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.

2013...What a Year

For the first time ever, I was not at home for the holidays,  In the UAE, there are many expats (foreigners) and there is evidence of Christmas everywhere.  Christmas trees in the mall, Christmas lights and garland for sale in the stores, and gift bags with Santa. There were reminders of the season but it felt very strange to be celebrating Christmas with 75 degrees outside. I had to keep Christmas and joy in my heart.  Thanks to Andrea Brown for allowing me to babysit her Christmas tree.  It made me smile every time I looked at it.

Over the holidays I rested, caught up with Hulu and Netflix and reflected upon myself.  I didn't realize how tired I was and needed to recharge my batteries.  Being away from my family was hard.  I missed the Christmas Eve service at Vienna First Baptist and seeing all my friends. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were hard for me, but I put on my "big girl panties" and pushed through. Several of my friends stayed for the holidays and we made the most of it by getting together cooking for brunch, lunch, dinner, and checking on each other.  I'm thankful for the people in my life.  :)

As the year comes to an end, it's a natural time to reflect upon the past.  2013 has been filled with love, laughter, struggle, and success.  Sadly, I said goodbye to some good friends who completed their contracts in the UAE and headed home to spend time with their families. Maintained relationships with friends who are still here and made new friends that have given me support and encouragement when the road was hard.  Being 7400 miles away from everyone and everything you know can really take a toll.  I cannot tell you how important it is to have a support system.  Again, I'm so thankful for the people God has put in my life and the kind words he sends my way.  

Changing grades has been a challenge for me and worked really hard this year.  Struggle is good for the soul and has shown me that I'm a lot stronger than I ever thought.  I pushed through and have grown more comfortable in Cycle 1.  I look forward to the 2nd Trimester, which will be the main teaching time.  12 weeks of uninterrupted teaching time will allow the teaching of lots of standards.  Children really "grow" during this time and the boys will be separated from the men.  I look forward to the challenges which are ahead and whatever the future holds.  

New Years is quickly approaching and time to make the dreaded "New Year's Resolution".  For the first time in my life, I kept my resolution for 2013...giving up Diet Coke.  It's been almost a year and I'm still caffeine free.  This year, I've decided to give up a very bad habit,,,.biting my fingernails.  I'm 46 and have never been successful in stopping.  Went to the nail salon this week and had them put extensions on top of my nonexistent fingernails.  If I can't see them, I won't bite them.  Makes sense to me.

As the year comes to an end, I want to wish all my friends and family the best of luck in 2014.  May all your hopes, dreams, and wishes come true.  May God bless and keep you in the upcoming year and give you strength when needed.  Until we meet again :)

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 :)