Paparazzi!

So I have learned over the past couple weeks that children wanting to pose for the camera is a universal desire. As soon as I busted out my camera, I had twenty new friends! Well, not new, but they were definitely more interested in me.

I have been sitting in each of the three classrooms or the past month trying to get a grasp on what happens daily and where I can be used the most. The amount of teaching varies by day, but I have witnessed teaching regularly (on some level) in two of the three classes, so that is a fantastic start! Typically the lessons consist of the teacher drawing shapes or numbers in a small notebook that the child then identifies and colors. The same lesson is taught each day. I felt as if I was in Groundhog Day for a week as I was watching a child repeat the same action of identifying and coloring a square and the number hamsa (5). I think this would be a great place to add activities to make the lesson interesting and perhaps have a more successful retention rate. I am always on the lookout for new fun lesson ideas about: shapes, numbers, colors, etc …so message me if you have ideas! Thank you all for your desire to donate supplies to our center. I am going to speak with my mudeera and the teachers to see what they think about it and what they feel we need most. If it goes through my director, I may be able to get more donated (customs can be difficult sometimes). 

The kids and teachers are still pretty fantastic and I cannot wait to have adventures with them. Rumor has it, we will go on picnics when the weather is nice again. Right now it’s the rainy season (like the Midwest). Most of Jordan actually saw quite a bit of snow the past week, but none here. I was assured it never snows here. Several of my friends in the other villages and cities in Jordan were lamenting about the cold, lack of heater, lack of food, and the copious amount of snow. I still don’t have a heater because it isn’t cold here, no snow and plenty of food. I am absolutely lucky in that sense. On the other hand, it hasn’t stopped raining for longer than 6 hours for the past two weeks. I am pretending I am in Seattle and going along with it. It also seems to stop raining just long enough for me to wash all of my clothes and hang them up. It then continues to steadily and heavily downpour for days. At this rate my clothes may never dry. 

Other than the somewhat gloomy weather, things are going smoothly here. I am doing the Lent thing for the first time in my life and it has been interesting to say the least. It has shown me just how hospitable and thoughtful Jordanians are. After the initial look of being appalled with me not eating sugar for 40+days, they have made it a point to give me tea without sugar during visits, have fruit or veggies as a snack instead of sweets (for me only), etc. They are amazing. My mudeera (prinicipal) brought me fish and veggies one day because of not eating meat; she also brought me biscuits and breads from Amman because she doesn’t think I have enough food here to eat. As assertive as she can be at times (like when she tried to put me on the Atkins diet) she genuinely cares about me! My village has made me feel incredibly loved and welcomed on a daily basis. 

There are numerous days when I wake up and wonder why I am here, how I got here, why my neighbor won’t stop knocking on my door, why there is a child staring at me through my window (note to self: always close curtains!), how am I going to make it 20 more months. I then think of the faces of the children at my center and how happy they are in these pictures. 

 On those hard days, I have looked at these pictures and realize…they keep me here.

Some of my fantastic students: (just as an aside, photos of minors/students is not an issue here, I checked :) enjoy! )

 not that I have favorites, but he's my favorite. I basically stalk him all day. This was their lesson today, coloring strawberry shortcake for the 40th time.

Why yes, I did make that day of the week poster in the back. It says "Today: Wednesday" and then has a space for yesterday/tomorrow and weather conditions.

 Get ready for more pictures later, but please enjoy this video of an impromtu dance party in the class with hearing impairments