Time is flying by...

Asalaam alaikum - peace and blessings be with you. I can barely believe it but my first week of teaching is almost over. Here in Kuwait, my work week is from Sunday to Thursday which means that after tomorrow I will have finished my first week of teaching. During Ramadan, student and teacher hours are shortened to help support those who are fasting. Believe it or not, some of my 4th graders are fasting with me. The fact that they are fasting doesn't stop them from running around playing soccer in the 110 degree heat.

I had mentioned earlier that most of the staff had warned me about my class, in fact they had painted a picture in my mind of these kids who were uncontrollable and would be so difficult to teach. Alhamdulillah (all praise belongs to Allah), I think my students are incredible and so far we have had a wonderful three days together! Every day we have gone over my four classroom expectations - Be Safe, Responsible, Respectful and Good Learners. I took these expectations and lesson plans from Natchaug Elementary School where I did my Positive Behavior Support internship last year. So far all seven of them (one has yet to show up) can name the expectations and tell me specific behaviors that they can engage in to demonstrate that they know and understand what Ms. Rebecca wants to see.

The school director, principal and school psychologist have come around to see how things are going and I've been told by my assistant that they have witnessed impressed looks and head nods in approval - so far so good :) Each and every student has their own unique personality which has started to show through. I have two students who like to remind me that "they are good boys" and "love school and their teacher". I have another one who after hearing that I was not married gave me a look of shock and told me "oh Ms. Rebecca you should get married and have a family" - I also believe that this eight year old gave a little shake of his head in disapproval! I've told my class that for now they are my children which made them all laugh. They enjoy talking, a quality I believe most elementary school students share and they love telling stories about what they did at home or during their holidays. Most of them traveled - trips to Switzerland, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Dubai and Egypt. I believe only two of them stayed in the country over the summer and they too had stories to tell about their PSP games.

I have found that I tend to plan too much academic or behavioral teaching for each period which has set my lesson plans back a few days. Luckily I have been told that especially with my class, my teaching can be flexible and that working on teaching, modeling and practicing classroom behavior expectations is the most important. Today they made posters for my classroom that I will inshAllah (God willing) take pictures of and post as soon as possible. Tomorrow we are playing a Jeopardy game so they can review and have fun with their new rules and expectations. Lesson plans are not due until Sunday morning which means that I have the weekends to work on them.

At least twice a week my students receive speech and occupational services. Yesterday I accompanied them to OT. The classroom is incredible. They have ladders and ropes that they can climb as well as balance beams, a huge spinning top that they sit in and a hoppity hop (it is a toy that you step on and hop - I just love the name). The OT teacher is wonderful - knows my students and has worked with them in the past and is just so creative and effective at engaging my kids in her lesson.

I am having a great time. I really am enjoying my students, one boy who gets to school early greets me every morning with "Hello Ms. Rebecca" as I walk by after taking the staff bus from my apartment to school. The teaching staff has been very supportive. I've been getting emails and notes in my mailbox inviting me to spend iftars with their family and so far I have taken two up on their offer. Monday night I broke my fast with one of the teachers and her family. When the call to prayer for maghrib (sunset) prayer sounded we ate dates and drank water which is sunnah (the way) of prophet Muhammad (salallaho alayahi wasalaam - peace and blessings be upon him). We then prayed our maghrib prayer in her home before having the iftar or dinner meal. The food was delicious. It was a mix of Egpytian and Syrian. Once we finished dinner we then went to the mosque near her home to pray isha (night prayers) and taravee (where a portion of the Quran is recited each night during Ramadan). Men and women pray in separate areas of each mosque. In the womens section there was about 120-150 women. Although I was not able to understand the Arabic that was being spoken it was an incredible experience being with so many people in one area praying at the same time.

Last night I held my own iftar for two teachers that live in my apartment building. One women from New Zealand has decided to fast with her students. Again, we broke our fast with dates and water and then after I prayed maghrib we had a nice meal. Who knew that I would actually get use out of my dining room table? Tonight I am off to my assistant Rana's house to have dinner with her family.

InshAllah (God willing) I hope you are all doing well. I will do my best to continue sharing with you things about my class and what it is like living in a Muslim country during Ramadan. Please keep in touch and let me know how things are going with all of you.