My schedule leaves me little time to sit in front of my computer and update you all on my happenings here, but as it happens today is Republic Day in Turkey. As a result (and because H1N1 has hit Turkey) we have both today and tomorrow off from school. I'm sitting here on my third cup of strong Turkish tea, having eaten a hard-boiled egg that wasn't as hard-boiled as I thought. I find that simple tasks take on a new level of difficulty for me when I am confronted with a whole new set of stimuli. My mind seems to shut down and before I know it, I'm slicing open an egg with a nicely cooked yolk and a soft albumen inside.
Enough about eggs.
Okay, so let me take you through a day-by-day rundown of my work week.
Monday:
Up at 6:30 unless the call to prayer wakes me an hour earlier. Or unless the cat jumps on my head. Or unless I awaken in a panic because I failed to grade journals or lesson plan third period. I start making coffee and look through my closet for a pair of pants and a shirt that don't need ironing. After a shower and a quick breakfast, I head over to the English office. At 8:15, I head to the amphitheater for the Monday morning flag ceremony. My students sit in huddled groups, deceptively mellow and unawake at this hour, giving little indication of what they will be like in the classroom. We stand as the flag bearers come in and march down the stairs. The national anthem is played and the students all sing it in either a low register or monotone. I have discovered that this must be because of the key the anthem accompaniment is played in. You have to either sing it really low or really high and exposed. We listen to announcements, the flags are carried out and I run up to class.
Periods one and two with my advanced prep students (15 year olds) generally goes well. They're still waking up and haven't had their morning break yet so they aren't all hopped up on sugar. Our periods last a mere 40 minutes, which is either mercifully quick or ploddingly slow depending on my preparation and my students' behavior. We either read the novel we're working on or work in our grammar book. Third period comes and I get a break to regroup for 4th period. By this time, the students are their normal, energetic selves. They come upon me at the beginning of class, a wave of questions crashes against me and I entreat them to sit. I like my students. They have an energy that keeps me on my toes. They ask interesting questions. Their curiosity is fantastic and I find myself thinking back to try and remember if I was ever like this.
Period five is set up for parent teacher conferences - I've only done this a couple of times so mostly it's a prep hour for me. I take lunch at 6th period and check in with my fellow teachers. The lunches here are fantastic - we are spoiled: kofta, kebab, chicken, rice, salad, fresh fruit, puddings and cakes, yogurt, ayran, rich lentil soups.
After lunch, I head back to the English office to get ready to face my tenth graders. I teach two classes of tenth graders - each class is pretty unique. This group is my lively bunch. They move quickly through the material and would rather chat and draw and dance and do just about anything rather than settle down to a bit of reading. Yet once they do, they are engaged and ask some pretty insightful questions.
I get a period break then I have my other 10th grade class. This group is quieter but nevertheless just as engaged. They move through things more slowly but not because they lack the understanding or initiative. Rather, it's usually because they take more time to discuss ideas.
The best thing about walking into class each day? The students come to attention and stand by their desks until I tell them to sit (well, it takes them a bit of time to do this sometimes, but it's still pretty cool).
After class I help with the Beyond ISTA theater club.
Tuesday:
I dislike Tuesday mornings because I have two periods with each of my 10th grade classes right off the bat. I'm generally tired after teaching the same thing twice over the course of 4 periods. I get a bit of a mid-day break and then see my prep kids in the afternoon.
Wednesday:
10th graders again in the morning but only for one period with each group. Then I get a break, see my preps for two periods and then backup one of the 12th grade teachers after lunch. My afternoon is spent in a coordination meeting with two other teachers to plan the next week's lessons for 10th grade. After school, another teacher and I co-lead a radio club.
Thursday:
Prep kids in the morning, backup for 12th grade, then 10th graders late afternoon.
Friday:
I have the first two periods free (very nice, except for the fact that I've subbed for teachers 2nd period almost every week since school started). I see my 10th graders in the morning (I should mention we are reading To Kill a Mockingbird right now. My students know I'm a Mac user and in one class I came in to find, written on the board, "To Kill a Mocintosh" with an apple symbol with x'd out eyes. Very clever).
After 3rd and 4th periods, I rush over to the new building to see my preps for an hour. They are generally completely insane by this point in the week, but this is okay because I am too. I grab a super quick lunch then head back to the English building to help with the radio club's Friday lunchtime broadcast. Lately I've been bringing my iPod over to the co-op and playing jazz or lounge music for the hour. Then it's back to the new building for a lesson with the preps. 8th period on Friday is the last one of the week so I make that my SSR period with the students (I long for this period as it is generally the only block of time I have in the week for some solid reading).
We all head back to the amphitheater for the closing flag ceremony, get announcements, sing the anthem, enjoy the warmth of the sun and head out. Generally I will grab a drink and a snack with some of the Turkish and foreign faculty down by the bay.
The weeks fly by here. I'm generally overwhelmed but I've learned to ride the wave of uncertainty and enjoy the experience.
6 comments:
It sounds hectic and amazing! Do you have the flag ceremony every day (like the Pledge here in elementary school), or is it just the opening ceremony on Monday and the closing ceremony on Friday?
Word ver: gazedbro: a gazebo after a couple of drinks. "You're shweet. Let's walk over to the gazedbro - gabebo - pavilion."
Hey Liz! It is definitely hectic and amazing. We just have the flag ceremonies at the start and end of the week. I think you'd find it quite interesting here. You should pay a visit!
This sounds so amazing, Matt--and your lunches make me hungry.
Christina, you and Ben should totally visit - it's pretty great here.
Matt! We have to say the pledge every Monday. I'm lucky the kids stand up.
I am SO telling them, though, that it Turkey they have to stand by their desks when the teacher comes in and wait for them to be told to sit down. That's amazing. If only I had that kind of respect!
Miss you! Miss you so muchly.
Posting late... haven't had time to check the blogs, but you pop up on my screen every third day (the photos from apple picking - my favorite is the close-up of you taking a giant bite).
Thank you for the detailed schedule and observations. It fascinates me to read about the differences (and similarities) between the cultures. Do you ever feel like you are *not* an outsider? Or are the students - if anything like students here - more curious and open because you are their teacher, whom they see every day?
TKAM - very clever. Thing 1 would rather X out his own eyes than read the book at this point. Speaking of apples, how they fall far from the tree, in some instances. ;-)
Be well, enjoy the experience, and keep us all updated.
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