It’s hard to believe that I’ve been living in Ukraine for over twenty months and have less than six to go! I realized the other day that I’m starting to experience my “lasts” here. I recently experienced my last Last Bell Ceremony, last School Leavers Ceremony, and last Day of the Town Celebration.
A few weeks ago, was the Day of the Town (З день міста), celebrating 1015 years! The celebration was actually really cool! Part of the main street was sectioned off for activities. There was a live band, competitions (like weight-lifting), and games (such as bounce houses). I was really impressed!
At school, we had the Last Bell Ceremony (27th of May) and the School Leavers Ceremony (29th of May). Last year, I didn’t teach any of the graduates. However, I’ve taught this year’s graduates since I first started teaching here. So, this year’s ceremony was more meaningful for me. All of the graduates were so dressed up! It’s like dressing up for the prom in America. I really enjoyed seeing all of the outfits and sharing in this celebration.
Now that school’s finished, we have three whole months of summer break. It’s been nice to relax a bit. I’ve also had the opportunity of seeing some gorgeous new places near Polonne. Also on the to-do list: Camp PEACE! My two site-mates and I have spent a few months planning for Camp PEACE (Polonne English and Culture Experience), which will take place the 20-24 of June. We opened it up to all seven schools in Polonne and the school in Poninka (a neighboring village). During the summer, students don’t really have the opportunity to practice English. So, I’m excited to be involved in this fun opportunity for them to improve their English and learn more about America. [On a side note, I have a handful of students who STILL think that I’m from England. So, I hope that this will be a reminder to students that I’m from AMERICA! :) ]. We’re expecting about 80+ students, some additional American volunteers, and some Ukrainian chaperones. I’m excited for these Ukrainian chaperones to maybe see a different teaching style and hopefully give them some good ideas. I’m really excited about this camp. I hope that it all goes smoothly and is a really fun experience for everybody.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Speedy School Year
I feel like this school year just flew by. Throughout the whole school year, I honestly don’t think that I had a “normal” teaching week. Just about every week, something came up. Here are a few of my favorite examples:
• One day I got pulled out of class for a short teachers’ party. Another teacher, Natalia, and I were with our little fourth formers. Then, in walks their other teacher who tells us that we have a “meeting” to attend to in the teachers’ room, immediately. So, we just left these fourth former chillin’ alone in their classroom and hurried over to the big school for this “meeting”…….which turned out to be a party for a recently-engaged female teacher. It totally went against my natural instinct to leave little nine-year-olds alone in the classroom to go drink…….but, let’s be honest, it was kinda nice. As the teachers would tell me, I may “have a rest” from my teaching.
• One morning, I was pulled out of my 10th form class by a policeman. On this spring morning, my tenth form class was interrupted by a policeman and Ukrainian teacher. I got pretty nervous with this Ukrainian policeman approaching me (especially in front of my students). He told me that he needed my passport and wanted me to come with him. So, I had to leave students alone in the classroom (again) and followed this policeman outside to where another policeman was waiting by their car. They opened up the trunk…and pulled out a package for me that I needed to sign for. *sigh* In the end, I hope that this gives me some street cred with my students.
• If there are ever any school changes (for example, classroom changes), I’m the last to know about it. Always. I end up getting lots of my information from my students. So, I’ve taught in a few interesting rooms this year. About half of my lessons with sixth form have been in the chemistry lab. The most interesting place that I’ve taught has been in the school’s basement with rowdy fourth formers. It was an experience. Construction was going on, so there was stuff everywhere. The rooms were super old, and (honestly) a bit creepy. Add in 20+, hyper 9-year-old, and you’ve got an interesting time.
This year, I continued doing pen pals with some of my sixth and seventh form students with my mom’s fourth form students. My sixth form girls were so excited about pen pals and constantly asking about their letters. I LOVED seeing their excitement for doing this English activity. It’s been really cool to have this fun learning activity for these students. They ask questions and are eager to learn and I love giving them this opportunity of this new learning experience and way to improve their English.
I also continued a weekly student English club and a weekly adult English club. I really enjoy the student English club because it’s for students who actually WANT to be there. And the adult English club on Friday evenings is a really nice time to hang out with other people my age. We usually hang out, bake, drink, and play cards…so, naturally, it’s a nice time.
Kids say the darndest things. My students can be a handful…but they also have their ways of putting a big smile on my face. Here are some of my favorites:
• This little conversation with fourth form girls happens just about EVERY time that we see each other at school.
Miss Liz, you are very pretty today.
Thank you. You are pretty too.
Thank you.
This is just one of the reasons why these girls are some of my favorite students.
• I have some students who speak to me in Ukrainian, followed by me responding in English. For example:
Міс Ліз, де ви живете в Америці? (Miss Liz, where do you live in America?)
In California.
And, yet, they still think that I know NO Ukrainian.
• However, when students ask me to repeat something, then that’s enough proof for them.
Міс Ліз, cкажить привіт. (Miss Liz, say “привіт” – “hi”).
Привіт.
классна! (Cool!)
• My sixth form girls are some of my favorite students.
Miss Liz, when are you going back to California?
In November.
No you aren’t.
Yes, I am.
Fine. You can go and visit, but then you’re coming back in January.
Although school has its frustrations, it also has its perks. I am constantly getting more and more positive memories here. I will most definitely miss certain students who never fail to put a smile on my face.
• One day I got pulled out of class for a short teachers’ party. Another teacher, Natalia, and I were with our little fourth formers. Then, in walks their other teacher who tells us that we have a “meeting” to attend to in the teachers’ room, immediately. So, we just left these fourth former chillin’ alone in their classroom and hurried over to the big school for this “meeting”…….which turned out to be a party for a recently-engaged female teacher. It totally went against my natural instinct to leave little nine-year-olds alone in the classroom to go drink…….but, let’s be honest, it was kinda nice. As the teachers would tell me, I may “have a rest” from my teaching.
• One morning, I was pulled out of my 10th form class by a policeman. On this spring morning, my tenth form class was interrupted by a policeman and Ukrainian teacher. I got pretty nervous with this Ukrainian policeman approaching me (especially in front of my students). He told me that he needed my passport and wanted me to come with him. So, I had to leave students alone in the classroom (again) and followed this policeman outside to where another policeman was waiting by their car. They opened up the trunk…and pulled out a package for me that I needed to sign for. *sigh* In the end, I hope that this gives me some street cred with my students.
• If there are ever any school changes (for example, classroom changes), I’m the last to know about it. Always. I end up getting lots of my information from my students. So, I’ve taught in a few interesting rooms this year. About half of my lessons with sixth form have been in the chemistry lab. The most interesting place that I’ve taught has been in the school’s basement with rowdy fourth formers. It was an experience. Construction was going on, so there was stuff everywhere. The rooms were super old, and (honestly) a bit creepy. Add in 20+, hyper 9-year-old, and you’ve got an interesting time.
This year, I continued doing pen pals with some of my sixth and seventh form students with my mom’s fourth form students. My sixth form girls were so excited about pen pals and constantly asking about their letters. I LOVED seeing their excitement for doing this English activity. It’s been really cool to have this fun learning activity for these students. They ask questions and are eager to learn and I love giving them this opportunity of this new learning experience and way to improve their English.
I also continued a weekly student English club and a weekly adult English club. I really enjoy the student English club because it’s for students who actually WANT to be there. And the adult English club on Friday evenings is a really nice time to hang out with other people my age. We usually hang out, bake, drink, and play cards…so, naturally, it’s a nice time.
Kids say the darndest things. My students can be a handful…but they also have their ways of putting a big smile on my face. Here are some of my favorites:
• This little conversation with fourth form girls happens just about EVERY time that we see each other at school.
Miss Liz, you are very pretty today.
Thank you. You are pretty too.
Thank you.
This is just one of the reasons why these girls are some of my favorite students.
• I have some students who speak to me in Ukrainian, followed by me responding in English. For example:
Міс Ліз, де ви живете в Америці? (Miss Liz, where do you live in America?)
In California.
And, yet, they still think that I know NO Ukrainian.
• However, when students ask me to repeat something, then that’s enough proof for them.
Міс Ліз, cкажить привіт. (Miss Liz, say “привіт” – “hi”).
Привіт.
классна! (Cool!)
• My sixth form girls are some of my favorite students.
Miss Liz, when are you going back to California?
In November.
No you aren’t.
Yes, I am.
Fine. You can go and visit, but then you’re coming back in January.
Although school has its frustrations, it also has its perks. I am constantly getting more and more positive memories here. I will most definitely miss certain students who never fail to put a smile on my face.
Ira's Wedding!
A couple months ago, I went to my good friend, Ira’s wedding. This was my second Ukrainian wedding and I was just as excited for this experience as I was for the first. We started the festivities around 10am and eventually finished around midnight! (definitely the longest wedding that I’ve EVER been to!) My site-mate Meghan and I arrived to Ira’s apartment where she was getting ready and her dad was photographing her. Eventually, her fiancé and his friends arrived. And after some toasts (of course), we headed to the courthouse for the official ceremony, which was really nice. Then we headed to various sites around town, where we took some pictures, had some chocolate and made some champagne toasts. One of the sights that we went to was the beautiful cathedral in town. We also went atop a hill overlooking the center. After this excursion we headed to a nice restaurant, Astoria
In typical Ukrainian fashion, there was TONS of food. We would go back and forth between eating and dancing. (At least I could tell myself that I danced off a lot of the food that I ate!). I was really surprised at the amount of food! Every time I thought that we were done eating, the waitresses would bring out even food. We also experienced some familiarity with American weddings, with the bouquet toss and the garter belt toss. I was determined to catch this bouquet (how cool would it have been to have caught the bouquet at this Ukrainian wedding?!). However, the bouquet went in the complete opposite direction towards the “druzhka” (Ira’s maid of honor). Since it wasn’t me who got it, then I’m glad that she did. I also took part in a Ukrainian tradition where the un-married females took turns dancing with Ira after she put her vale on us.
We also played a game where you guess what the gender of their first child will be. There were two jars that went around the room (one for a boy, one for a girl) and we put money in either jar. Lastly, we got cake. There were literally FIVE cakes at this wedding! Not only did we eat cake, but we also got a bag-full to take home as well.
Ira’s wedding was such a good experience! So many memories that I will always cherish.
Now, a few months later, Ira is pregnant! And I could not be happier for her!
In typical Ukrainian fashion, there was TONS of food. We would go back and forth between eating and dancing. (At least I could tell myself that I danced off a lot of the food that I ate!). I was really surprised at the amount of food! Every time I thought that we were done eating, the waitresses would bring out even food. We also experienced some familiarity with American weddings, with the bouquet toss and the garter belt toss. I was determined to catch this bouquet (how cool would it have been to have caught the bouquet at this Ukrainian wedding?!). However, the bouquet went in the complete opposite direction towards the “druzhka” (Ira’s maid of honor). Since it wasn’t me who got it, then I’m glad that she did. I also took part in a Ukrainian tradition where the un-married females took turns dancing with Ira after she put her vale on us.
We also played a game where you guess what the gender of their first child will be. There were two jars that went around the room (one for a boy, one for a girl) and we put money in either jar. Lastly, we got cake. There were literally FIVE cakes at this wedding! Not only did we eat cake, but we also got a bag-full to take home as well.
Ira’s wedding was such a good experience! So many memories that I will always cherish.
Now, a few months later, Ira is pregnant! And I could not be happier for her!
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