2nd Parent teacher conference

I'm beat! After 6 hours of talking and blabbing on about my classroom to 40+ parents, I was exhausted. But overall, it was such a motivational, positive experience! So much better than the first time when I met with the parents. Many even took notes during our conversations. One mother, who I wanted to meet for a very long time, finally arrived with her sons, and it was very encouraging to meet with her and discuss how the student's attitude changed and how we can work together to change it back. In some other cases, kids brought their entire family (almost an entire family). I would first talk something positive, then suggest improvement, things I'd like to see from the students such as more leadership in the classroom, or working beyond what is required of them. Then I introduced what we are doing this semester with the state standardized test. Then I tried my best to find the student's work when we put together a response about "Why do I want to do well on the test?" Because I was so impressed with their responses, I had to share it with the parents, who also thought they were positive and motivational. There were many "wows" and smiles. In the end, I gave out my phone number to all who showed up in case they need to reach me about homework or just anything.

I stuck out by the end, very exhausting but at the same time extremely rewarding. I was expecting some demanding parents, but I guess my coverage was so comprehensive that it did answer a lot of their questions. Many also definitely opened up to me as well compared to the first time, and would go on and on about their child, being a track and field coach etc. It was such a joy to listen to all of that! I wish everyday were like the parent teacher conference days.

First week of 2008

It went much better than I anticipated. Students seemed to be completely different, at least for some of them. On the first day back, the 7th graders were extremely quiet, to the point where class discussion seemed a drag and most painful I've ever experienced. "It's the first day of school," DY sheepishly said on behalf of his classmates. After talking to other teachers, I realized that it was truly not me, but a widespread phenomenon shared by all educators in our school, if not across the whole country. That's one thing I have noticed about teaching, whenever I feel I'm doing something wrong, it generally is not the case with me, but rather is common event grieved by all other first-year teachers, sometimes even experienced teachers. In a way, it is a relief.

6th period students looked up and CC asked timidly, "Weren't you going to sing us that song?" "Oh yeah, huh (a lingo I picked up from my students). I thought you all forgot about it. Under their watchful eyes, I sang the National Anthem (Star Spangled Banner) in Navajo. At first, many kids covered their mouth and asked, "Can we laugh?" "NO! Otherwise I won't sing it!" I barked. However, the giggles at the beginning of the song turned to a silent and wistful audience. When I finished, they all applauded, and one student even commented, "You have a pretty voice, did you used to sing?" I was amazed at the calming effect the music had on the students, some of them were mouthing the words along with me. They all said it was great despite a few pronunciations. Nevertheless, it was a moment of glory. For this particular class, they will work hard now since I did my part of the deal.

November adventures

Continuing on backwards - onto November!

November, 2007

1. We’ve been covering the Desert Rock story in the classroom as part of a thematic unit on renewable and nonrenewable energy. It shocks me that so many students have no idea about such a local project that has tremendous impact on their lives. One day, Priyanka and I were talking and somehow Desert Rock came into our conversation. She told me that there will be a vigil held against the building of the power plant. As it turns out, Burnham is only a turnoff few minutes away from Newcomb. We checked out the dates and decided to head there together.
2. Friday afternoon was the end of a terrible day. JC would not comply with my classroom rule about cursing. For yet another time, he went to the office for the same offense. At the end of the day, I questioned myself, do I really want to continue this profession? Am I really cut out to be a teacher? I asked these questions on the phone to Zack’s parents who have plenty of experiences being middle school teachers. I felt like myself again and very soon, Priyanka arrived to unpack her car so we can begin our journey into the coal plants in the dark.
3. It was only 5:30PM, but the sky has completely shut down. At some points in our drive, we decided to be adventurous and decided to turn off the headlights while driving. It was insane! The night was nevertheless bright with stars. We psyched ourselves out with the little stunt and after what seemed like hours of driving, finally got on the dirt bumpy road (so glad that we were taking her SUV rather than my tiny Corolla whose wheels may not take the ride actually) and found the encampment where people gathered around a campfire. They were telling stories (one elderly who sat on a log was a storyteller by profession) and sharing experiences. It was such an amazing time because I’ve never felt so environmentalist in my whole life. I keep thinking about all the things I’ve done at McGill with Green Week and later the interview with Green Corps, all the involvement I’m trying to do with environmentalism, none of it felt real until now. All of that were simply an issue that we were trying to raise awareness but half of it we had no clue about it. Driving through the land mines, seeing the “Beware, blasting ahead” signs, and finally being among people, some who cared so much that they hitchhiked for days just for a 4-day vigil, seemed out of this world. This is real, this is what environmentalism should be, this is the real world. The stories of the rangers and police tagging license plates and monitoring the encampment made it even more movie-like.
4. Everyone camped the night, but we were not prepared for the intensity. Instead, we returned the following morning and helped to cut up vegetables for the stew. The day before, they killed a lamb for sacrifice and started cooking since yesterday. The notable Ms. Elouise Brown from the New York Times article was present during the day. She has been camping out there, often times by herself in the bleak desert, for 11 months now. Her act is a silent protest against a project that in 2012 will mostly likely be built despite local opposition. The tribal Navajo government supports the project by claiming it will bring the young ones, the college graduates, back to the reservation because otherwise it has nothing else to offer them.
5. It was an inspiration to be among the rubbles, the tattered tarp put over the sticks as roof. Even Elouise Brown’s son, a 13-year-old 8th grader, set up his own tent on a mound of dirt, right next to a telescope. He claims he is the security because through the lens, he can monitor the activity of rangers parked in the distance, who are in turn, watching their every move. We peeked through the telescope, and there they were, staring right at us from their white vans! There were other younger individuals who hitchhiked for days, or drove from Tuba City and California to join the movement. I thought my students deserve to hear about this story, to see the mines, and watch what is happening at the moment around them. The young people on the site are inspirations for them as well.
6. In the afternoon, Priyanka and I received a list of grocery from Elouise. We left the encampment to go to Farmington to buy the goods. At night, we sat around the same fire, sipping on the same mutton soup from earlier, and sitting with the same people. Few more arrived from California. Not everyone at the encampment was Navajo, some Apache and some Pomo. Later on, Elouise’s brother built a sweat lodge, which is a spiritual site where people gather for cleansing and praying and sometimes socializing. Traditionally, Navajos sweat in separate lodges for the two sexes. However, because of the small number of people present tonight for the ceremony, and since there is only one lodge built, we had a mixed sweat session.
7. Last minute, I decided to join the other 7 people and participate. Many of them brought change of clothing: shorts, towels, and swim trunks, but since I was not prepared, I was still in my jeans but luckily, I had a tank top on. As soon as the curtains fell on the tent and all the rocks burning in the ceremonial fire outside the tent were brought inside the tent, the leader (Elouise’s brother) poured water on the rocks and another person spread some sage on the rocks for it to sparkle. The tent became unbearably hot, difficult to breathe and difficult to concentrate. Drops and then streams of liquid began to ooze out of my body. I had to bury my face in the towel to avoid the intense heat. On top of the heat, the other began chanting, singing and praying loudly. I’ve never had to pray with others so openly so for awhile I did not know what to do but to absorb the moment and listen to others.
8. There were 4 20-minute sweatings with a 10-minute break in between. During each session, someone would take the lead in praying and singing. On the third session, the leader asked the “young woman who is here tonight” to lead the prayer. I asked if it was OK to do it in my own language. I had no higher being to pray to, so instead I prayed and talked to mom, explaining what was happening and how I was feeling. While I talked, others joined in all sorts of languages. It was such an amazing experience. When we were done, I was asked again to sing a song. So I sang a song in Chinese among the heavy breathings and cooling down. The song reminded me of where I am, where people lived simple lives, love was pure, and land and sky joined in the horizon. It was amazing, in one respect, I was thankful that I was spiritually healthy to undertake such a feat. By the time we emerged from the tent and shook hands with the sisters and brothers who endure the physical struggle, it was also past 1AM. The midnight breeze was refreshing. We walked back from the ceremonial fire in the dark, under the starry night.
9. Weekend before my birthday, Leah and I take a trip to Taos, NM. I had a romanticized view of Taos, from what I have heard and based on my lovely and adventurous impression of Santa Fe. “Julia Roberts lives in Taos, she buys the jewelry from the shop at the foot of the mountain!” So I pictured a place as hip and trendy and in-the-woods as Santa Fe, if not more. But when we arrived, Taos turns out to be an extremely hippy place. The first shop we stopped at was an oriental clothing store run by middle-aged hippies still stuck in the 70s while there was a psychic fair going on in the background. I enjoyed it, it was simply different from what I imagined. The historical square was deserted however, and we walked in and around all the jewelry shops and bookstores until we felt nauseas by all the touristy air.
10. Decided to drive on Kit Carson Road. Kit Carson was once a well-known southwestern scout who explored the desert and apparently spoke several different Indian languages. He helped the American settlement as well as the massacre of thousands of innocents. Today he is remembered as a hero. The drive however, away from the touristy parts and into more residential areas, is beautiful, exactly how I pictured it would be. After winding through the narrow alleys and onto the main road, we faced a giant sleeping mountain.
11. While cruising on Kit Carson, we passed two Bed and Breakfast mansions. One was closed and out of curiosity, we checked out the price for the other one. The innkeeper was so friendly, “I have a great deal for you, check it out if you’d like, but we’d love for you to stay. You are looking for a place to stay, and we are looking to rent it out for the night. It’s a win-win deal.” He showed us the only place left for the night, a two-bedroom suite complete with a fireplace, kitchen, full bathroom, TV (with over 60 channels!) and a dining room. It was a luxury far better than the original B&B we were looking at online. “This suite was originally $179 for the night, but there is a special tonight for $139. BUT for you two, I’ll give it to you for $89 a night.” WOW, the price is even cheaper than the room we were thinking of going but is now booked, not to mention this is a suite! We happily accepted the offer. We purchased a bottle of white wine and drank with the other guests at the inn while watching free-range chickens roam the farmland and the sun descend in the distance. At one point, I looked around the crowd, and commented to Leah, “We are the youngest here, and everyone’s in couples.” “Which is why the innkeeper probably thinks we are a lesbian couple.” We laughed about the insinuation, and quickly applied to all the conversation with the innkeeper thereafter. Things made a lot more sense, and it was hilarious. True, what people our age goes out of their way to find a B&B? Only us I suppose.
12. We caught the happy hour at the restaurant we ate earlier in the day when we chatted up with the bartender about Kit Carson and what there is to do in Taos. The crowd is rowdier and more packed at this hour. The waitress checked my ID and reminded us, “Is this a birthday celebration?” I completely forgot that it is in fact close to my birthday and so happily accepted the drink on the house. The bar scene was not enough for me, so we went to the Indian Trading Post that is actually a fancy, upscale restaurant. While I dined on my escargot with fried paste and Leah dined on water and breadstick, we shared one of the deepest conversations I’ve had since coming to New Mexico.
13. Ever since the accidents, I’ve had a fear of driving. Now snaking through the narrow mountain highway, I got the creeps. Instead, I let Leah take over the wheels while I marveled at the beautiful cliffs and hanging rocks outside the window. The ancient Puebloan village that we wanted to check out was unfortunately closed on Sundays. Disheartened, we headed back south.
14. I never anticipated that I would have such a wonderful birthday wishes and celebration. For months, I tried to plan what I would want to do on my birthday. As I walked into school, everyone who saw me wished me a happy birthday. The first person being Nora of course. Over the past several months, with cheerleading, our early check-in schedules, and the proximity between my classroom and her office, she has become one of my closest friends at NMS. What I didn’t expect was a surprise lunch planned for me, a birthday cake, and a birthday card filled with signatures from staffs and students. Everyone passing me by in the hall smiled, “Happy Birthday Ms. Tang! How old are you now?” “32,” I smiled back.
15. This was also the last day before Thanksgiving break. I quickly packed up my car and drove to Farmington where Justine was kind enough to give me a ride to Albuquerque for my early flight the next day. After several hours of driving, we get into town and met up with Leah and Gracielle for a birthday dinner at an Indian restaurant, the first one I’ve been to since last April or May in Montreal. It brought back so many fond memories of dinners with friends at university, how time travels forward while we sometimes are still stuck in the past. Justine’s boyfriend and later his friend joined us for laughs and mango lassees.
16. After bidding the Gallup crew goodbye, we went to John’s house for another birthday celebration for one of his friends. The partying turned from drinking to something else and ended with a trip to the local convenient store (depanneur) at 2 in the morning, again, reminiscent of college life, or perhaps these people are still stuck in those days. John was an extremely good host at such late hour, I slept so well in clean sheets and a nice bed.
17. Going back to Montreal was a much-needed break from the chaos that happens everyday in school. I had a “date” with somebody every single moment for every meal of every day I was there. In the middle of the day, I’d return home and take a shower and change into something else. “You think this is a hotel service, don’t you?” My aunt asked. Unfortunately, I do… Next time, I promised myself, no matter how tedious home may be, I’ll be good and not go anywhere for the Christmas break. Let’s see if I can actually bide to the rule I made for myself.
18. When I came home, the following week, I had my court hearing for the accident that happened in late-October. What a waste of my day off. “Do you plead guilty or not guilty?” The judge asked me before 20 or so others, many teenagers probably there for underage drinking or reckless driving. Of course I pleaded not guilty because I truly think it was not my fault; it was an unavoidable accident. In any case, under the resigned eyes of the other offenders, I walked out of the courtroom after being there for 10 minutes.
19. What should I do for the rest of the day? I was tempted to go back to work and save half a day. Instead, I adopted two puppies from the family across the street – one golden and one black and grey. I already kennels and pet tents for them, so I immediately drove them to the animal clinic to get their first set of shots ready. They were so obedient and quiet, perhaps glad to get out of a zoo of 7 other dogs. What should I name them? On the way to the vet, I scoured my brain for dog names, in a hurry, I said to myself out loud, “Jasper and Casper!” And voila! There they are and here I am, a mother of two – together we’ll build a beautiful relationship hopefully.

Walking down memory lane

After a day out in the snow, I ended up passing through McGill campus in hopes of visiting one of my professor friends, but he was not in the office. Nevertheless, it felt refreshing to wander through the hallways of Leacock, pretending to be a student even though I am no longer in university. As I approach the Roddick Gates on my way out of a memory spot, I passed by a familiar face. We used to say hello to each other constantly 4 years ago in Rez, but once we moved out, we hardly ever do the same. Today, perhaps the first time since Rez days, we stopped and said hello even though names may be hazy for both of us.

"Where do I know you from?" He asked.

"New Rez," I replied confidently. "B-, right?"

"Yeah. I'm in my first year at law school, I don't like it though."

"That's what I hear about law school - lot of boring classes for an impressive credential."

Small talks, but I muse, funny how relations work.

Words of wisdom on teaching

Visited Zack and his parents in Sugarloaf for a few days of good skiing shortly after Christmas. They are both educator, both taught and one of them still teaches middle schoolers. On our last night while celebrating New Year with champagne a day ahead of time, I asked for some final advices on teaching. "Three words," Robbie said, "FIGURE IT OUT." Sums it all up for everything even outside this profession.

Experiences counting down

An entire semester passed without any entry, I do apologize for the inconsistency. Apologies mainly to self for the lack of commitment. "These are precious moments, you need to record every single one," my super blogger aunt reminded me. Perhaps it is also the beginning of my memoir, to which my professor uncle laughed, "You are only 23!" True, but it's never too late. In the New Year, I am making several new resolutions and plan to stick them in large, bold prints on the fridge so that I can remind myself. Speaking of which, New Year is becoming increasingly ANTICLIMACTIC every year, what a great description of it (what a word, thanks Elisa).

New resolutions for 2008:

1. Be more consistent with my blog
2. Walk/run Casper and Jasper daily (or at least one of them if I do end up giving one away)
3. Quit the habit of eating what I like until I can no longer walk
4. Keep in touch with old friends and be more affectionate with the new ones
5. Learn to say "NO" more and often

In any case, over the break, it was a time to reflect, record, and relax. My experiences as a first year teacher began in June when I got in the car that suffered multiple series of AC breakdown in the middle of the summer, exasperated transmission, and a 2000-mile trek all the way down to Texas. However, because my poor memory, I've only began writing my experiences from December on backwards, hoping eventually the series of events will connect, or not connect, with one another. I found adventure in every corner of every day, it all depends on your attitude about it. Each episode may appear to be a single, individual event, but somehow there is a grand picture. So here it goes...

December, 2007

1. Classes are finally over at University of New Mexico. I felt lucky to have just recently graduated from McGill. While the education courses were not difficult – the report card proved right with some shining A and A+s – the stress of managing classes in Gallup twice a week, that’s 4 hours on the road every week, not to mention driving at night, and lesson planning and now dealing with two puppies turned out to be more than my fair share of high pressure life. However, because of a highly demanding curriculum at McGill, I felt my college-student drive was still in me. Eventually, the classes were manageable and I was able to finish with very decent grades. I have therefore built so much confidence in myself that I believe and hope will continue into the future.
2. No plan for a weekend, I thought about visiting Priyanka and Stacia in Navajo, just over the mountains. On a Saturday morning, Priyanka calls up and warns me not to drive, “The road is very dangerous, you have no idea how much snow and icy it is over here.” Quite amazingly, all we are getting in Newcomb is rain and mud. I resigned and watched several episodes of “Project Runway” on the internet while letting the dogs out every once in a while to do their business. Every time they had to come back inside, I would have to wipe their feet clean with a towel because the mud don’t do them any good. Finally around 2PM, I looked at sisters and said to them, “Isn’t this lame? We need to get out, or I need to get out at least.” I packed up my car with an empty coffee mug and a basket full of laundry and drove to Shiprock to sip some tea and do some laundry.
3. At the coffee shop Ah’weh Goh’weh (which means coffee coffee in Navajo), I met Carmen, the waitress and a nameless missionary-styled woman cleaning up after her tutoring service. We chatted and she was amazed at my many experiences, “You should write a book. Maybe next time when you come, you’ll talk and I’ll write it for you.” That is the second time someone told me I should write a book (the first time being Raymond during first year of college) – perhaps it is time to think about it. All of a sudden, I felt part of a community, where people know me by name and I don’t feel out of a place when I drive somewhere.
4. Time to do laundry. What I expected to be a mundane laundry shop was full of surprises. As I sat around waiting for my laundry to finish, one of my students DJ walked by, “Ms. Tang! My parents are here, you should tell them about the puppies!” I’ve been asking around the school if someone would like to take care of them for me while I’m gone away for the holidays. Many students eagerly raised their hands to fight for the “privilege”. I asked them to bring back a note from their parents acknowledging that they are indeed OK with the idea of two more animals in the household. Lucky for me, today the parents were present. We shook hands (so heart-warming, it was the first casual parent-teacher meeting and for the first time, I actually felt like a teacher in a poverty-stricken community, for some odd reason). They asked about the puppies and I mentioned I wanted to give away one of them. They thought about it and said we’ll take it, we’ll take both of them for the holidays. It was too much! I thought it was going to be such an uneventful day and here I am, found a solution to my dog problem and felt like a teacher in action!
5. So one thing solved, I continued on to the drying machine, waiting for every 7 minutes to finish the cycle. While I was waiting, a short and stout woman next to me asked, “Are you an exchange student?” After a brief conversation in which I explained that I am a teacher, she laughed and said because her son once made friends back in high school with a Japanese exchange student, she thought I was the same! No wonder once at a football game, a first grader said to me, “I thought you were a kid…” Anyways, she was a teacher herself and started telling me all about the teacher exchange program where Navajo teachers would go somewhere in Asia to teacher English and even Navajo. Sounds pretty incredible but how come I’ve never heard about it? What an incredible day, rain and ice falling from the sky yet I made meaningful conversations and resolved a stress that’s been on my mind for so long.
6. Recently found out from the TFA New Mexico office that I, along with Towers and Anne were the three people selected to be on the cover of next year’s matriculation packet. Even though I feel I could be a better teacher, I feel very proud of myself to have come this far. That’s another confidence booster that tells me that even though there may be a lot of improvements needed in the classroom, I can still manage and I am and will become a great teacher.
7. Helped to decorate the venue with Gracielle at the TFA annual holiday party All Indian Tribes Center, formerly it was a Middle Eastern restaurant, now it’s a shop where downstairs in the circular building sells jewelry and upstairs is the venue for the party. We arrived several hours before the party started, wrapped the tables with wrapping paper, candles, and ribbons to match the Holiday theme, but also because we did not have any table cloths. People gradually arrived one after the other. In total, there were about 63. The food, for the its price, was a disappointment, but it was nice being the hostess watching everyone interact, to see that cliques did not form and everyone got along with everyone else. In the end, everyone congratulated us on putting together a wonderful show. My reaction was that I barely did anything. Since I lived so far away, there is really not much I can do except for sending out invitation and wrapping the tables.
8. I left the puppies at Katie and Rob’s place. While it was cold that night, I thought they could handle the temperature. Everyone else left the holiday party to hang out at a sports bar and a house party afterwards, but I felt like a mother and wanted to stay with my babies. We watched “Coach Carter”, an inspirational movie about a basketball coach in the ‘hood, teaching student athletes to truly become STUDENT athletes. I became worried about the dogs, they’d freeze! I was heart-broken and decided to bring them inside the garage and put them in the tent. In the morning, I was so sad for them and thought I was such a terrible mother, leaving her children in a terrible condition. I held one of them as I turned on the engine.
9. As the car started, I found that the tire pressure gauge light was on, I had no idea how to manage or measure pressure gauge. Luckily there was Rob and the dealer man who helped me measure tires. While I was learning how to add air to the tires at a gas station, a homeless man walks by and offers to hold the line. He also asked for a ride, but I pointed to the cages inside and offered him a burrito instead. He took it and after the air was done, he sat down and ate his burrito while I drove away and wondered what will become of him tonight.
10. This week, kids are off the wall, reminiscent of a week in October when they all claimed they are like that because of exams. Well, perhaps this is the same thing. One day, D.B., the baddest 16-year-old in 8th grade, showed up with multiple cut marks up his arm, asking and seeking for some attention, “Ms. Tang, do you think it’s normal for someone to do this to themselves?” I truly did not know how to respond to that. Not to mention on that day, I was hard on him for being the way he was, sitting around for another day, doing nothing. After lunch, he made comment in the hallway where everyone can hear his rude and inappropriate comment. I referred him and at the end of the day, he was suspended for 3 days. However, he also came to me to apologize, “I’m really sorry about what I said, I didn’t mean it.” While he’s speaking, his mouth was twitching, and I felt a pain surging up. Forget about the “No touching student” policy. I hugged him and shook his hand, “You know what hurts even more than what you call me? To see you wasting away your potential and sit there day after day, doing nothing!” This was perhaps my most teacher-like-voice-while-trying-not-to-crack-and-show-I’m-on-the-verge-of-crying.
11. Not just DB, today I heard many “This class sucks”, “I hate this class”. In all honesty, I know they are just 13-, 14-year-old angry teenagers, but it still hurt. Every time I experience something terrible on the job, I’d call Zack’s father who proved to be a great support with encouragement and belief. I felt a lot better after speaking with him for over an hour on the phone.
12. A great accomplishment on my behalf. One day, I was under the influence of Ron Clark and made a difficult bet with them. “If you all can learn the material you need for the standardized test in March, I will learn something difficult for you.” I only made such a promise with two classes, one 7th grade and one 8th grade. For the 7th grade class, they were satisfied that I’d learn the Pledge of Allegiance in Navajo, while for the 8ther grade class, they pouted and complained it was too easy. Instead they wanted me to learn the National Anthem in Navajo. Done! I said. After weeks of practicing and everyday silently reciting the pledge and listening to the Rodmilla Cody track more than a hundred times on repeat, I finally got down the two promises. Now I can sing the song and recite more than half by memory. I’m quite proud of myself. Other than few basic Navajo greetings, I can finally say few things completely.
13. Finally the night comes when I need to drop off the dogs. I waited for DJ and her family are ready to leave after the basketball game, I packed up their belongings, putting the toys in one bag and foodstuff in the trunk. I had Jasper in my lap and Casper in the kennel in the back. It was heartbreaking actually. When I finally decided to give away one dog, I find myself couldn’t let her go because I’ve finally started to love her. The dirt road seemed endless from 491. After turning around at the graffiti-stricken windmill and miles in the dark, it took almost 40 minutes on the bumpy ride to get to their shattered trailer unit and meet her mother and brother. It took me awhile to let them go without a proper goodbye. It was still heartbreaking. It was amazing how far they lived, I couldn’t imagine what time DJ wakes up to walk to the bus stop.
14. I came home it was already close to 10. Since the following day was going to be my last in the school, I popped over by Sarah and Anne’s because they had a little something wrapped in training pads for me. They gave me two bottles of red wine (I’d only drink it to share of course!) and a set of wine glasses. Looking back on this month, Nora and Leigh each gave me a beautiful Navajo Christmas pin, “It’s a Navajo tradition to wear it in December”, they said. Somewhat ironic, but I was so grateful to find that after months when I thought I was out there all by myself, I was not after all. I made friends who care a great deal about me and I finally feel fit in. I am looking forward to the rest of the year and another couple of years with the same people, hopefully.
15. Last day before I take off. Had students take my final exam for the unit while I gave out the books as their Christmas presents. Some are so ungrateful or perhaps they are not just too cool for school, but too cool for gifts from their teacher as well. At least I got several, “Do you have Tom Sawyer? YES! I’ve been wanting one for so long!” After school, it was chaos, while I needed to finish my last bus duty, Mr. Pierce from T2T grant came for an interview, at the same time, I had numerous students who came to ask how they can raise their grades… Now it’s a matter of grasping content material. Their hard work and doing all of their work paid off, but they perform poorly on exams, which is something else we need to work on, and is not something that can be altered over night. For some reason, all they believe is that they are missing work not whether or not they understand the material.
16. The interview goes over smoothly. I think I answered all the questions professionally and with a touch of “Keren-ness” to it. The grant is awarded to me, along with a laptop bag and several books, including the Harry Wong one that I’ve been dying to get a hold of. I feel very secure now financially seeing that my courses will be paid for by the foundation. Whew, another financial baggage off my back.
17. Racing to correct all the tests and quizzes so that I can enter the grades. But the server’s down! Frustrated, I went home to “Pack”, throwing everything in the suitcase, zipper up and leave! I miss Jasper and Casper already. Left the front porch light on so as if someone is home. Yeah right. Drove for two hours in the dark towards Grants and had dinner with Leah. First time driving south on 491 in the dark. Normally it’s north homebound. Arrived in Grants around 8PM, ate ritually at El Cafecito, the usual.
18. Bought a steering wheel lock at Wal-mart. Left Leah’s at 5;20 in the morning to drive to ABQ airport. Parked my car, fumbled with the lock but finally managed to work it. Took the shuttle to the airport where everything worked out perfectly. One breakfast burrito lasted me until the evening. Received and dialed numerous phone calls with NMS, the DVD player on my computer isn’t working, what’s the backup plan? Luckily, Mr. Chapman the sub was highly understanding and said they’d take care of it just enjoy your holidays. Sigh, I am forever grateful for the never-ending support from the staff. Mrs. Worthy, the counselor, also called to wish me a happy holidays. Perhaps this is their way of enticing me to stay on the Rez, but I am already bought.
19. Climbed fences over at LaGuardia Airport, possibly one of the worst international airports around. Walked from United terminal to US Airway Terminal, go through the wrong walkway, and had to climb a fence with flat post on it.
20. I waited to be at the end of the line because I wanted to be smart and not rush. I was the last and feeling all cool about it. Until the staff closed the entrance door and told the last 4 of us that we could not get on because the plane had a weight-limit and right now it is “overweight”. Even though we had our own tickets, we had to take a detour trip to DC (Reagan, not Dulles as the representatives were saying) and back up towards Burlington again.
21. There we were, four girls stranded in the capital of our nation, downing beers while we chatted and I worked on entering grades. One of the girls was a business consultant for Ben and Jerry’s, so she gave us each two ice cream coupons. Pretty sweet. I was also able to get all the grades in. In the end it works out well, I got a free round-trip ticket, still got into Burlington that night (even though we arrived home a bit late), got two Ben and Jerry’s coupons and was able to complete my work.
22. On the plane, I sat next to a 5-year-old little girl who was very chatty and friendly. We became instant friends. They were headed towards Rosemont which is more north than Laval. One mother carrying two children, I help her out with the logistics, luckily I love little kids, sometimes I wish I taught elementary. We shared laughs, stories, monsters, crayons, tic-tac-toe (“You are Miss Tic tac toe), and airplane mini-pretzels. Her mom appreciated my patience, and so did everyone else on the plane. The Ben and Jerry’s lady turned around afterwards when we were de-loading and whispered, “You are a saint”. I smiled and thought to myself, “I’m a teacher with infinite amount of patience.”
23. Shared stories with aunt and uncle on the way back. “You have adventure at every turn of the corner.” They remarked. Yes that is true, there’s adventure in everything, it’s all about your attitude. Surprisingly, I found that I accomplished a lot, did a lot, made a lot of friends and have an endless amount of stories to tell. I am turning into a storyteller.
24. Feeling slightly awkward and overwhelmed when I am suddenly thrown back into civilization where men and women appear to be out of a TV show or a magazine, where fashion roam the streets streamed with sparkling Christmas lights. Shared a cup of Starbucks with “Top Ten unsolved mystery” at the bookstore while waited semi-impatiently for a friend who was 45 minutes late. Forever waiting, that’s my calling. Can’t suppress the urge to take a street photo every two seconds, when would I get the occasion to share this with my students, “You see, you can go anywhere you’d like, as long as you want to. You can be anything you want to be.”