Final Got my Key

Well the day has finally came I got my key today, however I should back up to the last few days. School has been going so well. I feel like things have turned around with the students, which makes me happy. I still have to yell a little, but nowhere near to where I had been. My class is doing great with centers and with working through their letter, so I do feel like I am made some progress with my students. So school has been getting better, I think everyone is right everyday it should get better and better. Next week my faculty head and I are looking at putting permanent centers in my room. I think that this will be a great thing for the students and make it easier for me to work with small groups.

Now on to the rest of my day, after school we headed to get our laundry, we headed to the mall for lunch and I walked into a door and spraining my wrist, (yes I know my friends are going oh that is Julie). After that all that we were able to come back to the hotel to find out that the keys to our Apartments where here. I was so excited that a small group of us headed into M-Zayed to see them. I love my place. I have a nice side two bedroom. It has a smaller kitchen, but I can still cook in it. I will be heading up there tomorrow to sweep and mop the floors. After that I will lay out the two rugs I already have, but I have decided I need to get at least two more, maybe three. Then we are heading to the industrial area to get out appliances.

My bedroom set will be here on Thursday, which I am excited about. That means that this weekend I will be unpacking all of my trunks and my clothes. I am hoping to have internet in the apartment, before this weekend, but I don’t know if that will happen. So I may be off line for a while, once I have to move out. I am hopefully out of the hotel on Saturday.

My Best Day

Today was the best day of school I have had since I got here. I figured I better write about it since so everyone knows that there is a great reason to stay. So today started as a normal day although I went to school going I am scrapping my lessons and just going to go for it today. Best thing I could have done. So my first class started and I decided to do centers, it was a great class. The students stopped when I said stop, they were quiet and completed each center.

My English classes always go well since I have my helper in there for them; however she helped my figure out what we are doing for our broadcast next week. I am so excited my students are going to do the Hokey Pokey. After English my next classes where science, which sang the Hokey Pokey, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, and If Your Happy and You Know It. We then again did some science centers and then work on the matter and the material clay. They students were again quiet when I raised my hand and sat when I said sit. So over all I was able to control my classroom and have the lessons taught that I need to teach.

After school we had a meeting to talk about what I can do to make my classes easier for me. I have decided that I am going to treat them like kindergarteners. They will have the normal lesson, but at least 15 minutes a class they will be able to have free time in centers. So today after school I headed to the mall and found some puppets for a puppet center, I will then make an art center, and a math center.

Then when once I was home I went swimming and lucky I did tonight. While I was in the pool I saw a heard of camels come walking along next to the pool. It was so neat to see it, we all were just waiting to look out there and see them. After swimming we headed back into MZ. I wanted to pay off my rugs and furniture. Then go and see my couches that I am buying from another teacher. I am excited to say that I think I am pretty much set now in my furniture. Now I still just need my key.

Furniture Shopping and License

So rumor is that we will be getting our apartment keys on Thursday that means that this weekend will be my time to go get my furniture and clean. I am so excited about this. I went shopping tonight in MZ and found my dining room table, coffee table, end tables, and two rugs, plus I also have my living room set that I bought from a last year’s LT. It was such a great experience; we headed into the industrial district of the town, where we came upon these little shops. First shop was the furniture shop where things where stacked up so high, but I found my kitchen table and my end tables. Then we headed next door to the rug man. He was the best, he gave us all seat, bought us all water, then unroll whatever rug we wanted to see. There were so many rugs by the time we where done, but I ended up with the most beautiful red and maroon rug. Tomorrow I am headed to Abu Dhabi to get more furniture and my driver’s license. So I guess I am off to bed for now, write more tomorrow.

Okay so I am back from my adventure of today and what a long day. Gayle and I started our morning heading to the Tamm center to get our nation ID card, which we have heading to us. That took a whole of an hour since we are women and moved to the front of the line. After that we head to Abu Dhabi to get our licenses. That was a fun adventure.

We started by heading to the translator where I found out that my name had been wrong on both papers, but I figured oh well since I can’t read it on my license anyways. So he translated it how it was on my paper from ADEC and I was down with that part of it. We then took a detour to the teacher store where I just got a few things that will help out in my classroom, and Gayle got things that she needed finally. After that off to the license place, this was easy to find from the teacher store and even easier once we were inside. We arrived and headed up stairs a little confused about where we need to go, but the ladies there helped us. We got our ticket and went to make our copies, by the time our copies where made our ticket numbers had been called so we sat down and in ten minutes had our licenses.

After that we headed to IKEA to look at furniture. It was a short trip, we ate lunch and looked and decided it was too expensive, so we head to Home Center. At Home Center we spent tons of money. We ended up spending three hours there and about 5000 AED. However I end up getting my bed, dresser, nightstands, desk, chair, TV stand, and then even got my bedding, pillows, dishes, towels, silverware, and most of my bathroom stuff. So I got just about everything I need and if I get my apartment it will be there next Thursday.



My Bedroom minus the Wardrobe and the Chest.

So now I am back in Madinat Zayed, I will be working on my school work and try to finish my testing. Cross your fingers that everything falls into place and things get done and keep moving forward. Until next time.

Oh What A Week

So where to start, I guess by saying sorry for not writing for a week, but the week I had was so crazy. It started as a normal good week. I was going to school and things were going well. However the second day of school this week things changed and not for the better. It was a crazy day, to the point as one time I had a student running on (yes on) my desk. Well to say the least I was not in a good mood. Tuesday was Wow is all I can say. The day was so bad it got to the point where I finally left my room crying, because I just couldn’t handle it anymore. This was the first time I thought that maybe I shouldn’t be a teacher anymore.

So I ended up the next morning on the phone to my mom (Yeah for Her) and wrote an email to my regional person here. I didn’t want to go to school since I was scared to see how the day was going to go. However I headed in with the idea to talk to my providers to let them know that I was looking for transfer to another school, if that was not possible them I was considering heading home (America).

The day started the same as Tuesday, I was ready to pack up and leave, however things changed. My providers set up a meeting with my principal and I told her how I was feeling. So she went and talked to the students, and was able to get my support in my room again. After that ADEC came to the school and had a talk with everyone about what was going on. They wanted to how things were going. I have to say that at this time of the day things were going much better.

Thursday, the last day of the work for me, thank goodness. I was still scared to head to school since I was sure what I was in for. I was in luck though, whatever had happened the day before had carried over to Thursday. It was a great day, I was actually able to teach 2 lesson to both my classes. I have luck to have my co-teachers in my room to help me, but even when they were the students seemed to understand that I was the one in charge of the class. I am hoping that this stay like this for the next week, now for my weekend.

So it is Friday the start to my weekend and I am up at 5:00 am. Man I hate when my body get on a schedule. Oh well, I was able to talk to my mom for an hour this morning and then headed to breakfast and then to write lesson plan, until we head to Abu Dhabi to get me a car. So headed to Abu Dhabi, went to Carrefour and then to Home Center. I found a bedroom set that I love, but I see if I get it. Then we headed to the car rental at the Airport and I got one. Brand New Toyota Corolla, (I will get pictures up tomorrow).

Week Two has Come and Gone

So week two has come and gone now. It is hard to believe that two weeks of school have come and gone so fast, even harder for me to believe that I have been in the country for over a month. This week was a rough week for me since I was sick for most the week. However after my trip to the hospital and getting antibiotics, I am feeling much better. I end the week at school with a pretty good day.

The weekend started with coming back to the hotel, going for a swimming and playing some banana grams and Uno. It was a great start to the weekend. People also end up getting their passports back and our log into the ADEC system (which I don’t know where I put mine).

My Friday was started with a great breakfast and then working on my lesson plans for this coming week. A group of us then decided that we were heading into Abu Dhabi. So again off to the city for the day, this time I got the joy of driving to the city. Which wasn’t bad, but in the city I hate. We head to Emirates Palace, where I can finally be seen in my Abaya. We walked around looking at the beautiful art work there until we decided it was time to eat. After that to Marina Mall, haven’t been there in forever, but I am glad that we went. I was lucky enough to run into one of my fellow teachers that was moved to Al Mirfa. We were at the mall for a while, but man I learned never to head to the mall on a Friday, it was crazy. After so insane time at the Carrefour we then headed back to MZayed.

Today started with a trip t town to work out my bank stuff, which I think I did. Then off to the Co-op so that we could get some shopping done. Other then that I spent the day at my computer working on my lesson plans. So now I am off to finish up a few things and then going to play some Lego Harry Potter and head to bed.

Trip to the Hospital

So today was the third day of me being sick, however I again thought I was okay to head to school and work. Well I learned I was way wrong. I went to school made it through the first period of class, then headed to the English meeting made it through most of that, however I was sick after we finished. So I headed to the hospital for the first time.

The hospital was a different experience, but great experience. Headed in to the women waiting room, a lady took my health card and had me sit down. When they were ready for me they called me up to the desk and registered me. I paid 30 AED ($8.15) and then wait an again. Shortly thereafter I head into the doctor’s office, where he asked me some questions listen to my heart, and then told me to have some test done.

This is where it got weird for me; a lady took me to the laboratory, where they drew my blood. Yes they took my blood. I then headed to get a chest x-ray. Again yes they did that too. After that I waited again and then they called me in to tell me that I have a upper respiratory infection and I am low in iron, GREAT. However after everything I was sent home (the Hotel) and told that I need to take 2 day of my sick leave. I can’t believe that it is my second week and I am out sick great, I hope this doesn’t show what this year is going to be like.

First Week of School

Well week one has come and gone. With lots of ups and down emotionally, I made through the week so yeah. It was over all a great week. I really only had a few really low down spots, but for the most part I was happy with what my kids learned. By the end of the week my students were able to stand, sit, walk, stop and freeze, jump, and play head, shoulders, knees, and toes. They also started to get the concept of the way centers will work in my classroom. I learned more that I really need to over plan my classes so that the students are busy for the whole period, but I think this week I will be able to do that.

Now that the weekend is here I am relaxing, with the start a trip to Abu Dhabi, which was well needed. A group of us stated out for Abu Dhabi right after school, we arrived and headed to the Park Rotana for the meeting that ADEC was having. I am happy that we did since I was able to get my passport, which means I can get my PO Box. We then head to the teacher store where I was able to get my calendar and a color board. After that we head to the Abu Dhabi mall where we had dinner and then so shopping at the Co-Op. Oh I miss my old Hotel and mall, but after all of that we headed back to Madinet Zayed.

Today I am relaxing and working on my lesson plans for the week. So I was able to swim this morning and do some exercising in the pool. Off to dinner in a little while and then to play some card games or banana grams.  Then tomorrow will probably more of the same thing swimming in the morning and working on school in the afternoon. Not a bad day on my time off.