A day in the life of an ES TASIS Teacher...

Warning:  This entry is a little detailed...you may want to skim through.  I've had a few people ask what my day is like here and how it is different from teaching in the states, specifically Solana Beach, so I thought I'd give you an idea of a typical day for me.  First, the walk, which you've probably already heard enough about, is much different from my leisurely drive to school at home.  I've actually really started to enjoy the walk.  Besides the magnificent view there are also the cows and goats I see along the way.  Sally, the other 5th grade teacher, also lives near me in Gentilino, so  we've been walking up to Hadsall in the morning.  Her husband Jeremy has been kind enough to drive us on the really rainy mornings.  When I arrive at Hadsall I drop my things off in my classroom and usually the cleaning ladies are still finishing up mopping the floors and delivering bottled water for the children.  She usually rattles something off in Italian (my big chance to practice) and then she is on her way.  From there, after some skyping usually, I head into the huge (ha ha) Faculty Room, that also serves as an entrance to the 4th grade classroom.  The fare for breakfast is the same we would get in Di Nobili, the main dining hall.  Usually there is a variety of granola (same kinds everyday), some Special K, and two types of yogurt.  There is also one type of tea and usually the special italian coffee maker is working.  Unfortunately, you get sick of it VERY quickly.  I would die for Starbucks!  My day is scheduled pretty typically.  Even though there is no scheduled morning recess here, the students do receive snack everyday.  It varies from a piece of fruit, to crackers, or granola bars and then juice or water.  Luckily, my students do attend specials, including PE, music, art, and italian.  This provides me with some time to prep for the following day and/or filter through the few materials that are available.  For lunch and the first recess of the day at 12pm, we go outside with the 5/6 graders for a 25 minute recess.  During this 25 minute recess period, a man driving a hatchback car actually drives onto the blacktop to deliver the lunch from Di Nobili.  Not the safest idea, but it works and the kids get used to it.  When the 3/4 graders come up the winding staircase from the lunch room, it is our signal that it is time for lunch.  We then enter the building (the other way, down the stairs), forming a long line through the "bunker" we call it.  My least favorite part of the day, is eating lunch with 60 loud children in a room that is pretty much underground and echos terribly.  The lunch menu changes every week, but is very limited...pasta, fish sticks, hot dogs...yum yum.  From there the rest of the afternoon is filling with typical school activities.  One of my favorite parts of the week is when I have my class and part of the 6th grade class for History.  Since there aren't enough chairs, they have to bring them with them to class.  Nothing like wasting those instructional minutes.  Some other strange things are that I have a bathroom right in the classroom!  My favorite TASIS idiosyncracy is that Hadsall is also a 10th and 11th grade dorms for boys.  Who would have ever thought to combine high school boys with the elementary school.  The best part is that my students are adorable and I'm really enjoying getting to know them.  Today the rain decided to stay away and it turned out to be another beautiful day.  We just returned from a long run up past Montagnola, along the Percorsovita or Running course for Life (something like that).  This is basically a path through the woods, along a ridge where there are more amazing views of the lake.  Along the path, there are exercises you can do for more physical activity.  Another long day...off I go back to Gentilino!