Today was the second day of being in the elementary schools teaching. I am in a group with 5 other students. We came up with a lesson about American cities both big and small. The plan is to have us teach the same lesson in multiple schools. So far I have loved getting in front of the class and speaking. I was a bit nervous entering into this whole teaching experience, but having a group to teach with is such a relief. I appreciate being eased into this whole teaching thing.
The response we got to our lesson and simply our presence in the schools has been so positive. We have even been asked to return to teach...unfortunately we cannot since our schedules are so packed. I can tell that the students like being taught by us--or at least they like smiling and waving at us in front of their friends:)
Either way, I'm happy to teach them. I never realized how fast time moves when you're trying to get through an entire lesson. We have only made it through our entire lesson 1 time in the 6 times we've taught this lesson. Forty minutes simply is not enough time to teach everything we want to cover...I never thought I'd say it, but I actually wished class was longer--gasp!
We finished at 10:30am which left us a glorious amount of free time to take naps, veg, and finish some homework. Tonight all of the girls are going to see the ballet Swan Lake. I'm so excited. More details to come...
Friday, May 18, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
Superheros of the Classroom
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| saw The Avengers with a whole bunch of Macedonians |
Eventually we left group by group for our observation classes. We were divided up into 3 groups (we were paired with the people we live with) and all had different times to observe. My group's time was from 8:10-9:20pm, so we had lots of time to kill. We went to the Center for Foreign Languages. It's a school for all ages who pay for these extra English lessons. The class we got to observe was the CPE class. It's the highest level of English offered at this school. The teacher, Natasha, is a top notch teacher. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her conduct her classroom and help her students learn. I took lots of notes for future reference when I have my own classroom.
After the class finished, we asked Natasha to call us a cab because...well let's face it...we still can't converse in Macedonian. The cab guy picked us up and took us to the movie theater. Our entire practicum group plus a couple of our Macedonian friends wanted to see The Avengers. I loved that movie the first time, and I loved it the second time too. I still laughed at all of the best punch lines, but it was even funnier with a theater full of Macedonians. The movie was in English but had Macedonian sub titles that were delayed, so the laughing was also delayed. Above is a picture of me and my flat mates waiting for the movie to start. It was so much fun being with everyone!
It's a good thing that we get to sleep in tomorrow, because it's 1:35am and I'm still up.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
It's a very small world
Today I started the day with trekking to the other side of the city via bus for Macedonian language lesson #2. You should be proud because this is only my third day here and already I can navigate the bus system--and I know more Macedonian words! This day was more laid back than any other which made me happy. I'm still struggling with jet lag and culture shock started to set in today, so having a not so eventful day was necessary.
The best part of the day was definitely this evening. Our friend Katie invited the girls and I to a cooking class at her church. The pastor's wife uses this cooking class as a ministry for teenage girls while teaching them how to cook traditional Macedonian food. This class was packed with new people. I was pleasantly surprised that almost everyone in that room spoke English. It was so much fun. They taught us how to make this pork/veal/rice filling wrapped and cooked in steamed leaves. My description hardly does this recipe justice but it was the best thing I've tasted so far--and Macedonians can make some really good food.
The most interesting part was when a church group from Arizona piled into our little venue to eat with us. Apparently they are here for a month long missions trip working in Old Town which is where the very poor Albanian population lives. They are staying at this evangelical church for a couple weeks. There were more Americans at dinner than there Macedonians! I got to meet some great people who are very on-fire for Christ. After dinner, we had a short worship service (cooking and socializing took much longer than anticipated) with the mission trip people, the Macedonians, and our group.
The mission trip people went some where--they kind of disappeared after worship leaving us talking with our new Macedonian friends. This youth group was for high schoolers but several college-aged students help out with it. A group of 19 of us walked down to the main square of Skopje for icecream. Then we went to the center where there is this huge fountain with lights and shooting water. A massive statue of Alexander the Great riding a very muscular horse is erected on top. We sat on these stairs overlooking the river that divides the Albanian and Macedonian sides just talking and getting to know one another.
We couldn't believe and they couldn't believe that's we've only been here for 3 days. I feel like I've know these people for so much longer. I enjoyed wandering through the city with them..and I'm really glad they were there because I got all turned around and would definitely have been lost had it not been for them. I'm looking forward to becoming good friends with them.
The best part of the day was definitely this evening. Our friend Katie invited the girls and I to a cooking class at her church. The pastor's wife uses this cooking class as a ministry for teenage girls while teaching them how to cook traditional Macedonian food. This class was packed with new people. I was pleasantly surprised that almost everyone in that room spoke English. It was so much fun. They taught us how to make this pork/veal/rice filling wrapped and cooked in steamed leaves. My description hardly does this recipe justice but it was the best thing I've tasted so far--and Macedonians can make some really good food.
The most interesting part was when a church group from Arizona piled into our little venue to eat with us. Apparently they are here for a month long missions trip working in Old Town which is where the very poor Albanian population lives. They are staying at this evangelical church for a couple weeks. There were more Americans at dinner than there Macedonians! I got to meet some great people who are very on-fire for Christ. After dinner, we had a short worship service (cooking and socializing took much longer than anticipated) with the mission trip people, the Macedonians, and our group.
The mission trip people went some where--they kind of disappeared after worship leaving us talking with our new Macedonian friends. This youth group was for high schoolers but several college-aged students help out with it. A group of 19 of us walked down to the main square of Skopje for icecream. Then we went to the center where there is this huge fountain with lights and shooting water. A massive statue of Alexander the Great riding a very muscular horse is erected on top. We sat on these stairs overlooking the river that divides the Albanian and Macedonian sides just talking and getting to know one another.
We couldn't believe and they couldn't believe that's we've only been here for 3 days. I feel like I've know these people for so much longer. I enjoyed wandering through the city with them..and I'm really glad they were there because I got all turned around and would definitely have been lost had it not been for them. I'm looking forward to becoming good friends with them.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Hello from Macedonia!
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| The living room. Our landlord just put in this new TV. He said the other one was too old so why not get us a flat screen. |
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| Me drinking the best juice ever in our fully functioning kitchen (it's blueberry juice...how cool is that?!) |
Today we had our first Macedonian lesson. We learned some basic phrases such as zdravo which means hello or falla which means thank you.
So far I know how to take the buses, how to order certain foods, how to navigate to and from the apartment, and how to spell using the Cyrillic alphabet. Sometimes I feel like a 1st grader trying to sound out the letters on billboards and whatnot--but it has helped me a lot.
I'm also trying to get used to all the staring my group and I get whenever we go anywhere. Rachelle and our Macedonian friend Mafa took us on a tour of the city. We got to see several museums, farmer's markets, shopping areas, historic sites, and statues. This city seems to constantly be under construction. The reason for that is because there was a huge earthquake in 1967 that destroyed many buildings, sidewalks, and homes. They are still trying to repair Skopje. I also learned that Macedonia has only been an independent country since 1991.
This tour was almost like a crash course in Macedonian history. The coolest part was realizing that we could come back whenever we wanted! I definitely felt like a tourist today, but it's good to remember that it's not always going to be like this. Eventually I'll start working in the school (like next week). It's been so nice to have the chance to get used to the city and get a feel for where I am. I can't wait to feel like a part of this city and to be able to navigate like a native:)
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Chicago to Switzerland
In America, the time is 5:44 am while here in Switzerland it’s 11:45 am.
Flight #1: Chicago to Zurich- check
Flight #2: Zurich to Skopje- pending
Sitting in the very last row of my very large flight, I met a beautiful old woman. I don’t know her name--I usually don’t know the names of temporary airplane friends--but she’s German on her way to Switzerland for her bi-annual family reunion. Can you imagine having your family reunion in the Black Alps every other year? She is the one who pointed out the snow capped alps as we lowered onto the runway. Beautiful simply beautiful.
Beautiful is not how you would have described me as I attempted to sleep on the 8 hour flight. Try to picture this: black eye mask on, neck pillow around my neck, blanket on lap, ear plugs, tray table down, and legs crossed on top of it all while I’m hugging the complimentary pillow Swiss Air provided. I made myself chuckle just thinking about how I looked.
No matter how noble my attempts were to sleep, sleep did not come to me. So now I sit in the Swiss airport waiting for my next flight, sleepy and a little groggy. My fellow travel mates are passed out all around me--sleep only came to the few who have mastered the art of sleeping while sitting up right.
Perhaps it’s knowing that the goodbyes are over or that I am completely tired, but I can’t believe I’m in Europe. It’s raining pretty hard--but these rain drops are falling on Swiss land! Only a couple more hours until those rain drops will be falling on Macedonian land.--and I’m excited.
Flight #1: Chicago to Zurich- check
Flight #2: Zurich to Skopje- pending
Sitting in the very last row of my very large flight, I met a beautiful old woman. I don’t know her name--I usually don’t know the names of temporary airplane friends--but she’s German on her way to Switzerland for her bi-annual family reunion. Can you imagine having your family reunion in the Black Alps every other year? She is the one who pointed out the snow capped alps as we lowered onto the runway. Beautiful simply beautiful.
Beautiful is not how you would have described me as I attempted to sleep on the 8 hour flight. Try to picture this: black eye mask on, neck pillow around my neck, blanket on lap, ear plugs, tray table down, and legs crossed on top of it all while I’m hugging the complimentary pillow Swiss Air provided. I made myself chuckle just thinking about how I looked.
No matter how noble my attempts were to sleep, sleep did not come to me. So now I sit in the Swiss airport waiting for my next flight, sleepy and a little groggy. My fellow travel mates are passed out all around me--sleep only came to the few who have mastered the art of sleeping while sitting up right.
Perhaps it’s knowing that the goodbyes are over or that I am completely tired, but I can’t believe I’m in Europe. It’s raining pretty hard--but these rain drops are falling on Swiss land! Only a couple more hours until those rain drops will be falling on Macedonian land.--and I’m excited.
Monday, May 7, 2012
In Less Than 24 Hours...
In less than 24 hours, I will be boarding a plane that will take me far across the ocean to some inhabited land called Swit-zer-land. Thenceforce I will be whisked away to another far off land called Macedonia. This long awaited trip has finally arrived--and I think I'm finally ready!
Granted my suitcase is still in shambles as I rampage through my house making sure I didn't forget anything.
But, I honestly feel at peace with leaving tomorrow. These few days that I've been at home have been absolutely wonderful. It has been like a breath of fresh air to be with my family--but I can tell that I'm ready for an adventure.
And so as I embark tomorrow to these far off great lands, there are a couple of things you could be praying for...
1. Safe travels from here to Europe and back
2. Group dynamics--there's 10 of us in all who are going
3. Apartments to stay in that are close together and are safe
4. The missionaries who will be taking care of us while we are there
5. Creativity and the ability to learn as we observe and eventually teach English in 3 different settings (for children in school, adults, and at an English camp)
6. Culture shock
7. The ability to adapt to a new setting
8. To feel at home in Skoje, Macedonia
9. For us to lean on the Lord, listen to what He is saying, learn from Him who is the greatest of all teachers
10. The Macedonian people we will meet--students, friends, strangers, etc.
Thanks for your prayers in advance:)
Granted my suitcase is still in shambles as I rampage through my house making sure I didn't forget anything.
But, I honestly feel at peace with leaving tomorrow. These few days that I've been at home have been absolutely wonderful. It has been like a breath of fresh air to be with my family--but I can tell that I'm ready for an adventure.
And so as I embark tomorrow to these far off great lands, there are a couple of things you could be praying for...
1. Safe travels from here to Europe and back
2. Group dynamics--there's 10 of us in all who are going
3. Apartments to stay in that are close together and are safe
4. The missionaries who will be taking care of us while we are there
5. Creativity and the ability to learn as we observe and eventually teach English in 3 different settings (for children in school, adults, and at an English camp)
6. Culture shock
7. The ability to adapt to a new setting
8. To feel at home in Skoje, Macedonia
9. For us to lean on the Lord, listen to what He is saying, learn from Him who is the greatest of all teachers
10. The Macedonian people we will meet--students, friends, strangers, etc.
Thanks for your prayers in advance:)
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Blessed Rather Than Burdened
The cushion on days between me and this trip has dwindled even farther. Three days--only three days stand between me and Macedonia. The realness is continuing to seep into my mind. Last night I made flashcards translating English letters, words, and phrases into Macedonia--and I was hit all over again with how real this trip is and how completely unprepared I am.
Granted I probably should have started learning Macedonian before last night but hey, better late than never right?
As I am coming to terms with this inevitable trip I realize that I have been looking at it from an entirely wrong angle. For the past couple of weeks, I have seen going to Macedonia as a burden--a requirement for my major, something I have to do in order to find out if I am cut out for this ESL teaching thing, and a trip that forces me to miss out on many family events (my brother's high school graduation and my parent's 25th anniversary for instance). However, during my devotions I realized that this trip is actually a blessing rather than a burden. I have been given the opportunity to travel for the 3rd summer in a row--all expenses paid. I have the chance to gain some real life experience as a second language teacher while exploring a country rich in history and tradition! Excitement instead of dread is what I should feel, blessed rather than burdened, adventurous rather than cautious.
This morning I was reading Psalm 34. The verses of this chapter talk about the Lord's faithfulness and how He is our safe haven, our place of refuge. It reminded me to keep my eyes on Him, find comfort in His sovereignty, and rejoice in this wonderful blessing He has given to me.
"I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame...Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." Psalm 34: 1-5, 8 (NIV)
Granted I probably should have started learning Macedonian before last night but hey, better late than never right?
As I am coming to terms with this inevitable trip I realize that I have been looking at it from an entirely wrong angle. For the past couple of weeks, I have seen going to Macedonia as a burden--a requirement for my major, something I have to do in order to find out if I am cut out for this ESL teaching thing, and a trip that forces me to miss out on many family events (my brother's high school graduation and my parent's 25th anniversary for instance). However, during my devotions I realized that this trip is actually a blessing rather than a burden. I have been given the opportunity to travel for the 3rd summer in a row--all expenses paid. I have the chance to gain some real life experience as a second language teacher while exploring a country rich in history and tradition! Excitement instead of dread is what I should feel, blessed rather than burdened, adventurous rather than cautious.
This morning I was reading Psalm 34. The verses of this chapter talk about the Lord's faithfulness and how He is our safe haven, our place of refuge. It reminded me to keep my eyes on Him, find comfort in His sovereignty, and rejoice in this wonderful blessing He has given to me.
"I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame...Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." Psalm 34: 1-5, 8 (NIV)
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