So last week, Yuri and I handled our two days of school without students very well. I did my best to show her all I could about what I do. That's really hard when you consider I have no curriculum. Every single thing I teach has come from something I've created or else found in separate sources. The hardest part of that is that I don't need it written down, so I don't have it written down because it's all in my head. Say I'm a good teacher, or say I'm lazy; either way, there's no written evidence of what I teach to hand over to a visiting teacher in my classroom.
She was constantly overwhelmed with all that I had. Most (I'd say 90%) of the things in my room came from my purchases. That's just the life of a teacher. But when I started the Spanish program at Lockeland, I wasn't given a budget or handouts, I was just given freedom.
All this to say I did what I could to explain my life in teaching for the course of an academic year in a matter of two days.
On Wednesday, I offered to teach all three levels (8 classes) so she could see my style, the "typical American classroom," and how I used some of the materials I have. She kept saying my classroom was more like a store than a classroom!
Well, it felt amazing to teach. I am constantly reminded that I am in the right profession. Usually it just takes a good day at school to reiterate that. I did, however, feel strange knowing I wouldn't be there until those students were in the following grade!
Wednesday was the deadline I had set for myself to leave Lockeland and not return. I knew if I didn't set a deadline, I'd keep teaching and keep "helping" and keep watching until I left. That would not have been good for any of the parties involved.
Thursday and Friday I busied myself with many things. Errands, purchases (educational at this point because my dress funds are depleted), etc. Thursday night, Jenna and Danny were in town and I met them as well as LP and Jackson at Dan McGuiness for dinner. Jenna had brought my a beachy bag with a journal and tank-and-shorts pajamas for my trip...SO THOUGHTFUL! Thanks, Jenna!!
Friday night, Megan, Ashley, Yuri, her husband Samhir Benjamin (Sah-MEER Ben-ha-MEAN, who Megan lovingly calls Benji) and I ate at California Pizza Kitchen. Megan had taken them all over creation and mostly Nolensville Road to get keys made, see Spanish speaking churches, etc. I got there first and was seated immediately, which was not in my plan, so I waited sola for a bit. We had a great meal and good company. I had heard about Yuri's not-so-great first day on Thursday afternoon from Megan. I knew better than to ask, but I asked anyway, and that's what I get! Friday, luckily, was better.
After a mostly-Spanish dinner, Megan left us for bed (8:30! the first week of elementary school is VERY draining), and we went shopping. Ann Taylor Loft had had some sales (okay, dress fund was depleted, but I found some spare change for some tank tops!) including 30% more off their clearance, so I took Yuri there to look for teacher things. That is a great store for teacher things. She got a cardigan and top as well as a sturdy teacher bag- very important. Then we took them back to our house to watch the Titans win in the literal last second against the Raiders in the pre-season. Ashley got a new tv when the Olympics started, and we have LOVED it! So we watched on DVR. It was hilarious. Those of you who knew me three-four years ago in the pre-Schwartz age will appreciate how similar Yuri and I actually are. Samhir, owning a Y-chromosome, seems to just understand football. There is some futbol americano in Mexico, so he's seen it and gets it. Within the first 10 minutes, there was a significant play (not significant enough, mind you for me to remember, but baby steps people!) ending in a first down or a tackle or I don't even know what, but I think AShley adn I stood and Samhir clapped enthusiastically. Yuri asks in English, "They have points now?" Every exciting play after that, she would ask the same in Spanish, "Puntos?" It was hysterical, and made me so proud of how far I've come. :)
Saturday, I waited for my water heater to be replaced. SO FUN!
I'm leaving it at that: I'm an adult now. I have made mandatory home improvements.
Finally, I told Tom, my water heater guy, and consequently a former student's dad, that I needed to meet Yuri over at school and take care of setting me up for Mexico. I needed to spend my money (that I'll be reimbursed) on some educational things and who better to tell me what Yuri's school needs than Yuri herself???
I picked her up and we went to Lockeland to copy things and make posters, etc. We decided to skip the poster route and just buy the things we needed.
We picked up Samhir, and I decided we'd check out teh Rivergate Parent-Teacher Store becuase I'd never been there. You see where this is going. It was the closer one to them, but only by a minute or two.
Well, I missed the exit and it's funny up there. Once you get on Vietnam Vets, you can't get to where you need to be. I gave up and drove us to Green Hills! Forty minutes after departing the house, we were at the PT store. Again, kids in a candy shop. She thought my classroom was a store? Even Samhir, who loves shopping as much as most males, was aghast! We just browsed for about 45 minutes. Then we got serious. Her most exciting thing for me to take was a Judy clock. Any elementary educator will know what that is. It's a big-enough-to-see clock that moves like a real clock. You move the minute hand and the hour hand moves like it's supposed to. We also got enough student clocks for all 40 of her students. We got other things, but that was definitely the highlight.
Getting them out of there was like pulling teeth!
I took them home and babysat.
Sunday was church (thankfully no up-front action this time!) and lunch with the Smiths. After lunch, Matt Hardison helped me figure out lots of extras to my camera. That was super-helpful and exciting!
Sunday night, I was supposed to go to Bowling Green to visit with Dad but we got our wires crossed.
Monday morning, after opening an account with Bank of America, I headed up that way. Honey had been there that weekend, so she ate lunch with us and then hustled to Glasgow to stay with my aunt.
Dad and I spent some QT together shopping (thanks for the dresses, et al!) and hanging at the house. Suzanne's daughter is marrying a friend of mine from high school in a few weeks, so when she wasn't doing wedding stuff, she was hanging, too.
I left at 7ish to get my final USA cut and color. The cut is typical. The color is Mexican. :) It's fine, it's just much darker than usual. Well, it's black. But I figure all the better to fit in with the natives.
After the hair maintenance, Dad and I went to dinner and then I slept as hard as I could (I've been running pretty ragged lately with not too much chance of sleeping late) until the morning noise of getting ready for school woke me. I needed to get on the road to Glasgow anyway, so I headed out at 8ish.
I unloaded my things at Mom's and called Grandmother to tell her Suprise, I'm keeping my car at your house and I need to clean out that side of the garage!
I got over there and there was little cleaning to do, so we chatted for a bit.
When I got back home (to Mom's), Honey was waiting to tell me my final goodbye and head back to Louisville. I did some stuff around the house, checked a few more things off my to-do list and then went to eat lunch with Grandmother and mom at this place called The Station. I had a yummy Reuben and had some leftover.
That afternoon, I ran myself ragged trying to find a laptop case. I went to Walmart, Unique Gifts, Ashley Rae's, Awards, Inc., Kmart, and I think that must be it. I came up short. I found one once I got back to Nashville.
Then at 5ish, Mom asked me what I wanted for dinner. Thinking it was a bit late to be asking, I said, "Whatever."
"If you could have anything what would it be?"
"Are you fixing chicken nuggets?!"
My birthday meal is always chicken nuggets, green beans, mashed potatoes and fruit salad. It's not the easiest thing to fix, but it is the most delicious. The boys would argue that whatever their meal is is the favorite. Obviously it's not memorable....
The only other time Mom has fixed it when not my birthday was after I came home from abroad one time; I'm thinking Spain, but maybe Australia?
Grandmother came over to eat with Mom, Jack and me, and we all had a grand time. She didn't leave without stuffing a bill into my pocket...Thanks, Gran-mudder!
I hung around a wee bit after dinner, but needed to get back to Nashville. I knew that on Wednesday, I could sleep in ISH and that it would be easier in my own bed. I got home, showed Ashley my new stuff, and then went to bed, but not before getting a "happy." Ashley's Mimi gives "happy"s. Well, mine for Tuesday was an oh-so-cute titans shirt, short sleeved, to take to Mexico. I'm actually considering doing a unit on football (or at least a mini-unit in my unit on Nashville and Tennessee...I don't have to explain all the rules!).
Wednesday I had set aside to do last minute things at school: copies, copy my files to my jump drive, etc. I was there for most of the day and got plenty done. Unfortunately, I had an epiphany last night and will have to return tomorrow. But while I was there, I was doing my thing while noticing Yuri teaching. Let me tell you how weird it is to watch someone else do your job! It was a severely strange feeling. I was so happy to see how creative she was. My job is one of necessary creativity; all teaching is. In my job, though, since there is no text, creativity is your savior. Since Yuri teaches with textbooks, workbooks and provided flashcards, I thought she would have trouble adjusting to the "freedom" of our curriculum. She had no problem at all. Classroom management is a bit different in the States than other places, but that will come. At the end of the day, she asked for my "advices" on keeping them quiet. basically I told her she'd have to be a bit mean at times.
Such is life.
When I got home from Lockeland (and shopping for found laptop case), I had my Microsoft Office disc in the mail from Amanda who gets a major discount at the University of Arizona. Padding the CD was an "Everything's Hotter in Arizona" t-shirt. Go ahead and insert your comment here, Patrick. Last time I was out there, I was wearing a Tucson shirt I had bought in the airport. Andy and Amanda both (as well as many people in Nsshville) commented on it. I really like it, but I bought it because I hadn't found a "Hotter" one. It's so cute and I absolutely can't wait to wear it!
That brings us up to date, more or less, to today!
I slept until I woke up (I know how dumb that sounds, but alarmless is what I mean), and then got started on my day. I know that I will have plenty of opportunity to do some things with the new Kindergarten English program in Culiacan. My brain was spinning last night, so after I vacuum packed my clothes (yes, LP, they work GREAT!), I made a list of books and extra things I wanted to buy still for Yuri's school and other educational opportunities.
I went to Border's today and spent 80 bucks! I'm pumped about what I got! Then I went to meet Lynn Hopkins, a woman from church that I met when I went on the Honduras trip with the Youth Group a few years ago. She's an amazing woman, but also a dear friend. I tell her often that she's my favorite grown-up. :)
So we had lunch at Zoe's and then I went to Davis Kidd to look for a few paperbacks that I had not seen in Borders. Turns out these books only come in hardback! BUT- Davis Kidd has a "Golden Apple" program that gives teachers a 20% discount! I bought another $80 worth of stuff!
I went to the PT store one last time and found a few dollar books that would be great for teaching.
Now I am at the library, my internet connection until I'm at home in Mexico. Tonight is dinner with Emily, her sisters, and Stephen at Mama Mia's. Tomorrow holds an oil change, lunch with LP, mailing my educational materials, hopping over to Lockeland one last time, packing, and dinner and dancin' with the teachers. Saturday is yoga, pool, and goodbye dinner at the Smith Fort.
Sunday, Mom and Jack visit for church and lunch. After they leave, Ashley and I are getting pedicures and then the church potluck.
Monday I will be carless because Mom and Jack are taking it to Grandmother's for me on Sunday. Hopefully, I'll be chillin' at the pool all day!
That night, Dad's coming to take us to dinner at Lime, one of my new favorite Nashville hot-spots, and then Tuesday morning it's off to the airport at 3:40 am!
Look for an update next Wednesday or Thursday.
Love to all!
1 comment:
I am so sad. I am going to miss you. But I am pumped that I got 3 mentions in the blog....
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