happy first day of school!

Happy first day of school in Ukraine! I have to say that I'm impressed by the way they do it here...there's a ceremony the first day honoring the 1st formers (so little and cute and nervous-looking!) and the 11th formers (so big and not-nervous-looking!) and welcoming everyone back to school. Then the teachers meet with their classes to discuss rules and schedules, the kids go home, and the teachers have a party. That's all. It began at 9 am, and by 12 I was on my way home, laden down with bouquets of flowers and leftover goodies from the party. Definitely better than having classes your first day back!

What does baffle me about Ukrainian schools, however, is that we don't have a schedule of classes yet. We're going on a day-to-day schedule until our assistant principal gets the real one done (by hand, not on a computer!), and until today, I didn't even know what classes I'd be teaching. Apparently this is normal. My 6th form also isn't going to have textbooks for the first month or two (Mom, those pen-pal letters from you are going to be a real blessing and a week's worth of lessons!), but I think we'll be okay.

For the record, I think I'm teaching 4th, 5th, 6th, 9th, 10th, and 11th forms, plus one hour a week extra lessons/olympiad prep for the older forms. And occasionally helping out with the 3rd form, because I love them to pieces (Dasha, Alina, Valery Y, Roman K, etc.). I attempted to see if I could teach 3rd form instead of 11th, but since the 11th formers bought the British textbooks that I use with them, I have to keep teaching them. Darn.

Andrey and Ira's visit was very nice...I made pizza and a chocolate zucchini cake, and both turned out well. This was the first time I'd ever really talked with Ira, but I knew I'd like her when, upon entering my living room, the first thing she said was, "Oh, all the books!" and went over to inspect my bookcase. And was disappointed that my books are primarily in English. (But Andrey borrowed my Winnie-the-Pooh with Russian footnotes; Ira commented that he hadn't wanted to read it in Russian.)

Yesterday we had our pedagogical conference at school (translation: teachers' meeting). Highlights included the increased cost of potatoes and how this was going to affect school lunches, which are important because we don't know if the kids get fed well at home; the poor showing that our school does on tests; that we have one girl in 10th form who does very well in all subjects; and the music teacher showing a letter he had gotten from a former student who is now part of the President's honor guard or something. Serhii Danilovich commented that he had taught the kid how to march, and who was the director to say that we're doing a bad job of teaching the kids? (This point of view, although understandable, seems to fail to take into account the difference between music and mathematics.)

After a lot of curious looks from both parties, I've been making friends with the neighbor kids in my building, who have decided I'm an interesting person because a) I'm from America and b) I talk to them. Dima (6th form) wanted to know if I'd ever met Eminem (because we're both from Michigan...the answer, by the way, is no), and Eula (4th form, looks like Lexie Schiller) wanted to know what apartment I'm in..."So I can come visit you!" I think I've been accepted. (Note to self: make sure to have cookies on hand and dishes washed.)

And, because I don't think I'll be on the computer before Monday, a happy September 4th birthday to Jason (22) and Vlada Y (13)!