August 11, 2010
Wow! After four years of college, I finally have my own classroom and a “regular” “full time” job! School started Tuesday. This is an International school so we are using American Curriculum and attempting to meet American standards, yet we are less than half Americans. I have children from Switzerland, Holland, Korea, India and the United States. Many of them are still struggling with the English language and they all experience varying levels of difficulty being “third culture kids.” A since of where do I belong? And Where am I from? Lingers. I also put “full time” in quotations because like many first year teachers, I have spent many hours at school since I have been in Indonesia. I feel like I have lived at school the last few days, only going home to crash at 11pm.
I have been really busy and slightly overwhelmed by my first year of teaching first grade and all that it entails…….. but over all I have been loving almost every minute of it! I love teaching, having my own classroom and students. I feel especially blessed to be at an amazing school like Mountainview. I only have 10 students (so far), so the class size is really nice, the students are really good(so far;)), I get along really well with all the faculty. I have great support staff like our fill in Principal (Ginger), Secretary (Ibu Hesti), and my TA (Pita). They have been great about if I need something, they will find it or make a suggestion of how to improvise. At first I didn’t have my curriculum and know how I wanted to teach, so I didn’t know what to do with my help, but now I have found a ton of things that an assistant can help with! The curriculum was not as rigorous as typical for the United States last year and many were set back by just learning English for the first time. The new curriculum is closer tied to the U.S., so now I have to play catch up with these kids. They are sweet fresh babes who are overwhelmed by a reeeeaaaalllllly long day. This is their first week back, and none of them have gone to school all day every day of the week. Before lunch, they are already asking, is it time to go home soon? I love their sweet smiles and joyful hearts!
Thank you for all your prayers and support in this time, I really feel your prayers…I have had way more strength than I should the last few days. And many of you made encouraging comments on my facebook wall too that really blessed me!
Some first day shocks………….When you go to an international school in Indonesia it typical that your helper brings your lunch freshly prepared to school, and that your driver comes and pick you up!...Im not joking, these are my first graders! Manuel labor is really cheap here, and the saying I have heard often to describe what seems a little ridiculous is, Either you have a helper, or you are one. Having a helper, is giving someone a job. Honestly, I could not teach, at least not well without my helper. The way shopping is done here (daily in the very chaotic market), clothes are washed here (by hand), food that I know how to cook is expensive, fruits and vegetables need to be washed very well (or I will get sick), things get dirty very quickly….to say the least, I wouldn’t survive very well without my helper…Ibu Citi…..and my wonderful friends who translate for me about random things at random times.
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