The First Day of School

I survived the first day of school. It always seems to be a crazy rush at the end to get ready, but then everything falls into place and goes well. I have 56 students which is amazing! A little explanation: we are on an alternating block schedule which means classes meet every other day for ninety minutes. There are separate Literature and Language Arts classes (I teach both) so I end up seeing all of the 7th graders every day. The other teachers on my team teach 7th and 8th grade and have twice as many students. I kind of like my set-up.

At my school, the teachers go by their first names because the last names are too difficult for the students, most of them English as a second language learners. So I am Ms. Michelle. That is going to take a little getting used to. And since the students' names are too difficult for the Western teachers, the students all go by nicknames that their parents picked for them. How difficult are their names? Some of the first names are Tanakorn, Tsun-Hong, Kuo-wei; a sample of the last names includes Phongsiripornchai, Ruangrattanathavorn, Sricharaonpong. Needless to say, I am thankful for the nick names. However, the nicknames pose a problem, too. Some of the names just make me laugh: Puh-ting, Ting Ting, Ping Ping, CoCo, M, Mini, Tong, Kanit, Fon (pronounced phone), New, Aim, Boss, Jell, Mint. I'm kind of glad Titi didn't show up today as I don't know how I will be able to say that one with a straight face.

Even though the students are in uniforms and they are all Asian, they are still 7th grade students. All the boys sat together and all the girls sat together. I guess boys still have cooties in the 7th grade? There is a lot of energy in the hallways between bells. They definitely smell like 7th graders (maybe more so because of the humidity and unaircondioned hallways). What struck me most about my new students is how quiet they are. Soft spoken is an understatement. I hope this will change some because I know they will get sick and tired of having me ask them to repeat themselves over and over again.

There are two circumstances I will have a hard time adjusting to. One: there are six floors in the building. We had to climb five flights of stairs to get to the morning assembly in the new gym. This was fine for the kids; it probably took me five minutes to get my breath back once we were arrived. (Luckily, my classroom is on the second floor.) Two: we have to drop off what we want copied. This is a good and bad thing; good because I don't have to do it but bad because I have to get better about planning ahead. Not always my best quality.

Lunch time makes up for both of those small inconveniences. Everyone gets a 45 minute lunch. Yes, 45 minutes. This is insane, and I feel a little guilty about having that much time to consume my food. It almost feels unnatural to take my time and enjoy what I am eating. Not to mention, eating in the cafeteria is like being at the food court. I had Japanese food for lunch. I ordered (by pointing) at a rolled rice concoction of some sort, the kind with meat in the middle and rice rolled around it. The lunch lady took the rolled up rice thing, sliced it into smaller pieces, placed it on a plate, and put a drop of sauce on each slice. I also ordered crispy pork with rice. She sliced up my pork, drizzled it with a yummy sauce and handed me the plate. And then I went over and ordered a Thai tea, but I could have had limeade, Chai tea, or iced coffee. All of this for $1.62. I would recommend my school to anyone on the cafeteria and lunch break alone.

I think a nap is in order.