Same Same, Yet Different

So, it's been 2 weeks since I've been at ENS and I guess it's time to fill you in on the new school.  The first week started out relatively slow and easy.  I began the week with 12 students and ended with 18.  Nice way to start other than the fact that we could never really get into a routine with structure.  It felt like I was starting over everyday due to the fact that new kids just kept coming in.  Other than that, it was great and I loved it!

The next week was totally different.  All 24 showed up.  Really starting over.  It was a tough week.  Kind of like my first year at Ammoryiah.  Things will get better.  I know that and I'm not as stressed about it as I was 2 years ago.  It just requires me to be someone that I'm not.  I am having to be strict and "mean" and that really isn't me.  It's not just Saeed's shirt either!  I have taken to letting that slide because he has many other bigger problems that need to be dealt with.  You know; pick your battles!  I will enforce it if another teacher tells him to do it, but in the classroom, whatever.  I'm more concerned about the fact that he doesn't sit still or stop talking and the fact that every time he walks by Saleh he hits his head.  See much bigger issues than a silly shirt!  Anyway, that's besides the point.  I'm supposed to be talking about how the fact that ENS is still the same, yet slightly different.

Differences:

1. Technology!  I love it and the kids love it!  They love using the Smartboard and when I find a video on You Tube.
2. BOYS!!  Maybe that's all I need to say here.  Boys are boys and Emirati boys are a special case
3. Duties.  I have to do playground duty.  No biggy.  It's only 20 minutes and really I just chat with the girls.  It's funny because I have a hard time figuring out if the boys are playing or fighting.  Boys being boys I guess:)  Oh I have to do cafeteria duty once a week and it's disgusting!!  They eat with their hands.  Everything.  Not just sandwiches.  Noodles and rice.  It's so gross.  Makes my stomach turn:(  At least it's only 20 minutes once a week!
4. Teaching time.  I have less total teaching time each week!!  There are two days when I only teach 4 out of 10 periods!  Most days it's 6, but I love the days that it's only 4.
5. Longer days.  Even though I have less teaching time than at Ammoryiah the days are much longer.  The school day for students is 7:30-2:45 except on Tuesday when they leave at 12:30.  Now that would be a good thing if that were my day, but sadly it is not.  I get there around 7:00 and leave between 3:00 and 4:30 depending on the day.  Tuesdays are my longest day as I have to work until 4:30 which means I don't get home until nearly 5:00. 
6. English level.  These kids are at least one year above my brightest students from Ammoryiah.  Most of them are about where Ashwaq (she was my highest) was at the end of the year.  That's a good thing!  I can do a lot more with them!  They are capable of understanding a lot more, their reading is better, and so is their writing.
7. It's inside!  OK I'll say it just one more time.  I love the fact that I don't have a layer of sand covering all the desks and papers!  It's great being able to stick stuff to the wall knowing that it won't get covered in sand and fall down!  I love not having dirty feet everyday!  It's not hot.  Although, my AC has stopped working for the time being:(
8. Assembly.  It's quiet!  No yelling!  It's amazingly different and SHORT!!  All they do is sing the national anthem and 2 kids recite the Quran; not the whole school.  No silly PE to Jingle Bells.  No constant shouting of some sort of Emirate thing after the national anthem.  Oh, I will say that I think they say the same thing that the girls SHOUTED at Ammoryiah, but they do it in English  (I wish I could have videotaped the assembly for you all to see, but it wasn't allowed).
9. Involved Principal.  Brian (the principal) has been in my classroom at least two times each week.  He even stopped them in the hall to help get them to walk in a line.  He's there at assembly and during dismissal.
10. Breaks.  The students have two 40 minute breaks instead of just one.  That's a good thing.  They need the time to run and get their energy out.  During the second break (lunch 1:15-2:00) they have to pray as well.  They have some sort of weird rotation where the boys eat, pray, then play while the girls pray, eat, then play.  It's mixed with the 3rd grade which makes it even more confusing.  So during the 2nd break they really only get about 15 minutes to play but it's better than nothing!
11. Clothing.  I can wear pants and short sleeves!
12. I only have 1 class instead of 2.  That's 24 students instead of 50.  That basically cuts my job in 1/2!!

I guess you could say it's like a school!

Similarities:

1. Meetings.  There are still a ton of them.
2. Talking.  The kids still love to talk.  That's a cultural thing though.  Well, maybe it's just a kid thing!!!
3. Ridiculously high expectations.  Yep still here.  They don't understand that these kids are learning a new language and that they don't use it at home or out on the playground. 
4. Not enough time to teach.  I know that sounds silly especially when I just said that I have less total teaching time.  But you really need more than 40 minutes a day to teach English and math.  It's just not enough time.  They have so many things that they have to do during the day that 40-45 minutes is all they can squeeze in for each subject.  Granted there are a few days when I can manage to get 2 periods of English or math, but it's not all that often.
5. Testing.  They have MAP testing, which should be sometime in October.  They do it 3 times a year.  Once at the beginning to get a baseline and then to see growth.  I think that's a good way to do it.
6. Lage class size.  I have 24 students.  That's just too many English language learners.
7. Small classroom.  Too small with too many students.  We're crowded.  The school is huge, but the classrooms are small.

That's about it.  If I think of more I'll let you know later.  Here's knowing that by God's grace this week will be better than last week:)

It's getting cooler:)  Only 97 degrees at 8:53pm!  It will soon be nice out; I can't wait:)