Day One

Today was my first day of teaching at College Hill Fundamental Academy. This is going to be as good as I thought it might be – the students are bright-eyed and the staff is great. Our principal is a true leader and the atmosphere is positive.

I’m used to memorizing lots of new names, but it’s really hard here because the names aren’t familiar. For example, you can’t believe how many variations there are on the names Shawn and Asia – Deshawn, Dashawn, T’Shawn, Shawntae, Ashawntae, Breasia, Deasia, Ti’asia, Azsia. Nice names but difficult to put to memory.

The students, all ages, loved playing the xylophone I brought from the mountains in Mexico made from rocks. No one can imagine how beautiful it is going to sound – clear and ringing, sort of like glass. They all love the acoustic bass and guitarron.

We are in a “borrowed school” while our building is being remodeled. My room is a storage closet off the cafetorium. There is no air conditioning, no windows. Today it was 90 degrees outside and humid. I completely sweat through my shirt twice with a little drying off session at lunch. A colleague saw me after school and donated a fan. I’m surprised how little it bothered me, I just want to teach these young rascals. In few weeks it will cool off.

Now I have to work out riding my bike to school…