Here is a glimpse of my life in Kuwait....teaching....at American Creativity Academy (ACA)....this is Sunday's schedule, 1st day of the week:
6:10 am....bus transportation arrives
6:20 am...drop off at Girls campus
6:30 am....drop off at Boys campus (this is my campus)
in classroom...setting up the schedule for the day on the message center board, changing the classroom helpers, getting worksheets together for the copy center.
6:55 am...go to playground to pick up the boys
7:00 am - 7:25 am is Homeroom...boys come in - unload the rolling backpacks (everything they have goes home and returns everyday..plus lunch boxes as there is no cafeteria)...7:20 morning announcements begin with the playing of the Kuwait National Anthem..followed by short quote from the Quran, followed by any announcements from the principal.
7:25-8:15 am - Islam class taught by male instructor
8:15 -9:05 am - Math - taught by me
9:05 - 9:20am - snack break
9:20 - 11:00 am - Language Arts...writing, reading, vocabulary and 6 boys get pulled out for special ESL resource - taught by Ms. Jenny (teacher)
11-11:30 am - recess (duty free)
11:30 - 11:45 am - lunch (leftovers from 9:05 break) - in the classroom
11:45 - 12:35 pm - Social Studies (or Science) - taught by me
12:35 - 1:25 pm - Arabic class - taught by Arab female teacher
1:25 - 2:15 pm (but really ends at 2:00 pm) - PE (or Art on Wednesday)
3:00 pm - bus transportation arrives for teacher pickup - departs school at 3:10 arriving at Girls campus @ 3:20pm...
3:30 pm - arrive at apartment.
4:55 pm - dark outside and call to prayer sounds
6:30ish...last call to prayer
and early to bed...since alarm rings at 4:45 am!
By the time my day is finished...my family and friends in the USA are just waking up to their coffee and newspapers! It's 8:46 pm Kuwait time..current temp is 18 C - or about 66 F and tomorrow high is forcast to be 28 C or about 86 F. Humidity is 34%...very warm and dry!
Enjoy your Sunday! You could be in Kuwait!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Kuwait - week 3
We're into our 3rd week here. Last week was a busy week getting ready for the Eid holiday and preparing report card scores...Report cards will go home after the break. I finished out the week teaching Math. After the break, the science block will become social studies. So, I will take over Math and Social Studies in the classroom. But for now....we are on the Eid break....so there is no school. We have been tourists this week so far. We visited the Scientific Center (aquarium), the national museum (which was closed - so we couldn't go in), and Failaka Island. We took the ferry over to the island. It's a 1.5 hour ride....with no seating! However, I feel very lucky that we found some shade! It's still pretty hot here...mostly in the upper 80's to 90 degrees. Although there was hardly anything on the Island, it was an eerie feeling being in a place where people used to live. There are bullet holes in all the buildings...some are completely destroyed. The Iraq army seized control of the island during the invasion and forced the people off. Then they used the buildings as target practice and as a command center. I stepped inside what used to be an apartment. There was no roof...and pieces of sheet rock were falling off the walls. Among the rubble, was a high top man's boot and a child's toy. Remnants of what would have been a beautiful courtyard all done in blue tiles could be seen from the doorway! Such waste...it was hearbreaking! We hear that there is an effort being made to re-do the island and make it habitable. The mines on the beaches placed by the Iraqi's have been removed and a new hotel has been built further inland (we didn't see this part). The part we visited is called the Village. There is a man made lake where you can rent paddle boats and a small display of live animals....and 3 restaurants attached to a motel - that looked vacant. On the beachside, there is a nice area to rent jet ski's on the beach. There's tables and sofa's that you can enjoy with a picnic lunch! Other than that, there is nothing to see....except the devestation. Our ferry was to leave the island at 5:30...but was cancelled! I wondered if we would have to spend the night! But alas...a ferry arrived at 7:30 and we started the 1.5 hour ride back to the mainland! The gulf was beautiful in the moonlight. We had the best view coming back - on the front of the boat - watching as the city landscape got bigger and bigger! I was glad to have taken that journey...but glad to be heading back to civilization!
Today I visited the "titanic" mall. I was told that the building was built to the exact specifications of the ship The Titanic! It is huge! There are 5 floors all opening to a central courtyard so you can see all the floors. There were stores that you would recognize...Starbucks, Caribou Coffee, McDonalds, KFC...and I had lunch at Fuddruckers! Yes, I had the best hamburger I've had in 3 weeks! I've posted a picture of 1/2 of the building....
I've also posted a picture I called the "Solitary Man". I wondered what he was thinking as he gazed into the gulf....the wind blowing his disdasha?
Today I visited the "titanic" mall. I was told that the building was built to the exact specifications of the ship The Titanic! It is huge! There are 5 floors all opening to a central courtyard so you can see all the floors. There were stores that you would recognize...Starbucks, Caribou Coffee, McDonalds, KFC...and I had lunch at Fuddruckers! Yes, I had the best hamburger I've had in 3 weeks! I've posted a picture of 1/2 of the building....
I've also posted a picture I called the "Solitary Man". I wondered what he was thinking as he gazed into the gulf....the wind blowing his disdasha?
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Kuwait - week 1 reflection
As of today, we have been in Kuwait for 1 week! In some ways, it seems like a lifetime! I think it's because of the jet lag! It really took us several days to acclimate to the time difference, the heat, the noise, and the schedule! Plus, we really had no time to rest before we jumped right in! We arrived on Tuesday afternoon - having left home on Monday morning - had dinner with our partnership teachers even though I think we were all sleep deprived and in a fog! On Wednesday, toured the schools, shopped for food, ate dinner and crashed! Thursday morning at 6:10 am - we were in the classroom....and I took over teaching Math on Sunday! The week here is Sunday - Thursday, as Friday is the Holy day and Saturday is like our Sunday! On Friday, we went to the souq (local market) and visited the twin towers! On Saturday, we visited the Grand Mosque and went to another souq out of town! And then Sunday arrived and we were in the classroom - teaching! However, the day goes by very quickly and we usually crash early at night! (most of us - anyway - not me because I tend to be a night owl - then I suffer the next day!)
The people here are very nice - mostly. It doesn't feel like a Middle East country - except for the "men in white" and "women in black" wardrobe that is everywhere! It's comforting to know that the majority of the population prays 5 times a day - there's no alcohol - and no crime that I know of! Most of the people that I interact with on a daily basis speak good English (except for the bus drivers - who are Egyptian or Indian or Palestinian - and who knows what language they are speaking!) The people drive like maniacs! Their philosophy is to blow the horn and make a hole! I don't know how they avoid hitting each other - the space between us can be measured in yactometers (one trillionth of a trillionth meter - or some such). On the merging roads...there are no lines to define lanes. So, drivers try to cram as many cars and buses and vans in that space as possible. However, that merging road eventually narrows to 1 turn lane or 2 lanes! Vehicles literally ride bumper to bumper..(without touching)..blowing horns....and squeezing in where there was no space 1 second before! It's MADNESS! I really have to close my eyes or pay no attention - and then I worry that we'll get hit and I wouldn't have seen it coming!!! Any way - enough about that!
The school is amazing! Looking at the outside, you would never know that sheer chaos is taking place on the inside! There are 1700 students at the boys campus - ranging in age from 3 (pre-K) to high school! 99% of those students arrive by car - being driven by the nanny (maid) or driver! They arrive very early - mostly because of the traffic - and have to congregate at the play area (hard top - soccer field - under shelter because of the heat - until they are retrieved by the teacher at 6:55 am! They are English language learners - most do a pretty good job. They have 7 blocks of classes consisting of Arabic, Islam, Resource (Art, PE, Computer), Character Education (once a week), Math, Language Arts (2 blocks divided into reading and writing/phonics), and Social Studies/Science! The Arabic, Islam, Resource, and Character Ed is taught by other teachers....so there are days that we are finished our part of teaching by 11:45 am! However, we can't leave....so we use the excess time for planning and meetings! Most of the younger grades have TA's who are Arabic - as a liaison for the students and the "American" teacher - who speaks no Arabic! And then the day ends at 2:00! And the mass pick up begins!
It's very interesting and I am so glad to have had this experience! I'm sure the next 5 weeks will fly by!
The people here are very nice - mostly. It doesn't feel like a Middle East country - except for the "men in white" and "women in black" wardrobe that is everywhere! It's comforting to know that the majority of the population prays 5 times a day - there's no alcohol - and no crime that I know of! Most of the people that I interact with on a daily basis speak good English (except for the bus drivers - who are Egyptian or Indian or Palestinian - and who knows what language they are speaking!) The people drive like maniacs! Their philosophy is to blow the horn and make a hole! I don't know how they avoid hitting each other - the space between us can be measured in yactometers (one trillionth of a trillionth meter - or some such). On the merging roads...there are no lines to define lanes. So, drivers try to cram as many cars and buses and vans in that space as possible. However, that merging road eventually narrows to 1 turn lane or 2 lanes! Vehicles literally ride bumper to bumper..(without touching)..blowing horns....and squeezing in where there was no space 1 second before! It's MADNESS! I really have to close my eyes or pay no attention - and then I worry that we'll get hit and I wouldn't have seen it coming!!! Any way - enough about that!
The school is amazing! Looking at the outside, you would never know that sheer chaos is taking place on the inside! There are 1700 students at the boys campus - ranging in age from 3 (pre-K) to high school! 99% of those students arrive by car - being driven by the nanny (maid) or driver! They arrive very early - mostly because of the traffic - and have to congregate at the play area (hard top - soccer field - under shelter because of the heat - until they are retrieved by the teacher at 6:55 am! They are English language learners - most do a pretty good job. They have 7 blocks of classes consisting of Arabic, Islam, Resource (Art, PE, Computer), Character Education (once a week), Math, Language Arts (2 blocks divided into reading and writing/phonics), and Social Studies/Science! The Arabic, Islam, Resource, and Character Ed is taught by other teachers....so there are days that we are finished our part of teaching by 11:45 am! However, we can't leave....so we use the excess time for planning and meetings! Most of the younger grades have TA's who are Arabic - as a liaison for the students and the "American" teacher - who speaks no Arabic! And then the day ends at 2:00! And the mass pick up begins!
It's very interesting and I am so glad to have had this experience! I'm sure the next 5 weeks will fly by!
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