Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
worthless
Sometimes I just feel worthless. Like why am I here, i'm just confusing the kids. I dislike being told how great of a teacher this SM was, how this teacher makes me laugh... do you have any funny stoties. Makes me feel like I am being compared and not meeting the standards set by previous people. It's like satan is trying to pull me down and then today during Algebra II I totally messed up a domain and range problem and was told how to do it by a student. Now if that can't knock some one's self confidence down I don't know what else can. It was like the icing on the cake... made me want to cry and it was the first time that I have ever gotten that close to crying at school. And then there is always the student that knows something up so comes over with a smile acting like everything is okay and talks about small talk just to cheer me up. Thida.... you are the best. Every time I make a mistake, my students take it in a stride, smile at me and encourage me on. It's like I am the student and they are teaching me how to be a teacher. haha... by the time i get it down, it will be the end of the year.
On Saturday I had gone over to the dorm to hang out with the students. While there Eliza began teaching me the Khmer Alphabet. There are 33 constants and 24 vowels. I have eight of them down and that took a long time. Keep in mind Eliza is third or fourth grade. That girl has more patience than I would ever had. Here is what I know so far. Ga, Ca, Go, Co, Ngo, Ja, Cha, Cho, Jo, No... yep and it is said with your mouth flat. I don't know how else to explain it.
This week is Quarter Exams. It's hard to believe 1/4 of the year is already over! I don't want it to go this quickly. Next week I will have been here fore three months. So hard to believe. It feels like I have been here forever and that this is home, but yet three months! that means I only have seven left, and that is too little! I miss my students when I don't see them over the weekend.
Tomorrow is a half day and then it starts the Holiday. It is water festival in Phnom Penh and around 3 million people come from the proviences to come and watch the boat racing. Look it up online, it is crazy. The city is already busy. We are leaving though and going to KaKong for pathfinders camp-a-re. Yeah! We are going to have a blast, and it is roughing it camping. We bought a tent two days ago. I am pretty sure it is not waterproof which is making me nervous, cause it is still rainy season.....
Grades to do now. So much to grade. The grades are due in when we get back and I have not put grades in my computer since midterms. I still procrastinate. What else is new?.....
On Saturday I had gone over to the dorm to hang out with the students. While there Eliza began teaching me the Khmer Alphabet. There are 33 constants and 24 vowels. I have eight of them down and that took a long time. Keep in mind Eliza is third or fourth grade. That girl has more patience than I would ever had. Here is what I know so far. Ga, Ca, Go, Co, Ngo, Ja, Cha, Cho, Jo, No... yep and it is said with your mouth flat. I don't know how else to explain it.
This week is Quarter Exams. It's hard to believe 1/4 of the year is already over! I don't want it to go this quickly. Next week I will have been here fore three months. So hard to believe. It feels like I have been here forever and that this is home, but yet three months! that means I only have seven left, and that is too little! I miss my students when I don't see them over the weekend.
Tomorrow is a half day and then it starts the Holiday. It is water festival in Phnom Penh and around 3 million people come from the proviences to come and watch the boat racing. Look it up online, it is crazy. The city is already busy. We are leaving though and going to KaKong for pathfinders camp-a-re. Yeah! We are going to have a blast, and it is roughing it camping. We bought a tent two days ago. I am pretty sure it is not waterproof which is making me nervous, cause it is still rainy season.....
Grades to do now. So much to grade. The grades are due in when we get back and I have not put grades in my computer since midterms. I still procrastinate. What else is new?.....
Sunday, October 25, 2009
photos
Visit
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to see some photos :D
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=115605&id=735963980&l=043b5298d8
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=113199&id=735963980&l=eaecf537df
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=111977&id=735963980&l=e19feb09cc
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=107539&id=735963980&l=e2bafd9333
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=105292&id=735963980&l=ea7c87842e
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=97232&id=735963980&l=4e27da20ab
to see some photos :D
Friday, October 23, 2009
Happy Sabbath
Let me give you an example of how many ants are in this country.... they are now in my computer. Yep. Occassionally as I write a little head sticks out, runs to a different part and dissappears... no wonder my computer acts funny. I sprayed raid lightly around my computer so hopefully that helps kill them.
Yesterday was a good day. It was the last day of creation week, so during chapels we went out and planted trees with the classes. I worked mainly with teh 10th and 11th graders. One student was so funny, he was doing it all by himself and was having issures so I offered to help. He said "nope I am going to do this all by my self" and he was determined. He did do it by himself, but I told him he was boring. That kid... :D but we had a good discussion while I watched him plant his tree. Everyone here is afraid they are going to get dark in the sun. He was telling me that if he gets dark no girl would like him, because black people are not hansome. I told him I know many black handsome men and any girl would be lucky to have him. THis is the conversation I have with many people although mostly girls. I have another girl who scraps her arms raw so that she will be lighter skinned, and there are creams galore that lighten skin. It pains me how obsessed they are with light skin. I wish everyone would just accept who they are.
I went over to see how the 12th graders were doing. They had found a crab and I wanted to keep it as a pet. I even held it. He was sooooo cute. I wanted to get a group photo with them, but I wasn't dirty enough because all I had been doing was taking pictures, so I got dirt smeared all over me. So I fit in the picture. :D
After school Kristy, Hannah, Grace, and I went to get a massage. We were told it was a full body massage for 7$. I was so excited, but back was really looking forward to it. What Hannah did not tell us was that what she considers a fully body is 55 minute foot massage and 5 min quick rub on the arms and shoulders. It was nice, but I will not be going back. My legs are bruised they pushed so hard and they cracked are back with a funny technique that I didn't like, and they dug into the feet. I'll go somewhere else and pay a little more next time.
During vespers I sang special music. Scary! I had Whitaker to help me. Thank goodness, cause I know nothing about singing, so we practiced and he helped me out and he sang harmony. It sounded good. The song I sang was "Mighty to Save" and it worked out that the sermon was on that topic. I love it when things happen like that.
Well off to church. Have a happy Sabbath all!
Yesterday was a good day. It was the last day of creation week, so during chapels we went out and planted trees with the classes. I worked mainly with teh 10th and 11th graders. One student was so funny, he was doing it all by himself and was having issures so I offered to help. He said "nope I am going to do this all by my self" and he was determined. He did do it by himself, but I told him he was boring. That kid... :D but we had a good discussion while I watched him plant his tree. Everyone here is afraid they are going to get dark in the sun. He was telling me that if he gets dark no girl would like him, because black people are not hansome. I told him I know many black handsome men and any girl would be lucky to have him. THis is the conversation I have with many people although mostly girls. I have another girl who scraps her arms raw so that she will be lighter skinned, and there are creams galore that lighten skin. It pains me how obsessed they are with light skin. I wish everyone would just accept who they are.
I went over to see how the 12th graders were doing. They had found a crab and I wanted to keep it as a pet. I even held it. He was sooooo cute. I wanted to get a group photo with them, but I wasn't dirty enough because all I had been doing was taking pictures, so I got dirt smeared all over me. So I fit in the picture. :D
After school Kristy, Hannah, Grace, and I went to get a massage. We were told it was a full body massage for 7$. I was so excited, but back was really looking forward to it. What Hannah did not tell us was that what she considers a fully body is 55 minute foot massage and 5 min quick rub on the arms and shoulders. It was nice, but I will not be going back. My legs are bruised they pushed so hard and they cracked are back with a funny technique that I didn't like, and they dug into the feet. I'll go somewhere else and pay a little more next time.
During vespers I sang special music. Scary! I had Whitaker to help me. Thank goodness, cause I know nothing about singing, so we practiced and he helped me out and he sang harmony. It sounded good. The song I sang was "Mighty to Save" and it worked out that the sermon was on that topic. I love it when things happen like that.
Well off to church. Have a happy Sabbath all!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
okay. I know it's been awhile, but I have yet to master the art of managing my time.
Two weeks ago Drama went well. That morning BJ let me take the 10th graders during his class time and so we practiced. They felt more comfortable and I felt a lot more comfortable. I had chosen music to play while they perform to add to the mood and it added a lot to the presentation. Right before the first program started, my computer crashed and I lost all my playlists and music organized in Itunes so it was crazy getting my computer started and finding all the music again, but praise God somehow it all worked out. My students acted pretty good, at least better than normal, and I didn't feel embarrassed at the end. Actually I was quite proud of them, because there were some students that really stepped it up, took charge, and presented leadership skills that I never expected before.
The next day we had movie night for Senior fundraiser. Crazy Day! I was also incharge of Saturday night vespers which I did completely last minute. We were not planning tio start working on movie night till after 6 so when at 5:30 Rattanak interuppted vespers to tell me kids were already lining up to come in. The gates were advertised to open at 7 p.m. I was told later that there were people starting to drive by to see if they could get in at 3 p.m. No more Saturday night activites. Too many people do not hold the same beliefs as we do about the Sabbath and it is too distracting. For vespers I just lead reading and discussion on the easter story. I think it was good for the group just to focus on bible reading. I think too often we feel worship has to be fancy when really it just needs to be simple.
During movie night everyone for th emost part in the class helped out. I am so proud of Rattanack and all he has done. When I ask him to do something he gets it done plus more. and then there is Sonita who on friday when we backed cookies stayed the whole time and was the only one to do so and then on Saturday night she was the one making popcorn the whole night and then cleaned up afterwards. She impressed me. She got sick later in the week and I went and visited her and since then she feels much more comfortable and she is a friend.
That next week was rough because everyone was getting sick. In all of my classes almost everyday of the week I had at least two kids missing if not more and I had a lot of students worried that it was the swine flu. The swine flu is in Phnom Penh and has killed some, but none of the students at CAS actually had it. But it made teaching hard when a lot of the class is missing.
This week I still didn't get a lot done in teaching wise cause it is creation week. Sometime recently wast the anviersery of the theory of evelution and so to counter it, the school held creation week/week of prayer. Its been really nice. It is advised that teachers do not give homework which I gladly went along with (yeah no grading!!!!!) and each day the president of Cambodia mission came and gave a presentation and all of them have been really insightful. Tomorrow all the classes are going to be planting trees during chapel time :D fun! I have had a lot of good disscussions with my classes about creation and they all wanted to hear about why I believe in creation instead of evelution. Lots of students asking questions. :D Makes my day when they do.
Yesterday I had a student yell in Khmer she hates my classes and I was told by David that is what she said. So today to see what i can do to improve, the quiz was, what is one thing you like about Algebra II class, and what is one thing that can be improved. I love the answers. I was expecting hate mail and they surprised me. ALmost all said I talk to fast, too soft, and have terrible handwriting... what's new. I need to work on that. I'll write some for you to read and i'll leave the terrible spelling and everything. :P
This one hurt a little when I read, but I know it is true. I do have my favorites, but it is not because i think to myself this student is better than another, but because I have worked on activities with some students outside of class so I know them better. I need to work on getting to know each student.
"I like all things about your class but one thing I think you should do to improve is that you should find a way to get know each student personaly and make sure you reach out to each student do not left anyone out and show no favoritism"
these ones made me happy
"I don't like learning Math but I found out that it was fun, I enjoy and like this class"
"I like about his class
-Good explaination
- Help the student when we didn't know the answer, or how to do.
-more homework and quizzes.
-fun"
"The students can ask what they don't understand and the teacher is willing to help"
"I like more homework. I don't like, nothing I don't like about Math class, but can you speak a bit louder, teacher. Thank you so much!" (haha even though they didn't write names on these i know who you are! he is the only student who asks for more work and I am teaching him Pre-Calc on the side. He is very gifted in Math and could quickly surpass me if he studied after high school at a university level.)
"I like this class because even my teacher gave us a lot of homework to do but we could asked her the problem that we didn't understand about the homework in class. The things that I didn't like is when she spoke I couldn't understand sometimes because she spoke too fast and soft. But the things that I like in this class have more than the things that I hate. I love her becasue she care about her student and explain about the things that we didn't understand so well."
"The class is very interesting, active, specially your encouragment to the students. I would like you to still struggling with us because I think now we are on the same pages. And for my self I think you had improve me a lot about the Algebra dn I would like you to continue to encourage all the students in the class, then they would have confidence to do everything."
now for the best... he/she introduces my new nick name... lol
"I like this class about 50%. I like to learn Math ecause it is interested if we can go over all the problems. I don't mean that you bad teacher, or course I know that you are the Mother of Math, you know and I think it's great that you are the Math teacher, because you will help the student about Math, but I don't really understand what you teach. you speak fast and math is tricky so I have the hard time to follow. I want you to explain the lesson first so that I can to the exercise or homework"
Mother of Math... HAHAHAHAHAHAH! I love it!
Today we had a bunch of teachers over for dinner. We made potatoe soup, chappaties, eggplant sandwhiches, and curry. Yummy. We had Pros, Sopha, Moses, Kim Streang, Whitaker, and BJ over. Good times. I never knew that Uno could get so lively.
I have to say that God is working here. Since I have become closer to some students, they are more willing to talk about personal lives, what they think about topics, and finally during prayer time I get more out of students then, this person is sick and I get multiple people talking. It's nothing darastic, but more of an openess than before. I am praying specailly for two students in 12th grade because I think they are searching. The 12th graders are the first class to get to 12th grade and have so many Buddhist still in the class. I have 23 students and I can count 7 who are Christian. There may be more, but I am not aware of it.
Well I hope this is an okay update. If you have any questions let me know!
Two weeks ago Drama went well. That morning BJ let me take the 10th graders during his class time and so we practiced. They felt more comfortable and I felt a lot more comfortable. I had chosen music to play while they perform to add to the mood and it added a lot to the presentation. Right before the first program started, my computer crashed and I lost all my playlists and music organized in Itunes so it was crazy getting my computer started and finding all the music again, but praise God somehow it all worked out. My students acted pretty good, at least better than normal, and I didn't feel embarrassed at the end. Actually I was quite proud of them, because there were some students that really stepped it up, took charge, and presented leadership skills that I never expected before.
The next day we had movie night for Senior fundraiser. Crazy Day! I was also incharge of Saturday night vespers which I did completely last minute. We were not planning tio start working on movie night till after 6 so when at 5:30 Rattanak interuppted vespers to tell me kids were already lining up to come in. The gates were advertised to open at 7 p.m. I was told later that there were people starting to drive by to see if they could get in at 3 p.m. No more Saturday night activites. Too many people do not hold the same beliefs as we do about the Sabbath and it is too distracting. For vespers I just lead reading and discussion on the easter story. I think it was good for the group just to focus on bible reading. I think too often we feel worship has to be fancy when really it just needs to be simple.
During movie night everyone for th emost part in the class helped out. I am so proud of Rattanack and all he has done. When I ask him to do something he gets it done plus more. and then there is Sonita who on friday when we backed cookies stayed the whole time and was the only one to do so and then on Saturday night she was the one making popcorn the whole night and then cleaned up afterwards. She impressed me. She got sick later in the week and I went and visited her and since then she feels much more comfortable and she is a friend.
That next week was rough because everyone was getting sick. In all of my classes almost everyday of the week I had at least two kids missing if not more and I had a lot of students worried that it was the swine flu. The swine flu is in Phnom Penh and has killed some, but none of the students at CAS actually had it. But it made teaching hard when a lot of the class is missing.
This week I still didn't get a lot done in teaching wise cause it is creation week. Sometime recently wast the anviersery of the theory of evelution and so to counter it, the school held creation week/week of prayer. Its been really nice. It is advised that teachers do not give homework which I gladly went along with (yeah no grading!!!!!) and each day the president of Cambodia mission came and gave a presentation and all of them have been really insightful. Tomorrow all the classes are going to be planting trees during chapel time :D fun! I have had a lot of good disscussions with my classes about creation and they all wanted to hear about why I believe in creation instead of evelution. Lots of students asking questions. :D Makes my day when they do.
Yesterday I had a student yell in Khmer she hates my classes and I was told by David that is what she said. So today to see what i can do to improve, the quiz was, what is one thing you like about Algebra II class, and what is one thing that can be improved. I love the answers. I was expecting hate mail and they surprised me. ALmost all said I talk to fast, too soft, and have terrible handwriting... what's new. I need to work on that. I'll write some for you to read and i'll leave the terrible spelling and everything. :P
This one hurt a little when I read, but I know it is true. I do have my favorites, but it is not because i think to myself this student is better than another, but because I have worked on activities with some students outside of class so I know them better. I need to work on getting to know each student.
"I like all things about your class but one thing I think you should do to improve is that you should find a way to get know each student personaly and make sure you reach out to each student do not left anyone out and show no favoritism"
these ones made me happy
"I don't like learning Math but I found out that it was fun, I enjoy and like this class"
"I like about his class
-Good explaination
- Help the student when we didn't know the answer, or how to do.
-more homework and quizzes.
-fun"
"The students can ask what they don't understand and the teacher is willing to help"
"I like more homework. I don't like, nothing I don't like about Math class, but can you speak a bit louder, teacher. Thank you so much!" (haha even though they didn't write names on these i know who you are! he is the only student who asks for more work and I am teaching him Pre-Calc on the side. He is very gifted in Math and could quickly surpass me if he studied after high school at a university level.)
"I like this class because even my teacher gave us a lot of homework to do but we could asked her the problem that we didn't understand about the homework in class. The things that I didn't like is when she spoke I couldn't understand sometimes because she spoke too fast and soft. But the things that I like in this class have more than the things that I hate. I love her becasue she care about her student and explain about the things that we didn't understand so well."
"The class is very interesting, active, specially your encouragment to the students. I would like you to still struggling with us because I think now we are on the same pages. And for my self I think you had improve me a lot about the Algebra dn I would like you to continue to encourage all the students in the class, then they would have confidence to do everything."
now for the best... he/she introduces my new nick name... lol
"I like this class about 50%. I like to learn Math ecause it is interested if we can go over all the problems. I don't mean that you bad teacher, or course I know that you are the Mother of Math, you know and I think it's great that you are the Math teacher, because you will help the student about Math, but I don't really understand what you teach. you speak fast and math is tricky so I have the hard time to follow. I want you to explain the lesson first so that I can to the exercise or homework"
Mother of Math... HAHAHAHAHAHAH! I love it!
Today we had a bunch of teachers over for dinner. We made potatoe soup, chappaties, eggplant sandwhiches, and curry. Yummy. We had Pros, Sopha, Moses, Kim Streang, Whitaker, and BJ over. Good times. I never knew that Uno could get so lively.
I have to say that God is working here. Since I have become closer to some students, they are more willing to talk about personal lives, what they think about topics, and finally during prayer time I get more out of students then, this person is sick and I get multiple people talking. It's nothing darastic, but more of an openess than before. I am praying specailly for two students in 12th grade because I think they are searching. The 12th graders are the first class to get to 12th grade and have so many Buddhist still in the class. I have 23 students and I can count 7 who are Christian. There may be more, but I am not aware of it.
Well I hope this is an okay update. If you have any questions let me know!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
crazy
I think that if I survive this weekend I can handle anything. Yep.
Tomorrow drama is having their first production for chapel. I feel so bad for those kids. I know nothing about drama, so we are all learning together. I asked Fay today if they expect big things, and she said not really... thats good... I am staying after school to help the 12th graders make cookies for their fundraiser on Sunday. Then off to downtown to get my haircut with some friends. I'm startin to feel like I have a bush on my head. The humidity makes my hair go "POOF" I with there was a caps for caps so I go show how big my hair is. :D Log hair is considered beutiful here, so I guess one more thing to make me look more foreign... short hair.
Saturday we are going to church here for the first time in a month! Yeah! I miss it. It will be good to talk to some friends again. I am in charge of vespers at night... need to think of something to do yet :/ Then right afterwards at 6 I need to run to school and help set up for their fundraiser. We are having a movie night, watching "Up". Should be fun.
I wish I could express to you guys how much I love the kids here. I think it is one of my strong points and one of my weaknesses. I am starting to care for them so much that I am loosing the teacher status and becomeing friends, which hurts in the classroom. I have yet to find the perfect medium. Wait. By the end of the year I'll get it. I expecially care for the dorm students cause I feel like they need motherly care. For example one kid got hurt and I just wanted to baby him, or when Henery failed all his classes for midterm, I felt like I needed to be the mother who scolded him and now I bug him about studying, and I feel like I need to give them hugs all the time, cause they don't have a home to go home to. I wish there was a way you could meet them all. David a 12th grader drives me nuts with all his jokes, reminds me of dad... lol, Rattanak another 12th grader has great leadership skills, Visak in 11th grade is the only one who braves the front row and has a smile that could melt anyone, Ratana is the 10th grader who tries at everything and is so determined she doesn't care if she makes a mistake, Tulip and Sivheang drive us home when we need a ride. All the students amaze me. Sometimes they drive me up the wall (specially those 10th graders....) but I love them anyways.
For example, drama is presenting tomorrow and they have had time in class to practice, but those 10th graders love to chat and so they felt if they ran through it twice they got it down, now it is the day before and so they are complaining to me about how they do not feel comfortable, they don't like what they are doing, they want to do one large skit instead of a bunch of charades, they want to talk, they want costumes, they want, they want, they do not like, they do not like... get the picture. Makes me want to scream. I have never heard kids complain so much in my life. After they heard my thoughts on the matter... "this is suppose to be a challenge, the reason we are not talking is that i am trying to show you how actions speak louder then words and instead of owning up to the challenge and trying something new, all you do is complain making me miserable and therefore I make you miserable.... etc." they were willing to work a little more. At least they were silent. ;) Although I have to say I am kinda thankful that they talk in Algebra, in a way. One day I was walking past whenanother teacher was teaching and they were all sitting so quietly and still and it was beautiful. The next day I asked how come they are not that good with me. There responce... "we are falling asleep" ahaha at least they are not falling asleep with me. No it is definately not the case ever with me. I'm going gray cause of them. Please pray for my patience.
Well that is the latest update. I miss you all!
Tomorrow drama is having their first production for chapel. I feel so bad for those kids. I know nothing about drama, so we are all learning together. I asked Fay today if they expect big things, and she said not really... thats good... I am staying after school to help the 12th graders make cookies for their fundraiser on Sunday. Then off to downtown to get my haircut with some friends. I'm startin to feel like I have a bush on my head. The humidity makes my hair go "POOF" I with there was a caps for caps so I go show how big my hair is. :D Log hair is considered beutiful here, so I guess one more thing to make me look more foreign... short hair.
Saturday we are going to church here for the first time in a month! Yeah! I miss it. It will be good to talk to some friends again. I am in charge of vespers at night... need to think of something to do yet :/ Then right afterwards at 6 I need to run to school and help set up for their fundraiser. We are having a movie night, watching "Up". Should be fun.
I wish I could express to you guys how much I love the kids here. I think it is one of my strong points and one of my weaknesses. I am starting to care for them so much that I am loosing the teacher status and becomeing friends, which hurts in the classroom. I have yet to find the perfect medium. Wait. By the end of the year I'll get it. I expecially care for the dorm students cause I feel like they need motherly care. For example one kid got hurt and I just wanted to baby him, or when Henery failed all his classes for midterm, I felt like I needed to be the mother who scolded him and now I bug him about studying, and I feel like I need to give them hugs all the time, cause they don't have a home to go home to. I wish there was a way you could meet them all. David a 12th grader drives me nuts with all his jokes, reminds me of dad... lol, Rattanak another 12th grader has great leadership skills, Visak in 11th grade is the only one who braves the front row and has a smile that could melt anyone, Ratana is the 10th grader who tries at everything and is so determined she doesn't care if she makes a mistake, Tulip and Sivheang drive us home when we need a ride. All the students amaze me. Sometimes they drive me up the wall (specially those 10th graders....) but I love them anyways.
For example, drama is presenting tomorrow and they have had time in class to practice, but those 10th graders love to chat and so they felt if they ran through it twice they got it down, now it is the day before and so they are complaining to me about how they do not feel comfortable, they don't like what they are doing, they want to do one large skit instead of a bunch of charades, they want to talk, they want costumes, they want, they want, they do not like, they do not like... get the picture. Makes me want to scream. I have never heard kids complain so much in my life. After they heard my thoughts on the matter... "this is suppose to be a challenge, the reason we are not talking is that i am trying to show you how actions speak louder then words and instead of owning up to the challenge and trying something new, all you do is complain making me miserable and therefore I make you miserable.... etc." they were willing to work a little more. At least they were silent. ;) Although I have to say I am kinda thankful that they talk in Algebra, in a way. One day I was walking past whenanother teacher was teaching and they were all sitting so quietly and still and it was beautiful. The next day I asked how come they are not that good with me. There responce... "we are falling asleep" ahaha at least they are not falling asleep with me. No it is definately not the case ever with me. I'm going gray cause of them. Please pray for my patience.
Well that is the latest update. I miss you all!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Floating Church
Even though my 12th grade class had a few cheaters, I have to say that they are pretty amazing. They are so thoughtful and hard working (for the most part :D lol) Yesterday they just kept on helping me out and at first I though maybe they were doing an assignment for Morality because they were being so good, but when I said something today to them, they had no clue what I was talking about. Students never cease to amazing me. I am the senior advisor along with Fay, Pannah, and Sopeap. We are planning for senior fundraising so that they can afford senior survive and their class trip. We are going to have a movie night and watch the movie "Up". Can't wait! I am so proud of the president, Rattanack, because he has really stepped it up and taking charge of the class and doing all the work. I love them all :D
Last Friday after school I went teacher pros's house with Kristie and Kim Streang. Kim Streang made us fish and it was a fresh as fresh can be. The fish was still alive as it went in the oil. So yummy, I was surprised at how good fish could be when you eat the skin. Fish bones are definitely a down side. But the yummy taste makes it worth it. I tried the intestines but that didn't taste the best.
On Saturday we went with Sharon and Gary to visit three churches. We went to churches that were started by one of the dorm students that I teach so we took him along so he could see his family. Two of the churches were Vietnamese floating villages. All the homes were on boats in the form of houses. So neat! They even have floating stores and gas stations. :D The only bad part is that all trash and sewage goes into the river,so even though it looks tempting to swim in... not the best idea. We sang for all the Churches again. I don't really care to sing "I'll fly away" any more. I think we over did it. All the churches were mostly kids. The young people are really searching here and that is awesome. The church will be stronger in a few years when the children grow up. Cambodia is composed of a population that is 50% 18 years old and younger, so the fact that the church is mostly young people makes sense. ALso I need to tell you the names of the church planters kids all go to CAS except Chuly (sounds like July) and he goes to the university in the phillipes, and is going to teach math at CAS when he graduates. Okay so here it goes oldest to youngest. Chuly, Sophea (boy), Sopheath (boy), Chulong (boy), Sophean (boy), Rebecca (girl :D). hahahah... wouldn't you like to be their mother... and they all look the same too. All you have to do is start saying Sophe... and all of them respond. I love it! Cutest family ever.
I am teaching another class. I can't remember if I told you or not. It is so crazy now. So much to do. Tom morrow I have five classes to prepare for, two of them Math. I give out homework, and in doing so I have so much to grade. I feel that since I assign the homework, it is my responsibility to take the time to grade, so they know how they are doing and since there is a test every week in all classes, I have to get it back the next day so they can learn from their mistakes. So hard for me to do. I get frustrated sometimes because I do not have the time to prepare the best of lesson plans, and I get frustrated when I know that I should do so much more, but I do not know how to. Physics especially. The book is terrible and does not explain concepts. It just has labs in it, so I feel like I have to fill in for what the books lack, and then the students ask questions and it is difficult to focus on one topic since everything is interrelated. I am also learning what not to do and what to do for projects and test. I feel bad for the students who get all my mistakes. I am slowly learning from them. I know that I can't know everything, but I wish I did for my students sack. I wish that I could just transfer knowledge. My algebra II class had their first test where everyone did around 80% or better. It might be because I made it easier, but I am glad I did because it boosted their confidence in their ability to do math, and it made me feel better, that at least they are learning something. I also had someone tell me that math is their favorite class. :D yeah! My algebra I class just complains about al the homework and then talks all through class. I don't think they realize that it is because they talk, I assign more homework. They will get the picture soon though. It just stinks cause that means I have to grade more. :/ Music appreciation class.... let not talk about that same with health. I am surviving by the seat of my pants. I can tell I am not interested in those classes as much as math and physics so my plans are not as organized... need to work on that. Drama. Yikes! we have our first performance on Friday and I am embarrassed for my students. They have NO enthusiasm and everything they do looks like they are just walking around. I'm worried about that one. Maybe a miracle will happen and they suddenly have talent. That would be nice.
I can tell my students are starting to trust me now. I appreciate it for the most part, except for when I here all the details such as... he's not here, he has diarrhea. Don't really need to know that but anyways... I know that they trusted me cause everyone else was just told, he has a upset stomach. Yeah that's right. I got the whole picture. :D lol
Love is in the air... all the students are hooking up. It's interesting to see, and it is interesting how I get protective of some students. I think some can do better, and I want to tell them, but that would be rude and overstepping my bonds. When I said something to two kids, they told me "what do you mean teacher, we are brothers and sister in Christ" haha says the buddhist of the two. Although that couple is cute and Moniroth is a good influence on Krisna.
Anyways gotta plan...
Thanks for all your support and prayers! I appreciate it!
Last Friday after school I went teacher pros's house with Kristie and Kim Streang. Kim Streang made us fish and it was a fresh as fresh can be. The fish was still alive as it went in the oil. So yummy, I was surprised at how good fish could be when you eat the skin. Fish bones are definitely a down side. But the yummy taste makes it worth it. I tried the intestines but that didn't taste the best.
On Saturday we went with Sharon and Gary to visit three churches. We went to churches that were started by one of the dorm students that I teach so we took him along so he could see his family. Two of the churches were Vietnamese floating villages. All the homes were on boats in the form of houses. So neat! They even have floating stores and gas stations. :D The only bad part is that all trash and sewage goes into the river,so even though it looks tempting to swim in... not the best idea. We sang for all the Churches again. I don't really care to sing "I'll fly away" any more. I think we over did it. All the churches were mostly kids. The young people are really searching here and that is awesome. The church will be stronger in a few years when the children grow up. Cambodia is composed of a population that is 50% 18 years old and younger, so the fact that the church is mostly young people makes sense. ALso I need to tell you the names of the church planters kids all go to CAS except Chuly (sounds like July) and he goes to the university in the phillipes, and is going to teach math at CAS when he graduates. Okay so here it goes oldest to youngest. Chuly, Sophea (boy), Sopheath (boy), Chulong (boy), Sophean (boy), Rebecca (girl :D). hahahah... wouldn't you like to be their mother... and they all look the same too. All you have to do is start saying Sophe... and all of them respond. I love it! Cutest family ever.
I am teaching another class. I can't remember if I told you or not. It is so crazy now. So much to do. Tom morrow I have five classes to prepare for, two of them Math. I give out homework, and in doing so I have so much to grade. I feel that since I assign the homework, it is my responsibility to take the time to grade, so they know how they are doing and since there is a test every week in all classes, I have to get it back the next day so they can learn from their mistakes. So hard for me to do. I get frustrated sometimes because I do not have the time to prepare the best of lesson plans, and I get frustrated when I know that I should do so much more, but I do not know how to. Physics especially. The book is terrible and does not explain concepts. It just has labs in it, so I feel like I have to fill in for what the books lack, and then the students ask questions and it is difficult to focus on one topic since everything is interrelated. I am also learning what not to do and what to do for projects and test. I feel bad for the students who get all my mistakes. I am slowly learning from them. I know that I can't know everything, but I wish I did for my students sack. I wish that I could just transfer knowledge. My algebra II class had their first test where everyone did around 80% or better. It might be because I made it easier, but I am glad I did because it boosted their confidence in their ability to do math, and it made me feel better, that at least they are learning something. I also had someone tell me that math is their favorite class. :D yeah! My algebra I class just complains about al the homework and then talks all through class. I don't think they realize that it is because they talk, I assign more homework. They will get the picture soon though. It just stinks cause that means I have to grade more. :/ Music appreciation class.... let not talk about that same with health. I am surviving by the seat of my pants. I can tell I am not interested in those classes as much as math and physics so my plans are not as organized... need to work on that. Drama. Yikes! we have our first performance on Friday and I am embarrassed for my students. They have NO enthusiasm and everything they do looks like they are just walking around. I'm worried about that one. Maybe a miracle will happen and they suddenly have talent. That would be nice.
I can tell my students are starting to trust me now. I appreciate it for the most part, except for when I here all the details such as... he's not here, he has diarrhea. Don't really need to know that but anyways... I know that they trusted me cause everyone else was just told, he has a upset stomach. Yeah that's right. I got the whole picture. :D lol
Love is in the air... all the students are hooking up. It's interesting to see, and it is interesting how I get protective of some students. I think some can do better, and I want to tell them, but that would be rude and overstepping my bonds. When I said something to two kids, they told me "what do you mean teacher, we are brothers and sister in Christ" haha says the buddhist of the two. Although that couple is cute and Moniroth is a good influence on Krisna.
Anyways gotta plan...
Thanks for all your support and prayers! I appreciate it!
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