I was only peed on once ;)

Well, day one is down. It's all down hill from here right? Today was interesting. I wouldn't say bad and I wouldn't say great. I wasn't exactly overwhelmed but I'm having a hard time finding good words to explain today. They considered it a long day but I thought it was kind of normal. It did feel a little long because of the extra work of trying to figure out how to explain myself. After an interesting morning we finally arrived at the school around 9. The kids had arrived and the teachers were working to sooth their worries. I walked around trying to engage kids as best as I could. I knew they were a little nervous themselves! (it went better later on) All of the 5 classes line up and we get their sleeves rolled up and wash hands for breakfast. Once breakfast is served we then sweep them away to the classroom. It's around 10 when we are with our own classes. I actually almost have my whole classes names down. Luckily their are a couple of repeats and also some easier names to remember. From 10-12 there's a lot that happens. I don't know how to explain this but I guess a lot of playing happened today. It was funny the kids are really cute but they would come up to me with so much energy and concern and say a big long sentence in Polish and I'd have NO idea what they were saying but they sure were cute!

At noon I am left on my own with the class. I have a co-teacher that leaves at noon. Luckily this week I have a helper that is AMAZING! I don't know the last time I have seen someone so confident and amazing with the the kids. She walks right up and just talks away with them in and amazing voices and brushes away their tears. It is really neat! I wish I could move around and talk like that!!! I think I get frustrated because I want to know what they are saying. What they are saying is important and I want to know it. It would also help with communicating and getting things done. I was introduce to Polish culture today when we were lining up to go somewhere the kids were finally lined up as 2-3 year olds could be and the teachers phone rang she stopped to answer it and the kids started getting a little crazy. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't really get the kids to stop besides saying no and apparently this is a normal thing for teachers to do! I mean I know teachers answer their phones but not usually right when you get them lined up... it made me laugh. After the teacher leaves we eat around 12:30 and then they "rest." Kids begin to go home at this time and they combine 2-3 classes. Some fall asleep, some roll around on the floor but they have to be quiet and lay down for 30 minutes. This is going to be my peaceful time. Afterwards I will need to do some kind of activity and then at 2 I am suppose to leave. This is when the kids go to the big room and play and do other activities.

I realized today there just isn't much I can do right now. I am use to jumping right into pretty much any classroom and helping out and keeping the kids on task or helping them to listen. Today was so not that. I had a feeling this was coming. This weekend I actually thought about that and realized I was going to be out of my comfort zone with this. I also realized that I wouldn't have my own classroom. This is someone else's classroom that I just help out in. I do things her way even though I have no idea what those ways are. Even when I am left to do whatever activities I want to do, I have to make them VERY simple because they can't really understand me. We were getting into a circle today and I was saying it in polish and then I asked them to say it in English "circle" and they say "nie" which is no! It's going to be interesting to say the least! Time for a snack and then bed!