A Ginger Teacher in Abu Dhabi: March 2014

Last week involved teaching (obviously) but with a few minor burps in the schedule. We started the week with Color Day which was put on by KG1 and was also supposed to be held at the local park. Since the weather wasn't the greatest, we had a change of plans (shocking) and held the events in our indoor play area. The events consisted of tug-o-war, various competitions that I would play with my PreK and K kids last year in PE, as well as a banana eating contest. They sang songs about different colors and painted pictures in their color groups as well. The day was fun, but not exactly organized, which seems to be how most things go. Later in the week we took a field trip to the public library. This library was beautiful, the kids section was so cute, the chairs were unique as well as the tables. There were lots of books in English as well as Arabic. The librarian took my class into a reading room, read them a book about feelings and had them pick from a fish bowl different faces with expressions from the book. The kids loved it, and the librarian even invited me back with the class so she could teach them an English lesson!
Over the weekend, I had the opportunity (last min.) to go to Fujairah which is one of the seven emirates. I stayed at a resort, swam, relaxed, ate amazing food, tried Moroccan tea and watched the filming of a show called Abu Dhabi Top Ten. This show highlights various things you can do around Abu Dhabi and in this case a weekend getaway. The sea was absolutely beautiful, not too warm and not too cold. I of course put my feet in the water multiple times, you can't go to a body of water and not out your feet in, anyone who knows me knows this. I also visited one of the oldest Mosques in the Emirates. It isn't built like any other mosque I have seen here. I also walked up to the watch towers to see where the watchmen would look out for the pearl divers to come back as well as if any enemies were coming. This part of the emirates is very mountainous which was very strange to see since all I have seen here is sand. On the way back, I caught a ride with Casey and Anna back to Abu Dhabi from Dubai. Casey and I shopped a bit at the mall before I headed back west. On Saturday, Rebecca and I decided to head to the Tilal Liwa Hotel and use their pool. For a fee which we LATER found out would have been cheaper if we had told them we were teachers (they told us it was too late). The pool was very relaxing and we also enjoyed some afternoon tea. Rebecca informed me that real afternoon tea (AKA in London) is nothing like what they have here and not to base this experience on a true afternoon tea. I can't wait for London and to have real afternoon tea.
This week started with almost a full class (not too sure why they are coming to school since we have been told that attendance will be down due to this being the week before the holiday, but oh well. Hopefully by tomorrow the kids will dwindle in numbers. I always have my UNO deck with me just in case! Enjoy the pictures!

My students sitting in our reception area waiting for the bus to take us to the library

Such cool furniture!

Denise and I doing a colored sand project for a PD

Well the past few weeks have been a little hectic to say the least. We have had a snake problem that resulted in the students going home early, taking them to a beach festival for the day and not showing up in fear of the snake. The snake problem was "solved" by spraying chemicals outside which seeped into through the doorway and into our lungs. We left the school in a hurry; hopefully it was fast enough.

Last week we had low numbers because of another snake sighting over the weekend. I was supposed to be observed by my principal on Sunday, the day I signed up for, however she had other plans and so I was pushed back to another day. I am not too sure why a sign up sheet was sent around if it wasn’t going to be followed, but whatever. My co-teacher was observed on Monday and she did an excellent job as always. One of the EMTs that was in the room during her lesson commented to me that she didn’t need any translation because she was so animated she was able to understand what she was saying to the kids. I told her that she is almost always like that and I actually learn a lot from her because of it.

My observation finally came on Thursday. I didn’t prepare anything special for this lesson, I have always been a believer that when someone comes to observe you, they observe how you normally are, not the person who puts on a show for everyone. I had my “small teacher” as we call them (student that acts as the teacher during the lessons) show picture cards of things that start with the letter B. He did an excellent job of this. He apparently thought that I did a good job as well because he took the sticker my co-teacher had given him during Arabic and put it on my arm to tell me I did a good job. I just melted when he did this, so sweet. The kids were actually really well behaved when all 5 people were in the room watching me. The other teachers were going around asking them questions about what letter was on their paper and what each picture was on their paper and they all answered correctly! Proud teacher moment!

This weekend, Rebecca and I took on the challenge of having a Harry Potter marathon. We thought we could finish it in one day (at least I did) boy was that ever false! We started Friday at about 9 and finished for the night at about 11:30. We resumed our marathon Saturday morning at about 9 I think and didn’t finish until 7:30. I am good on watching Harry Potter for a long time.

It is only 2 weeks until Spring Break and it cannot get here fast enough! I will be going to London for 8 days with Casey. I am really excited to see what this great place is all about! We have quite the list of things to see and I am certain we will find some other gems that aren’t on our list.

Side note, on March 13, I celebrated my 6 month anniversary in Abu Dhabi. I cannot believe I have been here for that long. I remember the day I received the illusive email. I woke up to missed calls and texts from my sister telling me that my itinerary had come and I was supposed to leave the next morning! I was shaking as I went to my parents computer and opened the email, responded to it and repeatedly calling my parents to tell them as they were on their way home from the gym. They of course didn't answer their phone (why have one if you never answer it!?!?!). Anyway, that day was filled with text message notifications, eyebrow appointment, saying goodbye to Justine, my sister and Moe :(. I can't tell you how many times I repacked my suitcase and put it on the scale to weigh it. How can they expect you to move across the world with two suitcases weighing 70lbs each?!?! I didn't sleep that night as I had to be up at 3AM to go to the airport where I said my tearful goodbyes to my parents as they flew to CA and I flew to Abu Dhabi. Two days later I arrived in Abu Dhabi, stinky, sweaty and exhausted. I was so exhausted I scared myself when I saw my reflection in the mirror of my hotel room. The only things that made me feel comfortable was knowing that when I woke up in the morning, I would be greeted by familiar faces I had been conversing with over the summer on Facebook. The next day when I woke up (actually that same day just in the afternoon), I went to Lindsey's hotel room, she opened the door and greeted me with the BIGGEST hug! I will never forget that, a hug can do so many things for a person and that one hug made me feel safe, comforted, not alone, and welcome. Every time I see Lindsey, she greets me with the same hug, it's one thing I will always be grateful for! I cannot imagine doing this without the love and support of the people I have met here who have instantly become my family and the love and support of the people back home. Here's to another 1.5 years!

Enjoy the pictures!