Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Cupcakes
This week many of the students had exams and presentations due for subjects, other than English. My Science class had BOXES of cupcakes sitting in the back of the class for a presentation, and I just so happen to see them... Well OF COURSE I had to say something, because anyone that knows me knows I LOVE CUPCAKES!!!
I told them that I was sad I was not invited to the cupcake party, and they explained it was for their presentations, so I said ok and walked away...At the end of the day after a rough period 8 with my Arts class, I walked into the English office to...A BOX OF SIX CUPCAKES!!!!!
They LOVE ME...They REALLY LOVE ME :)
...Picture Coming
I told them that I was sad I was not invited to the cupcake party, and they explained it was for their presentations, so I said ok and walked away...At the end of the day after a rough period 8 with my Arts class, I walked into the English office to...A BOX OF SIX CUPCAKES!!!!!
They LOVE ME...They REALLY LOVE ME :)
...Picture Coming
Baby Zofia
Last week during 9th period my co-teacher's water broke! Once all students had left the area, all the English teachers that are in our office walked Jasmine to the front of the school to wait for her husband. It wasn't long before baby Zofia was born and joined the Tyler family! Now Jasmine and her husband have two beautiful daughters!
I have not gone to see Baby Z yet, but I plan to have the students all sign a card and will take it when I go see the baby!
Pictures coming soon...
I have not gone to see Baby Z yet, but I plan to have the students all sign a card and will take it when I go see the baby!
Pictures coming soon...
Friday, October 12, 2012
Natural Hair
The other day I took my braids out to let my hair breath before I got some new braids (it is easier maintenance and has my hair growing fast). I warned my kids to expect Miss Britney with different hair so they wouldn't cause a scene...but of course they did anyway! haha
They LOVE the curly, natural hair! Some even went as far as to ask if I had a brother with hair like mine so they could marry him and have babies with the curly hair! haha
As soon as I got the new braids, they liked them as well but of course wanted my natural hair back!
Random: If you want to build your self-esteem, teaching in the UAE is the place to be! There is not a day that goes by that a group of girls, that I do not teach, don't come up to me to tell me how beautiful I am and how much they love me!
They LOVE the curly, natural hair! Some even went as far as to ask if I had a brother with hair like mine so they could marry him and have babies with the curly hair! haha
As soon as I got the new braids, they liked them as well but of course wanted my natural hair back!
Random: If you want to build your self-esteem, teaching in the UAE is the place to be! There is not a day that goes by that a group of girls, that I do not teach, don't come up to me to tell me how beautiful I am and how much they love me!
Putting One Foot In Front of the Other
Every day I learn something new about the Emirates, the UAE, my school, and the curriculum. I have seen my fair share of parents already. And it is because I am tough and will not just give students grades they think they deserve without working for it! (One part of my teaching philosophy I'm STICKING TO.)
I have a co-teacher, Jasmine, who is pregnant and due any day now. I now know after eavesdropping that her purpose was to make sure I could handle a classroom and to see if I was ready to teach on my own!!! REALLY!!! I was pissed at first because they took my looks and experience and completely looked over my education. I am on a team of teachers that are all 10 plus years older than me. Most have kids my age and older. Most are grandparents. From day 1 they always asked "Are you ok?" "Don't be scared?" "What are you going to do when Jasmine leaves?"
To put it frank...I may be young and I may not have as much experience, but my education speaks for itself! I have a higher degree than most of them and worked my tail off to get it! And although I will be living under the bank in loans for the years to come haha, that will in NO WAY impact how well I educate these young ladies. I have never and will never be SCARED! I do not know the curriculum, but will learn it and will make it applicable to all my students on all their differentiated levels!
With that said, I love the girls and they love me. You wouldn't be able to tell by their behavior some of the times, but it's true! haha My Science girls blow my mind by how respectful and on task they always are. Just this past week they asked if they could start reading a novel as a class :) YAY! That's my cup-a-tea! And then there is my Arts girls...they are a different breed of student all together. Let me explain: Grades 11 and 12 are separated into Science and Arts. What does this mean? To an outsider, it would mean that the Science girls have Science based classes and the Arts girls have Arts based classes. But in actuality it means that the Science girls take education seriously and will most likely go on to college. And the Arts girls know that they will have a match soon and be married off so school is just a place to socialize!
haha
Surprised? Well that is how it is...in all Cycle 3 schools!
I am keeping positive and counting down to Winter Break :)
The Half Point of Year 1!!!
I have a co-teacher, Jasmine, who is pregnant and due any day now. I now know after eavesdropping that her purpose was to make sure I could handle a classroom and to see if I was ready to teach on my own!!! REALLY!!! I was pissed at first because they took my looks and experience and completely looked over my education. I am on a team of teachers that are all 10 plus years older than me. Most have kids my age and older. Most are grandparents. From day 1 they always asked "Are you ok?" "Don't be scared?" "What are you going to do when Jasmine leaves?"
To put it frank...I may be young and I may not have as much experience, but my education speaks for itself! I have a higher degree than most of them and worked my tail off to get it! And although I will be living under the bank in loans for the years to come haha, that will in NO WAY impact how well I educate these young ladies. I have never and will never be SCARED! I do not know the curriculum, but will learn it and will make it applicable to all my students on all their differentiated levels!
With that said, I love the girls and they love me. You wouldn't be able to tell by their behavior some of the times, but it's true! haha My Science girls blow my mind by how respectful and on task they always are. Just this past week they asked if they could start reading a novel as a class :) YAY! That's my cup-a-tea! And then there is my Arts girls...they are a different breed of student all together. Let me explain: Grades 11 and 12 are separated into Science and Arts. What does this mean? To an outsider, it would mean that the Science girls have Science based classes and the Arts girls have Arts based classes. But in actuality it means that the Science girls take education seriously and will most likely go on to college. And the Arts girls know that they will have a match soon and be married off so school is just a place to socialize!
haha
Surprised? Well that is how it is...in all Cycle 3 schools!
I am keeping positive and counting down to Winter Break :)
The Half Point of Year 1!!!
Al Jahili
My school...
I was told it is a Vanderbilt Model School, but I have no idea what that means. And no one has really taken the time to truly explain anything!
It's funny...they bring you here under all these false pretenses and tell you "we will be here for you along the way". Well you can throw that out the door as soon as you step foot into your first hotel! You are on your own and must QUICKLY learn this or you will be what everyone here calls A RUNNER (the teachers that leave without telling anyone to go home). You have to learn that not everything you hear is fact and that just because a the date/time is given for ANYTHING, it does not technically mean that that will be the actual date/time applied. An example is the first day of school. Teachers were told the students would leave after they had grade level meetings with the nurses and got their books. Well that was not true! We ended up teaching 1 class and then an announcement came on IN ARABIC and all the girls cried out and started packing. Then one student told me that the day was over. haha
You MUST, MUST, MUST have patience and flexibility and know that you WILL NOT change these students. They live in a different world and refuse to leave it...so all you can do is provide them the tools and hope they use them :(
That has never, and will never, be my teaching philosophy, but for the term of this contract...it will just have to be such.
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| Front of the school |
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| Close up of name...YES it is spelled differently... NOTHING is ever spelled the same more than once! Students spell their names differently everyday haha Today Emon, Tomorrow Iman |
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| First day of school outfit |
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