Had my first official day of school today.
Utter chaos.
Exhausting.
Confusing.
Frustrating.
Overwhelming.
Sorry, I sound super-negative right now, but I don't know how else to put it into words. Last Thursday (school week is Sunday-Thursday) as we* were leaving school, we learned that we will be getting our students only from 10:00 -11:30am today. Naturally, we all planned activities/games/lessons to cover that time... We found out today at 9am that plans have "changed" and that we will have the students from 9:30-12:30. No communication whatsoever! Only discovered this information because I went to an Arabic teacher to confirm our schedule, who was of course shocked that we did not know this information since it was clearly marked in the staff room. Yes, clearly marked, IN ARABIC!
...and umm...where are all these resources and supplies that supposedly exist in our school? Computer is not in working condition... I went out and spent $300 getting basic supplies last week (crayons, scissors, glue, paper, pencils...) Note that they had promised a classroom set of this stuff 2 weeks ago... beginning to learn that I will never get things done waiting around at their snail-pace.
hahaha and the moms!! they would sit in the classroom and chat! oh dear... in the middle of my attempted introduction to the students, a mom came up to me and started a full on conversation! "Where are you from?" "Is America nice?" "Do you like Abu Dhabi?" complete with getting her daughter out of her seat and personally introducing me to her... while the whole class was waiting...
and...i can't even describe the disorder...chaos...madness trying to get the students on the right bus afterschool.
Oh, and currently, I'm only teaching one 1st grade class... three 45-minute periods... err... so technically I'm a part-time teacher. But, I'm not complaining. :) I'm still getting paid as a full-time teacher. :P A bit worried though... don't know what they are going to dump on me for the extra 3 periods I have. Everything will work out, Insh'Allah.
On the bright side, the girls are sweethearts, and look soooo adorable in their hot pink uniforms. :) Can already spot out the attention seekers... I have 3 named Amna, 2 with the same last name... 2 named Reem, 2 named Maha.. haha. typical. (oh, and of course we didn't get an English class roster as promised. I had to ask a favor from one of my Arabic teacher friends to translate it for me...during her class! she was super helpful and understanding though.)
Regardless, I'm happy to be here and I'm learning/experiencing sooooooo much!
Hopefully my next update will be full of fun stories! :)
Love,
Hannah
*"we" refers to NEST (Native English Speaking Teachers)
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
"Miss Hannah"
Miss Hannah will be teaching two first grade classes in English, Math & Science at an all girls school! :)
Well, technically speaking it would be Kindergarten because I will be teaching 5 year olds, for the most part. I have been warned that I may have students of varying ages, anywhere from 4-9 yrs old! (ahk!) Kindergarten (referred to as "KG" here) is not required, so they say about half of my students will have gone to school before and half will be new to the system.
So why two first grade classes? Prior to this huge wave of NEST (Native English Speaking Teachers) coming (around 500), starting from grade 1, students had different teachers for each subject. It is the first time one teacher will be responsible for 3 subjects. (They are amazed that we are certified to teach all subjects.) There are seven 45-minute periods during the school day. English, Math, Science, Arabic, Religion (Islam), History + an appropriate elective (gym, art, music...) Obviously, I cannot teach Arabic, Islam & History, so I will have two groups of first graders where I will essentially teach the same lessons to for English, Math & Science. (I'll be teaching 6 periods, and the last period will be reserved for lesson planning.) Another reason why they do not want separate teachers for these subjects is because they want to formulate an integrated curriculum. Also, the core language in Mathematics and Science around the world is English, and in order to support students to participate internationally, English is essential.
The UAE strives to make its mark internationally and desires to become a cultural/monetary hub for the world. In order to do so, one step was to have their universities recognized internationally. This required the education to be primarily in English. It wasn't difficult to change this in their universities (they simply shipped over English speaking professors), but they soon realized that the students of their nations were not able to perform up to par to the universities' standards because they had inadequate preparations in English during their K-12 schooling. Hence, the high school graduates needed to spend another 1-2 years studying English to attend UAE universities. The Sheikhs (King/Princes in the UAE) became really disturbed by this and decided to reform their education system, which is why I have been presented with this opportunity. :)
Okay, back to my school. I will be teaching at Al Afaq Primary Model School starting...sometime soon. (It all depends on when Ramadan ends. School will start either on the 23rd, 24th, or 27th.) I really lucked out in soooo many ways. First, my school is still within city limits, which means that it's close to my apartment (takes less than 10-minutes by car without traffic). The majority of the schools are outside of the island of Abu Dhabi and are in the mainland. Many have to commute over 45 minutes, and in traffic can easily take 2 hours! Secondly, there are 7 NEST at my school! (There is a range of 2-7 NEST at every school.) Of the 7 teachers, I will have a team of 4 teachers (including myself) to plan the free-for-all curriculum for the 1st graders! The other 3 teachers will be nearby teaching 2nd grade. Lastly, my school is a MODEL school. This means that the Sheikhs have already been funding the school the past several years to promote English within the school. My school has a great resource room with Big Books, charts, and much much more! We also have computers, printers, projectors, and an ELMO (<- teacher term) in EVERY CLASSROOM! Many of the schools, especially those further out, do not have any English resources and NEST will have to provide things out of their own pockets. Since the Sheikhs directly fund these schools, only Emirati children are allowed to attend. Meaning they will all be rich, and have parents with very high expectations/are skeptical of "foreign teachers." Kind of intimidates me.
The school day runs from 7:30am-1:35pm everyday with 2 breaks. I will finish teaching at 12:50 and the last period will be for lesson planning. I'm excited! and scared!
Wish me luck! :)
Love, Hannah
P.S. The girls will be wearing HOT PINK uniforms! :) and they are only allowed to wear black, white or pink for their socks, shoes, and hair accessories. hahaha.
P.P.S. I'm also really nervous about how the students and parents will perceive me. There is a blatant social hierarchy here where the Emarati rule over all. Take note that 95% of the working class here are Asians from the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Pakistan. I constantly get weird stares from people being the only Asian in the group when I am hanging out with "white" people from the U.S., Canada, Australia... (other NEST teachers). It's sad, but the people here, including some Westerners, look down on the working class. For instance, yesterday, I was wearing my shirt that says "the best girls are from Los Angeles," and two "white" men walk by me. One reads my shirt aloud, scoffs, and says to his friend "like she's ever been there." #@$%@#$!
A couple days ago, I was standing in line at the market, had put all my groceries on the conveyer belt and was next in line, when an Emarati kid cuts right in front of me with his bottle of juice without even thinking twice! !#@$!#$ The Emarati kids especially have no respect for Asian women because most of their nannies/maids are Filipino...and they walk all over them. You should see these kids when they are at the mall with their nannies. How in the world are they going to perceive me as their teacher then?!
Again, wish me luck! :)
Well, technically speaking it would be Kindergarten because I will be teaching 5 year olds, for the most part. I have been warned that I may have students of varying ages, anywhere from 4-9 yrs old! (ahk!) Kindergarten (referred to as "KG" here) is not required, so they say about half of my students will have gone to school before and half will be new to the system.
So why two first grade classes? Prior to this huge wave of NEST (Native English Speaking Teachers) coming (around 500), starting from grade 1, students had different teachers for each subject. It is the first time one teacher will be responsible for 3 subjects. (They are amazed that we are certified to teach all subjects.) There are seven 45-minute periods during the school day. English, Math, Science, Arabic, Religion (Islam), History + an appropriate elective (gym, art, music...) Obviously, I cannot teach Arabic, Islam & History, so I will have two groups of first graders where I will essentially teach the same lessons to for English, Math & Science. (I'll be teaching 6 periods, and the last period will be reserved for lesson planning.) Another reason why they do not want separate teachers for these subjects is because they want to formulate an integrated curriculum. Also, the core language in Mathematics and Science around the world is English, and in order to support students to participate internationally, English is essential.
The UAE strives to make its mark internationally and desires to become a cultural/monetary hub for the world. In order to do so, one step was to have their universities recognized internationally. This required the education to be primarily in English. It wasn't difficult to change this in their universities (they simply shipped over English speaking professors), but they soon realized that the students of their nations were not able to perform up to par to the universities' standards because they had inadequate preparations in English during their K-12 schooling. Hence, the high school graduates needed to spend another 1-2 years studying English to attend UAE universities. The Sheikhs (King/Princes in the UAE) became really disturbed by this and decided to reform their education system, which is why I have been presented with this opportunity. :)
Okay, back to my school. I will be teaching at Al Afaq Primary Model School starting...sometime soon. (It all depends on when Ramadan ends. School will start either on the 23rd, 24th, or 27th.) I really lucked out in soooo many ways. First, my school is still within city limits, which means that it's close to my apartment (takes less than 10-minutes by car without traffic). The majority of the schools are outside of the island of Abu Dhabi and are in the mainland. Many have to commute over 45 minutes, and in traffic can easily take 2 hours! Secondly, there are 7 NEST at my school! (There is a range of 2-7 NEST at every school.) Of the 7 teachers, I will have a team of 4 teachers (including myself) to plan the free-for-all curriculum for the 1st graders! The other 3 teachers will be nearby teaching 2nd grade. Lastly, my school is a MODEL school. This means that the Sheikhs have already been funding the school the past several years to promote English within the school. My school has a great resource room with Big Books, charts, and much much more! We also have computers, printers, projectors, and an ELMO (<- teacher term) in EVERY CLASSROOM! Many of the schools, especially those further out, do not have any English resources and NEST will have to provide things out of their own pockets. Since the Sheikhs directly fund these schools, only Emirati children are allowed to attend. Meaning they will all be rich, and have parents with very high expectations/are skeptical of "foreign teachers." Kind of intimidates me.
The school day runs from 7:30am-1:35pm everyday with 2 breaks. I will finish teaching at 12:50 and the last period will be for lesson planning. I'm excited! and scared!
Wish me luck! :)
Love, Hannah
P.S. The girls will be wearing HOT PINK uniforms! :) and they are only allowed to wear black, white or pink for their socks, shoes, and hair accessories. hahaha.
P.P.S. I'm also really nervous about how the students and parents will perceive me. There is a blatant social hierarchy here where the Emarati rule over all. Take note that 95% of the working class here are Asians from the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Pakistan. I constantly get weird stares from people being the only Asian in the group when I am hanging out with "white" people from the U.S., Canada, Australia... (other NEST teachers). It's sad, but the people here, including some Westerners, look down on the working class. For instance, yesterday, I was wearing my shirt that says "the best girls are from Los Angeles," and two "white" men walk by me. One reads my shirt aloud, scoffs, and says to his friend "like she's ever been there." #@$%@#$!
A couple days ago, I was standing in line at the market, had put all my groceries on the conveyer belt and was next in line, when an Emarati kid cuts right in front of me with his bottle of juice without even thinking twice! !#@$!#$ The Emarati kids especially have no respect for Asian women because most of their nannies/maids are Filipino...and they walk all over them. You should see these kids when they are at the mall with their nannies. How in the world are they going to perceive me as their teacher then?!
Again, wish me luck! :)
Monday, September 14, 2009
Insh'Allah Society
Since day one, the UAE has been cultivating my capacity for patience. Coming here, I wanted to give off the impression that I was chill, ready to go with the flow, and ease myself into this new culture. That didn't work out quite as planned... my frustration bubbled up quite quickly. Partially, the problem was that I wouldn’t own up to my “American-ness.” I couldn’t and didn’t want the typically seen uptight, controlling, “American” side seep through my exterior. I refused to believe that I was that person. But, when money was running low and a week had passed with no news on our paycheck, our passports had disappeared with no communication on how long visas would take to process, buses that my company had promised never showed up, “work days” ended without knowing what was in store for us the following morning, internet was cruddy/slow/expensive/unreliable, it was hard to mask my irritation. Everywhere I went, the response was "Insh'Allah"... translated to "God-willing." A typical answer would be, “You will have your passports in one week, Insh’Allah.” (It has been three weeks and no word as of yet.)
I resented the term. It seemed to translate to: “Yeah, we’ll give the situation a little nudge, but if the man upstairs doesn’t approve, oh well, not our problem.” It was easy to think that everyone was just lazy and didn’t want to take responsibility for anything. Or better yet, just said answers that they knew wanted to be heard just to get us off their back. I simply wanted to facts and figures, the plain truth and for these people to step out of their “Insh’Allah” umbrella and take some ownership.
But, three weeks in, I am learning the true essence and meaning behind “Insh’Allah.” It’s a combined term used when you have given a sufficient amount of effort, or when it is something you truly desire to happen, but when you are humbling yourself before God and acknowledging that through it all, He is still the man in charge. However, it also is given as a subtle warning to its receiver as “be patient, things will work out, just give us some time.” …and when I do take a step back and realize that there are certain circumstances that just cannot be controlled, and no one really is at “fault,” I find ease and comfort in knowing that life’s problems and solutions are indeed, “Insh’Allah.”
Given this new mindset, I am at comfortable knowing that
…I will get my residency visa before my tourist visa runs out in 4 days, Insh’Allah.
…my classroom and grade level will be figured out prior to the start of school, Insh’Allah.
…when my pay gets deposited into a bank account that has my name spelled wrong (Hanah), I will get access to my money, Insh’Allah.
…my 70’s décor couch and curtains will get switched out, Insh’Allah.
And most importantly, everything will work out at home, Insh’Allah.
I resented the term. It seemed to translate to: “Yeah, we’ll give the situation a little nudge, but if the man upstairs doesn’t approve, oh well, not our problem.” It was easy to think that everyone was just lazy and didn’t want to take responsibility for anything. Or better yet, just said answers that they knew wanted to be heard just to get us off their back. I simply wanted to facts and figures, the plain truth and for these people to step out of their “Insh’Allah” umbrella and take some ownership.
But, three weeks in, I am learning the true essence and meaning behind “Insh’Allah.” It’s a combined term used when you have given a sufficient amount of effort, or when it is something you truly desire to happen, but when you are humbling yourself before God and acknowledging that through it all, He is still the man in charge. However, it also is given as a subtle warning to its receiver as “be patient, things will work out, just give us some time.” …and when I do take a step back and realize that there are certain circumstances that just cannot be controlled, and no one really is at “fault,” I find ease and comfort in knowing that life’s problems and solutions are indeed, “Insh’Allah.”
Given this new mindset, I am at comfortable knowing that
…I will get my residency visa before my tourist visa runs out in 4 days, Insh’Allah.
…my classroom and grade level will be figured out prior to the start of school, Insh’Allah.
…when my pay gets deposited into a bank account that has my name spelled wrong (Hanah), I will get access to my money, Insh’Allah.
…my 70’s décor couch and curtains will get switched out, Insh’Allah.
And most importantly, everything will work out at home, Insh’Allah.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Where am I?!
I pride myself in being good with directions... and I usually love unfolding maps and navigating my way through cities... but I just can't figure out Abu Dhabi! Streets have several names, and the locals throw out names that don't exist anywhere on paper. It's like someone one day decided to call it one name and just went with it. I barely got around to figuring out how to direct taxi drivers back to my apartment the first few days. (That is once I got a cab... you really need to hail one down. None of this waiting in a queue and standing on the curb as cabs pull up to the taxi stand... no no no...you need to get out into the street and hail one down.) Anyways, amateur Hannah would get in a cab and say "Hi-- Abu Dhabi Plaza Hotel Apartments, please." The taxi driver, usually an underpaid, unappreciated, friendly Pakistani who had been working 16 hours straight, would stare back at me annoyed and confused. This will send me in a frantic flurry because of course he had promptly turned on the meter just as soon as my tushy had contact with the seat and there were a crowd of wait-ers just outside who would gladly take my place. "6th and 7th Street?" ... "Najda and Electra?" (Note that the official name for Najda/6th on maps is one street that changes from Um El Nar to Banyas to Sea Palace Rd & Electra/7th is Sheikh Zayed the First Street) ... "Oh, umm...Green House Center?" Finally, a sparkle of recognition in the cab driver's eye as he says, "Ahh, Green House. Yes, Najda." 2 weeks later, pro Hannah confidently steps off the curb, waves down a cab, and simply states, "Green House Center on Najda, please."
But, it's no wonder nobody has ever heard of Abu Dhabi before and the driving is a chaotic mess... there are no rules, directions or addresses. Everything is relative to landmarks or stores, both of which change every couple of months.
So, where exactly am I? My "official address" is as follows:
Abu Dhabi Plaza Hotel Apartments (Rm. #1004)
Najda Street (6th) corner of Electra Street (7th)
(Above Green House Center)
Abu Dhabi, UAE
According to locals, all the DHL drivers and UPS drivers are completely used to this. I have a friend who was staying in the Hilton and when he asked the receptionist which address he should get his official documents to, he matter-of-factly stated, "Hilton Hotel on Corniche Street (or 1st) near the Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi, UAE." He relayed the address to his sister in the States, who wrote it on the FedEx envelope and lo and behold, the letter was waiting for him the next day.
On an entirely different note, I just watched the sneak peek for GLEE- Gold Digger. SO EXCITED! Any advice on how I'll be able to watch it here?
Love,
Hannah
P.S. Not that I'm implying anything :)... but simple letters/postcards can be easily addressed to:
Hannah Kim (#1004)
P.O. Box 52588
Abu Dhabi, UAE
But, it's no wonder nobody has ever heard of Abu Dhabi before and the driving is a chaotic mess... there are no rules, directions or addresses. Everything is relative to landmarks or stores, both of which change every couple of months.
So, where exactly am I? My "official address" is as follows:
Abu Dhabi Plaza Hotel Apartments (Rm. #1004)
Najda Street (6th) corner of Electra Street (7th)
(Above Green House Center)
Abu Dhabi, UAE
According to locals, all the DHL drivers and UPS drivers are completely used to this. I have a friend who was staying in the Hilton and when he asked the receptionist which address he should get his official documents to, he matter-of-factly stated, "Hilton Hotel on Corniche Street (or 1st) near the Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi, UAE." He relayed the address to his sister in the States, who wrote it on the FedEx envelope and lo and behold, the letter was waiting for him the next day.
On an entirely different note, I just watched the sneak peek for GLEE- Gold Digger. SO EXCITED! Any advice on how I'll be able to watch it here?
Love,
Hannah
P.S. Not that I'm implying anything :)... but simple letters/postcards can be easily addressed to:
Hannah Kim (#1004)
P.O. Box 52588
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Ramadan
Many of you may know that it is the month of Ramadan right now. The UAE, being an Islamic nation, abides by the rules strictly. Here's a quick explanation for those of you who may not know what Ramadan entitles. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslim people fast from eating, drinking, smoking, gossiping (plus other "sins"), and sexual interaction for 40 days during sunlight. This means that most stores close from 1pm to 7pm to allow time for prayer and reflection, usually with their families. 6 times a day, there is a "call to prayer," a recitation of the Quran that sounds like an ethereal & eerie-like echo/chant/song through a public loud speaker system. (I got really scared when I heard it at 4:30am as I tossed in bed the first day I was here.) For non-Muslim people, it is illegal for people to eat or drink outdoors. Restaurants open at 7pm for Iftar meals. Iftar signals the end of fasting for the day.
Adjusting into a new, conservative country, especially during Ramadan, might sound a bit intense...but, it isn't without perks. Many of us "Westerners" have been staying in our apartments since nothing is open, which refrains me from melting away outdoors and forces me to cook my own meals. Plus, all the stores (open till 1am) are having good Ramadan sales and the Iftar buffets are great! Ironic ay? After sunset and the fast is broken, families stream out into the malls to eat a lot...and shop a lot. I am in no way criticizing the culture, it just shows how much more I need to grow as an individual to fully embrace the cultural differences. :)
For those of you in Los Angeles, hope the fires haven't been too horrible.
Love,
Hannah
P.S This idea of "blogging" on a consistent basis is a weary task. I don't like rereading things and fixing my grammatical/spelling errors... hypocritical of a "teacher" to say, ay?
P.P.S *Note the "ay?" There I are sooo many Canadian teachers here and alllll of them end sentences with "ay?" and I couldn't help but to catch on.. heh.
Adjusting into a new, conservative country, especially during Ramadan, might sound a bit intense...but, it isn't without perks. Many of us "Westerners" have been staying in our apartments since nothing is open, which refrains me from melting away outdoors and forces me to cook my own meals. Plus, all the stores (open till 1am) are having good Ramadan sales and the Iftar buffets are great! Ironic ay? After sunset and the fast is broken, families stream out into the malls to eat a lot...and shop a lot. I am in no way criticizing the culture, it just shows how much more I need to grow as an individual to fully embrace the cultural differences. :)
For those of you in Los Angeles, hope the fires haven't been too horrible.
Love,
Hannah
P.S This idea of "blogging" on a consistent basis is a weary task. I don't like rereading things and fixing my grammatical/spelling errors... hypocritical of a "teacher" to say, ay?
P.P.S *Note the "ay?" There I are sooo many Canadian teachers here and alllll of them end sentences with "ay?" and I couldn't help but to catch on.. heh.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)