In Abu Dhabi, the school week runs Sunday through Thursday. Friday is the sabbath almost all stores are closed until after lunch and some don't open at all. So, Saturday night, I didn't sleep well anticipating the first day of school....just like in Cordele. Sunday morning at 5:40 a.m. (I am not kidding!), I was picked up by an airconditioned bus with 10 other lady teachers from my school. If you are housed more than 50 km away from your school, ADEC provides transportation to and from your school. The bus I ride is a cross between a small school bus and a greyhound...comfy seats and room to stretch out. The ladies who ride the bus are lots of fun and make the early mornings very enjoyable. We are headed to Al Wagan (pronounced Wagon) which is a co-ed school. Boys on one half of the school and girls on the other. There is a special wing for the KG1 and KG2 classes. KG1 is ages 2-4(yep!) and KG2 are 5 years old. KG2 is more like a pre-k at the beginning and builds into kindergarten material. The building is new, so the rooms are very pretty and the have glass walls so everyone can see and hear what the children are doing.
The night before school, my Head of Faculty called to let me know that I would be a floater for the day and help as needed. When I arrived at school on Sunday, they had assigned me a KG2 homeroom. Remember, I've never even seen the school before today. Is the door decorated? Are the bulletin boards done? Do I know how to find the bathroom? NO! For a moment, I went.....WHAT! Then I realized that I was famous for saying I could teach school if I only had a dry erase marker and a board. Well...today might be that day. Fortunately, in KG2, there is an Arabic teacher and an English teacher because the students are so young and just learning a new language. My Arabic counterpart, Hanaa (pronounced like Hannah) had some things in her centers that I put into baskets for the early arrivers. Parents always want to talk and you don't want to leave the children without something to do. I found crayons, pencils, etc. and tried to come up with a game plan for the day. Hanaa came in about 20 minutes later and told me not to worry that the children would trickle in today and be prepared for them to interrupt the class (just like America). I couldn't help but feel at knot in the back of my throat...this was real! Children were about to come in my room...did I still have it? I've been out of the classroom for almost 9 years!
When the doors opened to let parents into our hall, it was like open house in American schools. Huge crowds of people coming down the hall like a herd of cattle with screaming children in tow! There are mothers and nannies bringing children! In Abu Dhabi, nannies literally raise children and in some families spend more time with them than their parents. Most of the nannies are not Emirates (as we would say in Georgia...foreigners) and speak broken English. They often become nannies as a way to acquire housing and to be able to send back money to the family. Most nannies are live-in here and work 6-7 days a week 24 hours a day (no kidding). There are nannies that are sponsored by a family and are "legal" and then there are others who are not. Some nannies are part of the family and others are treated very poorly and look miserable. Many of the children think of the nanny as Mom.
Class lists are posted outside the door, but there's last minute changes (nothing new!). Parents,children, and nannies rush up and down the hall looking for their babies' teacher. Most children are looped with last year's teacher between KG1 and KG2. Since I am "new", I have an assortment (always fun!). KG1 and 2 are mixed classes (boys and girls) and this is the only grades that this will occur. The Arabic parents are trying to communicate with me, but no habla Arabic. Thank goodness for Hanaa. She knows most of the parents and the children from last year. These parents don't know me, so I'm the "new" teacher and no one ever wants the "new" teacher. Everyone wants to be in the same class with all 20 of their best friends (just like America).
Since the children are so young, it's like pre-k and K. Most of the children were fine, but there were some cryers (sp.?) who hold onto mom's abaya or the nanny's hand and are very shy. After some coaxing, all the children are at the tables enjoying playing with blocks and other toys and I'm thinking the grown ups are leaving......NOPE! I have a room of about 22 students and there are 12 mothers with some small children sitting in the front corner of my room while I'm trying to get the children settled. I begin talking about who I am, where I came from, told them where I live now, and how excited I was to be here. Told them I'd been a teacher for 23 years and that I would bring a picture of my children, husband, and cat (Mufasa) so they could see my family. Picture this....I'm doing all this talking...Hanna is repeating everything in Arabic, and the grown ups are in the front of the room having social hour. When they weren't talking, they sat like people do when they watch tv. Most of these women haven't been in schools or seen how teachers teach. They stayed until 10:00....when we went home for the first day. I survived the day with no wounds!!!!! Started putting my procedures in place for classroom management and felt good, but tired!!!
At 11, all the KG teachers had a grade level meeting with our Head of Faculty (Academic Coach) to discuss numbers and changes for tomorrow. Meetings are bi-lingual here. The HOF speaks English and then an Arabic teacher translates for the Arabic teachers. Meetings are a little longer, but this group of ladies were a "hoot!" Even though I don't speak Arabic, there's a way a lady can shake her finger and have a sassiness that needed no interpretation. Arabic women are very passionate about what they believe, so there is always lively discussion. This tight-knit group of educators welcomed me with open arms and were so impressed that I stepped up and taught without any preparation. On a wing and a prayer, my first day was a success. Remember how tired you are on the first day of school...couldn't feel my feet when I left....teachers know that feeling....Maybe I still have it!
The night before school, my Head of Faculty called to let me know that I would be a floater for the day and help as needed. When I arrived at school on Sunday, they had assigned me a KG2 homeroom. Remember, I've never even seen the school before today. Is the door decorated? Are the bulletin boards done? Do I know how to find the bathroom? NO! For a moment, I went.....WHAT! Then I realized that I was famous for saying I could teach school if I only had a dry erase marker and a board. Well...today might be that day. Fortunately, in KG2, there is an Arabic teacher and an English teacher because the students are so young and just learning a new language. My Arabic counterpart, Hanaa (pronounced like Hannah) had some things in her centers that I put into baskets for the early arrivers. Parents always want to talk and you don't want to leave the children without something to do. I found crayons, pencils, etc. and tried to come up with a game plan for the day. Hanaa came in about 20 minutes later and told me not to worry that the children would trickle in today and be prepared for them to interrupt the class (just like America). I couldn't help but feel at knot in the back of my throat...this was real! Children were about to come in my room...did I still have it? I've been out of the classroom for almost 9 years!
When the doors opened to let parents into our hall, it was like open house in American schools. Huge crowds of people coming down the hall like a herd of cattle with screaming children in tow! There are mothers and nannies bringing children! In Abu Dhabi, nannies literally raise children and in some families spend more time with them than their parents. Most of the nannies are not Emirates (as we would say in Georgia...foreigners) and speak broken English. They often become nannies as a way to acquire housing and to be able to send back money to the family. Most nannies are live-in here and work 6-7 days a week 24 hours a day (no kidding). There are nannies that are sponsored by a family and are "legal" and then there are others who are not. Some nannies are part of the family and others are treated very poorly and look miserable. Many of the children think of the nanny as Mom.
Class lists are posted outside the door, but there's last minute changes (nothing new!). Parents,children, and nannies rush up and down the hall looking for their babies' teacher. Most children are looped with last year's teacher between KG1 and KG2. Since I am "new", I have an assortment (always fun!). KG1 and 2 are mixed classes (boys and girls) and this is the only grades that this will occur. The Arabic parents are trying to communicate with me, but no habla Arabic. Thank goodness for Hanaa. She knows most of the parents and the children from last year. These parents don't know me, so I'm the "new" teacher and no one ever wants the "new" teacher. Everyone wants to be in the same class with all 20 of their best friends (just like America).
Since the children are so young, it's like pre-k and K. Most of the children were fine, but there were some cryers (sp.?) who hold onto mom's abaya or the nanny's hand and are very shy. After some coaxing, all the children are at the tables enjoying playing with blocks and other toys and I'm thinking the grown ups are leaving......NOPE! I have a room of about 22 students and there are 12 mothers with some small children sitting in the front corner of my room while I'm trying to get the children settled. I begin talking about who I am, where I came from, told them where I live now, and how excited I was to be here. Told them I'd been a teacher for 23 years and that I would bring a picture of my children, husband, and cat (Mufasa) so they could see my family. Picture this....I'm doing all this talking...Hanna is repeating everything in Arabic, and the grown ups are in the front of the room having social hour. When they weren't talking, they sat like people do when they watch tv. Most of these women haven't been in schools or seen how teachers teach. They stayed until 10:00....when we went home for the first day. I survived the day with no wounds!!!!! Started putting my procedures in place for classroom management and felt good, but tired!!!
At 11, all the KG teachers had a grade level meeting with our Head of Faculty (Academic Coach) to discuss numbers and changes for tomorrow. Meetings are bi-lingual here. The HOF speaks English and then an Arabic teacher translates for the Arabic teachers. Meetings are a little longer, but this group of ladies were a "hoot!" Even though I don't speak Arabic, there's a way a lady can shake her finger and have a sassiness that needed no interpretation. Arabic women are very passionate about what they believe, so there is always lively discussion. This tight-knit group of educators welcomed me with open arms and were so impressed that I stepped up and taught without any preparation. On a wing and a prayer, my first day was a success. Remember how tired you are on the first day of school...couldn't feel my feet when I left....teachers know that feeling....Maybe I still have it!
Reading your blog is going to be so much fun!! You have quite an adventure ahead of you!
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