You know you teach at a TCK school when...

...your student tells you she can't think of the word...in English...she can only recall it in Portuguese...

...you ask your students to talk about the time they were most scared and you hear stories that begin like, "Well, we were in Kenya..."

...your student needs some extra help with English vocabulary because he speaks three different languages at home...

Opening day flag ceremony

My classroom

Teaching at BFA feels so normal at times, and other times it feels like a completely different world. The other day, Jordan pointed out one of the unique aspects of working at BFA. Every person who works here wants to be here. In fact, they've all worked really hard to get here. This isn't a starter job they're hoping to move out of in a few years. This isn't something they're doing just to pay the bills. Not that there's anything wrong with those scenarios, it just creates a different environment. The teachers and staff are incredibly excited to be here. They feel privileged to have the opportunity to work here. It makes for a very positive, exciting atmosphere!

Period 1: Homeroom and English 7th
Period 2: Planning
Period 3: ELL (English language learning) 6th (M,W,F)
Period 4: English 8th
Period 5: English 8th
Period 6: ELL 8th
Period 7: Planning
Period 8: Planning

I am one week into being a real live English teacher. Despite feeling unqualified and nervous, I've managed to make it through the first four days, and I think I even appear to know what I'm doing. The very best part came on Friday when a fellow teacher told me he'd heard the 8th grade boys talking about me during his advisory class. Apparently the word on the street is that I'm really strict. Seriously! It was at that moment that I felt I must be doing something right and perhaps I will succeed in teaching middle school.