A typical day

My sister said she wanted to hear what a typical day for me was like so...here you go!

On a weekday, I usually wake up at 5:30.  I make a cup of coffee (instant...<insert sad face here>) and spend about 30 minutes waking up.  During that time I sit in the bed, drink my coffee, pray, think, and prepare for my day.

I allow myself until 6 oclock to do these things, and then I start getting ready for school.  By 6:30 (it doesn't take me long to get ready), I make my way downstairs.  I make a PB&J (what I've had for lunch every single day since I've been here) for lunch and I eat some kind of breakfast.  I might make toast, or eat some cereal or something.  The last week or so, I've been eating oatmeal since Mark brought me some from the states :-)))

At about 7:15, the other girls show up from various parts of the house.  We wait for our ride to school which usually shows up around 7:20/7:25.  We ride to school with a really nice lady named Sonia.  Her husband works at the embassy and she works at the school.  Apparently they live really close to our house so she gives us a ride as often as she can.

I'm usually at school by about 7:30 and I boot up my computer to get things ready.  Around 7:50/7:55, someone (I never know who, I just hear it) blows a whistle on the playground and the kids start coming towards the room.  They line up on the fence outside of our room and wait to be invited in.  Now, do they wait quietly?  No.  Do they wait patiently?  No.  Are they in a straight line?  No.  Do they stop talking when I begin to address them?  No.  But, I'm working on these things.  LOL

Once they come in the class, they write their homework in their agenda and meet me on the carpet.  We sit in a circle and have a morning meeting.  This is where we greet each other and share (if we have something we want to share).  We usually play a little game and then watch CNN Student News to get our day started.  After that, we begin lessons. 

The schedule at this school varies day by day.  I've been here 6 weeks now, and I'm still asking about our schedule every day.  It's so confusing to me.  But, the kids seem to have it down pat and they'll be sure to tell me if I get off track.

At 10:15, the kids leave me.  They go to Spanish class, then recess, then lunch.  On some days I get the same group of kids back at 12, but on other days I get a different group of kids at 12.  See, told you it was confusing.  Sometimes we have straight lessons for a couple of hours, but most days we are interrupted by something.  They go to "specials," which were called electives back in my day (and we never had them in elementary school), or we have an assembly, or a fire drill, or something.

The kids leave at 2:55ish to go home.  There are no bells here, so everything is just looking at the clock to see where we are on time.  Some days, I can ride home with Sonia, which means I leave the school at 3:45, but lately she's had a lot going on and can't take us home, so I've been riding the bus home which leaves at 3:10ish.  (Except on Wednesdays when I have to stay until 4:30 for professional development)

Once I get home, it's a free for all.  Sometimes I fall asleep, sometimes I'm starving (PB&J doesn't last very long) so I make early dinner.  Sometimes I have to go to the grocery store, which I don't like doing.  First, it's a hike to get there.  Secondly, we have to carry all of our groceries home.  And thirdly, I don't like walking around after dark.  We live in a very safe area, but I just don't think it's smart to take chances.  When I cook, I usually make something like pasta or rice.  We don't eat meat very much, maybe 3 times a week.  In the states, a meal isn't a meal unless you have some kind of meat, but it isn't like that here.  We get our protein from beans or from eggs. 

Layne spends his day working on his school work (yeah right, he's playing video games) and just hanging at the house.  I try to get him to go out in the evenings, but he's such an introvert that he doesn't ever want to go anywhere.  Tonight we are going to an Asian place for dinner.  It's the birthday of one of the other student teachers.  He actually got dressed up and looks very handsome.  We don't go out to eat very much...especially during the week...but this is a special occasion.

Then, tomorrow, we will wake up and do it all over again!