Things Come Together & Things Fall Apart

School has started up again and we are one week through the rigorous schedule at Xavier High School. I am still teaching Eco/Lit to the seniors, chemistry to the juniors, and have added on psychology as an elective for the seniors. In the senior class I am also taking on the "senior project" as a new edition to my literature class. They are reading "Things Fall Apart"a novel about white foreigners coming in and invading Nigera. Much of the book and the issues and struggles have been faced by my students ancestors, so the project will have them researching their home island and presenting it to the school. They will also have to take the major themes from the book and apply them to what has happened in their home islands and discuss how elements of the book have impacted their lives. It will be a huge project, but I am really excited for it. They have all semester to complete it but I am really hoping that is will be fantastic and I will get to learn more about each island through the passion (hopefully) of my students!

My chemistry class is also going well, still a very new topic to me, so I am learning as I go, but I have found the best methods for me to teach and the best ways they need me, and I feel really positive about this semester. Family has also sent me really cool experiments and fun things to do with them...like make Flubber and watch the movie, that has sparked their interest in science even more! To make things even better I feel very much connected to the class and feel like all the personalities balance mine very well and vis versa.

Psychology is going to be a blast to teach!! I have only been teaching it one week, but I really like how much passion I have when teaching it and how I can give such solid and real world explanations and examples that are hopefully getting them excited to learn more about it. Although the beginning parts right now are history and the basics and not the "fun" stuff I feel really great about how things are going.

The first week was definitely tough getting back into the groove and I think is was for the students as well. Yesterday and today I finally felt like I was back to my style of teaching and the students seemed to be back on their game which helped a lot. They are such wonderful students and young people and I am really happy that I have the joy of getting to teach them. Even when are just hanging out around school not in classes, I am always reminded of how wonderful and caring each and every one of them are.

So things are back to normal here....as we speak it is night study and students are coming in and out, asking for help, asking for passes, and basically being teenage boys. They make me laugh at how goofy they are, and it has become part of my routine to except the chaos that enstews each and every night...I almost miss it on the weekends, but it is good not to have two days off :) This weekend I am headed to my host family from Friday to Sunday. They are really wonderful and I love how each time I go, I grow a little bit closer. I know it will take away to feel apart of the family, but I am really enjoying getting to know them and Chuukese each time.

Lots of Love from Micro!!!
Em

Emily, Happy All The Time

There is a tradition here at Xavier to sing the "Birthday Song" on everyones birthdays! It goes like this:
Emily, happy all the time
Emily, life is summertime
The joy you have in living every day
Emily how I love your simple ways

(followed with)


Happy birthday to you...Emily
Happy birthday to you...Emily 
Happy birthday to Emily
Happy birthday to you.


(then ending with)


Who is your boyfriend.....
Who is your boyfriend.....
Who is your boyfriend......
and so on!


It was a great birthday here at Xavier. Even though the students have the tradition of singing the songs, the staff has an even better tradition....PIZZA and ICE CREAM!! For everyone's birthday Lily buys us all pizza and ice cream. 


And to make the birthday festivities even better, I climbed Wittipong, a mountainish hill that is on the island with Mike, Peaches, and Lin Yaw. It is the second largest "mountain" in Chuuk and we had a fabulous view of the island and of the reef. It was really cool!! The hike up took us about an hour or so, but the view from the top is beautiful!!! It made my 23rd birthday one to remember and one I will never forget! I cant wait to see what Chuuk has in store for my big 24th!!