This week was particularly exhausting. Maybe it's because we are nearing the end of the quarter, their is always so much to do! It's hard to believe we have been here two months already! Despite the exhaustion, a lot of fun memories were formed this week and I saw a lot of blessings. I was sure Monday was going to be a terrible day. Sunday night we had a meeting with all the high school teachers and they announced we had to do a thorough check for all prohibited substances on Monday. Problems with drugs and drinking are much worse here then in the states. Yes teens in the states have huge issues with those things but here, well, it's almost encouraged. Drinking is a normal past times and it seems that lots of the parents just let their kids drink, even on school nights sometimes. Drugs are pretty easy to come by, especially marijuana. The biggest problem is beetle nut. Beetle nut is grown here on the island, the nut itself really isn't that bad. The problem is what they put in it. I don't understand entirely what is in it but they mix it with some stimulants its seems, some tobacco, and they chew it, all the time. Your cashier chews it, the bank teller, every person walking on the street, and the grade school kid sitting on the curb. It's completely normal, they have baskets they carry around to hold it. It turns their mouth and teeth a bright red, and most of the people have been chewing it since they were kids. Anyhow, none of these are allowed at the school. They said we had to do a complete check of all the bags and each individual in our first period. They said the kids would try to be sneaky and get things past you. I was so scared! I didn't know how I was going to do the check by myself in a room of 20 juniors, my first class on Monday. I don't really know what lots of the stuff I'm looking for even looks like! We all prayed together in the morning and as I was waiting in my room for my students one dropped off an anonymous note that read "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7. The verse was perfect, it was almost enough to bring tears to my eyes. I knew I could give up my fears and my nerves to God, He cares about these kids even more than I do. During the bag check I saw that God really did have it under control. They obeyed me and didn't cause problems during the check, they separated and cooperated, they even made me laugh; "Ms, are you going to take our chocolates?". I was so relieved not to find anything this time aside from a prescription that wasn't checked in at the office. I know I will end up finding something sometime this year, but God was gracious enough to let that wait for another time!
Looking back, their were a lot of highlights this week. The seniors lead chapel on Monday and it went great! I played the keyboard with them and they did a skit. Their own version of David and Goliath. It was hilarious! On Tuesday two of my seniors stayed after school until 5 to work as TA's for me. It was wonderful! They helped me catch up on a lot of grading and it was nice to get to just talk with them. They would ask me the most random questions, "Ms. when do you want to get married?". I started teaching the sophomores about the U.S. in geography and they had some of the funniest questions. They wanted to know where Hollywood was, if Everest was in the U.S., did it snow in Miami, do we say "a" or is that in Canada, and have I ever talked to someone with a southern accent. Those are just a few samples, they are so curious about the U.S; and everywhere else in the world for that matter! I guess I would be too if I had lived on a small island my whole life.
Friday, today, was my favorite day. We had lessons on leadership in the senior class for their pathfinder time. I had them do the human knot and several other games to demonstrate how someone has to step up and lead in order for them to work as a team. They had so much fun! We talked about leadership and some challenges leaders have. Particularly we talked about how a good leader deals with people causing problems in a group. I had them create skits to demonstrate how they would work with the person. They were so funny! I should have recorded them! I didn't think they would be able to finish one because everyone was laughing so hard! Maybe I should work with them on their acting skills :). We ended the day working with the 2nd and 3rd grade. They came into the senior room and had music class lead by a few of the seniors. My favorite part was when I came in and saw everyone singing Father Abraham. Even my seniors were doing the hand motions, I can't think of a better ending to the week.
Their were a lot of rough patches too. We had two students suspended for coming to school drunk. It breaks my heart to see what these kids do to themselves. It doesn't just affect a few of the students, but every single one of them. All of them are in some way surrounded by drugs and alcohol. Some of my students were asking me about it this week, "Ms. why don't you drink?". I talked to them about it for a while, but I feel so helpless. I have math class with them and Micronesia history, but how can I help them with the things that are really important? Things like their spiritual lives and all the messed up situations this life throws them into. I guess that stuff will come, but it's so hard to be patient. I can see so many ways they are hurting or confused and I want to help them.
I've had one song going through my head most of this week. It's called "Still". I had never heard the song until I came here. The chorus goes like this, "When the ocean's rise and thunders roar, I will soar with you above the storm, you are king of all over the earth, I will be still and know you are God". I love those words, they are so perfect for me right now. Most days seem like a storm at some point, some more then others. I love the picture of soaring above it with God. No matter how messed up things may seem some days, I can be calm and be still just knowing that God has it all under control.
-If you have been praying for Pamela, thank you! After two weeks in Guam she is returning tomorrow night, recovered and doing well! :)
A few facts about Yap....
1) Take off your shoes before entering any building; grocery store, house, church, pretty much everywhere.
2) In Yapese culture it is very offensive for woman to show their thighs, but the top.. the top doesn't matter, at all.
3) Both men and woman carry baskets around. If you enter a village and you aren't carrying a basket you must carry a branch to show that you come in peace.
4) A person should never be taller then a village chief, in some outer islands this means crawling into a room.
5) People spit all the time. I have at least 2 kids in each class ask to go spit every period.
6) Most Yapese don't know how to use a tissue, so i also have several kids every class asking to go outside to blow their nose. It's so gross...
7) Head leis are very intricate and worn most of the time. Not just by girls either, the men almost wear them more and are just as proficient at making them. Flowers are for everyone in Yap.
8) No one has seen a biscuit before, they didn't know how to eat them when I brought them to potluck.
9) It's really rare to find something at the grocery store that isn't already past it's expiration date. Turns out you can eat pretty much anything months after that date has passed.
10) A machete is a completely normal thing to carry around, bring to school, or take in the car with you. I mean, you never know when you will need to crack open a coconut.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
A Teachers Work is Never Done
Another busy week is over, they go by so fast! I can't believe we are already over half way through the first quarter. The week started wonderfully, with my birthday! I was not really excited to have my birthday on a Monday initially. I figured it would just kind of disappear into a long school day. This misconception went away before school even started. As soon as students began arriving I constantly heard "Happy Birthday Ms. Rychelle!" and one of my freshmen ran up to me and gave me an outer island head lei. Mondays always start with flag raising so k-12 grade line up in front of the flag poles. The entire school sang happy birthday to me and then the kids started singing "How old are you now.." nice try! They still don't get to know that little fact. Some of them were guessing 23 or 24... yes! I have fooled some of them! I received a few more head leis so I switched them out throughout the day. Every class I went to I was immediately met by birthday greetings and new renditions of the happy birthday song, including a rap from one of my seniors. As school ended I was handed a pile of birthday cards from the 2nd grade. They were so cute! They said "Happy Birthday Teacher Rychelle" and had all sorts of interesting art. Monday evening we went out to eat to celebrate. We went to the Manta Ray Bay restaurant. It is in a ship floating in the water, the restaurant is actually outside at the top. It was so nice to take a break from cooking and try out something new. My 20th birthday will not be forgotten. :)
The days of the week all seem to blend together. I brought out the schools long lost collection of graphing calculators and spent a day teaching the seniors how to use them. I had them race to make a smiley face. I worked on graphs and number lines with the sophomores and freshmen outside with side walk chalk. It worked really well! It is a bit of a struggle to keep all of them focused outside but they were all a lot more involved then in the classroom. I had them draw a giant graph on the basketball quart, and they were all begging for me to call on them to stand at a point. I tutored middle school math during my old PE time, it was fun to work one on one. On Thursday I convinced my seniors for a short while I could speak Yapese! It was hilarious, one of my students said something and I thought I heard it in English so I responded, correctly! I guess it must have been the intonation she said it in or something, I had no idea she had said it in Yapese. They all had the most shocked and confused looks on their faces, so funny. Later that day they came running up to me excited. I decorated the entire senior room black and yellow, it didn't take them long to figure out my favorite color. They said "Ms! Guess what colors we chose for our graduation gowns! Black and yellow!" :). Later that day we went to town and our van decided to act up. It just wouldn't start after our second stop in town. So all of us were out pushing it trying to get it going again, a funny sight I'm sure. Whenever something like that happens their are always a lot of students who know about it the next day. We kind of stand out, and everyone knows we are the teachers. News just travels fast in a small island I guess! They finally got it started and said we couldn't shut it off or we might not be able to get back. So, they had to fill it up with gas while it was running! It was pretty scary, I've always heard that is a terrible idea, so we stood as far away as we could!
Another crazy week draws to a close. It dumped rain all day today, which always makes for an interesting school day. My desk was completely soaked and everything on it. My students helped me move it to the other side of the room. They practiced their skit for chapel Monday. They are doing their own version of David and Goliath, quite entertaining! They taught me a new song on the guitar and I made peanut butter cookies for them. The cookies turned out to be a big hit! All 40 of them disappeared in less then 5 minutes! Sometimes throughout the day it just seems like chaos, but it always seems to come together. This week I understand the saying, "A teachers work is never done". It seems like no matter how much I do, their is more that needs to be done. More I want to teach them, more to plan, more to grade. It feels like their is always too much to cram in to such a small amount of time. At the end of the day I just have to step back and take a breath and look at my day. I can see the places God carried me through and the things that I need to work on. I see all the work I have to do and things I want to teach my students. Most importantly I see the moments that make everything else fade away. The times my students thank God for sending their teachers in prayer and ask for our safety; the things they say and do that make teaching the best way I could imagine spending my time. I don't think I'll ever really "finish" my work this year. I will probably always feel like their is more to do, but that is okay. I pray that God will help all of us as we influence and educate our students. These kids deserve the best, and more then anything I want to help them. I want to show them Christ's love and help them learn all they need to succeed at whatever it is they dream of doing.
The days of the week all seem to blend together. I brought out the schools long lost collection of graphing calculators and spent a day teaching the seniors how to use them. I had them race to make a smiley face. I worked on graphs and number lines with the sophomores and freshmen outside with side walk chalk. It worked really well! It is a bit of a struggle to keep all of them focused outside but they were all a lot more involved then in the classroom. I had them draw a giant graph on the basketball quart, and they were all begging for me to call on them to stand at a point. I tutored middle school math during my old PE time, it was fun to work one on one. On Thursday I convinced my seniors for a short while I could speak Yapese! It was hilarious, one of my students said something and I thought I heard it in English so I responded, correctly! I guess it must have been the intonation she said it in or something, I had no idea she had said it in Yapese. They all had the most shocked and confused looks on their faces, so funny. Later that day they came running up to me excited. I decorated the entire senior room black and yellow, it didn't take them long to figure out my favorite color. They said "Ms! Guess what colors we chose for our graduation gowns! Black and yellow!" :). Later that day we went to town and our van decided to act up. It just wouldn't start after our second stop in town. So all of us were out pushing it trying to get it going again, a funny sight I'm sure. Whenever something like that happens their are always a lot of students who know about it the next day. We kind of stand out, and everyone knows we are the teachers. News just travels fast in a small island I guess! They finally got it started and said we couldn't shut it off or we might not be able to get back. So, they had to fill it up with gas while it was running! It was pretty scary, I've always heard that is a terrible idea, so we stood as far away as we could!
Another crazy week draws to a close. It dumped rain all day today, which always makes for an interesting school day. My desk was completely soaked and everything on it. My students helped me move it to the other side of the room. They practiced their skit for chapel Monday. They are doing their own version of David and Goliath, quite entertaining! They taught me a new song on the guitar and I made peanut butter cookies for them. The cookies turned out to be a big hit! All 40 of them disappeared in less then 5 minutes! Sometimes throughout the day it just seems like chaos, but it always seems to come together. This week I understand the saying, "A teachers work is never done". It seems like no matter how much I do, their is more that needs to be done. More I want to teach them, more to plan, more to grade. It feels like their is always too much to cram in to such a small amount of time. At the end of the day I just have to step back and take a breath and look at my day. I can see the places God carried me through and the things that I need to work on. I see all the work I have to do and things I want to teach my students. Most importantly I see the moments that make everything else fade away. The times my students thank God for sending their teachers in prayer and ask for our safety; the things they say and do that make teaching the best way I could imagine spending my time. I don't think I'll ever really "finish" my work this year. I will probably always feel like their is more to do, but that is okay. I pray that God will help all of us as we influence and educate our students. These kids deserve the best, and more then anything I want to help them. I want to show them Christ's love and help them learn all they need to succeed at whatever it is they dream of doing.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Capsised
The weekends always seem to fly by! I can't believe it is already Sunday evening. I know the weekend is supposed to be our time to rest, but I think I am more exhausted then when it started! Saturday night we stayed up really really late. Not to watch a movie or talk, but to go to the airport. Sadly Pamela had to fly to Guam. Her flight didn't leave until 4 am, so we decided to stay up and go with her to the airport. Andrea went with her to Guam, hopefully she is recieving better treatment there. On the bright side, they are bringing back a huge collection of taco bell for us to freeze upon their return :). After sleeping in a bit, we headed to the beach this morning. We went to a new beach, a "resort" actually. It was so pretty! They had a little outdoor restaurant there, so we all enjoyed lunch first. They sang happy birthday to me, an early celebration since my actual birthday is tomorrow, a school day. Then we headed for the beach! Their was a rope swing hanging over the water. Everyone at home is always warning to be careful not to stand under coconut trees, but the swing was hung from a coconut tree. It really is quite impossible around here to avoid being directly underneath one. After a while we headed out to snorkel! The swim was a little rougher then usual due to the rain that was pouring all morning, but we made it. The fish were huge! Much bigger then the last snorkeling adventures. They were still colorful, striped, and beautiful. We saw a puffer fish peak out from one of the rocks. I don't think I could ever grow tired of seeing all the beauty under the surface. After a while some of the other missionaries brought a kayak out to where we were and said we could take it out to the breakers if we wanted to. So, Sabrina and I loaded on and headed out further. After a while we began to notice we were getting deeper and deeper in the water.. the kayak was sinking! Sabrina went off the side, we got her back up only to have the entire kayak flip a few minutes later! Our snorkeling gear went flying off! We were dieing laughing, until we realized we couldn't find our snorkels and masks! We retrieved our flippers and the paddle, but the snorkels had disappeared. We tried to look around but it was really deep. We finally got the kayak flipped but we couldn't get back on. We saw Mr. Raian swimming towards us, he said their was a sting ray circling us! We became a little panicked... apparently it got really close to us, but we never saw it. Back at shore we collected some shells and found tons of crabs. By 5 it was time to head back, we have lots to prepare for school. I'm so glad we had a chance to finally take a good break at the beach! It was quite the adventure we won't forget anytime soon :).
Friday, September 16, 2011
Water Balloons + 61 Highschoolers = 2 Very Wet Teachers
When you drop something it will fall, thanks to gravity. If you leave food on the counter, bugs are guaranteed to infest it; and when you do something stupid their is always someone there watching. These are a few of the every day rules of life. Today, I learned a new one. When you have an all school water fight teachers are the number one target. Today was the freshmen welcoming party. I've been working with the SA officers all week to prepare for it. They had tons of snacks and fun activites all prepared after lunch. They did a donut eating contest and raced with eggs on a spoon. The grand event though was the water balloon fight! Every year they blind fold the freshmen and welcome them to high school with water balloons being thrown from every direction. They also have a tradition that Sabrina got to experience. Every year they dump a huge trash can full of water (or juice) on the freshmen teacher :). She was soaked! Her pay back was to whisper to them "Go get Ms. Rychelle". Which they did, many times! I had at least 10 water balloons burst all over my, several buckets of water dumped on me and numerous water bottles emtied :). It was so fun! I loved interacting with the kids outside of the classroom and just having fun with them!
I have declared secondary education as my future for over a year now, but I was still really unsure if that was what I wanted to do. I didn't know if I would be any good at it, or if I would be able to control the classroom at all. This week, I no longer had any doubt. I LOVE teaching. I love waking up each day and being excited for my job. I love getting to know the students and making a difference in their life. I especially love laughing all through the day at the funny things they say and the inventive excuses they come up with. Even on bad days when it seems no one will listen and I'm completely failing, I still like it. I feel like it's a job worth fighting for. I have purpose everyday and any amount of work is worth it. This is my long way of saying I no longer have any doubts about becoming a teacher. I know I can wake up every day for the next 40 or 50 years and be happy to go to work.
We finally have a full staff! Jesse flew in on Tuesday and took the 2nd grade. Sophie is now teaching kindergarten and high school PE. Yes! I felt so out of place trying to teach that class, I am glad they can have a teacher who really knows what she is doing. The only link we are missing is Pamela :(. She is still recovering, and today she had to go back to the hospital... Please keep her in your prayers! We are preparing for vespers and heading out to visit her. I hope and pray she will be able to recover soon!
I have declared secondary education as my future for over a year now, but I was still really unsure if that was what I wanted to do. I didn't know if I would be any good at it, or if I would be able to control the classroom at all. This week, I no longer had any doubt. I LOVE teaching. I love waking up each day and being excited for my job. I love getting to know the students and making a difference in their life. I especially love laughing all through the day at the funny things they say and the inventive excuses they come up with. Even on bad days when it seems no one will listen and I'm completely failing, I still like it. I feel like it's a job worth fighting for. I have purpose everyday and any amount of work is worth it. This is my long way of saying I no longer have any doubts about becoming a teacher. I know I can wake up every day for the next 40 or 50 years and be happy to go to work.
We finally have a full staff! Jesse flew in on Tuesday and took the 2nd grade. Sophie is now teaching kindergarten and high school PE. Yes! I felt so out of place trying to teach that class, I am glad they can have a teacher who really knows what she is doing. The only link we are missing is Pamela :(. She is still recovering, and today she had to go back to the hospital... Please keep her in your prayers! We are preparing for vespers and heading out to visit her. I hope and pray she will be able to recover soon!
Friday, September 9, 2011
Never a Boring Moment
Not even Sabbath is void of adventure. This morning we got ready for church bright and early, as we were preparing to leave they asked if one of us could drive. So, I found myself getting in the right side of the car. No, I was not the passenger, I was the driver! The steering wheels are switched here making for a unique driving experience. The steering wheel isn't the only thing switched, so is the blinker and wind shild wipers. It took a lot of concentration not to turn my wind shield wipers on at every stop sign! The roads are filled with pot holes, so you have to weave the car back and forth avoiding huge dips. The drive was quite fun, and now I can say I've driven in Yap.
We stopped by the hospital to see Pamela on the way to church. I just can't get used to how creepy that place is. The hallways are dark with old dark walls that look like something out of a world war 2 movie. Their are at least three people in every room and no air conditioning, just tiny fans that look like they are going to fall off the ceiling. She looked a lot better though! Color is back in her cheeks and she is recovering well. They won't let her come back today, but hopefully tomorrow!
When we arrived at church I realized their was no one to play piano since Andrea was staying with Pamela. So, I got a hymnal and made a very comical attempt at sight reading. They call out the hymns as they go. I just had to laugh as I tried through out the service, one time I managed to hit 5 wrong notes in a row. I had never noticed until now that hymns have a bad habit of being in the key of D flat. :)
We headed back to the hospital in the evening to close Sabbath with Pamela. On our way back we had a little car trouble... Andrea, Sabrina, Sophie, and I were in the little black car a ways ahead of the van when it just stopped. We couldn't get it started again so we had to start walking back to the hospital. First though, we had to grab a branch. In Yapese culture it is a very bad sign to have your hands empty walking through villages or along the road. People usually carry baskets, but if you don't have a basket you are supposed to grab a branch. It shows that you aren't trying to cause trouble. So we grabbed some branches and headed back. Thankfully the van found us within 20 minutes and we made it back to the school! That night we decided to put some lights on the volleyball court and play. As we were playing a huge crab randomly migrated across the court! Normal really has a new definition here :).
We stopped by the hospital to see Pamela on the way to church. I just can't get used to how creepy that place is. The hallways are dark with old dark walls that look like something out of a world war 2 movie. Their are at least three people in every room and no air conditioning, just tiny fans that look like they are going to fall off the ceiling. She looked a lot better though! Color is back in her cheeks and she is recovering well. They won't let her come back today, but hopefully tomorrow!
When we arrived at church I realized their was no one to play piano since Andrea was staying with Pamela. So, I got a hymnal and made a very comical attempt at sight reading. They call out the hymns as they go. I just had to laugh as I tried through out the service, one time I managed to hit 5 wrong notes in a row. I had never noticed until now that hymns have a bad habit of being in the key of D flat. :)
We headed back to the hospital in the evening to close Sabbath with Pamela. On our way back we had a little car trouble... Andrea, Sabrina, Sophie, and I were in the little black car a ways ahead of the van when it just stopped. We couldn't get it started again so we had to start walking back to the hospital. First though, we had to grab a branch. In Yapese culture it is a very bad sign to have your hands empty walking through villages or along the road. People usually carry baskets, but if you don't have a basket you are supposed to grab a branch. It shows that you aren't trying to cause trouble. So we grabbed some branches and headed back. Thankfully the van found us within 20 minutes and we made it back to the school! That night we decided to put some lights on the volleyball court and play. As we were playing a huge crab randomly migrated across the court! Normal really has a new definition here :).
In One Week
In one week a million things happen. Hospital visits, ups, downs, problems, and a million answered prayers. I wish I had time to write here everyday. Each day is event full enough to write for pages about. Their are so many things to share! This week was long and hard, but in the end still good somehow. I don't completely understand how, but no matter what happens at the end of the week it's impossible to be unhappy with where I am. This week started with answered prayers! We finally have a full teaching staff! Sophie came from Pohnpei so Pamela and I moved in to the same room to open a spot for her. The Filipino family teaching 4th grade and high school science came as well! A short time later we found out an sm from the states filled the last call open and will be coming in a week. It's so amazing to know God has taken care of this school's needs. No matter how impossible it seemed in August with three of us at the SM retreat, God took care of it.
Monday was busy, hectic, and crazy to say the least. Even though we worked all day Sunday I don't think any of us were anywhere near finishing all our tasks. No matter how tired or stressed things seem though, energy always seems to come from somewhere when school starts and lasts until it ends. I was placed as the SA (Student Association) chair/adviser and began working with the kids for their campaigns. It would seem all my years of student council are finally paying off.
Tuesday was a different story. Tuesday was terrible. It was one of those days I always worried about when becoming a teacher. How would I handle something like that? What should I do? All these questions were answered. Starting with the freshmen math class, the kids were everywhere. I ended up assigning all sorts of things off my discipline plan as well as extra homework. It was so frustrating! No matter how hard I tried to get their respect and attention it just wasn't there. The next period was PE, it was way too hot so that only lasted half the time. I took a small group to work with the 3rd grade... which did not end well. Two of the senior guys threw a block and knocked down a little kids structure! I couldn't believe them! Frustrated and walking them back to the classroom, the big event of the day happened. One of the sophomores slammed the seniors door and swore at them. Two of the boys went after him, as I rush out the door towards them I hear behind me "fight fight fight". The boys are wedged in the doorway telling the sophomore to show some respect, his only response it to scream the f bomb at them multiple times. I was the only teacher around, the guys were all bigger then me, and I was sure their was going to be a fight. The only thing I could think to do was pray. They calmed enough I could wedge between them and send them back to their rooms. When I got back from taking one of the boys to the office the classroom was dead quiet. I didn't know they could be that quiet! Frustrated and exhausted the day finally ended.
Wednesday was much better. After talking to the senior boys, they went to the third grade and apologized to them as well as to Pamela, the teacher. The freshmen tried really hard to behave in class, and the fiasco from the day before was resolved. Each day really is a new adventure. It's so unpredictable. No matter how many lesson plans are made, or schedules put out something will change. It makes the day interesting! No one can say teaching is a boring job.
Just when things seemed to be calming down Friday morning came. Pamela woke me up at 3 am wondering if I knew what to do for really bad stomach aches. I feel so helpless when it comes to medical things! I wanted to help so bad, she was in so much pain. She was really sick and stayed that way all night, just before 6 am I woke up Andrea and told them Pamela needed to go to the hospital. Turns out she had appendicitis! They had no time to take her to Guam so they had to operate here on Yap, a scary thought. The doctors here only have to study for a couple years, a not so comforting thought. They called in a surgeon, who seems to have more experience, and went for it. We had to stay at school and teach so we didn't know what was going on. We were so relieved when we heard she came out of surgery fine! We were able to visit her later and she is so brave! That hospital is so scary! It looks like a psych ward and the doctors wear flip flops. She is doing much better, but she still needs lots of prayers! Her recovery isn't going quite as smoothly as it should...
Looking back, this week had so many ups and downs. Tuesday I was so drained I didn't know how I would survive the week, but now, despite all that's happened, it was a good week. Today I had music class again. I taught some of the students keyboard and gave music to the students playing my guitar. One of the girls taught be a few chords on the ukulele :). We went to O'keefe island for a couple hours and enjoyed a boat ride out there. I learned that God can get me through circumstances out of my comfort zone and He has control even when it seems like I don't. Each week feels like so much more. Happy Sabbath!
Monday was busy, hectic, and crazy to say the least. Even though we worked all day Sunday I don't think any of us were anywhere near finishing all our tasks. No matter how tired or stressed things seem though, energy always seems to come from somewhere when school starts and lasts until it ends. I was placed as the SA (Student Association) chair/adviser and began working with the kids for their campaigns. It would seem all my years of student council are finally paying off.
Tuesday was a different story. Tuesday was terrible. It was one of those days I always worried about when becoming a teacher. How would I handle something like that? What should I do? All these questions were answered. Starting with the freshmen math class, the kids were everywhere. I ended up assigning all sorts of things off my discipline plan as well as extra homework. It was so frustrating! No matter how hard I tried to get their respect and attention it just wasn't there. The next period was PE, it was way too hot so that only lasted half the time. I took a small group to work with the 3rd grade... which did not end well. Two of the senior guys threw a block and knocked down a little kids structure! I couldn't believe them! Frustrated and walking them back to the classroom, the big event of the day happened. One of the sophomores slammed the seniors door and swore at them. Two of the boys went after him, as I rush out the door towards them I hear behind me "fight fight fight". The boys are wedged in the doorway telling the sophomore to show some respect, his only response it to scream the f bomb at them multiple times. I was the only teacher around, the guys were all bigger then me, and I was sure their was going to be a fight. The only thing I could think to do was pray. They calmed enough I could wedge between them and send them back to their rooms. When I got back from taking one of the boys to the office the classroom was dead quiet. I didn't know they could be that quiet! Frustrated and exhausted the day finally ended.
Wednesday was much better. After talking to the senior boys, they went to the third grade and apologized to them as well as to Pamela, the teacher. The freshmen tried really hard to behave in class, and the fiasco from the day before was resolved. Each day really is a new adventure. It's so unpredictable. No matter how many lesson plans are made, or schedules put out something will change. It makes the day interesting! No one can say teaching is a boring job.
Just when things seemed to be calming down Friday morning came. Pamela woke me up at 3 am wondering if I knew what to do for really bad stomach aches. I feel so helpless when it comes to medical things! I wanted to help so bad, she was in so much pain. She was really sick and stayed that way all night, just before 6 am I woke up Andrea and told them Pamela needed to go to the hospital. Turns out she had appendicitis! They had no time to take her to Guam so they had to operate here on Yap, a scary thought. The doctors here only have to study for a couple years, a not so comforting thought. They called in a surgeon, who seems to have more experience, and went for it. We had to stay at school and teach so we didn't know what was going on. We were so relieved when we heard she came out of surgery fine! We were able to visit her later and she is so brave! That hospital is so scary! It looks like a psych ward and the doctors wear flip flops. She is doing much better, but she still needs lots of prayers! Her recovery isn't going quite as smoothly as it should...
Looking back, this week had so many ups and downs. Tuesday I was so drained I didn't know how I would survive the week, but now, despite all that's happened, it was a good week. Today I had music class again. I taught some of the students keyboard and gave music to the students playing my guitar. One of the girls taught be a few chords on the ukulele :). We went to O'keefe island for a couple hours and enjoyed a boat ride out there. I learned that God can get me through circumstances out of my comfort zone and He has control even when it seems like I don't. Each week feels like so much more. Happy Sabbath!
Friday, September 2, 2011
One Month Later
I can't believe I've been here a month now! It's gone by so fast, and at the same time, it feels like I've been here forever. Not in a bad way, it just feels so natural now. The heat no longer feels as oppressing most days, I'm just used to it always being there. I expect ants to crawl over my feet all the time and the sight of coconut trees and gorgeous beaches seem normal :). Last Sabbath we took a walk up to the second highest hill on the island. It was so pretty! We could see a good chunk of the island, including the "big" town of Colonia. It didn't look very large from above. We had a peaceful worship up on the hill before heading back to the campus. Then came Sunday, not quite as peaceful. We got up early again for a woman's ministry meeting which lasted three hours, then came planning. Planning for each subject, each day, each board example; their never seem to be enough hours in the day. I had lots of grading to do too, we were up until midnight and I had barely made a dent. Just before going to bed I sat down to figure out what to say at chapel the next day. Seniors were in charge of the first chapel, and when I asked them who they wanted to speak they unanimously voted me... I wouldn't usually consider myself a speaker, but I knew God had a message he wanted me to share.
Monday came bright and early, ready or not we headed to our classrooms. The biggest lesson I think I've learned at school this week is that God makes the impossible happen. Chapel went great! It had it's rough patches, but I handed my guitar off to my seniors and they lead music on their own. Another prayed and then I spoke. Actually, I think it was God speaking because I couldn't have given the coherent message that came across. My favorite part came next. I had tried to teach my seniors a song called "Hideaway" on Friday and they were supposed to sing it now. I didn't know how it would go, if they really new the song. But it sounded wonderful! I can't wait to do more music with them!
Tuesday I played soccer with them for PE. It's not really their favorite sport but they wanted to play a sport I liked to play. It wasn't your normal version of soccer. I asked them where the bounderies were and they looked confused "Past the goal miss". Apparently they just run as far as it goes to get it on the side of the field. I played barefoot and in a skirt, by the end my feet were covered in mud. It was so much fun! They seemed so shocked when I actually got the ball and started running with it, "Miss! Miss has the ball?". When I got to the sophomores for Geography they said "Miss, we saw you smoking the seniors! You look really tired and red, we'll just let you rest this class" nice try.
Each day this week had a new problem; short staffed Monday (well actually everyday), hard to control students (those juniors...), pouring rain (I mean really really pouring), and a really really long PTA meeting Thursday night. We were so exhausted every night, but their was so much more to do. A million papers to grade and lessons for the next day. I love it, but I can't wait until I get used to it and I can do it a little faster.
Despite all the setbacks and long nights, I love every day. I love going from desk to desk explaining math concepts and helping students. It makes me laugh to see the students wearing beanies and sweatshirts to school when it is in the high 80s with really high humidity. Wearing sweatshirts is the "cool" thing to do despite the fact they must be overheating. Today, Friday, was the best day of the week. I had music with my seniors again, they want to learn 4 part harmony so I'm finding some songs to teach them. I took them outside with sidewalk chalk to make a giant graph to review slopes. It kind of worked... Fridays are low on focus. The best part came at the end of the day. For the last period of the day Friday the high school has something called work experience, basically they clean up and help with the school. I took my seniors over to the elementary building to help. Half of them went inside to clean out the rooms and the other half used my guitar and lead the 3rd and 4th graders in music. It was so fun! I went in to see how the cleaning was going and I found two of the senior guys playing with blocks! One of the third graders joined them, it was so cute. The last song they sang was "We Are Soldiers". They were screaming at the top of their lungs! I was walking between rooms checking on the cleaning when I heard "Well.. Miss Rychelle was a soldier..". After a long hard week of school, I didn't want it to end. I was sad to see them leave and couldn't help but think "I can't wait for Monday".
It's been one month since I landed on this amazing island, and I want time to slow down. I don't want this year to fly by because I know it will break my heart when I have to say goodbye to this school and my students. I have a lot to learn and a long ways to go, but I couldn't be happier with where I am. My prayer this week is for God to help me communicate with my students. I feel like I'm losing some of them in math, like I'm not explaining the lesson well enough. I pray for wisdom in what to teach them and how to teach it. Lots of them are way behind the level I'm supposed to teach them and I want to find a way to help them all to understand.
I hope you are all doing well at home; I wish you a wonderful labor day weekend! Enjoy the day off for me :).
Monday came bright and early, ready or not we headed to our classrooms. The biggest lesson I think I've learned at school this week is that God makes the impossible happen. Chapel went great! It had it's rough patches, but I handed my guitar off to my seniors and they lead music on their own. Another prayed and then I spoke. Actually, I think it was God speaking because I couldn't have given the coherent message that came across. My favorite part came next. I had tried to teach my seniors a song called "Hideaway" on Friday and they were supposed to sing it now. I didn't know how it would go, if they really new the song. But it sounded wonderful! I can't wait to do more music with them!
Tuesday I played soccer with them for PE. It's not really their favorite sport but they wanted to play a sport I liked to play. It wasn't your normal version of soccer. I asked them where the bounderies were and they looked confused "Past the goal miss". Apparently they just run as far as it goes to get it on the side of the field. I played barefoot and in a skirt, by the end my feet were covered in mud. It was so much fun! They seemed so shocked when I actually got the ball and started running with it, "Miss! Miss has the ball?". When I got to the sophomores for Geography they said "Miss, we saw you smoking the seniors! You look really tired and red, we'll just let you rest this class" nice try.
Each day this week had a new problem; short staffed Monday (well actually everyday), hard to control students (those juniors...), pouring rain (I mean really really pouring), and a really really long PTA meeting Thursday night. We were so exhausted every night, but their was so much more to do. A million papers to grade and lessons for the next day. I love it, but I can't wait until I get used to it and I can do it a little faster.
Despite all the setbacks and long nights, I love every day. I love going from desk to desk explaining math concepts and helping students. It makes me laugh to see the students wearing beanies and sweatshirts to school when it is in the high 80s with really high humidity. Wearing sweatshirts is the "cool" thing to do despite the fact they must be overheating. Today, Friday, was the best day of the week. I had music with my seniors again, they want to learn 4 part harmony so I'm finding some songs to teach them. I took them outside with sidewalk chalk to make a giant graph to review slopes. It kind of worked... Fridays are low on focus. The best part came at the end of the day. For the last period of the day Friday the high school has something called work experience, basically they clean up and help with the school. I took my seniors over to the elementary building to help. Half of them went inside to clean out the rooms and the other half used my guitar and lead the 3rd and 4th graders in music. It was so fun! I went in to see how the cleaning was going and I found two of the senior guys playing with blocks! One of the third graders joined them, it was so cute. The last song they sang was "We Are Soldiers". They were screaming at the top of their lungs! I was walking between rooms checking on the cleaning when I heard "Well.. Miss Rychelle was a soldier..". After a long hard week of school, I didn't want it to end. I was sad to see them leave and couldn't help but think "I can't wait for Monday".
It's been one month since I landed on this amazing island, and I want time to slow down. I don't want this year to fly by because I know it will break my heart when I have to say goodbye to this school and my students. I have a lot to learn and a long ways to go, but I couldn't be happier with where I am. My prayer this week is for God to help me communicate with my students. I feel like I'm losing some of them in math, like I'm not explaining the lesson well enough. I pray for wisdom in what to teach them and how to teach it. Lots of them are way behind the level I'm supposed to teach them and I want to find a way to help them all to understand.
I hope you are all doing well at home; I wish you a wonderful labor day weekend! Enjoy the day off for me :).
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