Rat Trap

I am currently high on endorphins since I just finished running a half-marathon through Maputo. Not an organized one, just me and Gizmo, but Heidi and Dan are running an organized one through Disneyland today and I wanted to run one too. I made the mistake of allowing myself to sleep in a bit and ended up running in the heat of the day. Bad idea. After about 9 miles, Gizmo was laying down in every piece of shade we passed and I felt so bad for him that I took off my shoes at one point and joined him for a cool down in the ocean. Running in heat meant I grew incredibly parched and only knew of one place I could find a drinking fountain, a park with no dogs allowed. I was desperate, saw the guard, turned my headphones up and made a mad dash past the guard to the drinking fountain and quenched both of our thirsts and then booked it out of there before the guard could catch us. Yes, I drank the water. I am not looking forward to the repercussions of this decision and already am envisioning myself having to sprint out of the classroom tomorrow to the toilet. To help you envision where I run, here's a picture of one of the roads I use for my route which runs right along the coast. It's taken from a boat when I went to a deserted island but that's a whole nother story. (I teach English and I just used the word, "nother." Don't tell the parents please)
Before Aisha left for England, we took our cameras on the last run and took some pictures of the our route. I now run with Cecilia, in the picture, and two of her Swedish friends.Here are a few of the roads we run on.Don't you pity me?

OK, time for an update on my first two weeks at CAM. I will do this by writing another list and by telling you about Fredy and Cory, the two boys who have already served detention with me, and about the first monthly potluck. (Stop with the judgment! I know it's only been 2 weeks but they deserved it and I'll explain why later. Also, I didn't misspell his name. Fredy has chosen to go with just one "d.") Below is a picture of my classroom taken by self-timer with the camera propped in the furthest window so you can get an idea of the size of the room. There are four tables and the chairs for the back tables touch the back wall. I believe I've already confessed my awkwardness in taking solo pictures which is obvious in this picture. I was trying to take an "action-shot" pretending I was hard at work with pencil in hand, but instead I look like a drugged mannequin trying to flex my arms.
Now for the list:

9 Similarities Between Teaching at CAM and Rowland High School

1- I love my kids! I'm pretty sure this would be the case anywhere, but they are what make teaching so much fun. I look forward to telling you many stories about them. I had never taught junior high students before and I vacillate between wanting to hug them and wanting to scream and pull out my hair because of them. The maturity level is drastically different from 9Th and 10Th graders so the first week I struggled a bit with the younger ones but now I appreciate their zeal and energy. I need to be stricter with them and say directions 9 times instead of the usual 5 times but they are so sweet that is hard to get frustrated with them and their "A.D.D." When reading examples for capitalization rules in the grammar book, one example was "Oscar-Meyer wieners." Why in good heaven's name would the publisher use that one as an example in a junior high grammar book? A junior-higher at heart, I think I chuckled as I read it aloud.

2- I laugh often in class. With 175 students at Rowland, I had many more class clowns but of course my classes here each have a few cut-ups who crack me up. (Is "cut-up" the word I was looking for?) I laugh at and with students and at myself. Often.

Coleson is the guy getting his breakfast out of his teeth and has such a sweet heart and great sense of humor. He keeps us all laughing.

3- Some kids don't do their homework. The major difference is there are only 2 kids in each class who forget to do their work so it is very easy to deal with. Also, I told my 9Th and 10Th graders about a new assignment involving writing a story and they literally cheered. Yes, cheered. Eyes lit up, hands were thrown up in the air, and smiles were smeared across their faces- ABOUT HOMEWORK!!! No joke. They love being able to be creative and I've had kids texting me to ask if they can turn it in early. I always start the year with an assignment where kids choose an influential person in history and make a TIME magazine cover for this person and write a brief article. This was the first time that every single student did the assignment and even asked if they could do another.

4- I have some students who give off the "I'm too cool for school" vibe. The difference is, the kids here are actually just putting up a front and really want to do well in school and actually do their work. Domingos grew up in the States and acts somewhat like a "thug" but is super intellectual and has turned in amazing writing assignments. In the picture above, he is closest to the camera. Peter is from Nigeria and in an introduction paper about himself said that he came to CAM because he knows how valuable an education is and wants to be successful in school. If you saw him you would never guess this though because he usually shows little expression but it is clear that he is putting up a front. In the picture below, he is apparently getting a migraine from geography.
5- I've made friends with the "janitor." At Rowland Francisco would come in to clean my room and we'd have a great chat every day. At CAM, Leela is the empragada who is in charge of cleaning the entire school every day. She even does our dishes! I love it! She speaks no English so I try to practice a little Portuguese with her although sadly, I can't say much so our conversations aren't quite as interesting as they were with sweet Francisco and involve much more pantomiming.

6- I love the trip home. (Not implying that I can't wait to leave school) At Rowland I would drive through Brea canyon and see herds of cows on the rolling grassy hills. (Those who know me well know that I get a little too excited about grassy hills. They're just so much fun to roll down.) At CAM, I walk home through the city and I know this walk will never get boring. I've passed women carrying chickens upside down, security guards casually twirling their machine guns, men wearing George Strait t-shirts and many other random characters which make the walk entertaining. Here's a picture of the road I walk on each day and this is the "chapa" stop which is the bus stop. It's hilarious seeing people crowd onto these dirty vans at rush hour. I chuckle every day seeing people with their rear-ends literally hanging out of the window as they stand over the people sitting on the bench.

7- There are outside noises which create a distraction in the class. My first two years at Rowland were in a class that shared a divider with the Special Ed class. This made for some hilarious eavesdropping moments. I also share a room at CAM, but the real distracting noise is the church/cult next door. This church requires its members to pay a certain amount and they sing/chant at ALL hours of the day. If they are not chanting, an impassioned speaker is yelling at the congregants in a microphone that is not needed. At parents' night the church members were in full force and I mentioned to a dad how obnoxious the sounds can be and he replied, "Oh, that's actually where we go to church." And then he paused long enough for me to turn red and stammer awkwardly for something to say before he said, "Just kidding."

8- I have to make the occasional kid sit outside for talking too much. Unless you are a previous student of mine, I can guarantee that you have never heard my stern voice. It only comes out occasionally in the classroom and really surprised me the first time I used it. This frightening tone gets the class's attention immediately and trust me, you don't want to hear it. Well I already had to use it with my squirrelly junior highers who could not focus. I informed them that the next person who said a word would be doing their work outside the class. Sure enough, the class cut-up Fredy, dropped something and said, "Ouch." I realize you're opinion of me may change when I tell you that I sent him outside for that but these kids needed to know that I meant business. Fredy was appalled until he forgot about the incident 12 minutes later. This is when ADD can be a positive thing:)

9- I get myself into awkward situations. At Rowland I tried to recommend the movie, "The Pianist." Note to future teachers: never try to say "pianst" in front of teenagers. At CAM I said, "BS" in class the other day because I really could not think of another way to put it. (No, I did not say the actual 2 words) I had asked kids to write 5 questions they had about Asia and to make sure they were questions they really wanted to know about and not, "BS" questions. Then Domingos provided the class with a perfect "BS" question by asking, "What are the major mountain ranges in Asia?" If you knew Domingos, you would know that he could care less about mountain ranges but he managed to ask the question with a straight face and mischievous glimmer in his eyes. Of course I told him that was a "BS" question but later that day, I heard Kimberly use the phrase and realized I might be getting a phone call about it. I also might get a phone call about showing "Evan Almighty" in class. I didn't think twice about showing this because it is so clean but of course Fredy pointed out that I had a boot leg copy from the street which is illegal. Thanks Fredy. And then another student asked if they could borrow the movie so their parents could preview it before they watch it. Whoops. How quickly I forget that I am now teaching in a community where some people think Harry Potter is from the devil. (Harry Potter is not from the devil by the way. I heard a word from the Lord on this one. OK I didn't really and now I'm being sacrilegious so I'll stop and if you're a Potter-hater, I apologize. ) I also had a shotgun bullet sitting on my desk and didn't know it. This illustrates how naive I can be and of course one of the mom's visiting the class noticed and asked why I had a bullet on my desk. Apparently one of the students had brought it for another class which was held in my room and had left it. Excellent way to start off a relationship with a parent.

Alright, so the detentions. I secretly take sick pleasure in catching kids copying homework. I know, it's sick. It becomes a game for me but I'm pretty hardcore when I catch offenders to try to prevent further copying. Fredy hasn't yet learned that when copying some one's answer, you need to at least change the wording and he copied Cory's work word for word which did not present much of a challenge for me and my detective skills. Let me first tell you about Fredy:

This is Fredy's first year at CAM. His older brother was expelled from both the Portuguese school and CAM but told our director later that CAM really helped to turn him around. Fredy also used to go to the Portuguese school and I don't think he was expelled but his parents who I don't believe are believers (confusing wording?) wanted him to be taught in a Christian environment.His family background is drastically different than most of the missionary kids, which he proved by informing me he's seen, "40-year old Virgin." He is very bright and an incredibly fast learner but is more concerned with getting others to laugh than actually learning. Granted, he has a great sense of humor but doesn't know when to stop. (Hence having to sit outside the classroom in just week two and mentions already of a possible expulsion.) His blossoming, thin mustache is evidence of the awkward stage he is currently in, though he still has the high-pitched voice. He calls his teachers, "Teacher" and is the first to laugh at his own jokes. He seems enamored by things of this world and has all the latest technology which he loves to brag about. There is a sweetness and innocence inside despite his cocky front. It is clear that he just wants to be loved and accepted and as all junior highers, just wants to fit in. Though he drives me crazy, I can't help but love him. Here is picture of him hanging out in the class, pretending to be a Mozambican woman by balancing all his books on his head.


Sweet, awkward Cory also had to serve detention for letting Fredy copy his work so students will have a good excuse to say, "No" to their friends when they ask to copy. Cory's dad is the bible teacher and they give me a ride to school in the mornings. He was practically silent on the way to school the first day, so I was shocked when I had him in class and his mouth never seemed to close. I knew about Cory's history through some mutual friends who had told me how his mom had died in a plane crash in Peru. His dad has remarried and they have two adorable little girls together. Cory has mentioned his mother's death twice. Once while explaining he has a ton of grandparents because he has grandparents from both of his moms. He also told the class how he had met a witchdoctor in Peru who tried to bring his mom back to life after the crash. He speaks so freely about her death but I can't help but wonder what is going on in his precious little heart about her death. He is for sure the typical, awkward seventh grader who wants to fit in and I just want to squeeze him and tell him not to care what others think. He hangs out with me at lunch and although he can be loud and obnoxious in class at times, he is so vulnerable and I love being able to encourage him. He made me promise to delete the above picture but I refused. I know, I'm mean but I just don't find "ugly" faces embarrassing. His parents gave me a ride home from the potluck on Friday night so the other pictures are taken while driving home. Love his funny faces. I think I may have found an apprentice. The other two girls are Portuguese girls staying with his family for a bit and the little girl is one of his little sisters.
Speaking of the potluck, this was also Parents' night and everyone brings food. It was fun to meet some of the parents although not so fun to pretend to be an adult. I'm sure they could see right through me. Andrew, one of my 8Th graders told me to wear my basketball stuff because we had made a bet that I couldn't beat him in one-on-one. I told him I had to convince his parents I was a grown-up but I would cream him later. And no, I do not plan on going easy on him. In the picture below you'll see some of my sweeties pretending to be tough. Coleson is on the far left and hilarious. He's the oldest of five and so protective of not only them, but all the younger students. Zach is hiding behind his hat and is a self-labeled, "hill-billy" from Nebraska. Mauricio is in the middle, a great little b-ball player who came to the school with his four siblings from Brazil. He speaks very little English which makes me feel like I'm back at Rowland teaching my SDAIE classes. Andrew is next. An eighth grader, dying to be in ninth grade. He often feels like he's too advanced to be with the seventh graders and all his friends are in ninth grade but he is slowly getting to enjoy his new, younger classmates. Lastly, is innocent little Cory, imitating Andrew with the folded arms but clearly unable to pull off the, "I'm tough" face.
Here is Coleson and Canon singing a song they had prepared for entertainment for the potluck. Unfortunately, the chanting cult next door drowned them out and the mics were nowhere to be found. I love everything that is going on in this picture. Please take note of the school's ferocious guard dog, Mocha, checking out all the food. You can also see the head of Barbosa, my "boss" the field director here, and his wife, and their son Rafael with the glasses, listening intently.

These are some shots of several of my students playing on CAM's court which encompasses pretty much the entire outdoors portion of the school. Cars are constantly pegged by balls and kids are constantly smashing into them. No, it was not snowing. Apparently my lens needs a good cleaning.
Ok, confession time. I'm not always super patient with my classes. Sometimes I give short answers, get frustrated, don't laugh when I should and get overwhelmed by all the work. Classroom management is a piece of cake with these small classes but all the planning is inducing stress and acne. I'm doing my best to cut corners in planning, but I still end up being the last to leave the school as the guard is locking up. In recent days, God has been teaching me two things about my work load.

First, He needs to be the source of my strength. I sometimes forget that I am here to serve our Almighty God and think it's "all about me" and what I can accomplish. It's on these days that I nearly collapse in exhaustion and frustration. Then God continually gives me the reminder that He is sitting right there, waiting for me to call on Him for help. I really don't understand how He doesn't get irritated with me having to learn the same lessons yearly, weekly, even daily. But thankfully He never fails to leave me and always, always, always offers His hand to me and lets me lean on Him though I had forgotten about him and thought I could do it on my own, yet again. Gosh, I am more like the Israelites than I ever imagined. I used to get so frustrated in Sunday school when we would learn how they turned their back on God AGAIN and doubted Him AGAIN after He did amazing things for them. How true this seems to be in my own life. When I finally take His hand, everything that needs to get done doesn't seem as important or as impossible.

Today I read the daily devotions aloud for the teachers and it was about being busy. I don't have it here to quote, but it said that being busy in itself is not sin. However, when we are busy because we are striving to accomplish things to try to fill a void, then we have a problem. The verse that was quoted was Matthew 6:19, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy , and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." At first I assumed this was only directed to people who work too much to earn money and place too much value on worldly possessions. Thus I assumed it wasn't directed at me since I don't get paid for my work. But then I thought about some of my motivations for working so hard on lessons. I'd love to say my motives are all purely altruistic, but quite honestly, they're not. Unfortunately, my pride and desire for reputation drive me. Often I want to be liked by my students and respected by my colleagues and although this is not bad, I don't think it should drive me to exhaustion.


My ninth grade English class just read a story about how the world is one giant "rat trap" with bait luring us at every corner. I may not be tempted by money or power, but I am by "reputation." I am just like so many other silly rats that fall for the bait that the "cheese" offered by this world and in my case, a good reputation, is tastier than the feast that the Lord has prepared. Luckily, unlike a real rat, I can escape the trap and go to the banquet table and join my Savior.