First Week of School

I was all ready for the first day of school, looking super professional. 

But this is what the first day of school looks like.

"Balloons!"

Chaos! Children running! 

Traditional dancing!

More dancing! 

Oh I just thought this was a nice idyllic picture. Nothing to do with school. 

I live in a pretty place. 

So while I arrived on the first day ready for classes, everyone else arrived ready to chase balloons, listen to the 1st graders say rhymes and be presented with books, and watch dances.

I tried to keep it professional, but that's hard when the other teachers enjoyed coming up to me and caressing my face. Like really, not just a pinch on the cheeks, a full face rub.

All of the teachers seemed not to be required to do anything but hang in the teachers lounge and I was unsure why we were even there. This wasn't a first day of school, this was an opening ceremony! Grandparents and parents were there for the first graders, and I think I saw more grannies crying than little five year olds. The five year olds cried too though, and the halls rang with utter chaos.

However, as the week has progressed, I realized that wasn't a first day of school thing. They don't have recess so perhaps as a trade off everyone is allowed to run through the halls of school between classes. Shouting seems to be encouraged or, at least, merely laughed at. I so wish this had been the case at my school in the US.

The second day of school saw me wandering the hallways looking for my classroom. Some of the sixth graders saw me and began to shout "hello! hello!" I saw my youngest host brother turn to them all and say "chem'i Amerikeli!" "MY American!" I am glad he feels this sense of ownership.

By the third day, I had met my absolutely precious 1st graders, gotten used to nearly being run over in the hall, and gone to a tiny "first week of school" supra with some 15 year olds. But I still didn't have a schedule.

BREAKING NEWS: I still don't have a schedule. Tomorrow starts the second week of school. I'm told to "stop being in such a hurry".

I think I'll enjoy teaching, though being shouted at in English (in school, in the park, on the street) will take some getting used to. I walked past some of my fourth grade boys on the way home one day. They all giggled and pushed each other until one had the courage to shout "hello! How are you!" This seems to have opened the floodgates and I am shouted at most places I go.

I meant for this post to be more hilarious and more articulate, but it has been a very long weekend (which I will write about later) so this is all you receive. Geez, go read a comic strip if you want some jokes. I recommend "Get Fuzzy".

Tomorrow, second week and hopefully a schedule!