First Day of School

Oh boy! Today was the first day of school at Cambodia Adventist School. There are 30 some teachers and 370 students! We have staff worship every morning at 7 am. This morning as I sat outside at worship, I watched 370 red and white uniformed students flood the gates. They might as well have been an approaching army. I was terrified. I wasn’t thinking, “Oh I really hope I get these kids to like me!” I was thinking, “How will I ever convince them that I know what I am doing?” The longer I sat, the faster my heart rate became. I know, I counted.
From staff worship, I clenched my “8th Grade” sign in my hand and trudged towards the enemy. I half-walked, half-stumbled up to them. It was hard to keep my stern posture when some members of the opposing army were only 3 foot tall and sporting pig tails. Regardless, I recognized their plot to “catch” me and I lined up with my class and led them to our classroom.
The rest of the day was less scary when I saw them as the children they are and not the enemy. I am a teacher right? Right?! They call me “Teacher Heather” or “Ms. Bo”. I guess that solves it; there is no turning back now. I had worship with 8th grade and then I went and “taught” drama class to 10th grade. Later, I “taught” 10th grade English class. I finished up the day with 7th grade Reading class. In all honesty, the 10th graders were fabulous. They were well mannered and receptive to what I was saying. Fay says, “It won’t last. They will get used to the fact that you are white and pretty, and then they will really start pushing your buttons.” She is probably right. The shock factor that I am an American will wear off. Then I will be left with, who knows what!
The most challenging part of my day were the 7th graders. Those little pests must all compare notes on how to “get” to the teachers. Maybe they have little pow-wows outside the gate before school. Fay says, “They really do their best to make each teacher cry at least one time during the year”. She isn’t kidding. If any class were going to make me cry it would be these kids. They are overwhelming. They are…a small cage of monkeys! They are practically bouncing off of their desks and onto each other. They love the sound their mouth makes when they talk. They think they are hilarious. They don’t really come to school to learn. They come to make teachers cry. Part of my plans for tomorrow involves a seating arrangement for the 7th grade creatures. I tried the whole, quietly waiting for them to be quiet and refusing to continue until they were. But that only made them happy because then they could better hear themselves. I may be over exaggerating, I may not. Ask me in a few days.
All-in-all, I feel fairly confident after my first day of teaching ever! I am teaching 10th and 11th grade English, 10th grade Drama, 8th grade History, 7th grade PE, and the principle mentioned something about having me help out in Kindergarten in my free time! Yeah, my “free” time. I think that is what I used to call “sleep”. Time will tell.
Routine is so good for me. I am such a creature of habit. I need something regular. Something dependable. Something that makes sense. The last week has not been any of that. It is so helpful to begin to feel like I have a purpose. Today, I really did have to keep telling myself, “Step. Ok, another step. Breathe. These kids won’t attack you. Now, say something intelligent. Are they still watching? Darnit. Say something, say anything! You dork. God, get me through.” Here I sit.
Do I only notice God in the huge, miraculous answers to prayer and overlook that, somehow, I am still breathing? Yes. I prayed for strength to make it through today and here I sit. How is that not an answer to prayer? Did I half expect I would survive today anyway but praying about it just made me feel better? I give myself way too much credit. Period. Thank you Jesus. I am alive and so much more.
As I started to walk home from school today, it rained. Most of the roads are dirt and full of pot holes. The road in front of the school is the worst. I waded through the brown water full of food wrappers and garbage in my flip flops. I actually half-way chuckled as the reality set in: I am wading through germ infested muddy water, in ridiculously, uncomfortable shoes on my way “home” to my too-tiny apartment in Cambodia after a long day at school. It wasn’t a complete turnaround that made me fall in love with my situation here. I muttered a few, “I hate Cambodia’s” before I made it back to my apartment. But, dear God I am still breathing. Thank you. I am still breathing.