A New Chapter
I apologize for disappearing. I have been pushing through an entire month of culture "stress." The pain has been subtle, nagging, chronic, but I think the worst of the first round is over. A few days ago, while I was home alone, I stepped on a rusty nail and literally collapsed on the floor and started crying my eyes out. If that's not dramatic enough for you, I really thought I was going to die right there on the floor. After ten, solid minutes of sobbing, I picked myself up and poured vodka on the puncture. It was all we had so don't judge. As I hoisted my foot out of the dirty sink, a wall of depression hit me like a ball from left field smacking me in the face. I limped into the den, befuddled and exhausted by the intense emotions I had experienced. I laid down on the couch and turned on the show, "Parenthood". As I watched, I was reminded that everyone goes through hard times. Everyone feels neurotic at one time or another. We are all in this together, no matter what culture we are trying to fit into - even out own sometimes.
I wanted to give a little background to some of the emotional aspects of culture stress in my life in Iraq. Taking on a new job as a teacher for a very important family has been a completely different ball game with a different set of stresses. There are many other dynamics to my life right now other than pulling a nail out of my foot and dealing with culture shock. I have a job to do: to teach five first graders. They are bright, funny, sweet little kids. I get to color with them, put together puzzles, talk about their favorite foods, wipe glue off their faces, make them sit down when all they want to do is wriggle. We hop like bunnies, race to see who can touch the "a" sound on the board, pick out stickers and occasionally get to play with the Kindergarten kids. By the end of the day, I am exhausted. All I want to do is veg out, but I have to work on my Masters and then do some lesson planning. I thought I would hate that I have such little spare time, but I am enjoying it so far. The waters are smooth and the sailing is good so far this week. I can't say the same for last week. I can relate to my first graders in their love for routine. We had some tears and whines the first two weeks of school because the kids were dying for a consistent schedule. I couldn't give them that. This week, we are finally on a schedule and everyone is happy.
Over the next year, I am going to write to you about these five little ones whom I will be teaching. I am their English, Math, Art and Music teacher. I feel though that I will be learning a lot from them. They enjoy teaching me Kurdish words and laughing when I say them. They've already told me that they LOVE English more than any other subject. I look forward to sharing some stories on my blog about my life as a teacher here. It's a small one, but it feels meaningful. Hearing my name 500 times a day - "Mrs. Shew! Mrs. Shew" - can seem annoying in the moment, but when I get home I realize that I am wanted and perhaps needed in these next few months of my life. I have a valuable job to do, yes, but I also get something out of it. I get to be a part of these little human beings' lives. To help them learn and grow into who they want to be. That part is a little scary to think about! Regardless, we, my first grade class and me, have a ton of fun. They've already brought joy into my life - one that often feels a little down. I'm thankful.
I wanted to give a little background to some of the emotional aspects of culture stress in my life in Iraq. Taking on a new job as a teacher for a very important family has been a completely different ball game with a different set of stresses. There are many other dynamics to my life right now other than pulling a nail out of my foot and dealing with culture shock. I have a job to do: to teach five first graders. They are bright, funny, sweet little kids. I get to color with them, put together puzzles, talk about their favorite foods, wipe glue off their faces, make them sit down when all they want to do is wriggle. We hop like bunnies, race to see who can touch the "a" sound on the board, pick out stickers and occasionally get to play with the Kindergarten kids. By the end of the day, I am exhausted. All I want to do is veg out, but I have to work on my Masters and then do some lesson planning. I thought I would hate that I have such little spare time, but I am enjoying it so far. The waters are smooth and the sailing is good so far this week. I can't say the same for last week. I can relate to my first graders in their love for routine. We had some tears and whines the first two weeks of school because the kids were dying for a consistent schedule. I couldn't give them that. This week, we are finally on a schedule and everyone is happy.
Over the next year, I am going to write to you about these five little ones whom I will be teaching. I am their English, Math, Art and Music teacher. I feel though that I will be learning a lot from them. They enjoy teaching me Kurdish words and laughing when I say them. They've already told me that they LOVE English more than any other subject. I look forward to sharing some stories on my blog about my life as a teacher here. It's a small one, but it feels meaningful. Hearing my name 500 times a day - "Mrs. Shew! Mrs. Shew" - can seem annoying in the moment, but when I get home I realize that I am wanted and perhaps needed in these next few months of my life. I have a valuable job to do, yes, but I also get something out of it. I get to be a part of these little human beings' lives. To help them learn and grow into who they want to be. That part is a little scary to think about! Regardless, we, my first grade class and me, have a ton of fun. They've already brought joy into my life - one that often feels a little down. I'm thankful.
I love your blogs! Look forward to reading more!
ReplyDeletePlease DO keep writing. I find that capturing even a few moments of my day at work helps me to appreciate my students and this work even more.
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