July 11, 2008 Word up? Not only class but a TEST on Saturday? SUPER DUUUPPERRRR!

…NOT! (Insert Borat accent here). It is another fabulous Friday here in Kveshkheti. I am posted up in chemis sakhali (my house) doing my mass amounts of work and yes, that’s correct – studying for a teaching test. No big deal really common sense material.

This week has been crazy insane- insane crazy. Yea, that’s right, I said it! So Monday was my first day teaching. I rocked out. Tuesday I taught 7-9^th grade. I did not rock out. Wednesday I taught a double session in the 5-6^th grade. I rocked out hard. This pattern has been a steady sin wave in all honesty. There is a comfort in knowing that no matter how hard I try (and how much I have my supervisor translate) the counter part I work with for the 7-9^th graders just does not know english. It becomes awkwardly apparent when the lesson starts and she is not doing her part. I am learning a lot about my strengths and weaknesses at a rapid pace. My already existing respect for teachers has grown exponentially this past week. For all of us that never cared in class, or gave our teachers a hard time…try teaching and you will probably want to shoot yourself in the foot for ever being rude. Hahahaha. 35 minutes has never been so bi-polar – it can be the shortest or LONGEST amount of time I have ever experience all in one day.

Teaching methods here are still very Soviet-oriented. This is the biggest challenge for us, as we are pushed to use rather controversial methods. There is not a grading system in the schools here, and students are just given passing grades and pushed through to the next grade. Although frustrating, it is the only reality the teachers and students know. It is going to take quite a bit of time to change the larger issues. I have faith that over time things will improve, there are so many bright teachers that have a willingness to promote change.

Our lesson planning takes up most of our evenings now. Add language assignments, cross-cultural assignments, evaluations and the multiple tests we are given and it equals the BEST WEEK EVER! (Insert sarcastic tone here). I personally enjoy having a lot of work to do but I know a lot of people have hit a wall. It is difficult to truly integrate into our communities and families when we literally have over an 80 hour work week. We are so focused right now that our perspective is very narrow. This makes it quite difficult to see the bigger picture – volunteering is not going to be like training, and training is going to make volunteering possible. I have faith in our staff, they are all very smart and helpful. Five weeks from now and into my service I hope that I can look back on this time and appreciate all the silly tasks I had to complete.

The spiders are multiplying in the shower, naturally I started to name them all: Fred, Bono, Brett, Giorgi, Alfred, Igor and Zed. I am pretty sure they are all making babies with Shaniqua because there are more every stinkin’ day. I contintue to administer a no tolerance policy with insects in my bedroom and no I do not discriminate!

Tomorrow I have a four hour language class, then my technical test. Afterwards I am heading to Khashuri to use the internet! I am going to spend the night at Amanda’s and we are having lunch with Tyler’s family on Sunday. Next week is going to be packed too- we have teaching Mon- Thurs, a Hub session all day Friday and then TEFL has job shadowing that weekend. We get our permanent site assignments on July 25^th! I am SO excited.

OH SNAP! I almost forgot the most exciting thing! Yesterday I got to wake up at 4am to travel to Tbilisi…to meet Condoleezza Rice!!! She came to town and decided to shout a holler at some U.S. volunteer agencies in Georgia. Nah, I’m just kiddin’ she was here on some official business but she did fit in a session to talk and shake hands with some volunteer groups currently serving. Not everyone got to go due to a limited capacity so I was excited to have the opportunity. I got to get out of language class for a day and we got our driver to stop at McDonalds. A BIGMAC AND NUGGETS HAVE NEVER TASTED SO GOOD! Haha.

OK, now I am done. I have to study and sleep. Tomorrow demands way too much as it is!

PEACE OUT.