First Day of School

Friday, August 31, 2012

            We were picked up by the school van at 7 am.  We were already sweating from the heat and humidity before even arriving at the school.  Surefoot American International School (SAIS) is located on the main road that leads through town.  We pulled up to the gate and the guards watched us drive in.  They actually have rifles.  There is not a No Guns on School Property rule here.  We have to sign in and out each day at the front desk.  My classroom is the closest to the front door.  

We are next to the front door of the school.

              A new early childhood building is under construction but the number of pre-k school students has increased so as a temporary fix for the overcrowded situation the kindergarten class was moved over the summer.  All the teaching materials, children’s books and free-choice games were mixed up on two walls of book shelves.  I do not have a desk, file cabinet or cabinets and drawers.  We do not have a classroom bathroom or even a sink.  I do have a window and an air conditioner.  We do have a typical kindergarten classroom carpet with the alphabet on it and little round tables.

            I just barely met my assistant and my students when we had to attend the Friday morning assembly.  I noticed some quick cultural differences.  Each student gives me a hug every morning and one as they leave every afternoon.  Also, the parents often ask, “How was your night?”  I have learned to just say, “good.”  They are not really asking for information it is just a greeting like “how are you?” in the USA.

            After the assembly I had a quick training with the principal and the counselor.  They are husband and wife.  We really did not get a lot of information beyond the school schedule and a list of the California State Standards to follow. I met up with our class just before they went to lunch and then observed my assistant teach reading in the afternoon.  The different grade levels have different curriculum.  I know 1^st grade and 3^rd grade use StoryTown which is the reading curriculum I used in Alaska.  I have ReadWell.  I have never used it.  From what I have gathered so far it does not have much for the writing and sight words.  There are some student practice workbooks and some small reading books that start farther into the curriculum.

            The math is Everyday Math but we do not have the actual teacher’s lesson book.  There are manipulatives, a game book, activity book and workbook.  We also have a social studies and science curriculum but I know they will not last the whole school year even though I am required to teach those subjects all year long.  My students go to specialist teachers for PE, music, art, computers, and French.

My class

            School had actually started on Monday.  My assistant has been subbing for me.  My assistant has been with the school since it began 5 years ago.  She has been the kindergarten teacher for 3 years.  That really surprised me.  I feel like I am in an awkward position.  She was told last year she had to step down so an expat with a teaching certificate could lead the class.  It just feels so demeaning.  I also learned she has only received a small portion of the salary I will make as a teacher here.  She has never lived in the teacher housing either.  It is not for the Nigerian nationals.  Most of what I just shared I did not learn from her and I plan to never talk about that subject.  My goal is to consider her my equal and work with her as a teaching partner not as my assistant.  I told her we have a great opportunity to learn from each other and grow in our teaching profession.  She said she hopes to someday be one of the pre-k teachers.

            Well the day ended pretty well but I was really frustrated when the van driver pulled up at 3 pm to take the teachers home.  I only had an hour after my students left to start looking at everything in my classroom.  I was told I could not stay later or come in on the weekend because I can only come with a school driver.  I do not have keys to the school or even to my classroom.  I grabbed every curriculum book I could find and got in the van.  We went back to the guest house where our belongings were because the problem was fixed.