Ending the Week with a Kiss and a Lei

This week my students worked on creating a story and then making it into a song/rap, skit, poem, cheer, or book with illustrations that they would present to the class.  Below are two of my favorites.  The first one is a poem that one group came up with and also danced to while reciting.  The second is a rap.  Just reading it doesn’t do it justice.  If you could hear it done by the kids you would be amazed.

“Earthquake, Earthquake shaking the ground

People stop, stop, stop, listening to the sound.

Moments pass by,

Tsunami, Tsunami huge and wide.

It was a day to remember

People of Samoa did not surrender

For it was tragic and devastating

Taking innocent lives without hesitating.”

“Once upon a time a time

I got stuck by a stop sign

Saw this pretty girl

Man she looked so fine

But I didn’t have the guts

To speak to her

Then she looked at me

And gave me this weird glare

So I made the first move

I didn’t know what to do

Then I said how do you do?

We talked all day and night

Dang she was so tight

Wow, I changed my status on facebook

I was her romeo

She was my Juliet

Also my master

Then we lived happily ever after”

So the school has an assembly on Friday to welcome the new teachers and introduce the freshman to all the staff.  All the teachers received Leis  as they were introduced.  Jill, Josh, and Sara were introduced first, they received their leis no problem.  I am introduced with the English department, all my freshman cheer for me, and the student body president, also a senior, came over to give me my lei.  He put it over my head and then KISSED my check!  AHHHH in the middle of the assembly in front of everyone.  All the students were like “OOOOHHHHH” and the vice principal was laughing and said something in Samoan. (I’m still not sure what he said).  Sara’s face was bright red so I can only imagine how read my face was.  I can’t wait until Monday to see what my students say about it.  Also at the assembly all the new teachers were required to dance in front of everyone.  We didn’t know the music ahead of time.  Ready for the song that I danced to…The Wobble!  Haha.  However,  Josh stole the show.  One of the lunch ladies came up and started dancing with him so no one was even watching me!

 (My lei)

 Do you ever have those moments when you think “wow, I can’t believe I am here” or “Is this really my life?”  I’ve had a few this week.  Usually they occur when I am out and either looking at the ocean or at the mountains.  However, I also had one where I realize that I have the potential to directly touch/change 150 teens lives and indirectly affect countless others.  It was pretty overwhelming to think about.

My classroom has become one of the preferred hangout areas for students before school, after school, and during lunch.  Some students come in to do work and other come in to talk with me.  I’m glad they like me, but some days I have things to do or just need that time to collect my thoughts.  I feel bad kicking them out of the room, but today there was a line waiting at my door when I came back from getting the morning announcements.  I’m going to have to think of something or I’ll have 20 students in there soon.

Tonight was another Leone Lions football game.  Sara and I went and watched the JV and Varity games.  A lot of my freshmen are on the JV team.  Midway through the game one of the players got hurt and was laying on the field.  I stopped my conversation with Sara and was like “Is that one of my boys?  Momma Lion is going to have to go after someone if it is”  lol. As much as my cheeky (flirty) boys annoy me I was very proud of them.  JV won their game again Samoana!

I am learning quickly that when something happens unexpectedly to just think “this is Samoa.”  For example I came home from school early on Thursday.  I was excited to be home before 4 and had plans to relax and fix dinner.  In reality what happened was I get home from school, put soap on my hands to wash them, turn the water on, and… nothing comes out.  I go to the kitchen sink, turn the water on, and …nothing comes out.  I go to the shower, turn the water on, and…nothing comes out.  I look out the window and there are workman working one of the other houses on the property.  Thinking they turned the water off for something I decide to go ask them to fix it. I go outside and ask.  Their reply “oh no your water was turned off by the company this morning.”  I go back inside and finally remember that I still have soap on my hands that I never rinsed off.  I grab a towel rub the soap off and head over to the landlords house.  After sitting there with her for 45mins she tells me “The earliest they can get it turned on is tomorrow. Sorry” Seems she did not submit the requested septic designs in the timeframe the company wanted so they cut the water off.  There went my peaceful relaxing afternoon.

This week has been hard.  I’ve cried more days than not and there have been many times when I asked myself, “Why did I leave home to come here?”  Then I remember why, because at the end of the day there is usually at least one student who comes to me for help with something.  They’ve come asking for history and geography help, help researching, wanting me to proof read papers, and help them find scholarships and apply to college.  Yes, these things take up time that I could be spending at the beach or doing something fun, but these students came to ME, someone they just met, for help.  Even if I can’t control and teach a class of 30 students; I can make a difference for the ones that come wanting help. 

I  know this post has no flow to it and you are probably saying, “an English teacher wrote this?  She shouldn’t; be teaching English.”  I’ve corrected so many essays this week that my brain can’t even think to correctly write my own.