Wednesday

Got on the bus at 7:15 this morning, and boy did it make a lot of stops today. Just depends. One full bus by the time we got off again. Started walking down the road, and we ended up getting a ride from these guys we met who work for one of the phone companies here. Made it to school, had some breakfast, and worked on a few things in my classroom before my (as in my students) football boys came in to say hi. Malo comes up to me and says, "My uncle says hi." "Your uncle?", I respond. I'm thinking "What do you mean your uncle says hi?" He said, "you met him on the bus." Then, it hit me... Oh yeah... one of my first days here, I was on the bus with Sarah, and This guy chatted us up a bunch and mentioned he had a nephew that plays football at Tafuna. I went back on my blog to see what else I wrote about him because I remember it being a really cool conversation. How cool is it that Malo is actually in my class? I mean I know this is a small island, and I should be used to the small community thing... Still... Cool stuff. I asked Mao to tell Uncle Tye I say hi back.

Yesterday I mentioned the eyebrow raising thing here, and I wanted to upload my little demonstration. It wouldn't go yesterday, but here it is today for your viewing pleasure. I don't do it quite as well as the students do.

Three items on the agenda for class today:
1. I asked the students to write about what science is or draw pictures that represent science. I gave them the choice today.
2. We did the box project I learned in college and discussed the fundamentals of science. Miss Boschen's simple definition of science: Science is asking questions and trying to find answers or solving problems. I also introduced the first four steps of the scientific method.
3. We did the house drawing activity I used in my teaching practicum. They worked in groups to draw first, and after I told them it should have been a house, I had some creative ones that came up with some other drawings they could make with the shapes. Cool!

This is one that a group of football players did the first time through. Cool how it started to come together as a face. Great lead in into our discussion of making directions specific.

Another good day, and my rowdy class from yesterday was rather well behaved today. My senior class is the largest, and as more showed up today some had to sit on the floor. I only have 28 desks in my classroom. They're used to it, though.

Found myself at the front of the classroom thinking "I can't believe I'm actually a teacher. Never thought I would grow up and be a teacher for a while, but here I am doing it." It's going well so far, but this stack of papers on my desk thing is not as exciting. haha. Although I do enjoy reading what my students have written. I learn a little bit about them each time.

I stayed and worked on things until 4:30 today, and as I was walking out of the office one of my student's was there with his older sister and she and her husband offered me a ride home. Really nice of them, and she was fun to talk to. She actually teaches History at Tafuna and wants to work on her master's degree.

Changed my clothes and walked to the bigger grocery store down the street for a few supplies. Sunday night after we ate the first bit of corned beef, Richard (the guy from church) suggested I make it with rice some day and add a little soy sauce, so that's what I was after today - rice. Made myself a little bowl, and it was good.

Some of my football boys sit in the front row, and generally speaking the boys are more apt to respond in class. So different for me. It was the opposite when I was in high school. haha Football players don't sit in the front row. I hope I do them justice as the three that I met on the first day of school that proceeded to sign into my class seem eager. They're great boys, and they're doing great work so far. Some of the girls seem to write a whole lot more than anyone else when I've been including those projects. Still have personality differences across the board. I just find it interesting that I find mostly boys in the front row of my class (not just the football boys). Usually doesn't take a whole lot for me to be intrigued; I'm intrigued by little things.