three reasons i love my job

1.  i'm reading the novel "the tales of despereaux" to my class.  we're only like 7 chapters in and they are HOOKED.  they love it.  when i asked for opinions of the book after only having read 4 chapters, one boys' response was:

"ms.  i really like the book a lot.  when you are reading, there is so much descriptions that it's like a moving playing in my head" he says as he closes his eyes and touches his forehead. 

AH-DOR-ABLE!

2.  a conversation between myself and a rather large boy in my class:

S:  ms.  i have very bad news.  i have to tell you but you can't tell anyone ok?

ME (worried):  ok s.  what's wrong?

S:  well ms., *whispering* i think i'm being stalked!

ME (trying not to laugh):  oh really?!  what makes you think that?

S:  well ms., there is someone who keeps following me.  and she isn't very cute.  and everywhere i go ms., if i look behind me, she is there!

ME (trying REALLY hard not to laugh): oh dear!  well, i'm sure that it's just a coincidence. 

S:  no ms.!  it isn't!  and do you want to know the worst part ms.?  *whispers* it's a girl!

ME:  *hysterical cackle out loud*

S:  ms. it isn't funny!  what should i do ms.?

ME:  you know s, in a few years you aren't going to think that this was quite so bad!  i want you to test your theory tomorrow and keep me posted ok?  

S:  ok ms.

ME:  plus s, she's probably cute!!  *more cackling*

3.  sitting at my desk, well after the kids should be gone home, a young girl comes in my class.  

H:  ah, hi ms.  

ME:  hi h.

H:  ah, ms., do you want to hear the poem that i made up at recess about the boys?

ME:  yes, please!

H:  ah, ok ms.  "go east, go west, you snore like a pig!"  oh.  i guess that doesn't really rhyme does it?

ME:  well not quite.  let's try this, "go west, go east, you snore like a beast!"  

H:  *laughing* ok, bye ms. 

knock on wood...

my classes were so good today!  in fact, my "bad" class was even better than my "good" class today.  is it a full moon?  what's happening??  fingers crossed that this continues tomorrow!!!  i love it!

the adventures of flat stanely

living abroad, i have had the opportunity to show many flat stanley's around the areas that i have been living.  if you don't know, flat stanley is a kids book in which the main character, stanley, who is flat...lol....travels around the world in the mail.  classroom teachers often have students create their own stanleys and send them out for adventures all over the world.  then when stanley returns, there are many opportunities for learning about where he has been.

so, i got another stanley this week and wasn't sure exactly what i would do with him in kuwait.  shelly and i put our heads together and decided to send him home with one of my really cool, reliable students.  so flat stanley had a sleep over.  here are some pictures of his time in kuwait:

oh kids...

this morning when my students arrive:

H:  ms. did they fix the lockers this weekend??
me:  they sure did!
H:  i knew it!  do you know how i knew ms?  because it smells drilly in here!!

ya!  so take that!!  ....i want to know what drilly smells like....

this is a conversation that i had with one of my students this week:

S:  ms. you know i am going to russia this weekend. 
me:  that's what you told me.  but really, russia just for the weekend??"
S:  yes, ms.  of course. 
me:  ok, well i hope you have a great weekend in russia!
S:  you know ms, i am going to buy you a nice present in russia. 
me:  oh no, you really don't have to buy me anything in russia!  really!
S:  ms.  i will buy you a present and you're just going to love it.  *pause*  oh i just can't hold it in anymore!  i'm going to buy you a russian jacket ms.!

he was SO excited about this russian jacket!  i'm not even sure what he means!  but i reassured him that i have many jackets and he really doesn't need to buy me anything in russia! 

maybe i should go to russia for a weekend?! :)

how cute is she???

this little girl made the top 32 acts on the x-factor.  she is AMAZING.  i love her and i hope she wins the whole thing!!!

tutoring talks

i started tutoring this past week.  i am tutoring a young girl (grade 6) who is super adorable and we are getting along great!  as i sat at her beautiful house this week one day we had a talk that went like this:

me:  L does your mom work?

L:  no, ms.  

me: does your dad work?

L:  yes, ms. *grinning* toyota.

me:  oh, so your dad works at toyota??  (knowing where this is going...)

L: no, ms.  he OWNS toyota. 

me:  oh, ok.  well that's nice!

for fun i just googled her family name.  i found this quote "the largest and most successful automotive company in kuwait.  along with that i discovered that they not only own toyota but they also own lexus and caribou coffee.

kuwait continues to amaze me.  everyday. 

kids are aweomse

A:  ms. emily, i need to tell you, i hate school.

me:  no you don't hate school!!

A:  yes ms!  i do!  i really do hate it!

me:  oh!  so what you're trying to say is that you love me??

A:  yes ms!  i like you.  but i don't like school ms!

at least i'm not the reason!!  let's see what this week will bring!! cross your fingers for two wonderful grade 5 classes that have miraculously learned to raise their hands and stop chatting over the weekend!!

good for a chuckle.

last year, while teaching in vietnam, i gave my students these for prizes...

they are silly bandz, which are essentially rubber bands in cute shapes.  fun.  cute.  inexpensive.  age appropriate.

fast forward to this year in kuwait.  my students are wearing these:

REAL cartier LOVE bracelets.  GORGEOUS!  expensive!  really expensive!  not intended for 5th graders.  EXPENSIVE!

i guess i can't use silly bands as prizes this year...

t-t-t-today!

today was the second full day of school with students for the 2011/2012 school year.
today lindsay and i had a tea party during period one...before either of us even started teaching for the day.
today one of my boys told me i had a nice haircut.
today one of my classes ready SILENTLY for over 10 minutes!  i was shocked.
today i got all my kids settled into their lockers...though some still can't use a lock...
today lindsay and i had a second tea party before lunch.  we needed tea!
today i was actually quite productive on my spares!
today another one of my boys gave me an origami shirt that he made.  he wrote "to ms. emily" on it.  he is adorable.
today i had two major leg cramps and one made me cry.  i felt silly but it hurt SO much!
today i was trying to do some homework but i fell asleep. 
today i didn't go on the treadmill cause of my leg.
today phil made a delicious dinner as always.  too bad he messed up the corn. HAHAHA just kidding philly bear!!
today is wednesday, which means tomorrow is thursday, which means WEEKEND!  YAY!
today was a good day.

meet and greet

tomorrow is the first time we will get to meet our students!  i'm excited!  and nervous!  going back to school as a teacher is nerve wracking too you know!!  that makes me think.  i wish i had brought the book "first day jitters with me.  it's about a girl who is so nervous to go to school that she doesn't want to get out of bed.  and it turns out it's the teacher! 

i'll get out of bed.  i promise!

what about YOUR aunt???

cause these two are wearing shirts that CONFIRM that their aunt is DYNAMITE!  hmmm.....i wonder who their aunt is.....

DYNAMITE!!!

hanging with makai

the other day i got lucky and got to spend some time alone in the afternoon with makai.  he came over to the house to  play with cow and he had a blast!!  he also gave cow his new nickname:  cowee wowee!  i LOVE it!  it suits him very well!

oh, and i forgot to tell you.  makai even dressed up for the occasion! 

makai LOVES cowee wowee!

makai was using my camera to take a picture of cow.  cow decided to get a closer look!

makai took this picture!  i think he's got a good eye!

look at that face!  and that tie!  LOVE him!!

beach bums!

remember how i told you that courtney was trying to teach me how to get a tan???  well, we went out to the beach the other day so i could work on my tan.  lol that sounds funny.  really what i wanted was to get rid of the white strap marks on my shoulders because i am going to a wedding in a couple weeks and i plan to wear a dress with only one strap.  ANYWAY....we went to hawk beach and courtney laughed at me when i put SPF 55 on my nose.  BUT, guess what didn't burn??  MY NOSE!  guess what did burn???  EVERYTHING else!  actually my shoulders and arms are ok but my chest and back are seriously red!  on a positive note, those white strap marks are all gone!  

so, besides the sunburn, we had a great day.  here are some pics of the boys playing at the beach:

a good day

today i got to spend the day with two of my very favourite boys in the WHOLE world.  we played and laughed and sang and walked and tickled.  it was great.  these two are the BEST!  and i miss them A LOT when i am gone. 

i also got a few tips about tanning from their wonderful mother.  i got a sunburn.  but she tried!  haha!!  anyway, days with these two cuties and their mom are something that i will definitely miss (AGAIN!) when i'm gone. xoxoxo

week 13

fynnie playing in the hot sun.

this week the theme was lighting experimentation.  i was thinking about different things like fireworks, candles, head lights but then when i was outside playing with my favourite boys today, i thought, why not try working with the sun?!  i was attempting to get the sun rays in the shot, but also still be able to see fynnie's face.  it turned out ok.  i like it.  my favourite part is how you can see the sun shining off of his hair.  and as for all those other types of lighting....i want to work on that this summer for sure.  it's on the 'to do' list.

best or worst?

as the school year wrapped up and my birthday was approaching, i was lucky (?) to receive some very interesting gifts from my students.  i got a very elaborate flower arrangement, a small cow statue that is glow in the dark, a cat statue with red eyes, D & G perfume, a lovely scarf, some chocolate, a music box, and more. 

however, the most noteworthy gift came from a young girl in my class who gave me the gift and proceeded to say, "don't show anyone.  it's ugly".  great!  lucky me!

i opened the box (privately, of course) and found the best or worst gift of the year.  are you ready??  inside the box was a wooden rooster.  or wooden cock, some might say.  just a statue.  it doesn't move.  or do anything.  just sits.  and is made of wood.  a wooden cock. 

best?  or worst??

thinking of salma...

it's already been more than two months since this precious girls life was taken far too early.

you'll never be forgotten salma. xo.

week 6 and 7

week 6 - UP

my kids.  UP the stairs. 

week 7 - anger

what's this???  a vicious circle!!  HAHA

class trip

tomorrow i leave for hoi an with 34 grade 5 students and 3 other adults.  i am really excited about it but also nervous that things won't all work out as planned...i'm sure it'll be fine...right???!!!!!   we get back friday after school.  i'll try to keep you posted throughout the week but if i can't get on, we'll be in touch next weekend! 

p.s. happy middle of may! holy smokes!  only 1.5 months left!!