First Day Of School! by Hollie

We reached the school for our first full day and we settled down into the office chairs of the headmistress. Little did we know what was in store for us. After a short talk of the schedule, she told us that two teachers were absent for the day leaving two classes vacant; we thought nothing of it and followed her into the classrooms. She introduced us to the first class, we said good morning to the students and we were excited to start a new day with new faces. However, our excitement did not last as long as we hoped. As soon as Mom was acquainted, I was told to follow the headmistress into what I now know as unmarked territory: teaching MY OWN class. It was the first time weaning me off of my mother since we have been here. I felt my heart skip a beat as she smiled and did the trademark Indian head nod as she left the room. There I was, left alone with 12 big brown sets of eyeballs staring at me as if they had all been brought into their first candy store.

I have always told myself teaching would be the last profession I would consider, and there I was, experiencing the precise definition of “stretching myself” Mom has always talked about. With the little amount of English the 2^ndGRADERS knew, I asked a question in two words: “English books?” At a moments notice, before you could blink, each child had a booklet laid open on their desk. Open to the same page and the same coveted story as if they had some kind of Jedi mind power. Each student introduced himself or herself, and each name almost seemed to be a mind game, or a joke that they play on clueless foreigners – so I just nodded with a convincing smile! We continued to look over their booklets and spelled out many words to form sentences, never in my life has patience been such a virtue. I asked if they knew any cartoons, and the answer was in perfect synchronization – Ben 10, and Tom and Jerry. They were the bees knees, enough said. After an hour or so the bell sounded: it was break time. All at once the children sat up and put their little hands to their heart, for another synchronized “thank you!.” Each one proceeded to come up to me and ask me more questions as if I were there God! I was even given a small car sticker as a token of gratitude. The teachers gestured us to meet them in the teachers office where they offered us their delicious chi tea, as we showed them pictures of our home on our laptop.

I guess the head nod is good for just about anything! We’ve realized its most common meaning is “ok” or “yes” even though the right to left motion is often considered a “no.” We finished, and immediately ushered back into the classrooms. No, we weren’t done yet! The fun had just begun! I moved on to a smaller class of about six 6^th graders, each one with impeccable English, making the 12 year olds in the US, and any average American seem unintelligent. We moved on with different lessons, and talked about our lives in different countries, but before we knew it the sacred bell rang high from the heavens and it was lunch time. Also known as, time for us to take our 5-mile bike ride back home.