Last night when I came in for dinner the table was set out in a U shape. It was also covered with nibbles to eat as if it was Christmas, there were even plates of apples for everyone. My plate was set outside, with a couple of other guests, so the big group could dine alone. A Westerner and some others speaking Russian came in, so I didn't know if they were actual Russian or just Kyrgys people who speak Russian. Bit by bit they gathered including a man with a big felt hat. The only intimation as to who they might be was the t shirt of one of the men, International Snow Leopard team, but maybe that was just his t shirt. I thought that there might be speeches to give me a clue as there had been with the group who drank lots of vodka and were staying in Alsu for a futures brain storming session, but instead the man in the felt hat intoned a prayer, so powerful, that the other dinners lifted their hands. And then having finished my meal I did not feel I could hang around any further to work out who they were. But this morning, just the woman and the man, who I had originally thought was Russian were in the room, and once we had exchanged morning greeting it turned out that they really are Snow Leopard specialists. I am such an idiot that my mind turned to a programme on the TV about what I thought were Snow Leopard, which was set in Russia, but in fact they were Snow Tigers, but apparently here in Kyrgyzstan on the mountains to the North almost into Kazahstan this beautiful animal lives. The group are here for a couple of days so I hope to learn more: http://www.snowleopard.org/kyrgyzstan-major-win-for-snow-leopards but they did say that they like to work with the local people on trying to preserve this beautiful animal and that amazingly all the countries in which the creature lives are working to protect it.
It has occurred to me if just one in ten of some of the well educated and potentially very inspiring visitors who stay at ALSU come and talk to the children then it would be an incredible resource and I was delighted when my Head responded to the idea and the owner of the Guest House. Whether it will turn into something that is another matter but I am hopeful. However, it is always a bit hard to tell how things work here. (Though I suspect it is the same with a lot of English primary schools)
Today I moved the table in the room I work in around so I could actually sit it andso that it lay flush to the wall. I did it very discretely, but was pretty sure that if I moved it, other things would occur. And so it was when I returned to the room an hour later all the spare desks that had been stacked up in the room had disappeared and my desk (or the desk I have occupied) was resplendent in the middle of the room instead but facing away from any light.
But all of this should have been very positive. However, having checked that I was going to team teach in the morning with the Year One teacher, and that the Year 0 teacher knew not to expect me to the afternoon. She came looking for me. And having agreed with all the staff that the children were benefitting from access to the video in the afternoon, I was happily sitting with the Year Zero children, most of whom were happily watching Ratatouille in Russian, and the others were not making a nuisance of themselves, when it became clear that there was a slight difference of opinion going on and the children were whisked back into their class on the basis that they did not understand what they were watching. I do not know why but it really pissed me off, because every time I thing something is settled and actually the children are settled they get shifted. For instance having agreed that I will just get to know the youngest kids first before launching into formal teaching, I was asked how they were getting on with the scheme of work that I have been provided with. None of this probably matters, and there are probably good reasons for all of it, but when I realised that the cook was in her kitchen with a nice cup of tea, buns and jam, I went and joined her and having initially refused the lift home in the school bus, I decided yes it was much nicer to muck in with them and get home early than have a hot and tiring walk.
However, the team teaching was great. I worked as TA whilst one of the teachers taught Maths in I guess Russian, then she helped me with my class, which was brilliant as I had some noisy games for them. And then I worked with the Year 0 children most of the afternoon. Last night I sat up till 11 cutting out things for the children to stick, but they got through the work so quickly though that I spent their class time adding more things for them to do. . It is an idea I have pinched from the school in Senegal where I was able to do the activity with younger children so I knew our children could manage, what I had not realised is how quick they would be. However, it means that in a couple of weeks, in time for the start of formal teaching, they will have made an English alphabet.
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