A week ago around this time I arrived in Kuwait to start my job teaching at the Universal American School in Hawally. The middle school principal and a few teachers picked me up from the airport late at night and brought me to my apartment in a tall, chalky blue building near the school. My new home is a good-sized one bedroom with Ikea furniture, beach-inspired coral tile in the kitchen, and a flowery fleece on my bed. It’s eclectic, and sure, a little garish, but it’s a step up from where I was living last year with two roommates near campus, desperately saving for grad school. Speaking of which, look what finally came in the mail! Call me Master Zappia. That’s a thing, right? A title change comes with a Master’s? ; ) Teaching full time last year and working on my Master’s was really challenging, but it undoubtedly made me a better, more passionate educator and I’m so glad that had that experience. Back to Kuwait. My principal said that I could take the week to transition into my classroom to take over for the teacher who had been covering for me. “Make it into school at some point tomorrow, whenever you wake up,” he said. My response: “When does school start? Seven? Okay, see you then.” Like I’m going to sit at home and twiddle my thumbs (okay, sleep, go shopping, settle in, etc.) when someone else is teaching my students! Pssshhh. Above: My view from the rooftop of my apartment building before the first day of school. Below: Universal American School,"You know, that big blue building in Hawally" is what you say to taxi drivers. The first two days were really rough. I hardly slept at all because I was pretty jet lagged, was ferried off one day to try to get my Civil ID, and I foolheartedly jumped right into teaching. At one point the school sent me with a driver to go shopping for food and my driver pushed my cart around for me! I even hosted parents during Open House my second night here. I managed to put together a presentation and really enjoyed meeting the parents of my students. The kids are very talkative; I’ve been told it’s part of the culture, but I think it’s also just part of being a fifth-grader. I moved my desks from rows into table groups so my students can work collaboratively and talk (when I’m not talking, that is, we’re still working on that). They love helping each other and it’s a better use of the space in the classroom than all of the room the rows were taking up. Here’s a “during picture” from when I was rearranging this weekend. (I am a bad photographer. I forgot to secure the before and after shots.) I’m teaching a self-contained fifth grade classroom, so that’s also a lot to get used to. I teach all four subjects (math, science, language arts and Kuwaiti social studies) and have my 29 students all day save specials, lunch, and Arabic class. Last year when I taught 6th grade in North Carolina I taught the same lesson (or sometimes two different lessons) in four, one-hour-long periods. That’s going to be a big challenge for me this year.
There’s so much more that I’d love to write, but those are the basics for now. I'll leave you with the Arabic Word of the Week:
3 Comments
Reem
10/10/2016 07:58:15 am
Hi ms.zappia❤️❤️
Reply
12/30/2023 01:07:49 am
Very nice article, I enjoyed reading your post, very nice to share, I want to tweet this to my followers.
Reply
2/4/2024 03:39:03 am
Minicabs Weybridge: Your reliable solution for swift and comfortable transportation. Our dedicated minicabs offer efficient service tailored to your travel needs in Weybridge and nearby areas. Experience hassle-free journeys with Minicabs Weybridge, ensuring punctuality and customer satisfaction at every ride.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Jill Zappiateacher, grad student, bibliophile Archives
October 2015
Categories
All
What's the time in Kuwait?
|