First Day of School

Congratulations must go out to my husband who has now taught his first class on the first day of school.  After the summer off, I am reminded just how hard this profession is.  Only halfway through the day, my throat was dry and my back was aching.  My thoughts go out to all the teachers heading back into the classroom for the new school year.  May this be a great year!

My first day was great!  Tiring, but great! I knew I was no longer teaching in an American classroom based upon the following:
1).  When Myron and I showed up this morning students waved to us, looked us in the eye, said things like "Good morning" and "Hello".  There were no nods of acknowledgment or heads cast downward- and these students did not even know us yet.
2).  Students didn't pack up their backpacks before the bell rang.  The students waited to be dismissed and even after being dismissed at the end of the school day after a full day of class, students stayed in my classroom! 

But I don't want to create too perfect of a picture.  Teaching three new preps is going to be a challenge and is going to require a lot of work- Myron and I went into school from 12- 7 on Sunday, which I guess is common practice here, and means since we have arrived in Taiwan, we have only really had one day off.  Expectations from both students and parents are high, which I feel creates a higher pressure situation than I am used to.  I understand why there are high expectations- parents are paying around 15000 US dollars for their kid to attend our school.  Finally, my students definitely have a varying degree of English comprehension- some are very fluent and some clearly struggle to write a full sentence or to even understand what I am saying- and they are all in the same class.  To try to read Shakespeare with these students- any suggestions?  ideas?  Offers to be a para in my class?

Well, I must go eat dinner and get ready for Day 2.