Teaching and Getting Settled!

Hello everyone! So it's been a while and a whole lot has gone on! Most excitingly, I have begun teaching here and have successfully taught 9 lessons... ALL in Hebrew! I have been writing very detailed lesson plans (basically scripts) so that I know all of the vocabulary I need for each lesson. Right now, the biggest trouble I have is with answering students' questions, since sometimes they use words I'm unfamiliar with. But, hopefully that will end soon as I'm learning more and more! For now, my plan is to have students write down particular questions so that later I can read them (and look up words) so that I can answer them accurately.

While I am quite satisfied with how the lessons have been going, it is very frustrating to be so limited in my vocabulary! I feel, at times, like many of my usual teaching methods and options have been locked away. I cannot use many of the strategies that I've developed in my teaching experience and instead have to rely on simplicity even if I really would rather handle something in a different way. This is particularly true regarding classroom management and discipline. It is also limiting in sharing all of the fun stories and details I love to throw (usually in the moment) in about music and violin playing... those are things that get kids very excited a lot of the time! But for now, I am limited to teaching the necessary concepts and subjects... and nothing more. I know it is also preventing me from relating to the kids in the ways I normally would. But, while it's frustrating, I know it is also prompting me to be resourceful and creative to relate to them in other ways. I know that even though my language is sometimes limited that we are creating relationships somehow. As time moves on, I will grow in my vocabulary and be able to function fully as a teacher once again!

I really do love the kids here! Right now I am teaching 2nd and 3rd graders in 2 schools in Ness Ziona and 2 schools in Yavne. Soon I will begin teaching 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders at a school in Tel Aviv where I will have several small groups and a large violin ensemble. They are just adorable and so excited to learn the violin! Since all instrumental music is privatized in Israel (usually run by each municipality) there is no instrumental music for students in elementary and middle schools. It is only possible for them to study at school through outreach programs like mine. Otherwise, it is an extracurricular activity at a conservatory like ours in Ness Ziona which parents must pay for. So, a program like the one I am teaching in really allows these kids a unique opportunity to experience playing an instrument. It is particularly exciting for the kids whose families either cannot afford this kind of education or for those families who wouldn't have otherwise considered an instrumental experience for their child.

In other news, I STILL haven't started my Hebrew classes. I've been calling and calling and every time get some other confusing answer about when/ where the class will start. So, we are going to try to talk to someone AGAIN tomorrow and get a real answer! I've been here a month already and had expected to start weeks ago... so that's my project tomorrow. Also, my shipment magically still hasn't arrived. I've been waiting for it for weeks now, also having a very hard time getting a concrete answer about its status and arrival date. However, I am now expecting it "sometime this week" according to my last phone conversation. Keep your fingers crossed!

As far as the apartment goes we've now had an exterminator, have internet, tv (with dvr!), a working washing machine, and a phone line! Things are definitely moving along and I'm spending my free time this week touching up paint to give everything a fresher, cleaner feeling (it needed it since it looked like a donkey painted the walls with its hind legs).

I'll keep you updated as things move along this week (hopefully some major developments with class and my shipment). We are approaching an exciting time of the year in Israel that includes many holidays! I am excited to experience all of these holidays in a new way and report to you all!

Much love!

Protests

Below is an article about the massive social protests taking place around Israel tonight:

Haaretz Protest Coverage

Another Week!

Hi all! Still plugging along here... Sorry for the lack of updates, but still no internet in the new place and updating from my phone is a bit of a pain. As of right now we have vacated the apartment for a bit because of severe plumbing issues. So, since we have no use of any of the water in our apartment, we thought it best to leave for a bit ha. We are in the process of getting it fixed... but lesson has been learned about moving into old buildings, oy!

On the upside we now have television! Woo hoo! And I am getting more and more work... below are a few pictures I've taken of the Conservatory in Ness Ziona where I'm going to start working next week.