At school, October brings two things, both of which strike fear in the heart of most new teachers: report cards and parent-teacher conferences. Report cards are due next Monday, October 8th. This weekend will most likely be spent with Kosharah (my mentor teacher, 2nd grade partner teacher, and dear dear friend) entering grades. Please pray for both of us as we do this. I for one am nervous, and feeling like I really don't have much to go off of. Second graders here don't receive letter grades, and mentally I have a very good idea of where each student is academically and socially. However, mostly due to my long process of figuring out the curriculum and teaching on my own, I don't have a great deal of concrete evidence to back up my ideas.
Parent-teacher conferences = my brain instantly turns to mush, my muscles freeze up, and I commence freaking out. I suppose that's a tad over dramatic, but needless to say, I'm quaking in my boots about meeting with parents. I know it really won't be that bad, considering Kosharah and I are doing them together since we both have each other's kids during some point every week, and most of the interactions I've had with my parents are encouraging. However, this doesn't do too much to stop me from getting very nervous whenever I think about them. Parent Conferences are October 17th, 18th, and 19th. Please pray over these days as Kosharah and I meet with parents and discuss how their students are doing in our classes. Most meetings will be very positive and generally easy. However there will be several meetings that have potential of becoming awkward, uncomfortable, and difficult. Please pray for open communication, the best wording, and understanding on both ends.
As soon as Parent Conferences are done on the 19th, its October break! So greatly needed and I have some exciting plans! I will be leaving the 19th for a weekend trip with a couple friends from the same Thai class, on a Thai class excursion. We will be going southeast of Bangkok to the River Kwai and the floating markets. On Sunday we will leave that trip early and make our way to Bangkok, then onto Phuket for a week long trip to the beach!! 12 of us from school are staying at a wonderful resort. A friend is letting us use their time share deal so its coming to us super cheap. We are all really excited to get away and relax. I'm super stoked to see the beach again!! I also can't wait to see more of my new country via buses, trains, and planes. Please pray for this upcoming trip and traveling time. We all really need a break and rest; please pray we receive the rest we need to push through until Christmas break. We do not get time off at Thanksgiving here, and considering most of us spend a portion of our weekends at school working, we're overdue for a vacation.
Lots to pray for. But mostly I am doing well. I've made some wonderful friends here, and its still very surreal to be here every day! I wish I could share all the cool day to day things I get to do here in Chiang Mai. But I'm so thankful to be here and for all of you. Keep you're eyes on the mail; I've been (slowly) trying to send out postcards to my supporters! Send me an email! I'd love to hear how you all are doing. Love to you all!
Pray for Kosharah and I as we head into a very busy month of October!
