Attempting to find my groove in week one of teaching

This past week was my first week of teaching here at New Hope for Cambodian Children. I had been eagerly awaiting this week and the moment of meeting my Grade 2s.

Ever since I had arrived in the Village , I had been trying to track down some of the children that would be in my class but I hadn't had any luck so the anticipation was killing me.

I arrived in Cambodia on the 18th of October so I had had about 10 days to settle and get my classroom ready for the little ones, which had been exciting and turned out to be such a fun process.

On Tuesday morning , I woke up with first day jitters, unsure of what to expect. These jitters soon turned into excitement as I sat in assembly and saw my beautiful grade twos and their excited faces. 16 new faces all smiling and giving me big hugs ... This felt like home.

Once we were in the classroom , I began the difficult process of learning names. It is a challenge sometimes as some of the children's English is limited to hello, yes, no, thank you. But this is where I am so grateful for the sweetest assistant , Leakena. It was also so helpful to have an extra hand from one of the volunteers , Astrid. As soon as the first day ended , my mind was going crazy with all the ideas I had. This felt like unfamiliar territory to me .. But I love a challenge and this was going to be so rewarding.

On Wednesday we made faces with paper plates and I taught them the words associated with faces ( eyes , ears, nose , mouth, etc) and then we sang Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. It was such fun and the more I get to know them the more I know that it's going to be such a pleasure teaching this bunch of children.

On Thursday we spent the morning singing songs and playing musical chairs... Not sure if the kids or I enjoyed it more. I battled with a headache all day but managed to power through and I was blown away with all the love I recieved from all the wonderful people that I am lucky enough to work with. My favourite part of the day is actually when all the teachers gather for lunch and dinner and get a chance to chat and exchange their funny and interesting stories of the day. I have been extremely lucky with all the friendships I have made and they have made this transition all the easier.

On Friday my class had P.E and boy did they have a ball. A game of rounders is always a hit. We played a little spelling bee in English and enjoyed some music and song time. Again this is so fun for me so I hope it is for the kids too. After school Astrid and my other friend, Hannah and I went for a walk to get a coconut ( well I was the only one who got one .. and it was the size of my face). On the walk there , Hannah had an interesting encounter with a Cambodian woman.. She was struck by how "soft" Hannah's leg was. I think the three of us mastered the skill of walking very quickly and not making it look like we were running away.

On Saturday, we took a trip to the western supermarket, Luckys. This is where we could get any essentials that aren't available in the village. In the evening Hannah cooked us dinner because Astrid leaves on Tuesday ( I will miss her so much) , which was delicious and not rice which we get more of enough of here in the village.

This week was just a toe dipping into the pool but it gave me an idea of what the year ahead is going to feel like. And I can't wait. Life here is starting to feel like the new normal with my wonderful and caring friends, my beautiful Grade 2 class and a peaceful environment that I can call home.