How Life Has Moved On.

Last time I got to write her I was starting the second year at AISA, now I am into the first year of my new job at a school in Germany.
Quick catch up then.
I finished my two years at AISA and was happy to find a job at a school in Frankfurt, Germany. It's almost a dream come true. There are a few problems which make it not the dream, but it's wondrful and I'm very happy. If I spoke German it would be absolutely my dream job.
I am the 'Head of Humanities' which in itself is a joke, because I am the only Humanities teacher in the school. Next year I get to teach IB History and possible IB Business and Management. Fun and games.
I have some wonderful teaching companions and feel at home and liked and supported. It is most definately a better place to be. Of course, it does help that I do love Germany. I'm looking forward to getting to know the place better and to learning the language. That of course is a slow process.
I do wonder sometimes what brought me here and what plan is in place that this is the place I should be at this point in my life.
As a teacher I always assume it is to do something for the students I teach and I hope that is the answer, but what exactly I am supposed to be doing for these students escapes me. I am sure it will come to me in time.
So, I am on phase two of my Whole New Life Adventure and it is looking better and better. Time will tell and perhaps I will start writing on the blog and people might actually read it.

As I was Saying

My last post said I was going to try and catch you allup on what has gone on in the past 12 months, but of course I have not been back since.
On reflection, I think going over the past 12 months is pretty much a waste of time. Most of you know all about what has happened if not how I felt about everything that has happened, so there's not a lot of point really. Makes more sense to just pick up from here and keep you all informed about what's going on now.
So, in a nutsehll, here goes.
It's the second of my two years at the American International School, Abu Dhabi and briefly it's so much bette than the first year. Not just because I have a flatmate who is reasonable, more than reasonable actually, but also because I've made some decisions of my own about how I am going to handle the problems that go with teaching in a school like AISA.
As you all know, well those of you who know me well, I love teaching. SOmetimes, I think it's more important to me than anything else in my life, which is scary when you consider what I have in my life. Being able to help my pupils is what I'm all about and I get most frustrated when I'm not able to do that effectively. I spend much of my time being frustrated here because there are so many reasons why I can't help them effectively. Last year it drove me crazy. I got angry, I got sad, I even cried, at some point, but I remained frustrated because I needed support from the leadership of the school to achieve what had to be achieved and I didn't get it. Not much has changed, except at least this year I know what I am teaching so I can try and put aside some of the frustration and just teach my students.
I want to be able to help them beyond the academic, but without a leadership willing to admit that I know what I'm talking about, it just won't happen. I do little bits. Whatever I can do in the classroom I do. I introduce them to things like Habits of Mine, Bloom's Taxonomy, Multiple Intelligences and the rest, in this way I can help them a little, but there is so much more to do.
One little ray of light this year is our new Principal. He seems to have a similar view of education to mine, well in some areas, and appears open to doing some of the personnel development activites I have. Added to that we have a new counsellor who is also open to programmes that help the student become well rounded. So, maybe, just maybe, despite the inability of other members of the leadership to recognise that we need to more, we may actually achieve something this year. At the very least, I've written a programme to be taught that will probably be taught to at leastmy classes. Which means I've got something else to tick off my list of things to do in my life. GO ME!
Personally, this year is going to so much better. The big thorn in my side is a teacher at the school who, has taken a distinct dislike to me. Now, there are many reasons why this might be the case. We were friends, when I first arrived. I actually thought we would become very good friends. We came from a similar part of the world and had interests in common, but very soon into the year she stopped talking to me and not long after started to actively work against me. Very subtly, but nonetheless, quite obviously. Little asides about my nationality and my overseas inexperience. Now, it wouldn't be a problem except she is in a position to influence others and to make my professional life difficult.
This year it has the potential to be worse because we are working more closely together, but so far, there has not been any major professional problem and I am keeping track of all our professional interactions.
Personally she seems to have chosen to just ignore me. Unless she has to speak with me for professional reasons she just ignores me. A classic example of this was the first day back at school after our recent Eid break. We over the course of the morning we were all in our staffroom and my 'friend' asked everyone else in our group how their holiday was, what did they do, where did they do, but me? Didn't even say good morning how are you? So this is how it's going to be. I can't say I like it, I do find it frustrating and annoying, but I have made a decision that I am going to try and rise above this.
This decision has been made today between sleeping. This week has been horrible. It has been our first week back after Ramadan. So we are back into early morning starts, full teaching days and all day duties. Consequently is has been a very difficult week. Added to the change in teaching I had something everyday after school and I had an horrendous night's sleep on the Saturday before we went back, and a few bad nights during the week so I was exhausted by Thursday.
I slept in until noon today, not unusual for, some of you will be saying, but it was what my body needed. In between sleeping bouts this morning, I decided I have to make some changes in how I deal with life. Beginning with making better use of my spare time. I have so much of it, I have to use it better. Starting today. Hence this is my start. Filling in the blanks on the blog and now putting time into what is going to happen next.
I will try to add to this as I go, so some of you can keep up to date on how well my change is happening. My aim is to produce something creative and wonderful by the time the 2009/10 academic year concludes. Feel free to enquire on my progress.

Tschuss
Lynn

Been a Long, Long Time

I have been inspired to return to my blog by my daughter. She, for some reason, I think a friend encouraged her to, has started a blog and it reminded me that I had one. Now having gone back an looked at all my posts I discover there is actually only one comment, so perhaps this is a pointless exercise, still, I'm going to have another go at recording my thoughts, ideas and impressions.

The last post was about twelve months ago, which means I have taught at the American International School, Abu Dhabi for a year, I have been back to Australia and I have turned 50. That is the summary and the details are perhaps interesting, amusing and there is the possibility of them being insightful.

My plan is to do a detiled entry every day or so to bring the world up to date and then see what happens from there on in. This will be all for today, it being my first visit back after so long. I need to order my thoughts and see which order I want to expound them in, or being a teacher of English, in which order I wish to expond them.

So, I'll finish up for now and head to another site where I need to prepare some work for school next week and hopefully will return to blog-on tomorrow.

As always

Lynn

10 Unusual/Interesting Things about Abu Dhabi

OK, so I don't want to bore you all with a day in the life of. Those who also recieve my emails get that already. This time I thought I would give you something a little different about what I have seen and what has struck me as different or interesting so far. The following is a list of 10 aspects of life in Abu Dhabi which may amuse, interest, annoy, disturb or whatever, my readers. (If I have any!!!)

They are in no real order:

1. Male Vanity! There is a male 'beauty' salon, spelled saloon, on every block, (I live above one!) in some cases more than one, and there always seems to be people in them. The guys seem to get the same sort of treatment you would expect at a beauty parlour.

2. Driving: if you can call it that! Take the worst on offer in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, throw in the worst 'country driver in a big city', multiply by 100% and you come close. Oh, not to forget the constant use of the horn to tell others what bad drivers they are!

3. Parking? Anywhere. Side of the road, middle of the road, across streets, round corners. Turn a two-way street into aone0way street and still try to drive both ways. Double parked? Not a problem as long as you have left a sign with your mobile number on it!

4. Sisha Cafés. (That's teh bubble pipes) Again, one or more in every block. Men only, of course. They smell, it can be strong, but not entirely revolting. They are often full, especially after they have broken their fast. Soccer on one or more televisions and on the play stations. Many also have outside gardens.

5. Mosques - in the 2km radius around where I live I've counted four! Of varying sizes and designs and all have the call to prayer and a lot of shoes outside.

6. Flower Shops three on the block where my flat is. Strangely though, they never seem to be open, probably Ramadan, nor do they appear to have flowers in them or customers or indeed, shopkeepers.

7. Opening Hours This is Ramadan, so I think it is different when it's not, (I'll keep you informed) The big shops such as the K-Mart type and supermarkets, 8am to 1am. Others and government offices, 8am to 1pm then 8 or 9 pm to 1am.

8. Mobile Phone Shops: EVERYWHERE!!!!

9. Post Offices: NOWHERE! So far I've managed to find only two. The main Abu Dhabi Post Office, which looks like a concert hall and a pokey little shop in an obscure back street which took me three weeks to find.

10. Women and Cothing: The traditional dress for women is the black flowy overdress called an abiya. They cover everything from neck to knee, shoulder to wrist. They can be plain black or highly decorated. I have seen absolutely stunning ones and I will buy one before I leave. There are thousands of shops which sell them, (most appear to be run by men) but, contradiction, at least for me, next door or very close will be a shop selling the most revealing or suggestive, sexy lingerie. As I say what a contradiction.

Anyway there they are. It is all ver fascinating for me and I hope to learn more about the culture and the life style. Perhaps after the two years I will cease to be the obvious newby in town and start to get my way around and feel part o the place, just a little.

assalaam alaykom (peace be on you)

Abu Dhabi 2

It is the beginning of the first full week of school. The students came in today and I got to meet my classes all though only for a brief one hour, but that is of course the length of the normal class. When they come in tomorrow for the first full day we will be on Ramadan timetable which means the day goes from 8.30 am to 1.15pm. That means we have less than the normal two hours.

My two hours is made up of one hour of English and one hour of Humanities. Firstly with the girls, all 13 of them and then after lunch with the boys, oh and there are 10 of them! So what that actually means is that I prepare two classes, one English and one Humanties and then teach it twice. Although I do have to explain that at times I might have to prepare different content. I'm not sure the boys really want to read Little Women! I will keep all those who have an interest in this kind of thing posted.

For all the students out there who like to complain about their timetable and how much work they have to do, let me reassure you that things are a little different here. For a start they don't do electives!!! The students study English, Humanities, Science and Maths, each fo one hour per day. For the rest of the time they do French or Spanish or Arabic, maybe some computing and a little bit of PE, that's all. No music, no art, no drama, no design and tech! So be thankful for the variety to which you have access.

Now, a brief word on the staff, and then no more about school. The staff is as varied as the student body.With me arrived about 13 Canadians, a few other Aussies, some Poms, a Scot, and a variety of other nationalities. The school already has some of each of those, plus some Kiwis, Americans and the Irish. The students are also a varied bunch, although obviously lots of locals or those from the general area. The staff have all been very welcoming and helpful.

Abu Dhabi First Impressions

Hi, hi. Here I am in Abu Dhabi after 16 hours in the plane. Not much to report on first sight as it was midnight and actually dark, however, the word is HOT!!!! OK, so I knew that, but unless you have actually walked around in 50degree heat with 75% humidity you don't get it. Still, the flat is air-conditioned as is the school and every other building and vehicle in the place.
First impressions are busy, frantic, confusing a little smelly, but just because the smells are unusual and new. The people are friendly and I haven't experienced any issues of not being at least partially understood. Well at least well enough to get where I need to go.
The drivers are manic. They stop anywhere, in the middle of the road, and swerve from one side of the road to the other in the blink of an eye. They drive very fast. Except for the main roads, which are wide and in great condition, there are no street names. To get to my flat I have to give the cab driver a landmark, in my case the local Sheraton, and then I direct him round the corners and where to stop. Parking is a night mare. The streets are all quite wide and so the park in the middle of the road to form a divided road. Amazing!
So, no photos because I am uploading from an internet cafe. As soon as I have internet I will put up some photos and you can marvel at the place too.

So Long, Farewell and Amen

Well, this is it. Today, in about five hours my plane takes off, all being well, and the adventure begins. At least the 16 hour flight before the adventure begins!
I think I'm ready. I'm packed, my documents are in place and all the loose ends are tied up. There's no turning back and I'm about to take the first real step in this whole new life adventure on which I am about to embark.
Last night the curtain came down on my debating career at St Hilda's. My wonderful Year 12 Team made the Grand Final and from all reports did the most amazing job, as they always do. Unfortunately the decision didn't go our way, but it doesn't matter, winning is not the thing. Congratulations to them and to Sniz who was named Speaker of the Night. Also, huge well done to the Year 8 Team who did win, fabulous effort. Wonderful job to all our debaters because St Hilda's won the inaugral Most Succesful School Shield. Yeah us!!
I'm finishing off now, because I don't want to cry. I've managed to control the tears so far, not probably going to continue at the airport.
I'll keep this up, but next time I write I will be in Abu Dhabi.