mary tomorrow.
In my next class, the split wasn't working, so after they corrected their assignment and I gave a quick explanation of the lesson, I took them outside. There was a nice breeze in the shade. The students gathered around and I explained what they would be doing tomorrow with Mr. Andy. They are eager to learn and I think they will do well on their activity. We went back into class for the last 10 minutes (the split was working again). I explained the next lesson so they would understand how to complete their homework for the weekend. We talked about scales and I told them I needed five examples before they could leave class. They really started to think; the boys were coming up with answers like speedometer and fuel tank. Their eagerness to learn made me excited about teaching them.
During the break I tried to talk to students and check in on the quieter ones. Some of the students turned in their letters (an assignment from the beginning of school). One student wrote, "Miss I like math because when I am doing math I feel like an adult." Another said, "Math is my favorite subject because it is the language of science and the mirror of civilizations." I'm not sure what he meant about the mirror, but he is one of my favorites and always has a math question for me during the break. I can see his eyes light up during the lesson and that makes me happy.
In 6A, we had a good half hour of following procedures and getting work accomplished. When it was time for the 5th graders to lose their long break, I had them sit outside the classroom and copy the sentence, "He who finds wisdom finds a good thing." It kept them occupied and I was able to finish the lesson. Unfortunately, a little 3rd grader kept interrupting my class, kicking over the garbage can outside the door and throwing erasers at the students. I asked him for his name and grade, torn between using up class time and dealing with the distraction. I decided to wait and power-through the lesson. Even though 6A can be difficult, I hope they will do well for Mr. Andy (and I made sure they understood that their behavior with him was very important to me.)
After class, I talked to my fifth graders about what the sentence meant. "Wisdom is taking what you know and using it. You understand how to be good in my class, but you don't do it. If you knew to be good and did it, that would be a good thing!" One of the students chimed in, "Like math, Miss. God created math so we could understand." I was stunned, "Excellent! And did you know, God intended that we use math too." So they were listening! The older student that has been watching me, pointed out that one of the students told me yesterday that he would be good. I pointed out that saying something doesn't mean very much if you don't follow through with your actions. He seems to be taking all of this in, but I really don't know if he is getting anything out of it.
When I dismissed the students to their class, I found the interrupting 3rd grader and told him not to disturb my class again. I think he was shocked that I actually "tracked him down" since they are used to idle threats. On my out, I found Pedro and another student standing in the hallway. The one student wanted to let the principal know that he didn't want to be in 5B anymore. "The other students make fun of me, Miss, and call me names." I told him I was sorry that they treated him that way, but that if he wasn't in the class, it would be a lot harder for me and I wouldn't enjoy teaching as much. He turned and went back to class, but I saw a smile creep across his face. Pedro told me he needed a water (which was true judging by all the sweat pouring down his face), but that he didn't have any money. I took him down to the shop, intending to buy him a water, but the manager (who is very gracious) gave us both a water for free. I talked to Pedro a little bit, hoping he will someday realize that I care about him as an individual, not simply as my student. He told me yesterday that he likes losing his break. I think it is because he'd rather spend time with me than with his peers. Trying to spend more positive time with him, rather than making it a discipline.
When Sarah and I got home, we made dinner for tonight's team dinner and I finished packing my things. My friend is picking me up to go to her village for the weekend. I am not sure what to expect, but I am praying that I will get to know her better at the very least. I know that her family is going to the village for a religious celebration, so we will be going to her church tomorrow morning and then to a party tomorrow night (ironic?) :)
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
September 3rd and 4th: Dust, Discouragement, and Delight?
Monday, September 3rd:
Wanted to mention an interesting experience ... a few days ago, I put on the lotion that I had used exclusively during my first 5 months. As soon as I took a deep breath of it, the memories came flooding back. Nothing specific, but all the feelings brought on by different experiences during those first months. I've noticed that with other "familiar" smells - tea in the market, cigarette smoke, dolma, kerosene - but this was definitely the most intense experience yet.
All of my classes went well. I was challenged by Saturday's lesson to be the teacher that serves her students, uses day-to-day experiences as teachable moments, and knows the material. In some ways, math seems to be harder than art. The ability to create my own art lesson plans meant that I was able to find ways to communicate important lessons through the projects. Math is much more structured. My focus these last few days has been rules and procedures. I know this will help create a positive learning environment, but I feel discouraged when there is so much repetition and so little time for "real" student interaction. I fly from one class to the next, teaching through the younger students' break and preparing for class during the upper level break.
Despite the discouragement that overtakes me during times of reflection, the moments I spend in class are always energizing. The first class of the morning seems to be doing well with more structure. I really love each of the students in that class; my goal is to find a way to individually motivate them and connect with them. The next class went smoothly as well. Two of the boys weren't sure they wanted to implement the new procedures, but were more willing after they realized that all the other students (including the "new" kids) were doing it. I have two new girls in the class (in addition to the two new boys mentioned in another post). The one looks perpetually alarmed, and I am trying to figure out if that is her normal facial expression or if she is just adjusting to a new school.
At the end of each class, I handed out a slip of paper that read, "Your student was TERRIFIC today!" to the one who demonstrated the best behavior, participation, etc. Not only did that little piece of paper have a significant impact on the class, it was also a good reminder for me to look for the positive.
At 10am, as I walked into 6B, all of the students had their books open and were working on the in-class assignment SILENTLY! I was thrilled! They are an exemplary class. Everyone of them comes prepared with their materials and homework, having read today's lesson the night before. I will stay busy trying to challenge them.
After class, I helped the curriculum coordinator organize the library - out with the old books and in with the new. It is amazing how many books they fit into such a small space. When Sarah finished with her class, we walked down to the second-hand part of the market to find her a new schoolbag. She also bought a new shirt. We went through a couple different shops and had a 50% success rate. The shops we go to normally were closed, but thankfully we were able to find what we were looking for at the ones that were open. As we headed for home, it looked like a dust storm was moving across the mountains to the north.
I graded papers for most of the afternoon. At 6:30, the entire team met at the "Sheep" restaurant for meat tikka (or beef on a skewer). The meat was good and we enjoyed hanging out. In the evenings it is definitely cooler, so our walk home felt more like a relaxing stroll.
From this evening's devotion, "The Lord trieth the righteous" - "You are a tree that never would have rooted so well if the wind had not rocked you to and fro, and made you take firm hold upon the precious truths of the covenant of grace." May the winds of school and culture and loneliness cause me to take firm hold of Christ.
Tuesday, September 4th:
This morning I had a progress chart for "Pedro" (that is the name I gave him last year in the blog). I told him that each day he behaves well (i.e. doesn't get sent out of the room), I will put a smiley face on the chart. At the end, we will see how many smiley faces he has and I will show it to the principal and curriculum coordinator. He was pleased with the idea, which was evident in his behavior during class and test score (100%).
I gave a "Rules and Procedures" test in each of my classes. It was a good way to reinforce what we have been learning and reviewing the last few days. As a result of 6B turning in all of their homework, I was inspired to "make a deal" with both sixth grade classes. If they turn in all their homework until December, I will let them have a party. They negotiated for: cell phones, food, no math, no homework, and games. I made them stop at laptops, but I hope the "deal" will be a good way to reward the entire group for their diligence. (As a side note, turning in homework is usually optional. Not only has that been the standard in the past, but only one assignment per week is counted in the gradebook anyway, so many students don't worry about missing the other four.)
After we finished our classes, Sarah and I helped another teacher collate 120 phonics books (about 15 pages each) for her first graders. We managed to avoid paper cuts, but both of us ended up being attacked by the stapler! On the walk home, we both noticed that it was definitely warmer today. It was nice to walk into a cool, relatively smell-free apartment. Sarah and I changed into our lounging clothes, got a snack, and then separated to start on schoolwork.
After getting home, I felt tired ... tired of myself. I heard myself talking all morning long, then on the way home, I heard all the thoughts "myself" thinks throughout the day. Unfortunately, I found I was still stuck with "myself" even in my room at home. Poor Sarah ... she's stuck with "myself" too.
The realization that 50% of my job is paperwork hit me when I looked at the stack of papers I had been grading. I paused for a moment, feeling a sudden sense of urgency to figure out why I am here. Last year, I was certain that it was nothing but God's providence that brought me to Duhok. Trusting in His wisdom, my eyes were opened to see His work in this place, spiritual growth in my life, and encouragement for those back home. During the summer months in America, I didn't bother thinking about a reason for coming back - I simply knew I had made a commitment and that staying at home would have gratified the flesh. Sitting on my bed with two more classes to grade, I started to wonder if I shouldn't have taken the time to figure out why God wanted me to come back, and more importantly if I shouldn't try to figure it out right now. My eyes wandered up to the wall where I recently hung the words, "Delight in the Lord." I concentrated on the meaning and realized that I have my reason - God has brought me here to delight in Him. I long to have purpose, to be intentional, to know there is significance in what I am doing, but God is teaching me to delight only in Him. How easy it is to delight in what we have been given, or what we are doing ... and how hard it is to delight in Someone other than ourselves. Delighting in God means that I must come to know Him better. I am reading a book by Edwards on God's chief end. I pray that through the study, I will learn to pursue God's ends rather than my own.
Wanted to mention an interesting experience ... a few days ago, I put on the lotion that I had used exclusively during my first 5 months. As soon as I took a deep breath of it, the memories came flooding back. Nothing specific, but all the feelings brought on by different experiences during those first months. I've noticed that with other "familiar" smells - tea in the market, cigarette smoke, dolma, kerosene - but this was definitely the most intense experience yet.
All of my classes went well. I was challenged by Saturday's lesson to be the teacher that serves her students, uses day-to-day experiences as teachable moments, and knows the material. In some ways, math seems to be harder than art. The ability to create my own art lesson plans meant that I was able to find ways to communicate important lessons through the projects. Math is much more structured. My focus these last few days has been rules and procedures. I know this will help create a positive learning environment, but I feel discouraged when there is so much repetition and so little time for "real" student interaction. I fly from one class to the next, teaching through the younger students' break and preparing for class during the upper level break.
Despite the discouragement that overtakes me during times of reflection, the moments I spend in class are always energizing. The first class of the morning seems to be doing well with more structure. I really love each of the students in that class; my goal is to find a way to individually motivate them and connect with them. The next class went smoothly as well. Two of the boys weren't sure they wanted to implement the new procedures, but were more willing after they realized that all the other students (including the "new" kids) were doing it. I have two new girls in the class (in addition to the two new boys mentioned in another post). The one looks perpetually alarmed, and I am trying to figure out if that is her normal facial expression or if she is just adjusting to a new school.
At the end of each class, I handed out a slip of paper that read, "Your student was TERRIFIC today!" to the one who demonstrated the best behavior, participation, etc. Not only did that little piece of paper have a significant impact on the class, it was also a good reminder for me to look for the positive.
At 10am, as I walked into 6B, all of the students had their books open and were working on the in-class assignment SILENTLY! I was thrilled! They are an exemplary class. Everyone of them comes prepared with their materials and homework, having read today's lesson the night before. I will stay busy trying to challenge them.
After class, I helped the curriculum coordinator organize the library - out with the old books and in with the new. It is amazing how many books they fit into such a small space. When Sarah finished with her class, we walked down to the second-hand part of the market to find her a new schoolbag. She also bought a new shirt. We went through a couple different shops and had a 50% success rate. The shops we go to normally were closed, but thankfully we were able to find what we were looking for at the ones that were open. As we headed for home, it looked like a dust storm was moving across the mountains to the north.
I graded papers for most of the afternoon. At 6:30, the entire team met at the "Sheep" restaurant for meat tikka (or beef on a skewer). The meat was good and we enjoyed hanging out. In the evenings it is definitely cooler, so our walk home felt more like a relaxing stroll.
From this evening's devotion, "The Lord trieth the righteous" - "You are a tree that never would have rooted so well if the wind had not rocked you to and fro, and made you take firm hold upon the precious truths of the covenant of grace." May the winds of school and culture and loneliness cause me to take firm hold of Christ.
Tuesday, September 4th:
This morning I had a progress chart for "Pedro" (that is the name I gave him last year in the blog). I told him that each day he behaves well (i.e. doesn't get sent out of the room), I will put a smiley face on the chart. At the end, we will see how many smiley faces he has and I will show it to the principal and curriculum coordinator. He was pleased with the idea, which was evident in his behavior during class and test score (100%).
I gave a "Rules and Procedures" test in each of my classes. It was a good way to reinforce what we have been learning and reviewing the last few days. As a result of 6B turning in all of their homework, I was inspired to "make a deal" with both sixth grade classes. If they turn in all their homework until December, I will let them have a party. They negotiated for: cell phones, food, no math, no homework, and games. I made them stop at laptops, but I hope the "deal" will be a good way to reward the entire group for their diligence. (As a side note, turning in homework is usually optional. Not only has that been the standard in the past, but only one assignment per week is counted in the gradebook anyway, so many students don't worry about missing the other four.)
After we finished our classes, Sarah and I helped another teacher collate 120 phonics books (about 15 pages each) for her first graders. We managed to avoid paper cuts, but both of us ended up being attacked by the stapler! On the walk home, we both noticed that it was definitely warmer today. It was nice to walk into a cool, relatively smell-free apartment. Sarah and I changed into our lounging clothes, got a snack, and then separated to start on schoolwork.
After getting home, I felt tired ... tired of myself. I heard myself talking all morning long, then on the way home, I heard all the thoughts "myself" thinks throughout the day. Unfortunately, I found I was still stuck with "myself" even in my room at home. Poor Sarah ... she's stuck with "myself" too.
***
The realization that 50% of my job is paperwork hit me when I looked at the stack of papers I had been grading. I paused for a moment, feeling a sudden sense of urgency to figure out why I am here. Last year, I was certain that it was nothing but God's providence that brought me to Duhok. Trusting in His wisdom, my eyes were opened to see His work in this place, spiritual growth in my life, and encouragement for those back home. During the summer months in America, I didn't bother thinking about a reason for coming back - I simply knew I had made a commitment and that staying at home would have gratified the flesh. Sitting on my bed with two more classes to grade, I started to wonder if I shouldn't have taken the time to figure out why God wanted me to come back, and more importantly if I shouldn't try to figure it out right now. My eyes wandered up to the wall where I recently hung the words, "Delight in the Lord." I concentrated on the meaning and realized that I have my reason - God has brought me here to delight in Him. I long to have purpose, to be intentional, to know there is significance in what I am doing, but God is teaching me to delight only in Him. How easy it is to delight in what we have been given, or what we are doing ... and how hard it is to delight in Someone other than ourselves. Delighting in God means that I must come to know Him better. I am reading a book by Edwards on God's chief end. I pray that through the study, I will learn to pursue God's ends rather than my own.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
August 28th and 29th: Settling In
Tuesday, August 28th:
It's hard to believe how quickly I've adjusted to being here again. I am back on my morning routine - up by 6 for devotions, followed by a workout video, then preparations for the day. This morning I had the special treat of Skyping with my family. It is the first time I've "seen" them in over a week. We had arranged to talk at 8:30pm PST. Mom was cleaning up dishes when Dad said he would put the boys to bed.
Mom: "What time is it?"
Dad: "8:30"
Mom: "Oh! We are supposed to Skype with Sissy!"
In a flash, Eithen is off the couch and bolting up the stairs, "We a talk to Sissy on the 'puter! We a talk to Sissy on the 'puter!"
It was fun to see everyone. They were hanging all over Dad's chair to get a look at the screen, doing somersaults, and taking me around the house to see their new room arrangements. It was a great way to start the morning, though it made me miss the regular family routine.
At 8:15, Lisa came over and the four of us ladies walked to school together. That was a fun change from last year since my schedule was so different from everyone else's that I wasn't able to walk with them.
My first group in the morning is the class that was formerly called 4B. Yep, the "rowdy" group! Of course, having them first thing in the morning may prove to be a blessing. There were only a handful this morning, so it was difficult to tell if things will be different from last year. (School won't officially start until all the students are in attendance, which is apparently optional during the first few weeks.) I had them start by writing down three goals for the year. I told them that if they meet those goals at the end of the semester, then they will earn a reward from America. Instead of viewing school as something imposed on them, I hope they will learn to invest in their education and push themselves to do more than what is expected of them.
My second class was 5A (previously 4A). We have two new students in the class and I am really excited to have them there. After the class wrote out their goals, I shared my own goals with them: become a better teacher, help my students succeed, prepare them for the next grade level. The eyes of the new students lit up and they were soaking in every word. They seem like bright students and eager to learn. I hope their desire to learn will have an influence on the rest of the class. Next, I discussed my class rules:
1. Try your best
2. Be respectful
3. Listen
And my discipline policy (X - warning, XX - leave the class until ready to follow the rules, XXX - lose your long break). It is fun to start at the beginning of the school year since I can lay out my expectations and establish my own policies.
Immediately following I teach 6B. They are a fun group of students (Julie taught them Literature last year) and I am looking forward to working with them. After a half hour break, I teach 6A. I substituted for them last year and worked with some of them during the soccer clinic. We went through the same things I had discussed with the 5th graders. They are better listeners, so it didn't take quite as long to go through everything.
At noon, I was done teaching. Sarah didn't have very many students in her last class, so she ended early and we taxied home together. The afternoon mostly consisted of lesson planning and trying to stay cool. The city electricity went out again for an hour, so we had our fans on and lots of cold water. In the evening, around 6:30, we went to the art supply store called Zanest. Sarah got a taste of the market at night when it is ten times busier (cooler though too). I tried to look at it through her eyes, going back to January when I went to the market for the first time. It seems like a lifetime ago!
When we got back, we watched a movie with John and Mary. It was a relaxing way to end the evening, even though it meant another late night!
Wednesday, August 29th:
It was already pretty warm when Mary and I started our walk to the school; part way there, the school's maintenance man and his little daughter stopped to give us a ride! So thankful!
Had a very encouraging time in all of my classes. I outlined the procedures for our class (how to: start with a warm-up assignment while I collect homework, ask a question, ask to leave, organize their binder, etc.) Each class seemed attentive and eager to follow through correctly. It will be interesting to see which group picks up on them first (and whether or not I can remember to enforce the procedures!) :P
After school (which is still in "preparatory week") Sarah and I walked home for more lesson planning. I got a lot accomplished and it is good to feel motivated and implement new methods that were too difficult to start half way through the year. I am hopeful (and praying) that the consistency will help improve behavior this year. Sarah and I made dessert in the late afternoon for our team meeting. We made no-bake peanut butter bars, which are always a good standby.
Team night provided much needed refreshment in the midst of a busy week. We shared a wonderful meal together. Lisa made a salsa chicken spaghetti casserole, which was the most flavorful dish I've tasted here (as I recall) and Mary made a great salad with Ranch dressing. Andy shared a devotion about the blood of Jesus Christ. The verse given to me to read was Hebrews 13:12 "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate." God's Word jumped from the page and spoke directly at me. Since I started packing to come here, I've struggled with leaving my family and friends to live a life that is so different from theirs. It was hard over the summer to relate in our experiences. As a team we have adopted a new acronym - FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out. I definitely have FOMO. It is hard to live so far away, knowing that my brothers are going to keep growing up, my sister is going to keep moving on with her life, and my parents will continue going through their daily routine ... without me! I want to share every moment with them - taking my brother to football practice, sympathizing with my dad over his number-crunching, helping Mom grocery shop, and cuddling up for the bedtime stories. Tonight's Scripture reminded me that Jesus suffered OUTSIDE the gate that I might be sanctified with His own blood. His suffering took Him from the heights and glories of Heaven to a lowly manger to a scornful people to the shame of the cross. May God make me willing to suffer (in a small way by comparison) outside the gate of my family and physical comforts that others would be sanctified.
It's hard to believe how quickly I've adjusted to being here again. I am back on my morning routine - up by 6 for devotions, followed by a workout video, then preparations for the day. This morning I had the special treat of Skyping with my family. It is the first time I've "seen" them in over a week. We had arranged to talk at 8:30pm PST. Mom was cleaning up dishes when Dad said he would put the boys to bed.
Mom: "What time is it?"
Dad: "8:30"
Mom: "Oh! We are supposed to Skype with Sissy!"
In a flash, Eithen is off the couch and bolting up the stairs, "We a talk to Sissy on the 'puter! We a talk to Sissy on the 'puter!"
It was fun to see everyone. They were hanging all over Dad's chair to get a look at the screen, doing somersaults, and taking me around the house to see their new room arrangements. It was a great way to start the morning, though it made me miss the regular family routine.
At 8:15, Lisa came over and the four of us ladies walked to school together. That was a fun change from last year since my schedule was so different from everyone else's that I wasn't able to walk with them.
My first group in the morning is the class that was formerly called 4B. Yep, the "rowdy" group! Of course, having them first thing in the morning may prove to be a blessing. There were only a handful this morning, so it was difficult to tell if things will be different from last year. (School won't officially start until all the students are in attendance, which is apparently optional during the first few weeks.) I had them start by writing down three goals for the year. I told them that if they meet those goals at the end of the semester, then they will earn a reward from America. Instead of viewing school as something imposed on them, I hope they will learn to invest in their education and push themselves to do more than what is expected of them.
My second class was 5A (previously 4A). We have two new students in the class and I am really excited to have them there. After the class wrote out their goals, I shared my own goals with them: become a better teacher, help my students succeed, prepare them for the next grade level. The eyes of the new students lit up and they were soaking in every word. They seem like bright students and eager to learn. I hope their desire to learn will have an influence on the rest of the class. Next, I discussed my class rules:
1. Try your best
2. Be respectful
3. Listen
And my discipline policy (X - warning, XX - leave the class until ready to follow the rules, XXX - lose your long break). It is fun to start at the beginning of the school year since I can lay out my expectations and establish my own policies.
Immediately following I teach 6B. They are a fun group of students (Julie taught them Literature last year) and I am looking forward to working with them. After a half hour break, I teach 6A. I substituted for them last year and worked with some of them during the soccer clinic. We went through the same things I had discussed with the 5th graders. They are better listeners, so it didn't take quite as long to go through everything.
At noon, I was done teaching. Sarah didn't have very many students in her last class, so she ended early and we taxied home together. The afternoon mostly consisted of lesson planning and trying to stay cool. The city electricity went out again for an hour, so we had our fans on and lots of cold water. In the evening, around 6:30, we went to the art supply store called Zanest. Sarah got a taste of the market at night when it is ten times busier (cooler though too). I tried to look at it through her eyes, going back to January when I went to the market for the first time. It seems like a lifetime ago!
When we got back, we watched a movie with John and Mary. It was a relaxing way to end the evening, even though it meant another late night!
Wednesday, August 29th:
It was already pretty warm when Mary and I started our walk to the school; part way there, the school's maintenance man and his little daughter stopped to give us a ride! So thankful!
Had a very encouraging time in all of my classes. I outlined the procedures for our class (how to: start with a warm-up assignment while I collect homework, ask a question, ask to leave, organize their binder, etc.) Each class seemed attentive and eager to follow through correctly. It will be interesting to see which group picks up on them first (and whether or not I can remember to enforce the procedures!) :P
After school (which is still in "preparatory week") Sarah and I walked home for more lesson planning. I got a lot accomplished and it is good to feel motivated and implement new methods that were too difficult to start half way through the year. I am hopeful (and praying) that the consistency will help improve behavior this year. Sarah and I made dessert in the late afternoon for our team meeting. We made no-bake peanut butter bars, which are always a good standby.
Team night provided much needed refreshment in the midst of a busy week. We shared a wonderful meal together. Lisa made a salsa chicken spaghetti casserole, which was the most flavorful dish I've tasted here (as I recall) and Mary made a great salad with Ranch dressing. Andy shared a devotion about the blood of Jesus Christ. The verse given to me to read was Hebrews 13:12 "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate." God's Word jumped from the page and spoke directly at me. Since I started packing to come here, I've struggled with leaving my family and friends to live a life that is so different from theirs. It was hard over the summer to relate in our experiences. As a team we have adopted a new acronym - FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out. I definitely have FOMO. It is hard to live so far away, knowing that my brothers are going to keep growing up, my sister is going to keep moving on with her life, and my parents will continue going through their daily routine ... without me! I want to share every moment with them - taking my brother to football practice, sympathizing with my dad over his number-crunching, helping Mom grocery shop, and cuddling up for the bedtime stories. Tonight's Scripture reminded me that Jesus suffered OUTSIDE the gate that I might be sanctified with His own blood. His suffering took Him from the heights and glories of Heaven to a lowly manger to a scornful people to the shame of the cross. May God make me willing to suffer (in a small way by comparison) outside the gate of my family and physical comforts that others would be sanctified.
Monday, June 4, 2012
May 29th through 30th (Days 142-143): SURPRISE!
May 29th:
Got really sick last night ... not a great way to start a 48 hour trip back to the States. Oh yes, SURPRISE! When the administrators decided to end the school year early, they also told us we could go home early. So about a month ago I booked new tickets. I decided to keep it a surprise. Ten days ago I learned that Mom was planning to go out of town, so I had to let the cat out of the bag and tell her. But we decided to keep it from the rest of the family...
At 11am a bus came to take the remaining 8 members of our team to Erbil. We packed it full with all of our bags and headed off to the airport. Unfortunately neither Andy nor I were feeling well, so there wasn't too much excitement about going home beaming from our faces. Zander was pretty happy though - "When are we going to get to America?" Andy, Lisa, the kiddos and I took a flight to Frankfurt, which left at 4:30pm. Mary, John, and Henry's flight to Istanbul left early the next morning, so they stayed with fellow SGI'ers in Erbil.
.JPG)
Had a good flight to Frankfurt, where I met up with my "German sister" from the high school exchange program. Her mom drove us to our hotel where Andy and Lisa put the kiddos to bed. Katze, her mom, and I went downtown for some dinner. It was great to see them (even though I wasn't completely coherent.) Crashed into bed at the hotel around 1am Duhok time.
May 30th:
Got up this morning (later than I had planned ... once again, God teaching me that I need to depend on Him) and caught the shuttle with Andy and Lisa to the airport. Andy and Lisa's flight ended up being delayed, so we went over to the kids' play area for an hour. At 8am, it was time for me to catch my flight and head through security, so we said our goodbyes. It will be strange to live life without them after our lives were so intertwined for the last 5 months.
Made it through security relatively quickly, then boarded the plane a little after 9am. Met someone from Turkey while waiting at the gate ... it is funny how easy it was to identify him as someone from "my neck of the woods." Before I couldn't have distinguished between someone from Turkey and someone from another part of the Middle East. It was long flight to San Francisco and though I still wasn't feeling well, God gave me the grace to endure. I didn't eat a lot, but was thankful not to be dealing with anymore nausea.
.JPG)
Landed in San Francisco a little ahead of schedule. Had to go through customs, re-check my bag, get my boarding pass and go back through security. Thankful to have a good spirit through the entire process - a smile definitely helps speed things up! When I got to the gate, I learned that there was an early flight going to Medford. Even though I've never been able to switch flights, I thought I'd ask. The attendant told me he could get in trouble for putting me on a flight different from my checked bag ... a smile and a stick of gum later, my name was on the standby list! By the time I was able to call Mom and tell her that an earlier arrival might be possible, I had been assigned a seat number!
Arrived in Medford right on time. I called Dad as I was taxiing down the runway. "Hi Dad. You know how you wanted to Skype today? Well I thought I'd call you instead." Pause. "Where are you? Are you okay?" "Well ... I'll tell you where I'm not. I'm not in Iraq ... I'm not in Frankfurt ... I'm not even in San Francisco ... I'm in Medford!" "I'll be right there."
As I deplaned and waved to the observation deck, I saw excited movement and heads disappear back inside the airport. I moved faster toward the glass doors. Eithen stood on the other side. I could tell he recognized me when he tried frantically to push through the doors. I couldn't get all of the brothers into my arms fast enough. Grandpa, Grandma and my best friend Jessica met me at the airport too. Went to dinner and then Bible Study. It felt good to be back home with my church family. I was glad I could go on my first night back. Picked up my bag at the airport on the way home. So thankful for a safe trip home and a happy reception.
During the last forty-eight hours, God has given me many reasons to thank Him. It's even been apparent that the intense stomach pain has been a blessing, keeping me in dependence on God. As I settle back into a comfortable environment, my heart's desire is to continue to walk in the strength of the Lord and be kept from a false sense of security. It has been a delight to see God orchestrate events and circumstances for His glory and for my good even as I walk in dependence on Him.
*****
Since being home, here are a few of the things I have enjoyed:
Surprising my sister in Portland
Helping Eithen during his sleep study
Fellowship with church family
Eating steak!
Some of the things that have been an adjustment:
Understanding every conversation, lyric, and intercom announcement
Using a seat belt regularly (and riding in a car multiple times per day)
Training my body to complete everyday tasks (that 2 second pause before releasing toilet paper into the toilet bowl instead of throwing it away)
Shopping on a Friday morning
During the summer I won't be blogging as regularly, but I will try to keep the blog updated with some of the highlights. Thanks be to God for His goodness during these past five months! I left feeling self-sufficient with a need to prove myself. I have come home humbled, realizing that it took a trip halfway around the world to show me my utter dependence on God. How sweet to find that in our weakness, His strength is made known; that in our nakedness, He stoops to cover us; that in our failings, He is our All!
Got really sick last night ... not a great way to start a 48 hour trip back to the States. Oh yes, SURPRISE! When the administrators decided to end the school year early, they also told us we could go home early. So about a month ago I booked new tickets. I decided to keep it a surprise. Ten days ago I learned that Mom was planning to go out of town, so I had to let the cat out of the bag and tell her. But we decided to keep it from the rest of the family...
At 11am a bus came to take the remaining 8 members of our team to Erbil. We packed it full with all of our bags and headed off to the airport. Unfortunately neither Andy nor I were feeling well, so there wasn't too much excitement about going home beaming from our faces. Zander was pretty happy though - "When are we going to get to America?" Andy, Lisa, the kiddos and I took a flight to Frankfurt, which left at 4:30pm. Mary, John, and Henry's flight to Istanbul left early the next morning, so they stayed with fellow SGI'ers in Erbil.
At the Erbil airport:
.JPG)
Had a good flight to Frankfurt, where I met up with my "German sister" from the high school exchange program. Her mom drove us to our hotel where Andy and Lisa put the kiddos to bed. Katze, her mom, and I went downtown for some dinner. It was great to see them (even though I wasn't completely coherent.) Crashed into bed at the hotel around 1am Duhok time.
May 30th:
Got up this morning (later than I had planned ... once again, God teaching me that I need to depend on Him) and caught the shuttle with Andy and Lisa to the airport. Andy and Lisa's flight ended up being delayed, so we went over to the kids' play area for an hour. At 8am, it was time for me to catch my flight and head through security, so we said our goodbyes. It will be strange to live life without them after our lives were so intertwined for the last 5 months.
Made it through security relatively quickly, then boarded the plane a little after 9am. Met someone from Turkey while waiting at the gate ... it is funny how easy it was to identify him as someone from "my neck of the woods." Before I couldn't have distinguished between someone from Turkey and someone from another part of the Middle East. It was long flight to San Francisco and though I still wasn't feeling well, God gave me the grace to endure. I didn't eat a lot, but was thankful not to be dealing with anymore nausea.
Air movement across the wing of the plane:
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Landed in San Francisco a little ahead of schedule. Had to go through customs, re-check my bag, get my boarding pass and go back through security. Thankful to have a good spirit through the entire process - a smile definitely helps speed things up! When I got to the gate, I learned that there was an early flight going to Medford. Even though I've never been able to switch flights, I thought I'd ask. The attendant told me he could get in trouble for putting me on a flight different from my checked bag ... a smile and a stick of gum later, my name was on the standby list! By the time I was able to call Mom and tell her that an earlier arrival might be possible, I had been assigned a seat number!
Arrived in Medford right on time. I called Dad as I was taxiing down the runway. "Hi Dad. You know how you wanted to Skype today? Well I thought I'd call you instead." Pause. "Where are you? Are you okay?" "Well ... I'll tell you where I'm not. I'm not in Iraq ... I'm not in Frankfurt ... I'm not even in San Francisco ... I'm in Medford!" "I'll be right there."
As I deplaned and waved to the observation deck, I saw excited movement and heads disappear back inside the airport. I moved faster toward the glass doors. Eithen stood on the other side. I could tell he recognized me when he tried frantically to push through the doors. I couldn't get all of the brothers into my arms fast enough. Grandpa, Grandma and my best friend Jessica met me at the airport too. Went to dinner and then Bible Study. It felt good to be back home with my church family. I was glad I could go on my first night back. Picked up my bag at the airport on the way home. So thankful for a safe trip home and a happy reception.
*****
Since being home, here are a few of the things I have enjoyed:
Surprising my sister in Portland
Helping Eithen during his sleep study
Fellowship with church family
Eating steak!
Some of the things that have been an adjustment:
Understanding every conversation, lyric, and intercom announcement
Using a seat belt regularly (and riding in a car multiple times per day)
Training my body to complete everyday tasks (that 2 second pause before releasing toilet paper into the toilet bowl instead of throwing it away)
Shopping on a Friday morning
During the summer I won't be blogging as regularly, but I will try to keep the blog updated with some of the highlights. Thanks be to God for His goodness during these past five months! I left feeling self-sufficient with a need to prove myself. I have come home humbled, realizing that it took a trip halfway around the world to show me my utter dependence on God. How sweet to find that in our weakness, His strength is made known; that in our nakedness, He stoops to cover us; that in our failings, He is our All!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
May 21st through 22nd (Days 134-135): Getting Ready to Say Goodbye
May 21st:
My last full day of school. Well, it was supposed to be, but in typical Kurdish style, we found out the morning of that school would end at 1pm. My 9:15 class went well. I wrote review notes on the board for the students to copy. They sat quietly and wrote everything down! During the break I talked with students and visited with teachers, asking about their summer plans and trying to arrange a time to hang out. It was a day of mixed feelings. On the one hand I was so happy to spend my last day with all of these students and teachers that I've come to know and appreciate; on the other hand, it was hard to think of saying goodbye so soon.
My 12:15 class did not go as well. Some of the boys have determined not to do anything I tell them. I wrote all the notes on the board and told them it was their choice to study them for their final. Only a few girls decided to copy them down. Even when I suggested playing games, the boys came back with, "We don't want, Miss!" It was disheartening, but as soon as class ended they were all friendly with me again. At 1pm, everyone went home. I sat with my kids one last time ...
When I got home I spent some time reflecting on the last few months. Came away amazed at how blessed and privileged I have been to teach these kids! I can't wait for next year! Overwhelming emotions led to a one hour nap. Still not feeling completely energized when I woke up, but needed to make bruschetta for our team dinner. Julie made a balsamic noodle bowl and Mary made bread (hence the bruschetta). Lisa made a pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. We had a great time of devotions, spending most of it in prayer. A nice Skype call with Dave, then ready to go home.
When I got home, I had an email from Caleb saying that he had had a hard day and needed to talk. We were able to get on Skype and talk together. Getting ready to transition back home to the ones who need me there.
May 22nd:
Spent the morning gleaning wisdom from Julie with regards to 5th grade literature (one of the classes I'll be teaching next year). Afterwards, Dan, Julie, and I enjoyed lunch together, then worked on cleaning out some of their cupboards and taking down pictures. They leave on Saturday! Since they won't be coming back in the fall, we are cleaning out their house, getting it ready for the next tenants. Went over to Andy and Lisa's afterwards. We were just going to catch up, but they ended up having visitors and invited me to stay a little bit longer. It is always fun to hang out with the people on our team. Lisa is really good at making me feel welcome and letting me be a part of their home.
We had originally been told that sometime today we would be invited over for dinner with the governor, but when we hadn't heard anything by 4pm, we decided to make other arrangements. We gathered up the team and headed out to Vin House. Enjoyed a burger (still can't wait to eat a real juicy one in the States) and fries. From there we walked to Mazi and bought some ice cream.
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My last full day of school. Well, it was supposed to be, but in typical Kurdish style, we found out the morning of that school would end at 1pm. My 9:15 class went well. I wrote review notes on the board for the students to copy. They sat quietly and wrote everything down! During the break I talked with students and visited with teachers, asking about their summer plans and trying to arrange a time to hang out. It was a day of mixed feelings. On the one hand I was so happy to spend my last day with all of these students and teachers that I've come to know and appreciate; on the other hand, it was hard to think of saying goodbye so soon.
My 12:15 class did not go as well. Some of the boys have determined not to do anything I tell them. I wrote all the notes on the board and told them it was their choice to study them for their final. Only a few girls decided to copy them down. Even when I suggested playing games, the boys came back with, "We don't want, Miss!" It was disheartening, but as soon as class ended they were all friendly with me again. At 1pm, everyone went home. I sat with my kids one last time ...
When I got home I spent some time reflecting on the last few months. Came away amazed at how blessed and privileged I have been to teach these kids! I can't wait for next year! Overwhelming emotions led to a one hour nap. Still not feeling completely energized when I woke up, but needed to make bruschetta for our team dinner. Julie made a balsamic noodle bowl and Mary made bread (hence the bruschetta). Lisa made a pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. We had a great time of devotions, spending most of it in prayer. A nice Skype call with Dave, then ready to go home.
When I got home, I had an email from Caleb saying that he had had a hard day and needed to talk. We were able to get on Skype and talk together. Getting ready to transition back home to the ones who need me there.
May 22nd:
Spent the morning gleaning wisdom from Julie with regards to 5th grade literature (one of the classes I'll be teaching next year). Afterwards, Dan, Julie, and I enjoyed lunch together, then worked on cleaning out some of their cupboards and taking down pictures. They leave on Saturday! Since they won't be coming back in the fall, we are cleaning out their house, getting it ready for the next tenants. Went over to Andy and Lisa's afterwards. We were just going to catch up, but they ended up having visitors and invited me to stay a little bit longer. It is always fun to hang out with the people on our team. Lisa is really good at making me feel welcome and letting me be a part of their home.
We had originally been told that sometime today we would be invited over for dinner with the governor, but when we hadn't heard anything by 4pm, we decided to make other arrangements. We gathered up the team and headed out to Vin House. Enjoyed a burger (still can't wait to eat a real juicy one in the States) and fries. From there we walked to Mazi and bought some ice cream.
On the way to Mazi:
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Zanderman!
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Went back to Dan and Julie's to have cake and ice cream. Took some team photos and reveled in one more evening together... not too many of those left as Dan, Julie, and Stacy head out this Saturday!
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Came home, watched another part of "Our Mutual Friend" with John and Mary, then ready for bed. A late night, but hey ... no school tomorrow!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
May 15th through 16th (Days 128-129): Tough Love and Answered Prayer
May 15th:
At the break, I went next door to the other fourth grade class and made sure they stayed in the room for their break. They weren't pleased and four of the boys decided it would be a good idea to charge at Miss Helen to try to break free. Since most of them are nearly as big as me (and one of them definitely heavier), it was not a fair fight; I'm afraid it also bordered on the ridiculous. Thankfully other teachers made the "escapees" come back. The fifteen minutes seemed like an eternity (and my body is now feeling the pains of being a human barrier).
I had my third grade art class right after and had a fairly good time with them since I promised a "Miss Helen's last day with you / student birthday" party tomorrow if they behaved. I put up five stars on the board and told them that if I had erased all of them by the end of class, the party would be cancelled. By the end I had erased three of the stars. Each lost star prompted the kids to get after each other (which works far more effectively to improve behavior than anything Miss Helen might say.)
From 11 to 11:45 I graded tests so that I would have the final phase grades ready to turn in this afternoon. At 11:45 I dashed back up to the fourth grade classroom to follow through with the punishment laid out yesterday. The other teacher had to teach classes during that time, so I felt responsible to make sure they lost both breaks (inconsistency is far too common here). The kids weren't happy to see me again, especially as it meant they wouldn't get their normal assortment of chips, candy and soda. Apart from the four boys who tried to charge me again, the rest of the class settled down after a few minutes and I "made them a deal." I knew I had to give them their math test and that it would be easier if they went to the garden after finishing the test (so that they wouldn't hang around to cheat or talk), but I didn't want to give them garden time without making them understand why they had lost their break time. I told them that if they wrote apology letters to the other teacher I would let them take their test early and then release them to the garden at the end of my class. The entire class took the deal (the four boys caught on pretty quick) and pretty soon I had a whole stack of apology letters. The test went well, especially since the kids had "simmered down" [memory lane: that was a favorite phrase with one of my high school teachers]. I made each one sit quietly for 5-10 minutes after they finished, then let them go to the garden. (The other teacher was very pleased to get the apology letters...)
Immediately after that class I subbed for one of the teachers who didn't come to school today. I thought I would be teaching a third grade class and had planned to continue with their art lesson. As it turned out, I had the first "rowdy" session again. Two of the boys had already been put "in charge." So I told them to continue "being responsible" while I graded tests. The ironic thing - the boys who had been chosen are some of the worst boys in my class. It was nice to see them have to deal with misbehaving students and get frustrated with "all the noise, Miss!" :) I think we had a bonding moment because of it... Periodically I would look to see which names were written on the board under "good" and let them go to the garden. Funny how the same students that are going to the principal or losing their breaks in my class were the same students that stayed until the last when being evaluated by their peers! I pointed this out to them and asked them to examine why that would be the case.
Finally had a break at 1:45. By then my head was hurting and I was ready to go home. Stayed until 2:30 though so I could talk to the kids, which is always rewarding. Had a nice time with them, then walked home the long way so I could exchange money to pay the rent. Got home and tried to nap, but oppressed with discouraging thoughts. Asked the Lord for help to look to Him for my encouragement instead of burying my head in distractions. God blessed me with a Skype call to Mom and she encouraged me to hunker down behind the shield of faith. I needed that reminder as it is easy for me to grab the negative thought, analyze it, and try to "fix the problem." The fiery darts ceased to hit their mark as I flew to "the Rock that is higher than I. For [He] has been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy."
May 16th:
Had a really FUN day with my classes! I'd asked Mom to pray that the enemy would be restrained, that distractions would be minimized, and that I'd be able to give my kids 110% - God answers prayer!
I played "Math Bingo" with them to review some of the terms we've learned this year. I had them divide up into four teams (which was good math review, since there was a remainder and one of the teams had to have an extra player) then let them go to the garden to find real-life examples of "acute angles," "parallel lines," "symmetry," etc. Once the "rowdy" class caught on, they enjoyed it immensely. They were clamoring all over me to show me their real-life math term and have them sign off on the matching BINGO square.
The 10:15 class got their party and they were really excited. They brought cake and snacks to share, and we played "Heads Up, 7 Up." The neighboring class heard all our fun and the teacher asked if they could come over. (This is the same teacher who saw me get upset with this group of kids the other day. He is not a very good role model, being immature in his interaction with the kids, so I saw this as an opportunity to be a good example. Asked the Lord for wisdom...) We all had fun playing and it was an enjoyable time.
My next art class got upset that they weren't having a party, but settled down once I explained that on our last day together we would also have a party if they could keep their five stars. They did a great job (until the very end) and I enjoyed taking pictures of them with their sketchbooks. They were the only class to finish their "God Sees Me" books!
Feeling really refreshed by the time the half hour break came around (and so thankful I didn't have to keep any of the classes for the break.) The second math class enjoyed BINGO as well, though some of the kids didn't participate. I actually had 8th graders come up and want to join in, so I gave them their own BINGO card and they had a blast! We caused such a stir that one of the other teachers asked me if I had BINGO cards for vocabulary words ... I told him I would email the template to him so he could create his own.
One more break that went by quickly, then my last 3rd grade art class for the day. I ended up letting them go to the garden since tomorrow is my last day with them and I'm not sure we'll be able to have a party. I have to go to the Residency Office and get my visa extended (and we never know how long that might take).
Left school, then got a text from "Julee" saying she couldn't go to the orphanage, so I called T to let her know. I will definitely try to say goodbye before they leave to their "villages" for the summer. Used the time to make two "grocery" runs, then Stacy and I went over to John and Mary's for dinner. We laughed and talked for a long time afterwards. It was a refreshing time. I also got some nice cuddles from Henry (don't get jealous, Eithen)!
Phew! What a day! Got to school and had a nice time looking at pictures of my friend's honeymoon in Turkey. Hurried off to class and gave my fourth graders their math test. It actually went fairly well. Because their comprehension of the test questions has improved, the class stays relatively quiet for the first 10 minutes, and then the questions start flying in. We had a new student in class today - not sure why since school ends in a few days - I ran the class as usual, but seeing the look on her face, I was concerned that my strictness scared her. Hopefully I will have a few days to get to know her and improve first impressions.
At the break, I went next door to the other fourth grade class and made sure they stayed in the room for their break. They weren't pleased and four of the boys decided it would be a good idea to charge at Miss Helen to try to break free. Since most of them are nearly as big as me (and one of them definitely heavier), it was not a fair fight; I'm afraid it also bordered on the ridiculous. Thankfully other teachers made the "escapees" come back. The fifteen minutes seemed like an eternity (and my body is now feeling the pains of being a human barrier).
I had my third grade art class right after and had a fairly good time with them since I promised a "Miss Helen's last day with you / student birthday" party tomorrow if they behaved. I put up five stars on the board and told them that if I had erased all of them by the end of class, the party would be cancelled. By the end I had erased three of the stars. Each lost star prompted the kids to get after each other (which works far more effectively to improve behavior than anything Miss Helen might say.)
From 11 to 11:45 I graded tests so that I would have the final phase grades ready to turn in this afternoon. At 11:45 I dashed back up to the fourth grade classroom to follow through with the punishment laid out yesterday. The other teacher had to teach classes during that time, so I felt responsible to make sure they lost both breaks (inconsistency is far too common here). The kids weren't happy to see me again, especially as it meant they wouldn't get their normal assortment of chips, candy and soda. Apart from the four boys who tried to charge me again, the rest of the class settled down after a few minutes and I "made them a deal." I knew I had to give them their math test and that it would be easier if they went to the garden after finishing the test (so that they wouldn't hang around to cheat or talk), but I didn't want to give them garden time without making them understand why they had lost their break time. I told them that if they wrote apology letters to the other teacher I would let them take their test early and then release them to the garden at the end of my class. The entire class took the deal (the four boys caught on pretty quick) and pretty soon I had a whole stack of apology letters. The test went well, especially since the kids had "simmered down" [memory lane: that was a favorite phrase with one of my high school teachers]. I made each one sit quietly for 5-10 minutes after they finished, then let them go to the garden. (The other teacher was very pleased to get the apology letters...)
Immediately after that class I subbed for one of the teachers who didn't come to school today. I thought I would be teaching a third grade class and had planned to continue with their art lesson. As it turned out, I had the first "rowdy" session again. Two of the boys had already been put "in charge." So I told them to continue "being responsible" while I graded tests. The ironic thing - the boys who had been chosen are some of the worst boys in my class. It was nice to see them have to deal with misbehaving students and get frustrated with "all the noise, Miss!" :) I think we had a bonding moment because of it... Periodically I would look to see which names were written on the board under "good" and let them go to the garden. Funny how the same students that are going to the principal or losing their breaks in my class were the same students that stayed until the last when being evaluated by their peers! I pointed this out to them and asked them to examine why that would be the case.
Finally had a break at 1:45. By then my head was hurting and I was ready to go home. Stayed until 2:30 though so I could talk to the kids, which is always rewarding. Had a nice time with them, then walked home the long way so I could exchange money to pay the rent. Got home and tried to nap, but oppressed with discouraging thoughts. Asked the Lord for help to look to Him for my encouragement instead of burying my head in distractions. God blessed me with a Skype call to Mom and she encouraged me to hunker down behind the shield of faith. I needed that reminder as it is easy for me to grab the negative thought, analyze it, and try to "fix the problem." The fiery darts ceased to hit their mark as I flew to "the Rock that is higher than I. For [He] has been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy."
May 16th:
Had a really FUN day with my classes! I'd asked Mom to pray that the enemy would be restrained, that distractions would be minimized, and that I'd be able to give my kids 110% - God answers prayer!
I played "Math Bingo" with them to review some of the terms we've learned this year. I had them divide up into four teams (which was good math review, since there was a remainder and one of the teams had to have an extra player) then let them go to the garden to find real-life examples of "acute angles," "parallel lines," "symmetry," etc. Once the "rowdy" class caught on, they enjoyed it immensely. They were clamoring all over me to show me their real-life math term and have them sign off on the matching BINGO square.
The 10:15 class got their party and they were really excited. They brought cake and snacks to share, and we played "Heads Up, 7 Up." The neighboring class heard all our fun and the teacher asked if they could come over. (This is the same teacher who saw me get upset with this group of kids the other day. He is not a very good role model, being immature in his interaction with the kids, so I saw this as an opportunity to be a good example. Asked the Lord for wisdom...) We all had fun playing and it was an enjoyable time.
My next art class got upset that they weren't having a party, but settled down once I explained that on our last day together we would also have a party if they could keep their five stars. They did a great job (until the very end) and I enjoyed taking pictures of them with their sketchbooks. They were the only class to finish their "God Sees Me" books!
Feeling really refreshed by the time the half hour break came around (and so thankful I didn't have to keep any of the classes for the break.) The second math class enjoyed BINGO as well, though some of the kids didn't participate. I actually had 8th graders come up and want to join in, so I gave them their own BINGO card and they had a blast! We caused such a stir that one of the other teachers asked me if I had BINGO cards for vocabulary words ... I told him I would email the template to him so he could create his own.
One more break that went by quickly, then my last 3rd grade art class for the day. I ended up letting them go to the garden since tomorrow is my last day with them and I'm not sure we'll be able to have a party. I have to go to the Residency Office and get my visa extended (and we never know how long that might take).
Left school, then got a text from "Julee" saying she couldn't go to the orphanage, so I called T to let her know. I will definitely try to say goodbye before they leave to their "villages" for the summer. Used the time to make two "grocery" runs, then Stacy and I went over to John and Mary's for dinner. We laughed and talked for a long time afterwards. It was a refreshing time. I also got some nice cuddles from Henry (don't get jealous, Eithen)!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
May 7th through 8th (Days 120-121): HaPpInEsS
May 7th:
Really warm first thing this morning. I find that I have to walk on the shady side of the street, otherwise I've worked up a sweat by the time I get to school. (Perhaps it is more lady-like to say that I start perspiring? glowing? glistening?) The test went well in both classes. My afternoon math class was funny ... each class is supposed to greet their teacher, "Good Morning, Miss ..." or "Good Afternoon, Mister ..." Well today they weren't quite in unison, but at least they remembered that it was the afternoon (I usually tease them if they say "Good Morning.") Anyway, the third class down the hall really has it down. Just as my class was getting quiet and preparing for their test, the teacher must have walked into their room, because they belted out a loud, perfectly-timed greeting. My fourth graders looked at me, and I asked, "Do you think you can do better than that?" On the count of three, they had the whole hall echoing! It was pretty funny. I peeked my head out and looked at the third graders and they shook their heads, defeated.
During my breaks I had some funny conversations with the teachers. The guys were talking about their marriages - the meals they thought their wives would be able to cook, but learned afterwards that they couldn't, the jobs that their wives ask them to do around the house. It is funny that in a place so different from America, the conversations can sound so similar!
As I walked home, a dust storm kicked up. It was extremely windy and I was thankful I had brought my sunglasses ... I ended up wearing them to protect my eyes from the dust. Got home and made the meal for team dinner (pasta, parmesan, "sausage," and a little bit of arugula - a family recipe, except we usually have broccoli with it). Around 4, I went over to Mary's and we had some iPad time. She just got an iPad (her brother brought it from the States), so we played Scramble With Friends on our iPads ... I guess you could call it, cultivating our friendship via technology :) John watched a Star Trek episode while we played.
We taxied to Dan and Julie's for our team meeting. Since they won't be coming back next year, we spent some of our team time marking the things we would like for our apartments/houses. The rest will be sold to new, non-SGI family moving into their house. We ate a nice meal together. Julie made green beans with almonds, Lisa made cheesy bread, and Mary made cinnamon rolls for dessert. We laughed together A LOT. Next to the times when I get to help others, I think I'm happiest when everyone else is happy. Just seeing everyone bond over our students' antics and laughing about funny stories really made my day. Sitting around the table, sharing a meal together, I was reminded how much like a family we have become. Afterwards, we split into groups and shared how we're doing spiritually. As excited as I am to go home, I will miss these individuals who have helped me live life in such a challenging environment, laughed and cried with me, navigated difficult situations with me, and built me up.
May 8th:
The dust seems to have cleared up. At some point yesterday I realized that I haven't been consciously calling out to the Lord as often throughout the day, so this morning I spent time praying that God would remind me to depend more on Him. My morning class was tough ... and I asked the Lord for help a lot. (God answers prayer!) I had planned on letting them go to the garden because they had done so well on their test, but they couldn't sit still and be quiet long enough to get the lesson done quickly. I ended up keeping 8 boys after class. Three were given a warning for specific things they had done, three were held five minutes into their break, and the last two I was going to take to the principal. One of the boys had lied to me and told me he needed to go to the bathroom and went to the principal instead (showing him his test and saying that I had marked him wrong for a question he had done correctly); the other grabbed a girl's hair and was dragging her over the desk. They burst into tears when I told them they would need to see the principal - because I (and other teachers) have taken them so often, they've been told that they will be "dismissed" if there are further problems. I told them that they should have thought of that ahead of time, then prayed silently for wisdom. I told them that because they had hurt someone else (versus simply taking up my class time or talking, which only hurts themselves), I couldn't grant mercy and they would need to accept some kind of punishment. I decided that they both needed to write apology letters and turn them in tomorrow (neither of them seemed very pleased, but that wasn't the point). If they don't turn them in, then they will have to see the principal ... time will tell.
My 10:15 art class was pretty good. I told a few of the boys during the break that my 4th grade class was not very good for me, and would they help me out today? They agreed and were actually the best students in class. Some of the boys get incensed pretty quickly ("Miss, he say bad words to me.") and at least one tussle will break out. Today it didn't happen until nearly the end of class. It was definitely a better session than it has been the past few weeks.
My 12:15 math class remembered yesterday's greeting and topped it today! Most days, I have more fun with this second group of fourth graders. They are attentive and responsive, so I feel I can be a little more flexible. Unfortunately the last time I released them to the garden, they weren't very good for their Arabic teacher after me, so I told them today that I wouldn't let them go to the garden even though they had done well on their test. They were disappointed, but I hope they will remember that privilege comes with responsibility. Three of the boys were not attentive at all today, and I had to take them aside after class.
Worn out by the time school ended. But had a nice conversation with another teacher before heading for home. As I was leaving, the kids were just getting on their buses and some were sitting around waiting for their rides. I decided to stop and talk with them and it was nice to listen to them jabber away without having to tell them to be quiet and get to work. They asked me later why I stayed and I told them that I wanted to hear more about them instead of making them always listen to me. One of my little fourth graders (who has a brother in eighth grade) insisted on giving me a ride home, so I waited until their father showed up and got a ride with them.
I am becoming very Kurdish ... I ate, then took a nap when I got home. (A lot of the teachers that I've asked take naps in the afternoon, eat, grade papers, then sleep again from 2 in the morning until 6 or something like that). Anyway, I don't think I'll be going to bed at 2 any time soon! When I got up, I worked on the last test for math and the final (almost finished with it), then went over to John and Mary's around 8pm. We watched the first half of "Our Mutual Friend," based on the book by Charles Dickens, which I read and successfully finished two months ago. We've been trying to watch it since then, but just haven't had time. Mary made some amazing milkshakes - vanilla ice cream, milk, instant coffee, and chocolate pieces. Yummo! It was a good filler for my "Starbucks Frappuccino" craving... Mary and I managed to squeeze in a "couple" rounds of Scramble on our iPads too :P
Every night I find I can go to bed thankful for something! So much happiness ... my desire is to see it all coming from God, so that as the trials come, my affections will be grounded in Him.
Really warm first thing this morning. I find that I have to walk on the shady side of the street, otherwise I've worked up a sweat by the time I get to school. (Perhaps it is more lady-like to say that I start perspiring? glowing? glistening?) The test went well in both classes. My afternoon math class was funny ... each class is supposed to greet their teacher, "Good Morning, Miss ..." or "Good Afternoon, Mister ..." Well today they weren't quite in unison, but at least they remembered that it was the afternoon (I usually tease them if they say "Good Morning.") Anyway, the third class down the hall really has it down. Just as my class was getting quiet and preparing for their test, the teacher must have walked into their room, because they belted out a loud, perfectly-timed greeting. My fourth graders looked at me, and I asked, "Do you think you can do better than that?" On the count of three, they had the whole hall echoing! It was pretty funny. I peeked my head out and looked at the third graders and they shook their heads, defeated.
During my breaks I had some funny conversations with the teachers. The guys were talking about their marriages - the meals they thought their wives would be able to cook, but learned afterwards that they couldn't, the jobs that their wives ask them to do around the house. It is funny that in a place so different from America, the conversations can sound so similar!
As I walked home, a dust storm kicked up. It was extremely windy and I was thankful I had brought my sunglasses ... I ended up wearing them to protect my eyes from the dust. Got home and made the meal for team dinner (pasta, parmesan, "sausage," and a little bit of arugula - a family recipe, except we usually have broccoli with it). Around 4, I went over to Mary's and we had some iPad time. She just got an iPad (her brother brought it from the States), so we played Scramble With Friends on our iPads ... I guess you could call it, cultivating our friendship via technology :) John watched a Star Trek episode while we played.
We taxied to Dan and Julie's for our team meeting. Since they won't be coming back next year, we spent some of our team time marking the things we would like for our apartments/houses. The rest will be sold to new, non-SGI family moving into their house. We ate a nice meal together. Julie made green beans with almonds, Lisa made cheesy bread, and Mary made cinnamon rolls for dessert. We laughed together A LOT. Next to the times when I get to help others, I think I'm happiest when everyone else is happy. Just seeing everyone bond over our students' antics and laughing about funny stories really made my day. Sitting around the table, sharing a meal together, I was reminded how much like a family we have become. Afterwards, we split into groups and shared how we're doing spiritually. As excited as I am to go home, I will miss these individuals who have helped me live life in such a challenging environment, laughed and cried with me, navigated difficult situations with me, and built me up.
May 8th:
The dust seems to have cleared up. At some point yesterday I realized that I haven't been consciously calling out to the Lord as often throughout the day, so this morning I spent time praying that God would remind me to depend more on Him. My morning class was tough ... and I asked the Lord for help a lot. (God answers prayer!) I had planned on letting them go to the garden because they had done so well on their test, but they couldn't sit still and be quiet long enough to get the lesson done quickly. I ended up keeping 8 boys after class. Three were given a warning for specific things they had done, three were held five minutes into their break, and the last two I was going to take to the principal. One of the boys had lied to me and told me he needed to go to the bathroom and went to the principal instead (showing him his test and saying that I had marked him wrong for a question he had done correctly); the other grabbed a girl's hair and was dragging her over the desk. They burst into tears when I told them they would need to see the principal - because I (and other teachers) have taken them so often, they've been told that they will be "dismissed" if there are further problems. I told them that they should have thought of that ahead of time, then prayed silently for wisdom. I told them that because they had hurt someone else (versus simply taking up my class time or talking, which only hurts themselves), I couldn't grant mercy and they would need to accept some kind of punishment. I decided that they both needed to write apology letters and turn them in tomorrow (neither of them seemed very pleased, but that wasn't the point). If they don't turn them in, then they will have to see the principal ... time will tell.
My 10:15 art class was pretty good. I told a few of the boys during the break that my 4th grade class was not very good for me, and would they help me out today? They agreed and were actually the best students in class. Some of the boys get incensed pretty quickly ("Miss, he say bad words to me.") and at least one tussle will break out. Today it didn't happen until nearly the end of class. It was definitely a better session than it has been the past few weeks.
My 12:15 math class remembered yesterday's greeting and topped it today! Most days, I have more fun with this second group of fourth graders. They are attentive and responsive, so I feel I can be a little more flexible. Unfortunately the last time I released them to the garden, they weren't very good for their Arabic teacher after me, so I told them today that I wouldn't let them go to the garden even though they had done well on their test. They were disappointed, but I hope they will remember that privilege comes with responsibility. Three of the boys were not attentive at all today, and I had to take them aside after class.
Worn out by the time school ended. But had a nice conversation with another teacher before heading for home. As I was leaving, the kids were just getting on their buses and some were sitting around waiting for their rides. I decided to stop and talk with them and it was nice to listen to them jabber away without having to tell them to be quiet and get to work. They asked me later why I stayed and I told them that I wanted to hear more about them instead of making them always listen to me. One of my little fourth graders (who has a brother in eighth grade) insisted on giving me a ride home, so I waited until their father showed up and got a ride with them.
I am becoming very Kurdish ... I ate, then took a nap when I got home. (A lot of the teachers that I've asked take naps in the afternoon, eat, grade papers, then sleep again from 2 in the morning until 6 or something like that). Anyway, I don't think I'll be going to bed at 2 any time soon! When I got up, I worked on the last test for math and the final (almost finished with it), then went over to John and Mary's around 8pm. We watched the first half of "Our Mutual Friend," based on the book by Charles Dickens, which I read and successfully finished two months ago. We've been trying to watch it since then, but just haven't had time. Mary made some amazing milkshakes - vanilla ice cream, milk, instant coffee, and chocolate pieces. Yummo! It was a good filler for my "Starbucks Frappuccino" craving... Mary and I managed to squeeze in a "couple" rounds of Scramble on our iPads too :P
Every night I find I can go to bed thankful for something! So much happiness ... my desire is to see it all coming from God, so that as the trials come, my affections will be grounded in Him.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
May 1st through 2nd (Days 114-115): Growing Friendships
Forgot to mention yesterday:
1. The lawyer that T works for is our principal's son! What a small world!
2. As Stacy and I walked home from our team meeting last night, I saw something that I dearly wish I could've photographed. Two women were talking towards us. As they passed, the verse flashed through my mind, they are "blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." The first of the two women was rather tall and thin with a patch over one eye; her other was squinted shut. She had a deformity in one leg that made walking difficult. Her light-colored clothing was frayed and barely seemed to cover her long extremities. Holding her hand was another woman who was in many ways a complete opposite. Shorter and wider than her companion, the second woman was dressed in a black burka, an ensemble that completely covers the body, including the eyes. It was difficult to say who was leading whom ... an obvious parallel to the statement Jesus made.
May 1st:
Sent Mom an e-card with flowers for May Day. When we were in elementary school, Hannah and I used to pick a bunch of flowers on the way home from school, leave them on the doorstep, and run away after we rang the doorbell. As we got older and moved out of the house, we would order flowers and have them delivered. Now, I have to send her virtual ones!
Today is Labor Day here, so we didn't have any school. It was a pretty relaxed morning. I really felt the need to talk to Mom, but it was already 10pm their time. I was asking the Lord to help me look to Him for my comfort, when the thought crossed my mind that I ought to check Skype. God is so good to give us the earthly comforts we need ... Mom was online! She was just reading my blog and sending me an email, so we were in the same mindset! Had an encouraging time talking to her. She is always faithful to point me to the Lord and encourage me in truth.
Visited with Mary afterwards. With all the company and sight-seeing we haven't really been able to talk, so it was refreshing to know how she was doing and just get caught up on each other's lives. The enemy is quick to mark the slightest lack of communication and use that to stir up strife. I am so thankful for a team that squelches those attacks right away.
Stacy and I went out in the afternoon and bought ice cream, then brought them back to eat with Mary. (The guys went to Amedy, so it was just us girls). I spent most of the day catching up on emails and preparing the final examination for math.
For dinner, Stacy and I were planning on going to Sarky's, but they were closed. We ended up meeting John, Mary et al at the Tantuni restaurant, where they serve the rolled up sandwiches. Stacy and I had some time to kill before meeting them, so we went to a bookstore and I finally found a map of Iraq in English, an English-Kurdish verb book, and a picture dictionary in English-Kurdish! I've been looking for the last three months for resources like these and just now found them ... better late than never! After dinner, we all walked to a "gift store" about two blocks away - they have a lot of antiques there and some locally made things. Everything is heaped up in piles and crowded onto a few shelves against the wall. There is barely enough room to move around. All six of us piled in and reached over each other trying to find some good deals. Some of the items were pretty expensive, but we dug for the cheaper things and bartered with the owner. When I got back home, I went through my list of gifts to buy ... I think I am officially done! There are a few perishable things I want to get right before I leave, but I'm glad to know that I've found a lot of things I wanted to bring home and share with everyone.
May 2nd:
Funny how a day of doing nothing can make me so tired! A little slow getting up, but after my "cardio kickboxing" routine I was ready to go.
Had a pretty good class this morning ... at least they are improving. [I was telling Stacy how it used to be, "at the beginning of the year there were ten or so boys who were acting up. As soon as I disciplined one, another one popped up shouting and then another standing on his desk. You know it was like that game..." Stacy finished my sentence, "you mean, Whack-a-mole?" We busted up laughing!] Nowadays I really only have to deal with about three of the boys and talk to them after class; the rest I can look at and they'll quiet down.
[I have my window open as I'm writing this and I can hear thunder outside. It was pretty overcast today, sounds like a storm is moving in.]
Today was one class after the other. I had two art classes back-to-back. Both worked on their books really well. The first class had to sit quietly with their arms folded for a couple minutes, but then they got into their drawings and were fine for the rest of class. I was feeling a little discouraged during their session because during the break right before, the vice principal asked me to help at the art show (which I've already been working on with the other teachers). I failed to realize that he was asking for extra help (not asking if I had finished my portion), answered hastily, and immediately regretted not being more patient, especially as I realized that the rest of the teachers in the room were listening. A poor testimony on my part since I know that most of the teachers have little respect for the v.p. already. Another reminder not to walk in my own strength, trying to prove that I am capable! Anyway, I was little more subdued, but my kids never fail to cheer me up.
The 11am class was amazing ... again! I am so thankful for them. I've really seen a turn-around in two of the boys. They were the worst ones and made the class difficult. Now they are my best artists! The two pout-y girls have also come 180 degrees, so the class is pretty mild now.
Had a short lunch break, then off to the 12:15 math class. They are doing really well, even though I have two boys in the back who have turned their desk into a soccer field. By the end of the session, I have a handful of "soccer balls" (paper wads) that I've confiscated. Graded some papers, then off to the 1:45 art class. They usually start out a little rowdy, but settle down once we start drawing. Most of the girls want to take their books home to finish since they spend so much time coming up with a clever idea, start to draw, erase, and start again...
Walked home as fast as I could, then J (T re-named her, "Julee" after our first interview, so I'll start using that...) picked me up and we went to the girls' orphanage. We brought some beads and elastic so they could make bracelets and necklaces. The younger girls enjoyed it, but the older girls pulled me away after a little bit and we hung out in their room. We pieced together a conversation in English and Kurdish ... The call to prayer went out (or "answers to prayer" as Zander calls it), and the girls asked me how I pray in America. I tried to explain, but they didn't understand, so I asked them if they wanted me to show them. Even though they didn't understand most of it, I asked God to bless our time and help me learn to communicate with them. I had an enjoyable time. Julee dropped me back off at home, then I unwound for a bit before getting motivated to grade a stack of math papers.
Skyped with Lisa in the evening regarding the art show tomorrow ... her phone ran out of minutes. Technology is awfully convenient! Then headed for bed.
1. The lawyer that T works for is our principal's son! What a small world!
2. As Stacy and I walked home from our team meeting last night, I saw something that I dearly wish I could've photographed. Two women were talking towards us. As they passed, the verse flashed through my mind, they are "blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." The first of the two women was rather tall and thin with a patch over one eye; her other was squinted shut. She had a deformity in one leg that made walking difficult. Her light-colored clothing was frayed and barely seemed to cover her long extremities. Holding her hand was another woman who was in many ways a complete opposite. Shorter and wider than her companion, the second woman was dressed in a black burka, an ensemble that completely covers the body, including the eyes. It was difficult to say who was leading whom ... an obvious parallel to the statement Jesus made.
May 1st:
Sent Mom an e-card with flowers for May Day. When we were in elementary school, Hannah and I used to pick a bunch of flowers on the way home from school, leave them on the doorstep, and run away after we rang the doorbell. As we got older and moved out of the house, we would order flowers and have them delivered. Now, I have to send her virtual ones!
Today is Labor Day here, so we didn't have any school. It was a pretty relaxed morning. I really felt the need to talk to Mom, but it was already 10pm their time. I was asking the Lord to help me look to Him for my comfort, when the thought crossed my mind that I ought to check Skype. God is so good to give us the earthly comforts we need ... Mom was online! She was just reading my blog and sending me an email, so we were in the same mindset! Had an encouraging time talking to her. She is always faithful to point me to the Lord and encourage me in truth.
Visited with Mary afterwards. With all the company and sight-seeing we haven't really been able to talk, so it was refreshing to know how she was doing and just get caught up on each other's lives. The enemy is quick to mark the slightest lack of communication and use that to stir up strife. I am so thankful for a team that squelches those attacks right away.
Stacy and I went out in the afternoon and bought ice cream, then brought them back to eat with Mary. (The guys went to Amedy, so it was just us girls). I spent most of the day catching up on emails and preparing the final examination for math.
For dinner, Stacy and I were planning on going to Sarky's, but they were closed. We ended up meeting John, Mary et al at the Tantuni restaurant, where they serve the rolled up sandwiches. Stacy and I had some time to kill before meeting them, so we went to a bookstore and I finally found a map of Iraq in English, an English-Kurdish verb book, and a picture dictionary in English-Kurdish! I've been looking for the last three months for resources like these and just now found them ... better late than never! After dinner, we all walked to a "gift store" about two blocks away - they have a lot of antiques there and some locally made things. Everything is heaped up in piles and crowded onto a few shelves against the wall. There is barely enough room to move around. All six of us piled in and reached over each other trying to find some good deals. Some of the items were pretty expensive, but we dug for the cheaper things and bartered with the owner. When I got back home, I went through my list of gifts to buy ... I think I am officially done! There are a few perishable things I want to get right before I leave, but I'm glad to know that I've found a lot of things I wanted to bring home and share with everyone.
May 2nd:
Funny how a day of doing nothing can make me so tired! A little slow getting up, but after my "cardio kickboxing" routine I was ready to go.
Had a pretty good class this morning ... at least they are improving. [I was telling Stacy how it used to be, "at the beginning of the year there were ten or so boys who were acting up. As soon as I disciplined one, another one popped up shouting and then another standing on his desk. You know it was like that game..." Stacy finished my sentence, "you mean, Whack-a-mole?" We busted up laughing!] Nowadays I really only have to deal with about three of the boys and talk to them after class; the rest I can look at and they'll quiet down.
[I have my window open as I'm writing this and I can hear thunder outside. It was pretty overcast today, sounds like a storm is moving in.]
Today was one class after the other. I had two art classes back-to-back. Both worked on their books really well. The first class had to sit quietly with their arms folded for a couple minutes, but then they got into their drawings and were fine for the rest of class. I was feeling a little discouraged during their session because during the break right before, the vice principal asked me to help at the art show (which I've already been working on with the other teachers). I failed to realize that he was asking for extra help (not asking if I had finished my portion), answered hastily, and immediately regretted not being more patient, especially as I realized that the rest of the teachers in the room were listening. A poor testimony on my part since I know that most of the teachers have little respect for the v.p. already. Another reminder not to walk in my own strength, trying to prove that I am capable! Anyway, I was little more subdued, but my kids never fail to cheer me up.
The 11am class was amazing ... again! I am so thankful for them. I've really seen a turn-around in two of the boys. They were the worst ones and made the class difficult. Now they are my best artists! The two pout-y girls have also come 180 degrees, so the class is pretty mild now.
Had a short lunch break, then off to the 12:15 math class. They are doing really well, even though I have two boys in the back who have turned their desk into a soccer field. By the end of the session, I have a handful of "soccer balls" (paper wads) that I've confiscated. Graded some papers, then off to the 1:45 art class. They usually start out a little rowdy, but settle down once we start drawing. Most of the girls want to take their books home to finish since they spend so much time coming up with a clever idea, start to draw, erase, and start again...
Walked home as fast as I could, then J (T re-named her, "Julee" after our first interview, so I'll start using that...) picked me up and we went to the girls' orphanage. We brought some beads and elastic so they could make bracelets and necklaces. The younger girls enjoyed it, but the older girls pulled me away after a little bit and we hung out in their room. We pieced together a conversation in English and Kurdish ... The call to prayer went out (or "answers to prayer" as Zander calls it), and the girls asked me how I pray in America. I tried to explain, but they didn't understand, so I asked them if they wanted me to show them. Even though they didn't understand most of it, I asked God to bless our time and help me learn to communicate with them. I had an enjoyable time. Julee dropped me back off at home, then I unwound for a bit before getting motivated to grade a stack of math papers.
Skyped with Lisa in the evening regarding the art show tomorrow ... her phone ran out of minutes. Technology is awfully convenient! Then headed for bed.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
April 23rd through 24th (Days 106-107): Short and Sweet
April 23rd:
One of those days when I am happy to be alone in my thoughts. The weekend stirred up a lot of emotions and thoughts, so it was good to take some time to process them. School went well. I only taught the two math classes, but had a lot of grading and a couple meetings. By the time I got home, I was tired (I haven't slept well the last two nights and am still tired from the picnic). I really wanted to take a nap, but had a cup of tea and powered through so I could write my math test for tomorrow. John, Mary, Stacy and I headed off for our team meeting at 5pm. Lisa made chicken biryani (a Kurdish dish), Mary made hummus, and Stacy made a cucumber, tomato salad. It was nice to have the week off! Julie made frozen fruit salad for dessert, which we polished off without a problem. Julie's parents are visiting, so they joined us for our meeting. The highlight of the evening was feeding Zephie her rice cereal. Lisa just started her on it this last week, so it reminded me of feeding Eithen his first cereal. Seeing how much Zephie and Henry have grown in four months makes me wonder how much Eithen has changed...
April 24th:
Went to the copy room to get my tests printed and much to my relief there was a ream of paper sitting on the copier. Plenty of paper to get enough tests copied ... and then ... "Believe me, Miss, we are all out of ink! It will be an hour." Ohhh... We improvised and the "rowdy" class got a review day. Some of the kids were having a really hard time focusing, so I let the "good" team go to the garden early and made the others review the lessons until they were sitting still. Thankfully there was enough paper by the time I got to my second 4th grade class (who can't handle change). I graded their tests afterwards and am encouraged to see that they're improving! We'll see how the test goes tomorrow for the other class...
When I got home, I changed into comfy clothes and made a frozen banana smoothie. Got an email notification regarding my flight home, so I called the airlines. It turns out that the carrier changed for one of my flights ... of course that was only established after a 45 minute phone call on hold. Cooked up some sausage, egg, spinach, and cheese for dinner, then decided I would make some more granola, since I had finished it off this morning and need to eat up the rest of the dates. I realized I didn't have honey, so I had to change into long-sleeves, pants, and a long shirt for a trip around the corner. After some charades, I figured out the word for honey. Unfortunately the first two places I tried didn't have any, so I had to go a little further and got some with the honeycomb too ... Came home and threw the granola together, trying not to keep the oven on too long, since it has been getting warmer and warmer in the afternoons.
Spent the remainder of the evening resting...
One of those days when I am happy to be alone in my thoughts. The weekend stirred up a lot of emotions and thoughts, so it was good to take some time to process them. School went well. I only taught the two math classes, but had a lot of grading and a couple meetings. By the time I got home, I was tired (I haven't slept well the last two nights and am still tired from the picnic). I really wanted to take a nap, but had a cup of tea and powered through so I could write my math test for tomorrow. John, Mary, Stacy and I headed off for our team meeting at 5pm. Lisa made chicken biryani (a Kurdish dish), Mary made hummus, and Stacy made a cucumber, tomato salad. It was nice to have the week off! Julie made frozen fruit salad for dessert, which we polished off without a problem. Julie's parents are visiting, so they joined us for our meeting. The highlight of the evening was feeding Zephie her rice cereal. Lisa just started her on it this last week, so it reminded me of feeding Eithen his first cereal. Seeing how much Zephie and Henry have grown in four months makes me wonder how much Eithen has changed...
April 24th:
Went to the copy room to get my tests printed and much to my relief there was a ream of paper sitting on the copier. Plenty of paper to get enough tests copied ... and then ... "Believe me, Miss, we are all out of ink! It will be an hour." Ohhh... We improvised and the "rowdy" class got a review day. Some of the kids were having a really hard time focusing, so I let the "good" team go to the garden early and made the others review the lessons until they were sitting still. Thankfully there was enough paper by the time I got to my second 4th grade class (who can't handle change). I graded their tests afterwards and am encouraged to see that they're improving! We'll see how the test goes tomorrow for the other class...
When I got home, I changed into comfy clothes and made a frozen banana smoothie. Got an email notification regarding my flight home, so I called the airlines. It turns out that the carrier changed for one of my flights ... of course that was only established after a 45 minute phone call on hold. Cooked up some sausage, egg, spinach, and cheese for dinner, then decided I would make some more granola, since I had finished it off this morning and need to eat up the rest of the dates. I realized I didn't have honey, so I had to change into long-sleeves, pants, and a long shirt for a trip around the corner. After some charades, I figured out the word for honey. Unfortunately the first two places I tried didn't have any, so I had to go a little further and got some with the honeycomb too ... Came home and threw the granola together, trying not to keep the oven on too long, since it has been getting warmer and warmer in the afternoons.
Spent the remainder of the evening resting...
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