Time for a new post

There is a bunch of stuff that I keep thinking I should share- but I haven't got it in me to go on all poetic about it (as is my usual style, no? ;), so what you get today, is a bullet list (which I heard this summer is now a politically incorrect term- what do you think?):

• There are these little birds that live around here that are BEAUTIFUL. They have a light brown back, and their whole tummy and bottoms of their tails feathers are a wonderful, fabulous, gorgeous shade of bright, tangy turquoise blue. I wish I could get a picture of one, but I'm just not patient enough to be a bird watcher, and not startle them away when I come clamoring out the door with the camera.
  
• We live (as our school is located) directly under the flight path of every plane that comes in and out of Luanda airport. I think I first noticed this at about 6:30am on our first morning here, when I woke up thinking the world was ending, only to realize it was a low flying 747. Since then, I have noticed that there must be about 10 planes that come or go throughout the day. Unfortunately, the one is quite an early flight, luckily, none are very late ones. Don't get me wrong, it's not like we're living in the hell that must be a neighborhood by O'hare, but, a few times a day, you do just have to stop mid-sentence and hold your friend's/colleagues/boss's/student's gaze while you wait for the airplane to fly over.
  
• I'm really excited about starting my new job as teacher on Monday! I am so excited to teach in a program using the Reggio Emilia approach because,
• this program is ALL ABOUT THE KIDS- it isn't about paperwork, it isn't about jargon, it isn't about what WE want for kids, it isn't about what we know and think that kids should know, it isn't about what we've planned, or about getting into the best (oops...now I lovingly gaze into your eyes as the airplane flies overhead...) university some day- it's about the kids.
  
• I am really excited to be able to validate and follow my student's own interests. Some other programs say they do this, but, um, not really- mostly they have a curriculum that you have to stick to, and well, kid, get into your own interests on your own time.
  
• I get to ( I just learned this yesterday), lead kids in physical self-discovery- this is done a lot through monthly self-portraits. But the first group work that we will do on self portraits won't involve anything but kids and mirrors. We'll all sit down mirrors in front of each of us, and I'll start asking questions (not telling anything, but asking questions!), "What do you see?" "How does it feel?" "What does it remind you of?" "What else do you see?" "Do you all have that?" "Are they all the same?" etc, etc, etc. I am told that through exercises like these, without ever telling a kid to "include detail" you find children age 3 and 4 drawing pictures of themselves that include eyes, eyelashes, ears, noses, eyebrows, freckles, hair, teeth, lips, tongues, etc. And I think those of us who have any experience with small children will agree that is pretty amazing. And what is even cooler is the conversations that the kids themselves have during these exercises, and the time that they choose to spend on their own afterwards just gazing at themselves in a mirror.
• I get to record the conversations of children. All teachers know that kids will say the darnedest things- that have us in awe, laughing, amazed, etc- but we usually forget these things within everything else going on in the classroom and our heads. But, in this program, my job as teacher has two main parts- to ask questions, and to listen (and record). Of course there is a LOT of other stuff I have to do- but these are the main things. I got a chance to look over some records that the other teacher took last year, and they are amazing- these kids say things, think things that are amazing, and they come up with theories, and they get to explore their theories, and then share what they think now. It is so cool. Mind you, kids the world around do these things- but generally, in a "normal" school, teachers don't have much time to pay it any attention, nor to allow their students to explore things, because you have to get back to the "real" curriculum.
  
• I am super, super nervous to start my new job as teacher on Monday, because,
• I will be team-teaching with my supervisor, who has lots of experience in this program, especially when compared to my lack of any experience in this program. I am trying to be really positive about this and see it for the amazing opportunity that it is for personal professional growth, but it's nerve-wracking none the less!
  
• we will have 36 kids in one space (with four adults). I've just never worked in that kind of environment before!
• I won't be teaching letters or numbers or colors or shapes or vocabulary or anything else in the way I used to. Although our students WILL learn about these things it will be done without 90% of the resources I used to use to teach these things.
  
• I have to record the conversations of children. As excited as I am about doing this, those who have worked with me before, know that this has always been a weakness of mine, so it's going to be something I really have to work on. The same goes for the amount of pictures and stuff I am supposed to be taking of kids- I've just never been good at doing it well- and it's a huge part of this program, so... the teaching/learning cycle is going to be hugely active for me!
  
• Joel has gone off surfing this morning. I'm very excited for his report when he gets home. I didn't go along for a number of reasons, and am disappointed that I couldn't, but, I can't wait to go along someday soon- because, yes, I've never seen Joel (nor anyone) surf in real life. I suppose on one of my trips out to San Diego when I was a kid I saw some, but I don't remember it at all. So, I'm excited to hear how it went, and to go along next time.
  
• Hey, our school has no hallways! Again, I know some of you Aussies are like, "yeah...and...???" but um, for those of us who grew up in climates like Michigan's, having a school with no hallways is well, crazy! So yeah, most of the school is buildings that are like pods, each pod contains 6 classrooms with doors to the outside, and there are walkways (most covered- for safety from the sun) that join em all together. The classrooms also have doors on the inside that all come together on one inner storeroom or something- but really, there are no hallways! My class space is actually the former director's home transformed into a prep 4 building (the new director lives off-campus). Kind of cool cause we have a kitchen and actual separate rooms (one exclusively for building!), one large room with several areas, another room that is an art space, and more...
  
• There are no less than 5 full on vegetarians on our staff this year. There might be more, I haven't accurately counted up the numbers. This does mean that at lunch, there is always a veggie option, and at BBQs (like the one we had last night) there is a huge tray of some beautiful vegetable concoction labeled "FOR VEGETARIANS ONLY!!!!" in giant letters. It's really nice to be acknowledged and taken care of in a non-dramatic, non-you're-making-life-so-hard-on-us-with-your-stupid-choices kind of way. The school chef is Filipino, I've been told, and he doesn't make a big deal out of it either. He serves up his veg dishes with as much pride as the meat ones (as any chef worth anything would, if you ask me!) Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of people in my life who lovingly prepare veg food for me- but here is just seems a matter of fact kind of thing, and it works, and it makes me happy. And while I am definitely still part of a minority, it is a much bigger minority than it has been anywhere else I have worked!
  
• Downside to our cute little bungalow/living situation- community laundry facilities. It's not just the tedium of trying to find a time when no one else is down there using the machines, but it's also the fact that when lots of people are using machines that were not built for lots of people using them, they just don't work so well. The prep 4 building (my classroom) has its own washer and dryer, and my team teacher told me it's ok to use it for my personal laundry. That is cool. Now, I just have to figure out how to get my once-white whites back to white from the yellowish-gray they turned after one wash here. I think I have a date with bleach.
• Did you know that passion fruit grows on a vine? Well, I certainly didn't, until, someone pointed out to me that the vine growing on the fence along the prep 4 building was a passion fruit vine! Again, some of you, used to tropical climes might find this amazement "cute" but, I just think it's "wow!" that passion fruit grows right outside my classroom. I actually don't know if I like passion fruit or not, but, judging by the size of the fruit on the vine right now, I'll find out sooner rather than later.
• Joel is going to hate to read this, but, this is the first time that I have lived somewhere hot and humid enough to find out the difference that 100% cotton or linen clothing makes. It's winter here, which means we're hitting temps around 25C/75F during the day, but come summer, it's going to more like 35C/95F temps on a daily basis- made worse by the humidity. I'm already noticing that I just don't want to wear the clothes that I have that are a synthetic material. I can imagine it'll only get worse come summer. It's a good thing we're going to Oz at Christmas, and that it'll be summer there too (so appropriate clothing will be available for sale), so that I can line my closet with more appropriate clothing. I won't deny that I am some odd kind of a clothes whore, because obviously I am, but, I do feel that this is a genuine learning process. Vacationing in this kind of weather is one thing- living in it is a whole different thing, and I'm just learning now.
  
• We have a maid! Ah- a return to the life I once knew and loved so briefly! :) She comes three times a week (at our choosing, and yes, we could have chosen 5 times). She does the dishes, she irons, she changes our bedclothes (and I'm assuming washes the dirty ones, since I can't find em), sweeps, mops, generally tidies up, etc. It is lovely. It's a really cool feeling to run out the door in the morning leaving a mess behind yourself and come home to a tidy house. And yeah, it's one of the giant perks of the life we choose to lead. Of course, every situation has its downside too, and what I've encountered so far is just not being able to find stuff. She obviously puts stuff away where she thinks it should be (maybe that is why I can't find the other set of sheets), but it's not always where we found it, or where we'd put it. So far I have spent two separate times on searches that lasted a good five minutes for the bug spray (eventually found in the cabinet above the fridge) and the laundry rack (eventually found behind the bedroom door). I'm not complaining, because I'll spend five minutes searching for something she's put away if it means not having to do all that other stuff. I am NOT complaining. :)
  

OK- I think that is enough for today. Before I shower, I'll have my rendezvous with the bleach, and later today, I'm getting together with the two other brides-to-be (and maybe, hopefully more ladies) on campus to talk weddings. That should be fun!