To the Rescue

So I was in the middle of teaching my 11th grade American Lit class today, when I heard a knock at the door. Glancing behind me, I noticed my cooperating teacher standing in the doorway (she had gone down to the office to run an errand) holding the hand of the cutest little girl I've ever seen and mouthing the word "HELP!". Confused, I looked down at the girl and noticed streaks down her cheeks where she had been crying. She was holding back sobs bravely, but I think the classroom full of high schoolers had also helped to put her into a little bit of a shock.

I walked over to the doorway and Beth (my CT) whispered, "We need a Spanish speaker. This is one of our pre-schoolers, and she's been crying uncontrollably in class repeating something about her sister in Spanish, but no one can understand what she's saying. Can you help?"

My heart broke. I wondered how serious it was.

Squatting down, I smiled and asked her what her name was, but she couldn't take her eyes off all of the big kids in the room staring at her, and she flushed and the tears came again. Duh. I should have known. But I took her by the hand and we moved into the hallway where I sat down and asked her again. This time I got "Maria" out of her between sobs. I told her that her teacher was worried about her and asked what was wrong. I was expecting the worst, but I wasn't anywhere near prepared for what came next (in the cutest, timid Spanish voice you've ever heard):

"My...(sob).....sister....(sob)....took my.....(sob).....hamster this morning....(sob).....and now we don't know where he is! (WAIL)"

Now, my first reaction was to die laughing because I so totally was NOT expecting that, but luckily I was able to choke it back and simply bite my lip. When I had composed myself, I said that I was so sorry, and that I was sure that he was ok. I told her that when school was over we would help her find her sister and get her hamster back. I asked her if she could go back to class for now, and she said she could.

Beth said she skipped all the way back downstairs.

Crisis averted. :-)

The Halfway Mark: Spring Break

Can you believe it? I've been here 3 1/2 weeks now, and I have 4 left to go. Folks, this is the halfway mark!

I am planning to send out a newsletter with an overall update around the end of this week, but I have to tell you about my week THIS week. :-) It started with Good Friday. School let out last Thursday and we have off for spring break all of this week. I had originally thought of taking a short trip to Istanbul with some teacher friends, but alas, the flesh is willing, but the pocketbook is weak....or wait....something like that. Anyway, even if I had the money, when we return next week I will be taking over the senior British Lit class as well as the junior American Lit class in addition to the 8th grade grammar class I am currently teaching....and I have never read A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court nor Frankenstein before, so I have my work cut out for me. I have to read both of those books, do an in-depth (albeit somewhat frantically hurried) study of them so that I feel confident enough to teach them, and then plan 1 week worth of lessons for all 3 classes. And of course all of that is on top of the several hundred page portfolio that I have to put together this week for my graduation requirement.

And I also have to find time to finish season 1 of Heroes, tour Ankara (this IS spring break, after all), watch the Champion's League semi-finals as well as El Clasico, write a newsletter, find a summer job, and finish The Legend of Luke from the Redwall book series that I (perhaps foolishly) started last week.

But I did not post on here to complain. Life is wonderful. :-)

Thursday night I went downtown to sit in on a TESOL class for Iranian refugees. The classes are offered for free via a Christian service that works with these refugees pouring into Turkey. God is moving among those people and they are amazing. I fell in love with them and the ministry there and I contacted the organizer to see if there was a possibility of teaching a class if I were to return in the future. "Absolutely!" :-)

Friday I rested.

Saturday I went with a group of teachers and families to a HUGE park on the outskirts of town. I had a great time barbecuing a picnic lunch, playing frisbee golf with the kids, and getting to know some of the families and teachers better outside the school setting. They have some incredible stories.

Sunday I went with my cooperating teacher and another teacher friend to the U.S. ambassador's personal residence for an Easter celebration. They opened up their house and the local church put on a cantada that they had been rehearsing for the last few months. It was a gorgeous day, and the cantada was held in the ballroom (yes, the ballroom) of the massive villa that sits on top of a hill overlooking the whole city. One whole wall of the ballroom was a series of glass doors leading out to a patio that overlooked Ankara. After the cantada the ambassador provided a HUGE American breakfast/brunch for the guests complete with sausage and bacon (rarities in a Muslim country!). It was one of the most memorable Easter Sundays I've ever had.

Monday I worked.

Today I made a friend. One of my friends in the U.S. put me in contact with one of her good friends here in Ankara. His name is Berkay. He's a Turkish student at a local university here (he's a few years older than myself), and he has been to the U.S. several times. His English is excellent. Anyway, we met today for the first time and he gave me a tour of Ankara, introduced me to several of his friends, and treated me to the best Turkish meal I have had yet. I had a great time. We talked about everything from history to politics (he's a poli-science major) to soccer to families to religion. He was an amazing tour guide, and I am SO happy that I have been blessed with such a great Turkish friend!

The rest of the week will consist of finishing my newsletter, lesson planning, Settlers game night with some teachers, lesson planning, reading, reading, reading, watching El Clasico, visiting the ruins of an ancient Hittite city with some friends, lesson planning, reading, reading, and hopefully playing some soccer on Saturday with some of my students. It will be a good week. :-)