"Rudolph's Out Sick Today"

Haad Yuan Beach, Koh Phangan- My getaway this past weekend...
I got to visit my favorite three beaches in Thailand one last time before leaving!

This entry's title is a line from... Well, I'll explain. So I just spent most of my free time yesterday writing a play for my homeroom class to perform during the Winter Holiday Assembly that will be taking place on the last day of school. What’s it about, you ask? Well, I sort of went out on a limb and gave Clement C. Moore’s classic poem a cut, a splice, and a twist and incorporated what they wanted me to incorporate… I am going to be honest. I have no idea how it’s going to turn out. And I’m a little terrified. Somehow, a rendition of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” was worked in there. Not my idea.

We did a reading today where we assigned roles. Then, to help them understand it better and get a grasp of the language/tone, I did a one-man version, acting out each role. I was flying all over the front of the room, crouching low for parts where I played a child, sticking my belly out and deepening my voice to play Santa, and so much more. A couple of times, I shocked myself with the different tones of voice I was coming up with and the moves I was making. While doing this, I was thinking, “Please don’t let any adults walk by my classroom…” I looked like a crazy person. This assumption of mine was affirmed by the uproar the class was in. However, it did feel good to make them laugh. And I think they get the play. The things I do for the sake of learning and these kids!

Unfortunately, I have to leave a lot of the execution of this performance up to the kids- I told them if they want me to be here and need anything, I will help, but I am so busy right now. Pulling myself basically out of the performance is very hard for someone who likes to have their hand in every little facet of every little thing that occurs within their personal vicinity. (Yes, I know this is kind of a character flaw. I just like to make sure everything goes as planned. Thankfully, Thailand HAS helped me to curb this- a little bit…) Teaching involves a lot of multi-tasking. A LOT. Teaching different subjects, planning extra-curricular activities, participating in fundraisers, then there’s being a part of the staff, working together to create a strong frame for the school, and dealing with administrative aspects. I knew I would be choosing a profession where I took my work home with me, but I really didn’t grasp just how much. Grading papers, planning tests and projects, planning lessons, curriculum mapping… when I think about it I just imagine myself in the eye of this tornado of papers that is swirling around my head.

My Classroom Full of 7th Graders Hard At Work- NOT on Roots
and Suffixes. This is from a couple weeks ago, working on our name essays

Meanwhile, my 7^th graders had their quiz on root words and affixes today. This happens to be one of my most favorite topics. Language is a code, and knowing Greek and Latin roots can help you break it! ß This is what I told my students, super-enthusiastically, of course. This little mini-unit was just an introduction to it, but after the quiz today, where they decoded unknown words like monochromatic, compassionately, and chronobiologist, I exclaimed, “See?! Look how big and scary those words are! And you figured it out!” Because they did. And it made me really proud.

It doesn’t help that this week seems like it’s just flying by. It’s only Tuesday, but tomorrow it will be Wednesday, and then it will be the end of the week! And then it will be finals. And then, I’m done. I will be done teaching in Thailand. I asked Teacher Meaghan yesterday about taking everything off my walls in my room. I don’t want to, because it makes me sad. I have to clean out my desk. It’s strange thinking about leaving, looking at everything and preparing to leave it all behind.


Some pieces from my Creative Writing Class:
 

** Editor's note: While writing this blog, I had violinists in one corner playing their amateur hearts out, narrators, children, reindeer, and Santa rehearsing in another corner, one student researching on his laptop, and another student working on his IT/Math final project... So many students in my after-school space and ears. Chaos! And somehow, we have just now worked the Pink Panther theme song into the play. And about five more have filtered in. And it's 5pm. Oy. Love it.