Thoughts on being Miss Ley

Well hello friends and family. I apologize for my lack of consistency in keeping you posted on my island life in these past few weeks. I am trying to be better, but lately my work has been taking up a lot of my time! Teaching is quite the challenge. But if you're reading this you probably know I enjoy challenges so it suits me well.

This was quite the work week! 1st quarter grades were due Thursday night at 10:00pm. Being the procrastinator I am I got mine done at 10:05pm. It wasn't a huge deadline though so no worries. I spent many long hours (especially Wed. and Thurs. afternoon) finalizing grades and writing rough drafts of comments on my students' progress. Then of course there was the grueling task of writing names, grades, comments, etc. on each of 22 report cards (one of my students transferred a week or so ago). I never realized how hard it is to write with enough force to make the letters go through each of the 5 pages. Teachers do so much thankless work! Wow...my fingers, hand and even elbow were sore. I had to trace everything at least twice. But it felt so good to finally be done. Then we had a half-day Friday (what would we do without them!) and after school I finished ALL my lesson plans and grading for next week. Incredible! This is the first time that has happened. I'll be completely free on Sunday. We're going for another dive and to the bridge to jump off it and play around.

Speaking of diving! We went on a really sweet dive last Sunday. But first let me tell you about Saturday night. There is a lady here named Sylvia whose kids go to our school. She is so hospitable to us girls. She invited us over to make Marshallese plates! It was pouring rain so we got soaked on the way over there, but luckily her house is right outside the school gate. We all sat on the floor and she already had the palm branches ready. You split them down the middle and cut till there's only 5 fronds on each of 2 parts. Then you weave them in and out of each other and tie off the ends. It's pretty neat! I have pictures I'll post on facebook later.

Anyway Sunday we went for another dive and practiced buddy breathing and trading equipment underwater. I'm definitely starting to feel more comfortable with it now, and my ear didn't give me hardly any trouble. We saw tons of jellyfish again, and this time we got to go swim in and around 2 ships! It was so cool. It's such a different world down there.

Anyway it's been a pretty great weekend. We had fairly cool weather (so I'd say it was in the 80s?) so I straightened my hair! I felt sort of nice for once. Haha It's kind of sad I know. I probably already mentioned the time all of us girls put jeans on. It felt so strange...like I actually had legs. I'm so used to wearing skirts now. I thought I'd never say that!

Teaching is going well. I pray every day that my students see Jesus in me...and that maybe they can learn something haha. Really though I feel so unequipped to teach them, plus the fact that we have such limited resources here. We had a copier the first half of the quarter and the last few weeks it's been broken. One is supposed to be in the mail but....you know how it goes. I think God knew exactly what he was doing when he gave me 6th grade. They are such a great class! Definitely rowdy sometimes though. The reason I say that is because all the 7th grade boys are in love with me. One day they threw a rose in my classroom. And the junior boys apparently were chanting my name in the high school halls?? It makes me feel very awkward! haha I must say though I'm getting used to being Miss Ley. It almost seems strange to hear someone call me Nicole! And it's weird if I ever write my name. Just think how many times a college student writes their name in one day....and here I am never writing my name! Instead I've memorized the first and last names of 22 kids.

In closing I just want to say that I've made some really incredible friends here. They make this whole experience that much better. And I'm still loving every last minute of it!