My Crazy's

On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays I teach these lovely children! There are many many more children but these girls are my home room I begin with them and end with them! I teach with 2 other teachers (Jessie and Jessica.) we call these the crazy's because the first day they were beyond crazy! We didn't teach at all that day! And, still don't teach much! ha ha. All we do with the kids is go over the rules and more rules. Trying to keep them quiet and to stay in their seats! However my angles are the best!

So today in opening there was a new girl named Masha and she was not supposed to be in our classes because she is basic reading ( so she is more advanced than the younger ones) but she stayed the whole time with us. She comes in and sits next to a boy and holds his hand and lays her head on the boys shoulder! We all thought OH NO! So we moved her in between a girl and another boy! She walks over there and does the same thing! She was a flirt! Then we split for classes and during class she would blow in the boy’s ears and hold hands and flirt nonstop! It was very funny and very difficult! ha ha. I love teaching these kids though!

I’ll get pic of my private kindergarten and show how sweet they are compared to the crazy's!

This is Polina, Reata, and Natasha

First Day Teaching

Hey everyone!

So the night before my first day of teaching I could not sleep, I was waking up every hour. It was stupid. ha ha. OK well I woke up and made my way to private 2 school. It’s a good 40 min away if you walk but we took the metro and it cuts it in half, and so we get there and we meet all the kids. They are so cute. There is one little boy whose name is Platon and he is one of the cutest in the world. He is about 3 and shows up to class in his PJ's. Ha, the kids are all very cute though. So we start opening with rules and songs after we split the kids into their classes and start teaching. It all went very well in the morning I left feeling good, still a little discouraged only because it was not perfect but that's ok.

So let me move onto later that day. Me and 2 other girls teach at the school across the street and we were told that there where about 20 kids but not all of them come every day. So when we got there we had 27 kids and 3 teachers. So we begin and it takes us 3 times as long as it really should. We had planned 10 min for opening and it turned into 30. Ha, it was very bad, then we take them to class and we line them up outside and then line them up inside. They have to be in a line and folding their arms in order to come in and that was an impossible task for them to complete. I was getting so frustrated. So after i got them into class there was kicking and screaming and pulling of hair, and at one point a girl spit on the table and put another girls hand in it. It was crazy!! After class we rotate them through our 3 classes. It was a pain to just have them line up. Finally it was time to let them go and we were free to go home. That night made my morning look amazing! Ha, I’ll take a pic of all my kids when I get a chance!

loves bye!

Church

Hello everyone,

So yesterday was Sunday and that means church day! ha ha. Well the teachers who were here last semester left us directions to the church branch. So we set off thinking church started at 12. We stared out riding the metro and following the directions (turn left at yellow building!) ha, we didn't get too lost but there are tons of yellow buildings! ha. We finally find the church and we come to a door and it looks dark inside. We ring the bell and try to look around but still no one. Then a man comes up the steps, laughs at us, and tells us to follow him. So we do! Just around the corner is the real church door! We walk in and find out that the service started at 11 and the next at 1. So we wait till 1 to take the sacrament! ha,  Then church started and we are in Russia so it’s all in Russian, BUT… it’s not! ha ha. Well it is but the missionaries translate for us with a microphone in the back that is hooked up to ear pieces that all we all have on. I thought it was so cool and nice. The stories were very funny. Who knew Russians speak so long. Half way through a lady stood up and began to speak. We wait to hear the translation and nothing…still nothing then finally the missionary that is translating says, (sorry I can understand a word the lady is saying), Something made me and Reagan start busting out laughing! It was so funny. He said he was sorry he didn't get that. It was an eventful and interesting day at church!

Today nothing big happened. I teach tomorrow and I’m kind-a scared but it will all work out! Well, see you later!

Saturday Outing #1

At the church of spilled blood! it was so cold today!

Training when we were att so tired. this is Jessie and Jessica and my head teacher Sam!

The frozen canal and the church of spilled blood!

walking by the winter palace and there was a monkey just sitting there. i swear i thought it was a little kid. hahah loved this.

me and Reagan! we became best friends fast!

me and the winter palace

hahah we where walking in a famous and romantic square but i can remember the name! only romantic when its green tho!

how beautiful!!!! love this city!

Pic's from the Trip

This is Reagan Penrod, she traveled the whole way with me! She is now a very good friend. We are at the Amsterdam airport waiting to board for St. Petersburg.

This is where I sleep =) ha I share a room with Jessie. Our blankets are sheets because it is sooooo hot in the house. It’s tiny but nice.

I took this pic when I was flying to Atlanta part 1 of the 3 part trip!

This is just the Amsterdam airport. Nothing big or anything. This is the plane to St. Petersburg.

I'm In Russia!!!

HEY everyone, 

I’m in Russia as I type.  Nothing big happened on my trip here, other than almost missing my flight to Amsterdam, having a guy get kicked off my flight to ST. Petes for being too drunk. Ha ha. Nothing exciting happened though. =)

It was a good 15 degrees when I stepped outside. And it felt so good for about 10 seconds then I was very cold! I went through passport control very fast and then was planning on going and meeting my host family. NOPE, they surprised me and I’m staying in an apartment. It’s not as bad as I first thought. There are 4 of us, the head teacher Sam, Jessie, Megan, and me. It’s nice to have a house but I still wish I was with a host family. I’ll meet many people so it will all work out.

I have been up for over 24 hours, it’s about 10:30 p.m and I still have things I have to finish before bed. We don’t have food or water so I’m boiling away at the stove for drinking water. Tomorrow I have to report to the kindergarten at 10 for meetings all day and I start teaching Monday. I love it here. It feels so nice outside. But the only bad thing is that it goes from 15 degrees outside to 90 inside. I feel like I’m old having a hot flash!!!  Ha.  I will upload pic of my place and roommates later.

Goodnight! 

ILP- My Adventure

Hey everyone!

For those of you that don't know I am going to be traveling to Russia on the 29th of January. I'm going with an organization called ILP (International Language Program) to teach English for a semester. I will be teaching kids 5 to 6 years of age and then some 15-16 year olds. I'm very excited to go and live on my own for a little bit. I worked hard to graduate early and thought I would just start college but I found an Advertisement on Facebook and wanted to learn more!

From there I jumped right into the program and now I’m going to be a teacher in Russia. I can hardly wait. I’ll bet many of you are asking if I know how to speak Russian. The answer is a big fat NO. I don't need to know how to speak Russian in order to teach English. At the school I’m going to teach the younger kids through the art of play. It is very complicated to explain but there are different classes like cooking, shop, gym, drama, etc... But it’s going to be fun and COLD!  

This blog will be updated every week with what’s new when I’m over there.