I know, I know...It's been a while!!

Ok. Sorry!! I know it's been a  while since I have posted. I have experienced a new kind of tired. The beginning of school is always crazy and exhausting. However, I can usually get over it in a week or two. Not so much here. From a teaching stand point, I am starting over...COMPLETELY!!!! This means that all the resources I had in the US are not here. Therefore, I have had to buy or create everything. This is exhausting. Also, quite frustrating knowing that I had all this at home. Thankfully, mom and dad are sending me somethings but it's still not the same as having it instantly in my classroom. Basically, I have started over as a first year teacher when it comes to resources but with the knowledge of a veteran teacher who misses her stuff. I have spent the last few weeks creating and trying to find resources to help my girls that is either cheap or free.

So here are a few things that have happened or that I have learned in no particular order.

• The "TV guide" on the TV does not give times of shows. It simply says now, next and later. You can find the times but they are simply suggestions and are not accurate from what I have found.
• There are very few clocks around. Basically, things happen when they happen and clocks are merely a suggestion and are not used for a particular event to happen. This culture is much more relaxed and laid back than anything back in America. I do happen to love this part!!!
• At 2:00pm when students are dismissed, it is time to go home. If you are there past 2:15pm, you are either alone with the cleaners or there is a meeting which may or may not be scheduled ahead of time. This part has required more of me. I am used to things being scheduled and working at least an hour in my classroom after school. NOT here!!!!
• Don't plan on going anywhere on Friday, the Holy Day, until after 4 because most everything is closed. Most restaurants are not even open until 11 or 12 on Friday.
• My students are still extremely talkative and require a lot of attention. I hope to start some centers this week but I'm not even sure 1 group can handle it. The levels of the students vary much more than anything I had in the US. I have a couple of students who know almost 100 sight words but most may know 10 and some 0. This makes it far more difficult in teaching them. There are only 2 of my 45 who can write the entire alphabet with capital and lower case letters.
• However, these amazing girls can do some addition like crazy and they love it. So this week, we played a game the last few minutes of class to see which table could earn the most points answering addition problems correctly. They loved it!! A little healthy competition between tables.
• Very happy to report that I found some slippers that are not thin and flat. I bought them at Payless and they are fuzzy soft slippers!! Now, I don't have to walk on this hard, cold, tile floor. It's the small things that make me happy ;-)
• Not everyone wears deoderant. Not sure why especially in the desert. However, those who do wear it and cologne/perfume usually have on enough for 12 people. So apparently it is an all or nothing thing. Some taxi drivers wear enough that you can smell it before getting in the taxi and others don't wear any and you will be sick by the time you reach your destination.

And finally, I was asked this week on Facebook about things I miss. Here are a few things in no particular order.
Ranch dressing. My dog, Sam. My parents. My friends (but I will talk to a few this weekend thanks to MagicJack). Lawrey's seasoning salt. Lemon Pepper seasoning. Driving and being able to go to multiple store without having to take everything with me to the next store. An oven-this toaster oven cooks crazy and uneven. Just to name a few.