School Days



School started on Monday but I didn't attend the first day.  I tried to get up and go but I was still too sick (Intestinal bug from Turkey!!).  But Tuesday I was feeling good enough to go.  I found one marshurutka that picks up on the corner where I live and drops me in front of the school. (Good to know in winter), but coming back if I do not catch it by 12:50, then the marshes only go to the Bazaar so I will either need to transfer to another marsh or walk (1 1/2 miles), not so bad when the weather is cooperating!! What a difference from a "village" school to a "city" school.  The school I teach at now is right at the end of town as you are going to Balaken.  The school is named after the former President wife who died of cancer. The name is Zarifa Aliyeva Lisey and the school Director is a women Vafa Suleymanova. A really beautiful and modern school (it was paid for by BP but sorry to say still has squat toilets - go figure).  The children meet in front of the school by 8:10 am and they are all dressed in uniform (black and white) as well as the teachers (black skirt, white blouse).  But of course, I dress in skirts and blouses but very colorful especially when the weather is still so nice.  Once winter comes, I will be dressing in black (mourning the winter) but for now, I dress in "happy".  The children are lined up in their grade and the National Anthem is played.  Then an "exercise" teacher goes up to the front and they ALL do exercises for 10-15 minutes. Of course I exercise with them and the teachers look at me funny and the students laugh (why?????? because all the teachers stand there stoic and do not exercise and I say "why not").  Students who are late has to run a lap around the school.  Impressive.  My first class was with Leyla, an older teacher that I had become friends with during the summer.  I was just going to observe being it was a new school and I hadn't worked with any of the teachers.  Her class was 11th form (grade, last grade in school) and there were 16 students (my gut told me oh no, this age group usually most of the students do not know English or care to know and are very disruptive).  But I was pleasantly surprised, Most knew English but extremely talkative.  Leyla would continue to teach above the talking, so my breaking point came and I raise my hand and asked if I could help.  Leyla had this relief look on her face.  I got up and on the board I wrote "Classroom Rules" and made them repeat it, the class seemed to be calmer after that but still talkative. The next day with the 11th form, I made seat arrangements and had 1 boy and 1 girl sit together, again the class is learning to be respectful.  At the end of the class if there is time, we play hangman with either text's words or their vocabulary words which they love. My second teacher name is Nargis who is also older and has a calmness about her that amazes me. She had complete control of her classroom and she knows her lessons well.  She calls on ALL students and they are very attentive (wow, no problems with this teacher).  Now my last teacher is young and probably only teaching a short time.  Her name is Khuraman (where do they get these names??), she has 7th form and kept asking me "if I was going to teach the class" and this wasn't her class.  I kept telling her, I will help you but we co teach.  After the second day with this very disruptive class (she had absolutely no control) I asked "if this is not your class, where is the teacher who class this belongs to?  "She gone", I shook my head "So this is your class?"  Well, yes, now it is but it wasn't.  OMG (logic), this teacher is going to be a challenge but she is willing to accept my advice and listen, so hopefully by the end of the school year we will have won these students over but she needs to claim the respect from them, that I cannot do for her. I will keep updated (you know I will!!).

Life Challenge: It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself..... Eleanor Roosevelt