my school

(these are my third graders)

the school I teach at is a large private boarding school first-12th grade.  there are a couple thousand students, but only a 2 or 3 hundred are enrolled in the english department i teach for.  it's a pretty new campus, and feels more like a college campus in that there are different buildings for different departments.  unfortunately, because it's so new, there aren't any large trees and the whole place feels uncomfortably overrun by cement.  Our first day there aaron and i explored the campus.  we were walking along toward the far end of it by a man-made pond, when we saw a cage of some sort in the distance.  we had happened upon the school "zoo" where they keep monkeys.  just a cement block fenced off by chicken wire. no vegetation, nothing natural, just monkeys on cement. the next cement block cage contained about 6 domestic cats, and the next several domestic dogs.  needless to say this was really depressing, so i don't even know why i'm writing about it.  the school also has a bird sanctuary with herons and other large birds.  And back in the woods--or not really the woods--just down a back path through bushes and shrubs about as high as our heads we found a long row of cement cages holding large dogs.  german shepheards, huskies, collies, none of which looked well cared for. about 15 dogs in all and we have no idea why they're back there.  guard dogs?  i don't know.  it was really strange and sad.  There is deffinitely a different additude taken toward animals here that i find hard to deal with.  

anyway,  the kids live at the school monday-friday and most go home on the weekends.  i teach third and first grade.  i got really lucky with my third grade class.  they are such a fun, positive group that get along with each other really well.  talking to some other teachers who have a lot of whining and arguing in their classes, i feel really fortunate; that's never really been a problem with this group.  they laugh a lot and generally do their work and pay attention.  the 1st graders are a little harder. they're sweet little kids too, but i'm not really that good with really young kids, especially when they don't speak any english and have a 10 minute attention span.   i feel sorry for them though.  they are suddenly away from their parents 5 days a week and sometimes the school seems pretty cold and harsh--there is a lot of work and marching in lines, and they kids are in their chinese classes till 7, 8, or 9 o'clock some nights. not to mention there's no playground.  my third graders came in out of breath and sweaty the other day.  i asked them where they were coming from.  they said P.E. class. When i asked what sport they were playing, they said they were just out picking up dry leaves and putting them in piles....  

the english departement does a good job trying to make school more warm for the kids...decorations to make the classroom more colorful, occational games, parties on holidays, etc.  all in all teaching is going pretty well.  i teach full days monday-thursday and half days on Fridays.