This is my new class! We are 20 and there are 3 students named Khulan. It is such a popular name, for both boys and girls. I am grateful for the two preparation periods a day I get and for the fact I do not teach art, gym or computers this year. Not that I minded, but it takes some of the pressure off. I do have new classes I have introduced this year, such as Health and vocabulary building, which has increased the time required for prep. Needless to say, I have been exhausted this week! I keep trying very hard not to fall asleep on the couch in the early evening, but have failed a few times! After my first day back I did suffer from insomnia though. For some unknown reason, my alarm clock had been set to 11:00 and that woke me up. Then I re-awoke at 3am and could not get back to sleep until after 5!

The weather here has been unpredictable this year. Last year when I arrived it rained one day. The rest of the time it was clear, blue skies and dry. This year it has been overcast and rainy most days. I have never seen it so green here! I take the temperature twice a day and the first day we started out at 13 degrees but by the afternoon it had shot up to over 35! The rest of the days this week it has hovered around 14 degrees.

The first day of school was marked by the opening ceremony, and the students gave me tons of roses! One even gave me a plant for my desk, making me very happy! I also got some chocolates.

During the week preparing for the new school year Doogie and I worked closely together. I am extremely happy and grateful she is back! Her baby is only about 3 months old, but stays with her husband during the day. Doogie says she is glad to be back at work, and I am certainly glad to have her! She was such a tremendous help to me last year and I couldn't imaging working without her.

My students so far are very sweet. Their language skills are varied, but that is to be expected. I have incorporated many new areas in the Language Arts part of my curriculum to, hopefully, compensate for this and will see their abilities grow. I made sure my new students knew the three major things about me; I'm in love with Batman, I need my coffee, and that I work very hard for them and expect the same from them. I also decided to inform them that no, I was not married, and that I was in no rush to be. So, they did not need to ask every man who comes into my classroom if he's married, and if not, does he want to marry me. It's sweet to have them so concerned for my well being, but I do not need a matchmaker! Or, an entire class of ones! They laughed at that.

I have decided this year to read aloud to them "Journey to the Centre of the Earth." So far it is just the set up to the exciting adventure and I have to keep telling them, trust me, it's going to get good! I'm hoping the new movie will come here on video soon so I can show them. The promise of a movie is always motivating! Well, so is the threat of stopping the reading and doing grammar instead;)

My old students have already been asking me to come back next year and teach them grade 5! They love to hug me and one even says, "My hands are stuck! I can't let you go!" It is very nice to have been so missed! They also keep asking me if I had my coffee today yet!

I was out shopping last weekend and bought some seeds for chives and I think, basil. I'm trying my luck out on an indoor herb garden, but I'm not holding my breath. I tried last year to grow lemon basil and it did not go well. I did miss some of the foods here (gasp, shock!). I missed the fake soy meat and the seasoned sushi wraps. MMmmm, they are a tasty snack, but get green stuff stuck in my teeth.

I keep getting asked by parents how their child is doing so far in school. It's only been three days and it is tough to answer that question when I'm still learning everyone's name! I'm hoping this year will go as well as last, but it is too soon to tell. So far I've been covering review and introducing new ideas very slowly. I keep calling people for reassurance, and they have helped me immensely. Especially being able to talk to my mom! Mom's are the best!