Safe and Sound

Life here has been very busy for the last month.  In my new role as Head of Faculty, I've been assisting with lots and lots of teacher evaluations.  All staff must have at least one prior to the end of the first trimester.  My heart always fills with joy when I visit classrooms, whether here or at home.  I see the workmanship and love teachers put into their students.  Teaching is a hard job that often goes unappreciated by some other professions.  If you ever want to smile or are having a hard day, just go visit a kindergarten classroom.  Smiles and joy are everywhere!

Here is a second grade classroom that I visited that was putting on a play  

Each day is always a challenge...especially here with the language barrier.  I'm honored to have so many good, hard working teachers here that make my job easy....well most of the time.  There are days that make you wonder....what was I thinking, but as a whole I love what I do everyday.  God continues to bless me each day and I'm thankful :)  

This week is a special time here in the UAE...National Day celebrations. The UAE has only been an independent country for 43 years, previously controlled by England.  Their influence can still be seen today in the intense love for tea here and even in the spellings of words (i.e. colour).  I am attaching a few pics from the celebrations:

Now, as I'm sure most of you are aware, there has been a murder of an American teacher in Abu Dhabi. I did not know the female teacher involved in the incident and have never been to the mall where the event occurred.  I live about and hour and a half away from the city of Abu Dhabi where it happened. From what I've read in the local newspapers, some are saying there was a verbal altercation in a restroom that led to the horrendous act....not terrorist related.  For all my family and friends who are worried, violence is very rare here and I feel very safe.  I would feel safe walking to the grocery store for a loaf of bread at night in my neighborhood. No worries...I'm always very careful.  This isolated event was a tragedy for the woman and her twin children.  Please pray for her family and that the guilty person is brought to justice.  Things like this make us all a little more cautious and hold our loved ones closer.  Continue to pray for my safety and for God's will to be done in my life.  I miss you all dearly and look forward to the next time I see your smiling faces :) Until we meet again!  

God's Blessings

As the end of the first month of school has come and gone, I feel like an update needs to be made to my blog.  It has been a whirlwind…..School began on August 24 with teachers and September 1 with students.  I began a new role as Head of Faculty at Al Wagan Cycle 1 School.  Oh, the joys of a new job….the uncertainty of where everything is located when someone needs something, finding files on a computer from the previous Head of Faculty when needed, and dealing with a new administration team that has to learn each other.  I was welcomed with open arms by the entire staff and they’ve been very supportive of me in my new role. 

The biggest challenge thus far has been staffing our school.  There are no substitutes here, so we have to cover absent teachers with staff in the building.  Teachers give up their planning time to help cover classes when someone is absent or not in the country yet.  For the first two weeks, I was teaching children almost every day….glad to do my part until all the staff arrives and makes it through the long process of getting to the schools.  I learned a lot about myself those days…..I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me.  I can teach any grade level, songs work well with any grade level and everybody just wants a little structure.  The last of our Cycle 1 (Grade 1-5) teachers arrived last week and I have to say they have all been real troopers about jumping in with both feet.  They’ve worked hard and made my transition into this job as easy as could be expected.  I’m blessed to work with such a caring and professional staff. 

This weekend, I attended my second local wedding.  One of our teacher’s sons was getting married and the staff was invited to attend.  I must say this is the most fun I’ve seen in one room in a long time.  All the ladies from work who are normally covered in abayas, their hair is always covered, and some have their faces covered.... took off the abayas, uncovered their hair, uncovered their faces, and put on formal dresses.  I barely recognized some of them….they were all gorgeous and enjoying life.  Dancing, laughing, enjoying each other’s company and acting like sisters….warmed my heart.  You could just feel the love in the room.  They were genuinely happy to see us and welcomed us with open arms.  They treated us as family.  After a long week at work, this was exactly what the doctor ordered. 

Spent a lot of time over this long weekend thinking…yes, those of you who know me well are thinking this is dangerous :).  The song "Blessings" by Laura Story has some profound words...Sometimes blessings come through raindrops. Trials of this world are your mercies in disguise. The last four months of my life have been stressful and emotional to say the least, but I made it through the storm.  I came out on the other side….yes,  a little wounded and beaten up, but I’m a stronger person for all of it.   I've been blessed with "real" friends who've been there to hold my hand, cry with me, laugh with me, and tell me everything's going to be okay.  You all know who you are, but just know I consider you a blessing from God.  For the first time in 22 years, I'm single again and don't know what the future holds.  I’ve been told that I’m a piece of work….yes, God’s work.  I'm his masterpiece....no matter how much of a mess I am.  He knows every inch of me and will never give me more than I can handle. I know that whatever lies ahead for me is in God’s hands.  He knows my future and the path for me…I pray every day for his will to be done through me and  I pray for all my dear friends and family.  Hope God blesses you and keeps you safe until we meet again  :) 

Year Three: Staring Bravely Into the Future

At the end of last school year, I was exhausted and needed to recharge my batteries and rejuvenate for the coming days.  Spending precious time with my girls, my Mom, and my friends this Summer have helped me do so. I feel so blessed to have you all in my life. Thanks for all the great meals, laughter, trips down memory lane, and words of wisdom shared this summer.  I truly couldn't have made it without you. Leaving home was extra hard this year...saying goodbye was difficult.

One of the hardest parts of working abroad is not having your family here.  I am fortunate to say that God has placed some good friends in my life here that act as my family.  We all look out for each like sisters and mothers.  As I look forward to the beginning of my third year here in the UAE, some of my family members have not returned this year.  Jenny O, I will so miss our deep conversations over pad Thai and Shake Shack :).  Even though you are far away, you will always be in my heart.

Today marks the end of my Summer vacation...sad to see my days as a woman of leisure ending.  The alarm will ring at 4:30 am and it's officially over.  I'm sad to see my Summer ending, but am excited to get back on a schedule and see what God has planned for my life this year.  Can't wait to see all my friends from school and catch up with them before the real work starts.  Laughter, hugs, and kisses will fill the entrance of my school tomorrow :)  

As you may recall from last year, I will be moving into a new role at Al Wagan...Cycle 1 Head of Faculty     (Grades 1-5) , which means I won't be in the classroom . Helping new teachers assimilate to the culture, curriculum, and teaching strategies will be my main job.  I look forward to working to help make my school the best it can be. I will miss the day to day interaction with the children, but know where to find my babies if I need a fix :)

There will be new administration staff this year since my previous principal went back to Ireland after completing her two year contract.  Since we are so far out in the desert, it is hard to find people who want to work here.  Hoping tomorrow to meet my new principal, but if not there, the Assistant Vice Principals (one Arabic and one English) and Heads of Faculty (KG and me) will have added responsibilities.

Change can be scary but is necessary to move forward.  Many challenges lie ahead for me professionally and personally . As the year begins, I'm asking that all my prayer warriors lift me and my school up.  God has a reason for me being here...I'm not sure why, but he does.  I just pray each day that his will be done through me.  I may be the only God others see so try my best every day to be a caring, compassionate friend and teacher.  Some days are harder than others and the road gets tough. I always remember that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I promise to take this journey with you and continue my blog for the third year. Until we meet again :)

Year 2 Reflections

As I come to the end of my second year in the UAE, can't help but reflect upon this experience.  Year 1 involved more assimilating to the culture.  Year two was the settling in year and becoming more comfortable in my own skin.  Being so far away from your family can be very daunting at times.  Having a strong support system is so important.  God has placed people in my life that have given me words of encouragement, support, and hugs when needed.  This year has been very challenging for a lot of reasons, but I survived and did very well.

My administrators decided my skill could be used better in Cycle 1 (Grade 1-5).  I looped up with my children from KG2.  One class on the boys side and one class on the girls side of the school (Remember KG is the only place where boys and girls are educated together).  I had to cart all my centers from one side to the next and set up two classrooms.  The first two months almost sent me over the edge, but I came up with a system and figured it out.  LOVE my children and wouldn't give anything for the experience of working with them again.

As the year progressed, I became a model for other teachers in using the New School Model and having a true center-based approach to teaching.  I love the people I work with and they are my sisters....I'm very close to them.  There are people from all over the world in my school.  I enjoy talking with them and learning about their cultures and the difference in what words mean in different countries.  When we had a potluck at school, everyone brought something this week and the array of food was astonishing.  Everyone wants you to try their food and they are all shoving it on my plate.  I tried it all...must say I'm more adventurous about trying new foods.  Need to walk a little extra this week :)

We have two more weeks of school before breaking for summer.  Ramadan will begin tomorrow morning. Muslims will fast from sunrise to sunset...no food or water.  After sunset, they have huge feasts called iftar. Think Thanksgiving meal size helpings.  They do this for 30 days.  Tomorrow will be interesting at school. This is the first time we've been in school during Ramadan since I came here.  We will be respectful and not eat or drink in the presence of Muslims during fasting hours. School hours will be reduced because fasting makes you very tired. Restaurants will be closed during the middle of the day and will open around 7 pm when locals can eat and are open for extended hours (til early in the morning hours).  Looking forward to experiencing this....no worries...I'm still a Southern Baptist :)

As this year comes to an end, I'm sad to see some of my friends return to their home countries never to return to the UAE.  People come in and out of your life here.  Most only staying a few years.  However short the time, they make a big impact.  Since many of us don't have family here, we become each others UAE family.  I wish all my friends good luck and send you away with lots of love and light from me.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this year:

My favorite dress for work.  I feel like a "princess". 

Spending Christmas with Nicole, Alex, and Ethan.  Thanks for making me a part of your family :)

The long bus ride to school. 

Dune bashing....LOVE!

Beautiful!

Dressed as Grandma for Little Red Riding Hood.  My children loved my outfit and talked about it for days :)

Learning to use chopsticks and my first sushi.  

My first brunch.  Teresa, Beth, Latoya, and I.  

Jenny and Beth....best friends.  Jenny we will miss you!  

Next year promises to be a year of discovery for me.  I have been promoted to Head of Faculty (HOF) in the UAE.  This position is similar to the Academic Coach job I recently held in the US.  I'm super proud of myself because I returned to the classroom here after being in admin for 10 year and had a very successful experience.  I've always prided myself in not forgetting what its like to be in the classroom...where the rubber meets the road.  Experiencing teaching here is very different than anything I've ever taught in the US. Strategies that work in US don't work here.  Made me really think on my feet.  I look forward to moving into this new position and doing whatever I can to help teachers.

I ask for your continued prayers in having God use me for his will.  I truly believe I'm supposed to be here....for what reason, I'm not sure.  God knows.  I'm listening and keeping an open mind about his path for me.  I look forward to coming home July 11-Aug 18ish and seeing my family and friends.  El Girasol, Smoakies, and all my favorite restaurants are on my "to do" list.  Would love to visit with as many people as possible.  On July 11, my US number will work.  If you would like to visit, just call or message.  Look forward to seeing your smiling faces :)  Until we meet again :)

Things you want to know

As the end of January approaches, winter has set in here.  Temps range from 47-70 during the day. To all my friends who have had bitter cold this winter, I apologize for this statement...it's cold here in the morning (think I have climatized). Apartments here only have air..no heat and I'm scared of space heaters.  Tile floors make your feet cold and socks are my best friend.

Each morning when I wake @ 4:30, I have one thought that comes into my head....will there be fog?  The threat of heavy fog is always a real possibility during winter.  Thickest fog I've ever seen.  Leaving before 6:00 every morning makes the travel more dangerous if there is fog...not to mention the careless drivers.  Our school implemented a "fog" tree so we can be notified if there is a delay in the start of school.  We ride 86 km out into the desert to work.  Fog is the worst about half way out.  Can be clear in Al Ain, where I live, and dense fog just few km outside of town.

We pull over to the side of the road and wait for the driving conditions to improve.

While sitting by the side of the road, our children are told there will be a delay to the beginning of school whenever possible. Any teacher knows that when the students routines change it affects their behavior and this impacts instructional time.  We have a list of standards required to teach each trimester and this pushes us to teach more in less time.  We have standards based report cards where these specific standards have to be marked.  

I am so proud of the progress my students have made since the beginning of school.  They are beginning to use more and more English and are truly beginning to understand more of what I ask them to do.  I've been working really hard reviewing sounds, letters, sight words, and blending, blending, blending.  One of my boys was looking at a word and said /rokk/....rock.  I was one proud Momma because he was attending to the print and making English sounds :)    He knew all the sounds but didn't know to blend c and k together.  Another lesson for another day.  We have been working really hard in our centers.  Here are a few pics:

We are working on building number sense to 20 (number bonds)

ABC Order-"O" is wearing a shela (she's one of my favorites :)  I admit it! ).  

Girls usually begin to wear shelas in 5th grade, but her family asks her to wear one every Thursday. 

 She is very proud of her shela and I make a big deal about it to encourage O.  

Working hard!

                 Cut apart stories.  Our first time with no model and have to look in English book. 
                                        They did very well for the first time....proud of them :)

Each week brings new challenges....next week addition.  Should be interesting :)
Now for a side note.....recently I've had a lot of questions. Many people are very curious about this experience and where I am, so here are the answers to the most asked questions I receive:  

• Where do you live?  I live in Al Ain in the emirants of  Abu Dhabi, which is part of the United Arab    Emirates (There are 7 emirates).  Al Ain is half way between the city of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.  It is  a middle sized community of about 300,000 people.  The neighborhood I live in is family oriented  and mostly teachers and other expats (foreigners) live in this area. I have two-bedroom      apartment. All the occupants of this building are single or married teachers with no children in the      UAE.

• What can you wear to work?  I have to be covered from ankle (long skirts or pants) and 3/4 arms or wrists (3/4 length Coldwater Creek no iron work just fine).  I am not required to wear a head covering (shela) because I am not Muslim.  The girls like my short hair :)  Women here tend to have long hair and  it is covered with a shela so don't see in public. When going out, I dress respectfully in accordance with appropriate dress for here (no cleavage or revealing clothes).  A pair of jeans and a respectful blouse that isn't too revealing or form fitting work for grocery store, etc. I see many foreigners that wear clothes that are inappropriate, but feel need to be respectful of the culture here.

• Can you drive there?  Yes, I have a rental car.  I have a UAE drivers license and USA.  The UAE  is one of the most liberal Middle Eastern countries.  Local women must have permission from their    husbands to drive here.  Thus, many locals have hired drivers because husband doesn't allow wife  to drive. Driving here can be very dangerous. There are over 10,000 accidents a year in the UAE.  Drivers may drive 20km over the speed limit without a ticket.  There are traffic cameras that take  your picture and receive ticket in mail.  Fingers crossed none for me yet....may have just cursed  myself.

• What's it really like there?  Well, it's not like you see on tv or the news.  Where I live, there are lots of families and I feel completely safe here.  Would even walk to the grocery store at night if needed   something.  I've never felt scared here and have been treated with great respect for the most part.     There are times when I have been talked down to by an older man or a man broke in line in front of me. I must admit that at first it really bothered me and I never said anything. Now, as I become more confident with my Arabic, I say something.  Two men broke in front of me the other day and I said,   "This is a problem." in Arabic.  The man behind the counter looked stunned that I would say something and in Arabic.  He made them go back to their spots :)  I am very respectful of their culture, but these men were Egyptian and manners are manners.

• What do you eat?  Lots of fresh food with no hormones.  Milk and bread only last a few days because there are no preservatives.  Lots and lots of chicken here and they are the regular size.  First time I saw a "real" chicken, it looked anemic.  I was used to the large chickens in US.  There is food from almost  every nation here and I've tried a lot of new things that would've never tried before.  I love falafal (looks like hush puppy but is ground beans with spices), shawarma (chicken, veggies, garlic mayo, wrapped in arabic bread), and there's lots of American fast food places that deliver to your door (trouble)...Applebee's, Chili's, McDonald's, Burger King, etc... Eating is a big part of this culture, so no shortage of choices.  Just had to be open to try new things.  I always look forward to eating all my favorites back home....dream of El Girasol queso dip (sure sign of a fat kid).

February is approaching quickly and more challenges are on the horizon.  Pray for me because there are decisions that will need to be made...my 2 year contract is up and have to decide if staying here and renewing for another year or moving back to the US and try to find a job there.  God will show me the answer in his time, so just have to be patient :)  Lots of love to my family and friends...I miss you all!  Hope the weather warms up for you and have a more "normal" winter.  Until we meet again.