Travel Vicariously through the Fitzgerald's

We are happy to provide our experiences as a stay-cation for you! If you have any questions feel free to ask. We have a lot to learn and lots to see!



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Thursday, August 12, 2010

Day 21 - Busy, Busy, Busy

We are on day 2 of school and it feels like a week. Today was textbook distribution day and I got to help. I finally figured out where to take Ethan first thing in the morning. Lucky little turd gets to take the elevator when he is with me. So after kind of a hectic morning, I grabbed some hot chocolate and a bagle from the morning deli and went back to my room. I was called over to help in the textbook room. I spent the whole day there. I met a lot of kids. Gave several a hard time. :) We had 2 lines going...kind of a drive through window if you will. I was the fastest of the 2. The students were very polite. Names are going to be hard for me so Stacy will definitely have problems. The students are already laughing at him because he's butchering their names. We finally put money on our meal cards so we were able to eat in the cafeteria today.

I am amazed at how many students have cell phones in the elementary level. First graders walking around in the morning and after school on their cell phones. I mean really!! Oh, and many students have DRIVERS! No, I'm not talking golf clubs. Actual drivers like that are paid to chauffeur.  It is even in the handbook. Please parents, guardians, and drivers, drop your children off in the B3 parking garage.

The high school groups still act like teenagers but they actually hurry to class instead of hang out in the hall ways. They all take notes and complete assignments in class. One of my colleagues who teaches grade 3 said she had a student show up with his math workbook completed. His parents purchased the math text book and workbook over the summer and he attended a hagwon (refer to previous blog) where he completed all the lessons. She met with her principal to discuss and he said that this happens a lot. Even though she is teaching grade 3, most students will need more challenging work geared for grade 4.

Stacy was stoked today when he taught his first lesson. They understood the lesson, took notes, were attentive the entire time, and all of them completed their homework that is not due until Monday. They all did great work and he was able to grade them and enter the grades before we left school. Are you exhausted yet because I am!

Since I did textbook duty today, I am severely exhausted from being on my feet all day. I get to do it again tomorrow too. The first issue of The Phoenix Flyer is prepared and ready for publication. You should Google it middle of next week. No need for me to sub just yet but I have had a couple close calls.

The Fellers and us have decided to take turns watching Ethan and Elka after school so we can get work done or have some after school fun time. Today I watched the kids on the playground. It was hilarious watching them work through their differences. They are both talking loudly and argumentatively at one another on the playground that exists between 2 school buildings. The business director must have heard them because he opened his window and watched them from above. I yelled at them to not be so loud because they were disrupting others. Within 10 minutes they were playing "nicely." Kids need to learn to work through differences without adult intervention, right?

We have a family date with the Fellers Friday afterschool to eat Korean bbq downtown. Of course I will be taking my camera and sharing it all with you.  :)

This is completely off topic but, the water is really good. Seoul received an award for the best water system in the world and they are currently working on making it taste better. The Fitzgerald's don't know why though because it has no taste.

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