The end of the school year marks my 11 month placement here. It’s surprising that I’ve gotten this far already. It seems like just yesterday when I left my home to head to O’Hare airport. My mom and my brother, Brad drove me first to my grandparents house to say goodbye to them. As I was about to leave, my dad surprised me to say one last goodbye. He had rushed home from work to make sure he could get one last hug until Christmas. I lost control of my emotions, the first of many on this trek across the world.
Then it was off to the airport. I was trying to be brave the entire ride, coming up with petty conversation to distract us from the inevitable. As we reached the final oasis and got some Starbucks, I fell apart. The end was near – the time where I knew I wouldn’t be able to see my family every day, or even come home on surprise weekend escapades. I would be a world away, submerged in a completely different culture. I hugged them both, and by this time both my mom and I were crying. It was a cry of both sadness and excitement.
Despite the fact that I am very much in love with my job and this country, I can’t help but cry thinking of these last sad moments before my life changed. Bittersweet emotions doused with excitement are emotions that one cannot experience unless it actually happens to you.
I thank God for my family who has supported me from the very beginning and continue to do so even now. Even though there was a lot of unknowns of what was about to come, we all knew this was God’s calling for me.
I’ve learned a lot about being a teacher. I know that this will help me in the future, wherever I may end up. These are just a few lessons I’ve learned:
-Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It is not a sign of weakness if you do so!
-It is important to find a way to grade efficiently, effectively, and quickly.
-Be nice to the secretaries and office people, it will benefit in times of need.
-Preparing lessons a week in advance is less stressful and provides more free time on the weekends.
-Despite being prepared for lessons in advance, some of the best lessons are spur of the moment.
-Some lessons just don’t work. Quitting in the middle of one is better than to make them more confused.
-Novel studies are more difficult than they appear. Don’t even get me started on multiple novel studies at one time.
-Bulletin boards are overrated, especially when you have 12 of them.
-A clean classroom is hard to keep up, especially when you have some creative geniuses.
-One student may change the dynamics of an entire class – when that student is absent a change in atmosphere is inevitable (and sometimes celebratory) .
-Kids are more apt to choose the internet over books, it is important to maintain a balance.
-Youtube is very helpful in lessons, so why it’s banned from classroom networks is beyond me.
-Teachers get antsier for holidays than kids.
-If there is no follow-up – it is not a priority.
-Making mistakes are inevitable, especially slip-ups of the tongue.
-Kids say the darnest things (I’ve kept a running record) – you need to think quick on your feet or the lesson will crumble.
I’m sure there are many other things I’m forgetting, but these are a few things I will never forget. Stay tuned for the next installment of lessons learned: You Know You’re In Indonesia When…
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