National Day and the Short Rows to Christmas Break

Things have settled down since my last blog.  I am still teaching one class of boys and one class of girls (52 total) and have two classrooms.  We are in a routine, our procedures are in place, and I'm getting settled in with carting my centers between two rooms.  The children are learning so much!  We've been working very hard to increase English vocabulary, teaching sounds, blending, and segmenting, and lots of counting, counting, counting.  The children have really made a lot of progress since the beginning of the year.  Some of the children are beginning to make the sound/symbol relationship and beginning to blend.  The look on a child's face when they learn /a/ /n/ makes the word "an" is priceless.  I saw that last week.  Yes, its hard being away from my family especially this time of the year...but, I know that what I'm doing daily is making a difference.

National Day is upon us in the UAE.  42 years ago, the UAE became independent.  The locals celebrate by wearing the colors (Red, Green, White, and Black), putting large wraps around their cars that have pictures of the shrieks , large flags are draped on homes, businesses, and even cars.  The people are very proud of their country and celebrate "big".  Each night, fireworks can be heard as the people celebrate. At school, we've been doing activities all week.  Here are a few pictures of my children:

Our long weekend began early Thursday morning with a text from my school.  No school today due to Dubai winning the bid for the World Expo in 2020.  All educational facilities would be closed in order to celebrate.  I was already up and showered before checking my phone....well, let's just say the pjs went back on and took a siesta until about 9.  This would turn out to be a 5 day weekend.  Our surprise Thursday holiday, Friday and Saturday, our normal days off, and Sunday and Monday for National Day.

School will resume on Tuesday with just 8 short days until Christmas break.  There is much to do prior to the break.  There is testing and recording of grades for report cards. Our school year is divided into trimesters (12 weeks).  The first trimester will end at Winter Break.  The second trimester is from Jan -Aprl with only one day off.  Its the trimester where attendance is best and is considered valuable teaching time.  I look forward to the challenges that the second trimester holds.  

Here are a few more pics of my children:

Over the next few weeks, pray for me.  I'm going to be here for the holidays. Being away from home is really hard and MISS my family and friends so much.   Lift me up...I will need my prayer warriors :)   I LOVE and MISS you all and look forward to the day (July)  when I can give and receive many hugs :)  Until we meet again :)

25 days, but who's counting?

The end of the first month of school was a few days ago and my how things have changed since my last blog.  My world is very, very  busy.  I have a classroom on the boys side and the girls side of the school to keep up.  Two rolling carts packed with centers and other materials that I carry across with me which have to be moved daily in a short amount of time.  I feel very rushed and am struggling to keep everything together.  I'm a super organized person, but keeping up with everything is a daily struggle for me.

Working in Cycle 1, I have 51 students (24 boys and 27 girls)  instead of 22 in KG2.  I use lots of manipualtives and hand-on activities.  Lots of cutting, pasting, gluing, and making new centers for both sides.  I have cutter's grip from cutting all the laminated shapes and making folder games.  Each night I go home and work, work, work.

The language barrier is bigger in Cycle 1.  In KG2, Hanaa was there to translate for me.  In Grade 1, its just me.  I play charades all day and am using as many Arabic words as I can learn to help them understand me.  Three weeks ago I started Arabic lessons and always pick up new words that I can use the next day at school.  The children like teaching me new words.  I say, "What is this in Arabic?" and then I say in English it is.....  They love to hear me say a new word and are very happy when I use it later.  As I am very pleased to hear them use the English words I've taught them.

Having a whole class of boys is very different than having a mixed class.  There's lots of boys "energy" that you have to corral and use to your advantage. A whole class of girls is very different too. My girls love to talk and play with each other's hair.  Girls are much more social than my boys. Discipline is much harder this year and its all about me and how I face the situation.  Some days I win and others I lose.  The good news is I win way more than I lose.

I am having one of those "first year teacher" years where everything is new and there is a big learning curve.  Each day gets a little easier and students are getting into a routine and procedures are in place. Centers are coming along nicely, but still have work to do to be like I want.  I'm a bit of a perfectionist and want everything perfect now, but a wise person told me that I have to learn to forgive myself for not being perfect.  My class will get where I want them to be.  I just have to be patient and model, model, model.  Reevaluate the day and decide what worked and what didn't work and make a new plan for the next day.

About two weeks ago, I started to get sick from the weather change and finally my voice gave out and had to stay home and rest for a couple of days and take my meds.  My students were so happy to see me return.  The boys smiled and waved at me. The girls were full of hugs and smiles when they saw me. Warmed the coggles of my heart!  I already love my students and they love me too.

For 9 days, I am able to turn off the 4:30 am alarm and sleep in.  My body needs to recharge, rejuvenate, and replenish from the first month of school.  It has been hard....Made me question who I am as an educator and a person.  Things that work in the US don't always work here.  The language barrier causes big problems.  Yet, I can say that my students have learned so much since the beginning of school and I look forward to teaching them more.  It will not be easy, but I don't give up.  Going to have to dig deep and do everything I can to help these children.  Until we meet again! :)

The Adventure Continues: Year Two

As I boarded the plane back to Abu Dhabi, my heart was filled with mixed emotions.....sad to say goodbye to family and friends but excited about year two.  This year I would not be a "newbie" and knew what I was getting myself into :)  It kind of felt like when you go off to college.  You have two homes....college and your parent's home.  In this case, I have a nice two bedroom apartment in Al Ain and a nice home in Vienna, Georgia.  Strange to say, but they both feel like home.

In case I've never told you, I HATE FLYING.  A fourteen hour flight is torture on your body.  By the time the plane landed, my backside couldn't stand anymore sitting.  Sleeping on a plane is very hard for me. Never seem to get any rest.  End up watching movies and watching others sleep.  Bummer!

I must admit that my body had acclimated to the cloudy, rainy, cool weather (compared to here) in Georgia.  When leaving the airport terminal, my glasses fogged up.  I smiled because this is my first memory landing last year.  Luckily, I didn't find it as surprising.  At 9:00 pm, its a warm 100+ and very humid.  Dubai and Abu Dhabi seem to be more humid than Al Ain due to all the cars.

I landed in Dubai and a friend drove me to Al Ain, about 90 minute drive. When arriving at home, the apartment looked the same except for the layer of fine sand on everything.  In case I haven't said it before, sand is everywhere and very hard to keep everything clean.  When your water stays turned off for a while, murky, sandy water comes out of your shower heads and all sinks. After clearing the lines, I took my long awaited shower, left my suitcases where they landed and headed off to bed.

 Jet lag is a no fun.  There is an 8 hour difference between Georgia and Abu Dhabi.  Night is day and day in night.  There are nights when you can't go to sleep until 2:00 a.m. and you get hungry at the wrong times of day.  The first night, I slept 12 hours and by day 3 I was feeling more like myself. After about a week, I finally slept and was hungry at the right times.  Just in time for work!

At the end of the school year, I brought all my "teacher stuff" home and stored in my extra bedroom. Needless to say, it was wall to wall.  I admit it....I don't travel light :)  I live on the second floor and there is no lift/elevator.  Mr. Ali, my building manager, helped me carry all the boxes to my rental car. (Yes, it took more than one trip to my school!)  

As you might recall from the blog at the end of the year, I am "looping", or will be teaching my KG2 students in First grade.  12 boys/23 are my students from last year and 12 girls/26 are my students from last year.  I will have two classrooms.  One in the boys school and one in the girls school (Remember boys and girls only share classes in kindergarten here).  Yep...two rooms to decorate and figure out the logistics of traveling between.  While I'm on the girl's side, my Arabic counterpart will be on the boy's side.  At lunch we will trade places.

Remember all those boxes I brought in my car...well, they are really going to come in handy.  I still had lots of decorative items to make to put the "Christine" into the rooms.  My Arabic counterpart, Rodina, and I will divide up wall space, bulletin boards, etc.  I was very spoiled last year with having Hanaa as my Arabic counterpart.  She speaks very good English and we were very close.  Rodina and I will only see each other in passing and she speaks limited English.  Since we share the same children, communication will be important.  She seems very nice and looking forward to working with her.

I have worked my fingers to the bone this week between our meetings (yes, we have them here too!) and preparing for my babies. Thursday came way too soon.  Finished decorating late today and everything is tidied and waiting for the babies on Sunday.  Have to admit that I NEVER sleep the night before school. The anticipation keeps me awake.  I LOVE being a teacher :)

As I prepare to begin my sophomore year, I feel more at ease than last year.  The culture shock was huge for me.  Now, I understand....well sort of.  I look forward to the challenges I will face and learning more about myself and my babies.  Pray for me! Will post pictures of first day.  Until we meet again! :)  

The End of Year One....Reflections

As the end of my first year teaching in the UAE comes to an end on Thursday, I can't help but reflect on the entire experience.  My first memory of landing in the UAE is the intense wave of heat which fogged my glasses when exiting the Abu Dhabi airport.  This was late at night and was so hot.  I remember how tired I was, but excited to be here.

As a person who did not have a passport before embarking on this voyage, think I've done very well . I  lived in South Georgia my entire life before coming to the UAE.  Most of the people where I lived were like me....Southern Baptists and everyone knows everyone where I live. Think of Mayberry and you're there.  The sheer size of Abu Dhabi was overwhelming to me at first, but made the transition to city life pretty quickly. The traffic and the local drivers were VERY scary to me at first.  Roundabouts and lack of directions were hard for me at first, but now I speak like a local....."Go through three roundabouts, take the 1st road on the right, Go through three speed humps and flat is on the left. "  There are no "street" names or real addresses here.  Everything is spoken in the above manner.  For a person who is DD (Directionally Disordered), GPS has been my saving grace.  I can navigate roundabouts like a pro and drive defensively like the locals.

Getting used to the difference in the food here was a challenge for me.  There are McDonalds, Burger Kings, Subways, Applebee's, Chili's, and many other American restaurants here.  Items on the menu are sometimes different and some taste different (seasonings).  There are many different types of restaurants here because there are workers from all over the world.  I have to say that each week I try one new thing when going to the grocery store.  When going out to eat, try new items on the menu.  The way I look at it is....You only live once and be bold and try new things.  If I don't like it, that's ok.  At least I was bold enough to try and will know next time to mark that off the list.  My favorite new foods....Falafel and Hummus.  Never would have tried it back home, but a nice surprise for me trying something new.  The other interesting part about food here is that almost all restaurants deliver to your home, so if ever get a craving for something, they bring it to your door.

Working in a school here has been very interesting and a great learning experience for me.  The long drive in the desert to my school does get extra LONG sometimes, but try to use this time to reflect on my day, take a nap, or chat with my family and friends on Facebook.  As a whole, I love my school and the people in it.  Everyone opened their arms to me in the KG wing and helped me "learn" about the culture and the best strategies to help the students.  Some things that worked at home don't work here, so have to feel you way and just figure out what works.  Flexibility is very important here.  I was a very "schedule" oriented person before coming here.  I've learned to relax, go with the flow, and take things as they come.  Not nearly as stressed as back home.

Discipline is harder here because these children don't hear "NO".  Working out a system that works here took some time, but I had a pretty good class.  Looking forward to having some of my students when looping up to 1st grade next year.

The biggest thing I've learned this year is that I am a strong, confident woman who can live over 7000 miles away from home and I survived my first year.  There were moments when I said, "What did I get myself into?" and then the answer comes.  If I can move this far away from my family and be successful, I can do anything.  God has shown me that he has a purpose for me here.  There are many people who have touched my life and hopefully I have returned the favor.  I have missed my friends and family terribly, but technology has helped keep me connected.

The question I get the most is:  Would you do it all over again?  Without a doubt, the answer is YES.  I've learned so much about myself, about teaching a foreign language, and reaffirmation for why I went into teaching....It's all about the children.  I had been out of the classroom for 10 years before coming here.  Teaching again helped me rekindle the fire for working with children.  I have no doubt that I chose the correct profession.  There was never another choice for me.  A smile, a hug, or the sparkle in a student's eyes when he learns something is better than any bonus.

The first chapter of "Christine's Big Adventure" ends on Thursday.  Chapter two will begin in the Fall.  I will be home from July 27-August 23.  Hope to see all my friends and family while there.  Until we meet again :)

Hurry Up and Wait!

Since my last blog, the weather has gone from hot (100) to scorching (117).  When going outside, I can feel the sun burning through my clothes.  Only when the sun goes down or very early in the morning is it remotely comfortable.  When the wind blows, even its hot.  Feels like a hair dryer blowing on your skin.  During the heat of the day, most people are indoors. I've watched all the movies on cable, Hulu, and Netflix.  Been swimming whenever possible and read everything in my apartment. Yep, I'm bored!

Getting up at 4:30 is brutal right now.  The long drive into the desert seems to get longer every day. Since the end of May, my KG students have not been at school.  We graduated at the end of the May and the last day of school was June 13.  Basically, there have been no students since the last week of May or first few days of June. Yes, it's been almost a month with no children.  I spent the first week and a half cleaning and organizing my classroom.  Took all my personal items home for the summer and finished paper work.  Then, began working on my group's part of the School Improvement Plan  and countless professional development opportunities and meetings.   For someone who is used to 3-4 days of post-planning, I must say....I'm about to scream. 8 more days....I got this :)

Last week, administration announced that there would be changes to some teachers' placements.  You guessed it, I was one of the lucky ones who is being moved to another grade.  I will move from KG2 to 1st grade and will loop with my children.  When students enter the Cycle 1 school (Gr. 1-5), boys and girls are divided into same sex classes.  1/2 of the school is for boys and the other half of the school is girls. There are wooden doors that separate the actual facility and they even ride different buses home.  Dismissal time is different for both groups.  I will have boys half of the day and girls half of the day.  Yep, two classrooms to decorate (shared by Arabic counterpart, Rodina)  and I will have a rolling cart to carry my "stuff" across.

I will not have a person in the class to translate anything for me.  An Arabic teacher and I will share the room.  At 7:45 classes will start.  At about 10:25, there is a break for children to have a snack/lunch brought from home.  During the snack time, I will cross over to the girls side and the Arabic teacher crosses over to the boys side.  We will pass each other in the hall, but not sure of how much communication there will be between us.  I'm a little unsure of how it will all work.  Went and looked at both of my classrooms.  They are nice sized and are close to the doors.  I can see the KG hall out of my window on the girls side.

I must admit that I was a little shocked at the move, and am a little apprehensive about being "alone" in the room with no translator.  The good news is I'm going to loop with my children from KG.  I will have 12 of my girls and 12 of my boys from this year.  Several other students will be added in.  Think classes are 18-20.  Good news is...they are used to my Southern accent and speak English words with my draw :)

I'm so sad to be leaving my KG family.  We are all very close.  They have become like family to me.  I will miss Hanaa, my Arabic counterpart,  the most :(   She helped me through many days when I needed to bend someone's ear.  I asked her the questions I couldn't ask anyone else about the culture and she gladly shared her wealth of knowledge.   (When Arabic teachers say that you are their sister, they love you and feel very close to you...a compliment ;) ) She is my sister. :)

The good news is....I'm going on my first trip since being here.   Only 8 days until school is out and leave 6:45 am the next morning to fly out of Abu Dhabi to head to Frankfurt.  Two of my friends and I are going to Germany for 10 days.  Side trips to Switzerland and France are a possibility. We will rent a car and drive throughout the country.  I"M SO EXCITED. Really ready to see something other than desert sand and palm trees (This coming from a girl who LOVES the beach).

There are 12 days from the end of my Germany trip until I can officially be in the US on July 27.  If I come in before then, taxes will need to be paid on all the money I earned abroad.  I can only be in US for 35 days in one year (Aug 8-Aug 8).  Used some at Christmas and using the rest before August 8.  After August 8, I can come and go as much as I want to.  Just affording the airline ticket home will be my only barrier :)  So, I have 12 days to spend somewhere before I come home.  Still haven't decided at the time of this posting what I will do.  Definitely will nail it down by the weekend and get my things together for the trip.

I'm super excited to be going home for almost a month.  Looking forward to seeing all my family and friends and dining at my favorite spots in the US.  Strange the things you miss:  white queso dip, Mexican food in general,  Chic-Fila (haven't eaten at new one in Cordele), pizza with real pepperoni, and countless others.   Have my WalMart list and Teacher Supply store list all together.  Now, all I have to do is wait...Patience has never been one of my virtures :)   Until we meet again :)

KG2 Graduation and the End of the School Year

Well, the last few weeks have been very busy.  We've been preparing for our big graduation program.  Students will sing songs in Arabic and English, so we've been practicing extra hard.  This blog will contain mostly pictures about our experience.

The morning of graduation was one of excitement for all...teachers, students, and parents. Families purchased caps and gowns that were sewn by the local tailors in town.  Children were measured and each individually sewn.  Here are a few of our pictures:

The girls are dressed in formal dresses.  I would call them mini ball gowns/prom dresses.  Floor length with puffy skirts and lots of ornate decorations.  Girls were all glammed (is that a word?) out with makeup and very mature hairstyles.  Boys wore white kandoras.  Everyone looked very nice.

After getting everyone dressed, we headed over to the auditorium, which looks like a nice movie theater.  Teachers attempted to save seats for the students and have parents sit on the top level...success (quite an accomplishment....thanks to admin for helping this happen).  We marched in from the side door and walked to our assigned spots without any problems.  Students sang "Wheels on the Bus" in English with all the hand gestures.  They particularly like the "horn"...beep, beep, beep.  Must say, they did a great job.  Then, they sang a song in Arabic lead by the Arabic teachers.  I have no idea what they said, but helped with the hand gestures as best I could.

Then, all classes exited the stage to prepare for the individual class presentations.  KG2A went first, then KG2B, KG2C, and then our turn.  Here we are on stage (I'm down front):

We sang "Days of the Week" to the Munster's theme, "Months of the Year" and "I'm a Little Star" to the "I'm a Little Teapot" music.  The children did very well.  Then, the children sang a song in Arabic about learning to read.  Here they are performing:

Mrs. Hanaa did a good job working with them.  I helped with the hand signals.  Parents loved it!
Then, we walked across the stage and received our "fake" diplomas and shook the principal's hand.  Took lots of pictures with Mommas.

After KG2E finished, there were two final songs with select students from each class.  Here is a picture of one of my students during the performance.  Her dress is gorgeous!

After graduation, we headed back to the room for our big party, the "gift", and the real KG bilingual diplomas.  Here is what they look like (forgive the glare):

As a gift, students will receive a bilingual book, Brown Bear Brown Bear.

The students loved it.  When we read a story in English, I read the page first and then Mrs. Hanaa translates it into Arabic.  The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of their favorites and they were so happy to get a book with pictures by Eric Carle.

Parties...Arabic people know how to do this very well. Every mother brings something for the party.  Unlike in America, there is no list or sign up or class Mom to help facilitate. Parents bring whatever they like.There were 8 cakes, 150 bags of chips, countless kinds of chocolate candies, juices, etc.  Every Mom wants you to cut their child's cake and share with the others.  These cakes are very ornate.  Ours ranged from a cake shaped like Sponge Bob to HUGE cakes covered with fruit and caramel sauce (my favorite :)  ).  Unfortunately I can't show you any pictures from the party because Arabic women do not allow you to take their pictures.  Trust me, it was quite the throw down.

As the party came to an end, the parents began to get ready to pack up.   Arabic people don't usually hug, but shake hands or kiss on the cheek if they feel close to you.  When Moms started to the door, the kissing on the cheek began...a compliment and many said "Thank you" or "Shukran" in Arabic.  I hugged each of my babies on the way out of the door.  It hit me then that tomorrow I wouldn't see them anymore. Definitely going to miss them, but glad the school year is over.  We all need rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.

The temps outside are already hovering around 108 and feels like 115..expected only to get hotter.  School is not officially over for the older children until June 13, but most of the students at Al Wagan will not come anymore because we had KG2 and 5th grade boys and 5th grade girls graduations this week (Remember after KG2, students are divided into the boys school and girls school).  The air conditioner has been broken for the last two days and its brutally hot.  Today maintenance came and resolved the problem.

My last day of work is July 4 (Truly Independence Day :) ). So basically, there are 4 weeks during which we will pack up rooms, do professional development, and do curriculum planning for next year.  I can't tell you how nice it was to walk into my school last year with lesson plans already written. I benefited so much from the work of my KG comrades last summer.  Look forward to helping the newbies coming in.  These will be LONG weeks, but thankful for the time to get things ready for next year.

Teachers who work here, sign two year contracts.  Some don't make it past the first few months and leave to go home (some legally...following checkout procedures and some not so legally....leave in the middle of the night).  I'm proud to say that I made it!  Without Hanaa, my friends in KG at Al Wagan, Andrea Brown, and Nicole Cruz, I wouldn't have made it.  A support system is so important when home is over 7,000 miles away.  Being away from your family is the hardest part. Thank goodness for Skype and Facebook, which helped me see and talk to my family.  Can't wait to get big hugs when I see them on July 27.  Oh, and can't wait to see all my friends and get big hugs from them!  :)  Until we meet again!  

I LOVE YOU!

This week the weather has continued to be cloudy, cooler, and strange.  There was a sandstorm and it rained on the same day.  The temps have been in the 80's most of the week and rained almost every day.  In Oman, the country which borders the UAE, there has been flooding.  There are no "ditches" or draining systems and the area is not used to this much rain at once.  The drivers are not used to driving in the rain. If you've never driven here, the drivers drive fast and brake at the last minute.  Change lanes at the last minute and dodge in and out of traffic like a Nascar driver. Not good for wet pavement.  I have seen more accidents the past two weeks than my entire time here. 

Found an article on the Arabic version of Yahoo that talked about cloud seeding.  On April 21, planes flew above the clouds and dropped either dry ice or silver iodide into the cloud.  This causes condensation when it freezes and rain.  Hail can be caused by this process.  Remember last week we had hail, which is rare here.  More evidence that the Meteorological Society is messing with Mother Nature.  One thing you should never do, because she comes back with a vengeance (My opinion).  Luckily, the weather is supposed to be changing soon and returning back to the upper 90's next week. 

The children are very antsy, just like at home when the weather changes.  We've had a fun filled week learning about plants.  Each day, we studied about a different part of the plant.  On Sunday, I brought in seeds to eat.  They loved pumpkin seeds and peanuts.  Monday, brought in roots to eat.  Loved carrots, turnips,scallions, and didn't care for radishes and beets.  Tuesday, brought in stems.  Loved celery and didn't care for asparagus. Lettuce, cabbage, red cabbage were big hits and spinach was a big dislike.  Lastly, we ate flowers/fruit.  Apples, blueberries, tomatoes, and pears received a big thumbs up.  Squash blossoms, broccoli, cauliflower, lemons, and limes were a big thumbs down.  I LOVED seeing their faces as they tried new "healthy" food.  A big joy for me being a part of exposing them to new things. 

Our lima beans seed sprouted and had to replant about half due to the soil saturation from the storms last week.  The children loved coming in each morning checking their cup to see if their were roots or a sprout.  Love to see them excited about learning :)

May began with a bang here.  Found out at a Faculty Meeting that KG graduation will be May 28.  One week earlier than we thought, so pressure is on. All the KG students will sing one song in English and one song in Arabic as a group.  English song is "Wheels on the Bus" with all the hand signals.  Each teacher had been using different versions during the year, so had to come to agreement about which to use.  The Arabic Music teacher is working on the Arabic song with the students.

In addition, each class must sing songs in English and Arabic as a group.  My class is KG2D.  We will sing Days of the Week (to the tune of the Munsters music), Months of the Year, and I'm a STAR (to the tune of I'm a Little Teapot).  Worked really hard on these songs this week and had practice in our auditorium.  Practiced how to walk on the stage, where to stand, practiced the KG songs, and each individual class practiced their songs.  The children did very well, but we have much practice before the big day. 

When we were lining up to leave the auditorium, one of my students signed I (pointed to himself) Love (crossed himself), and U (pointed to me).  I said, "Yes, that's our song!"  He said, "No, I LOVE YOU!"  I said, "I LOVE YOU 2!"  Brought tears to my eyes.  Moments like this make everything worth it. Helped me feel like I'd really bonded with him and that he would remember me :)

I LOVE MY BABIES and when teaching a class, they become part of my family.  Know this might sound strange to those of you who are not teachers, but you spend so much time and put so much energy into their education, that you are joined forever.  When they're 18 and you run into them at WalMart, you are still a ROCK STAR!  I LOVE BEING A TEACHER!!!!! 

This job has really rejuvenated my fire for teaching.  The children are so much fun and love going to work each day to see what it holds.  Yes, there are days when I drag my weary body home and wonder why did I do this.  Days like today are the reason.  Until we meet again :)