This last week of orientation has been the oh-so-dreaded and despised Practicuum Week, in which we have all been required to write and teach 5 high school appropriate lessons to a class of (volunteer) high school students, teachers, and each other. Since the practicuum starts at 8am, and it is summer vacation, even an end of the week pizza party was not enough incentive to drag more than 4 students out of bed, so most days we've been teaching to two teacher friends and each other. What I learned from that is A. You get over stage fright pretty quickly and B. friends make the worst students, especially when they're pretending to be Samoan teenagers and chucking markers at each other. We have been taking turns teaching for the actual students and Isaac, the head teacher, though, and Steevee, one of the other science teachers and I went on Wednesday. Our lessons tied into each other, and both had to do with evolution: Steevee did natural selection, and I did migration, mutation, and non-random mating. At the beginning of the lesson, all of the kids said they didn't like science, that it was hard and they didn't think it was interesting. But at the end, all of them said our lessons were fun and they learned a lot! They all said they felt like they actually "got it" and they felt smart, which didn't usually happen during science lessons. One girl, who said she hated math and science and loved english, said at the end of my lesson that this was the first time she felt like she was good at science! I had been so nervous to teach before, but my lesson going well has made me more excited and more confident!
The last day of orientation is tomorrow, and on Saturday we all move out. Since the Manu'a Four won't be heading out to the island until at least next week (we have Department of Education Orientation all of next week, where we meet our principals, hopefully find out what subjects we're teaching, and maybe what size beds we have (because the principal is handily also me and Jackie's landlord, and I need to buy sheets!!!)), Jackie and I are moving into the house in town, and the boys are moving out to the burbs for a while. DOE orientation will be next week, during which time we Manu'a kids have to basically decide what we will need for the next 5 months and purchase it, since getting things in Manu'a is much harder and more expensive. The official first day of school is on the 12th, but most likely we'll still be off-island. While I'm really, really excited to get to my island of Ta'u, it will be kind fun to have a few extra days off to explore Tutuila and hit up some new hiking places and beaches. Then, off to our new home! Hopefully sometime the week of the 12th...
Tomorrow, we're having our last Practicuum (and getting to act like obnoxious students to our Head Teacher, which I think we're all looking forward to), cleaning up and packing, and then heading off to our last dinner together at Sadie's By The Sea (a fancy restaurant in town) and then hitting up the market for First Friday, which we've heard is something like a festival that happens every Friday, but especially the first of the month, at the Marketi. It's also Caroline's birthday, so it will be fun to be celebrating so many things at once! And then, Saturday morning, we're all done and off on our own! Orientation has been great in so many ways, but it all still doesn't quite feel real yet... I can't wait to get to our little house at the end of the village on my tiny island to really start this adventure!!!
Disclaimer: Since we're moving on Saturday, I'm not sure when I'll have internet again. I'll talk to everyone as soon as I can! I love and miss you all!
The last day of orientation is tomorrow, and on Saturday we all move out. Since the Manu'a Four won't be heading out to the island until at least next week (we have Department of Education Orientation all of next week, where we meet our principals, hopefully find out what subjects we're teaching, and maybe what size beds we have (because the principal is handily also me and Jackie's landlord, and I need to buy sheets!!!)), Jackie and I are moving into the house in town, and the boys are moving out to the burbs for a while. DOE orientation will be next week, during which time we Manu'a kids have to basically decide what we will need for the next 5 months and purchase it, since getting things in Manu'a is much harder and more expensive. The official first day of school is on the 12th, but most likely we'll still be off-island. While I'm really, really excited to get to my island of Ta'u, it will be kind fun to have a few extra days off to explore Tutuila and hit up some new hiking places and beaches. Then, off to our new home! Hopefully sometime the week of the 12th...
Tomorrow, we're having our last Practicuum (and getting to act like obnoxious students to our Head Teacher, which I think we're all looking forward to), cleaning up and packing, and then heading off to our last dinner together at Sadie's By The Sea (a fancy restaurant in town) and then hitting up the market for First Friday, which we've heard is something like a festival that happens every Friday, but especially the first of the month, at the Marketi. It's also Caroline's birthday, so it will be fun to be celebrating so many things at once! And then, Saturday morning, we're all done and off on our own! Orientation has been great in so many ways, but it all still doesn't quite feel real yet... I can't wait to get to our little house at the end of the village on my tiny island to really start this adventure!!!
Disclaimer: Since we're moving on Saturday, I'm not sure when I'll have internet again. I'll talk to everyone as soon as I can! I love and miss you all!
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