Rollercoaster of a week

First week of school is over and done with- what a trip. I may have shed a few tears in both frustration and discouragement, but they didn’t see me cry so I still have the upper hand. Student 0, Anna 1. I did kick out a student- I first threw chalk at her (told you the throwing would happen eventually). Hopefully she knows not to sleep in my class from now on. So I’ve come to realize, even though I’m suppose to teach an elevated level of English in 12th grade, I’m going to have to start back with basics and pretty much review for an entire trimester. As I said earlier there are those few students that really do know a lot, but the majority are really struggling. I’m trying to stay optimistic! I just really want to be a good teacher. And it’s so much harder to teach my native language than I thought it’d be! I’m definitely brushing up on the basics, or at least trying to.
So, school aside, I made a friend last week. She was a student last year and friends with the last volunteer, so she and her family have kind of adopted me because they know how hard this is for me right now. The first day I came over, we made cookies, ate lunch, and talked. The next day I came by just to say hi but ended up staying for a good five hours just hanging out. Today was the best- I came home from the ‘city’ and walked over to their house on my way home. I was warmly greeted, handed a chair, and involved in conversation right away. We sat and chatted for an hour without awkward silences or conversation happening around me rather than involving me. It may not seem like much, but it felt hug to me. It felt like I actually belonged somewhere. After four months of being on the outside I finally felt part of something. Total highlight.