A Time for ME to Learn!

Here is a student intently illustrating a book I made for the class.

     This week I have learned a lot and made great strides within my classroom.  I've learned to write my name (Mary) in Arabic.   A few students gave me a lesson on the money system - I was still having trouble with coins and I'm supposed to teach about that in math!) I learned that "yellah" means go quickly.  I learned that Hand, a girl in my class could be my "right hand (wo)man".  I've elected her president.  She is in charge of making the girls quiet and re-explaining things to my class in Arabic.   She is so smart and loves to talk to me about things that are going on in the classroom.  I've found that peer tutoring is not only a good tool, but one that is necessary with a class that needs to learn math and science but can't understand me very well.  In science we study the body so I have a girl write in Arabic while I write in English to label diagrams and pictures.  The best part of my week was when I went to check on a table and they were speaking to each other in ENGLISH, not Arabic!!!!! 
     This week I introduced the "Post it note" system.  Each girl got a purple sticky note (thanks, Dad, for sharing my love of school supplies and feeding me so many packs before my departure!).  On that note they wrote their name in PEN.  They had to have it out every day on their desk.  If they misbehaved I put an x on the note.  3 x's and they lost "Thrilling Thursday" which is the equivalent of "Fun Friday".  If they could not find the purple paper they were out of the fun as well.  Thursday I had games and sugarless bubble gum for those that earned it.  The others went to Miss Sandy's room for remedial help in math or English.  Next week Sandy gets the good kids and I'll take the remediation.  It worked!  Don't get me wrong - my classroom to the everyday observer seems to be a hellish mess, but to those of us that live there, it is gaining a sense of order and clear expectations.
      I now know almost every girl's name, not only when they are in their seats, but also when they are up or in small group.  It is a goal I never thought possible.  I still mispronounce some names, but the girls always remind me when I'm wrong.  It's especially hard in my homeroom class because I have 4 Fatimas (two of which are Fatima Mohammad) and I have 2 Shouqs and 2 Fakhara Nassers!
     Finally, at this weeks Wednesday faculty meeting (mostly in Arabic) we were put into teacher teams, some English teachers and some Arabic.  We were given a binder and told to discuss our committee.  The binder was in English and Arabic, so I jotted down a few notes.  I guess the meeting leader saw me writing notes so when it came to our groups turn the Arabic teacher across from me got up to speak and then the leader pointed at me and said, "You, in English".  So I got up and made my first faculty presentation, falling all over my words, but not too badly.  My committee is in charge of Academic Achievement in English, Math, Science and Arabic, as well as attendance, behavior and extra curricular activities (of which we have none).  Our goal is to improve assessment methodology.  So, here I am at my new school on the dreaded Academic Success Team!  Inshallah!