LAST BELL! I made it....

LAST BELL celebration = HOORAY LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. NOW GET ME THE #!@ OUT OF HERE!

On the first day of school we had First Bell to open the year. Friday we had Last Bell... I  did it, I survived a year. Phew.... buh bye students, buh bye teenagers, buh bye school, buh bye "MISS SANDRA" ... hello SUMMER...!

Opening ceremony

 

 

And here are the children of Moldova dressed in their finest - black and white, suit jackets, ties, lace and bows and bows and bows.... big big ones

 

 

 

At Last Bell the children with 8,9,10s are called forward for awards. Here a few of them…

 

I adore this little girl. Each time she sees me she runs to me, wraps herself around me, I bend down and am rewarded with a kiss on the cheek.

 

 

 

It is very rare to see a girl with short hair, hhhmmm actually I can't think of one. This last pretty much through their 20's then the haircuts begin. Husband shopping has ended. the slide towards "babushka" has begun

 

 

 

Grading system in Moldova

The grading system here is 0-10 however, somewhere along the way teachers decided 4 is the lowest grade a student is to be given. A child who has done NO WORK, has not put one pen-mark in their test books, will receive the same grade as a student that has struggled through an entire test but has failed it. “How is this fair?” us American’s say over and over “you HAVE to give lower than 4s!”

In Moldova if a child fails or if their behavior is out-of-control, it is the teacher’s fault. It is one of the reasons why the students are so out of control. There are no real consequences to their actions, and the students know it. Teacher’s NEED their students to pass because if enough of your students fail you could find yourself without a job. So who can blame them? It is my opinion , as well as others, that until this changes the education system can not be successful.  It has taken much work to  get our partners to accept giving some students at least a 2.

 

A student caught red-handed cheating (last week 2 students left their cheat notes IN their test books.  want to fail the children if not for cheating, then for simple stupidity) they deserved to earn NOTHING. My partner would only accept us giving a 5. THAT is passing!! Masha and I have been giving out more and more 2s as our patience has grown thinner and thinner, "did you do your  homework?" At least 75% do not bother, some days enough is enough "NO? NONE of you did your homework then you ALL get a 2" Won’t stop TALKING and causing problems? "You have earned yourself a 2". Drive Miss Sandra to the point of walking out of class, "you got yourself a 2, ALL OF YOU!". "WHAT the entire class has a 2, it's not my fault" say the good children "sorry kids, talk to your  peers for getting you a grade of 2", some of them cry, it's terrible so really the kids who are good, whether we tell them or not, do not get the 2 recorded. Sometimes we will ask several students to stand up "all of YOU standing do not have a 2 today".

 

Cheating..... oh the cheating, Moldovan's cheat, they are raised to do it and many teachers in this country let them.  I'm sure I mentioned this before as it is an ongoing struggle for us Americans it drives us CRAZY! Test days are a nightmare. I walk around and around "STOP TALKING TURN AROUND EYES ON YOUR OWN PAPER PUT THE PHONE AWAY GIVE ME THAT CHEAT NOTE" for hours and hours.  After class I use a saying my partner likes "they will drive me to drink".  I have tried to get them to understand in their major exams which determine their futures they are  NOT allow to cheat. The country takes THIS very seriously. Their are 4 designated places in the country for the final exams that allow you to continue to college (my school is one of them). The have the most advanced security equipment available. Cameras that are also sensitive to sound. Magic "wands" waved over children to catch  hidden phones (you are required to turn yours in  at the beginning). I tutor some 12th  graders to help them prepare, even during THAT I say over and over YOU MUST WORK ALONE. This is just something most of them CAN NOT do. And hence the reason only 42% of students passed last year.

Miss Sandra established a reward system for 5^th and 6th. She has made a can for each class, if you score a 8,9,10 on your work, or if you worked hard, participated in class, your name goes in it.   Once a month a name is pulled from their can. I give candy, small trinkets, silly things, they don’t care what it is, they simply glow when their name is pulled. I also have a supply of stickers. But those have to come out of my pocket money so that is not something a lot of teachers can afford to do (although packages of candy are cheap compared to the reward you get from giving it out).  Positive reinforcement is what we are trying to teach the teachers.

OK so teens drive me crazy, I didn't like them in America and I don't like them in Moldova, but I will admit there are really many really wonderful ones, it's just the horrible ones make me forget that sometimes. Here are 3 of our best - they are 8th, I will have them next year for  9th. I have to believe that my presence here is appreciated by them and they will benefit somehow from it. Us teachers have to believe this, our group doesn't see instant results like many other groups do.

I met a cab driver once, he spoke some English. He told me that he had a Peace Corps member in class, a "face that is black" (none of them around here!) "It is because of him I learned any English he didn't make me feel stupid and yell at me". So you there you go.... maybe just maybe we make a difference here and there.

 

And here they are, the 9th form (they are not called "grades" they are "forms") ready to move on....but the questions is, to where will they be moving? Moldova requires children attend school until 9th form, they take their final exam in about a month. These exams determine their future - further education, or no education?  Continue on to high school or work on the farms. Some of them have always known they will work on their family farms so they have no interest in doing well in school. You can’t threaten them with a failing grade for misbehavior, they are expecting to fail.

 

The ceremony which last a few hours is full of poems, songs, dancing, awards (academic, sports, performances).

 

One of the things I have enjoyed the most about this country - maybe what I have enjoyed the most - is the music and dance. There is always dancing. More and more you see modern dancing joining in with traditional. This is the 9th performing.

 

Here are some of the little ones waiting their turn. As I looked at this little  girl lifting the skirt I thought to myself "all children are the same no matter where they are" they fidget, have no sense of modesty yet, they are  bored....

 

 

 

Yup.... bored...

 

 

Wouldn't be  a Moldovan celebration without the dancing

 

 

This was adorable!! A "goodbye backpack" dance (see backpacks? Same as the children of America, these tiny kids lugging backpacks heavier than they are).

 

 

 

 

And finally, the exit of the 9th form.

 

 

 

and the closing bell being rung, bye bye school, hello summer.

 

 

UUUUHHH Not done yet ....there was is the releasing of doves (oops no picture), such BIG smiles on the students that were given the honor of tossing one into the air, all the children watching them with joy (and teachers too) clapping and cheering. And then the RUN to get out!!!.....buh bye school... hello summer!!!

 

That evening a group of teachers went to a very nice restaurant, who is more excited about the end of the year? All teachers know the answer to that, it's hands down the TEACHERS!  Champaign and vodka, many toasts, many laughs some to the point of tears,unfortunately I couldn't understand them. It's times like this that I feel so lonely and frustrated because despite my constant Russian studying, I got nothin'.. a word here and there... but that's it.  My partner translated here and there, much of the conversation was about their husbands and men - just like American woman who gather for a night - again I thought of how people are the same everywhere. My camera was low on battery due to photos all day, I assumed I could recharge before going out, but oops.... power outage in my home. So no photos. These woman are dressed to the nines and gorgeous  - me? Jeans (ok at least nice ones) and a nice top.

 

Masha/Maria my partner. I am very very sad she will be leaving after our one year together (it was planned to be two). She is absolutely thrilled that she was able to get pregnant, she was told she most likely wouldn't (after the birth of her 1st, they have prayed for 6 years for another). Women in Moldova, as in most of Europe, actually most of the world, are given an extended leave when giving birth. She will be on paid leave for 3 years. She has the option to extend that 2 more, unpaid. We got along like two peas in a pod (which I've mentioned before). Things got a little rough towards the end with here pregnant with no want to work - short timers disease, who can blame her? She has been my lifeline when I need help in and outside of school. She is the one who worked hard to get a volunteer here, other volunteers,  it was the school director. Many of these partners are beyond irritated they have had an American thrust on them. We lost 4 teachers over the year, this is tough enough as it is, being treated badly, ignored, unappreciated by your partners, and students of course, it's too much... just too much.

 

 

 

So I'm thrilled for her but where does this leave me? I'm scared. I have met my new partner, here name is Aliona, she is sweet, young, and gorgeous, like so many woman here. She is  very scared. So you have two scared people who will need to figure out how to work together in front of 100s of students. She was trained years ago as an English teacher but has been teaching Romanian, she hasn't spoken the language for years. She is afraid of working with  me because the lack of her oral English skills, I try to assure her I am there to help her with her English. I tell her it will be just as much of a challenge for me to understand her. Her hope is to get pregnant this year,  maybe I'm good luck and she will find herself that way. BUT I hope it's AFTER I am ready to go home.

 

So how did I make my final exit? Haven't I said over and over "never look up in Moldova" well... I did it, stupid stupid me. In the rain and the dark I looked up to say goodbye after our wonderful celebration. A broken step, no surprise here, down I went (it was NOT the vodka and whatever the heck else I drank). Fortunately I broke the fall with my knee and  hand because it was my face, my cheek precisely, that took the greatest impact of the fall. It hurts like #@! today, but no damage, no bruise.... mostly I was embarrassed. So that was my grand exit from my first year of teaching, why just walk out of it when you can fall out of it, right?

 

I question my Russian skills everyday but when a husband of one of the teachers offered to take me home (thank god the long walk in the rain with holes in the road, just after that fall, was not something I was looking forward to) I was able to say Вы знаете, мой дом? ("Do you know my home?" He answered in ENGLISH "yes I do". Oh man.... Russian? English? you  never know....

 

Before anything can happen I have been buried alive in reports to create for PC, a 30 page spreadsheets with statistics on every child, how I have fulfilled goals using input and output indicators .... yes.... this really is a job...... I work for The Unites States of America and we all know what kind of paperwork they require. PCVs are no exception.

In the statistic gathering for our reports students are asked to make comments. I hate to say this, some are 5th, some are 9th and anywhere in-between, I can't tell the difference.

These are typed as they are written. Some make me laugh, some make feel good about  being a teacher, some make me want to scream, others - well -  obviously you didn't learn what we were teaching. Didn't we do personal pronouns over and over with games and videos?

Every Lesson is funny and interesting. always s techer is terested us and we understand theme quikly.
He is very interesting and fascinating, fanny.
Ms. Sandra is a good teacher she make muck placard. we play in muck gaiimes. she is very good,
My teacher is very good and he explained
I sometimes don't understand subject but afterwards understand and all good.

English lesson a interesting and i many knowing

I very like English E. Lessens was very interesting always did not coments Fank's to teather.
our teachers are the best. i know English language thank to our teachers
I like our teacher they are very good teather I like English
I like English! Aftiduge very well!
Skool year went well.

The lesson is very interesting and fanny.

I very good understand English and can speak with Mr. Sandra. She is good people with here I speak every lesssons.
I like English i want know English langue
Wonderful, excellent, I like this year

distinetly distinctly distinctly

lessons was good an very supera

all year good but tests very borning
academic yeaer passed quicly but he was last seen nice, normal, super, wow
nice cool interesting
year was happy I like this year

I like English language I would like to own it perfectly

My teacher is very nice, perfectly explains

the best very good

English favorite class vanii mi  laik English becos teacher favorite va nii

Great job, exelend, sunny good, super, funny, like English remarkable tenderness

I am Russian I understand Englis little i like speak Englisht vezy good good like object. my teacher very good.

I like English that is why decause goot teachers

I laic englis

Veri good on lesson very fani and interesting ticior very god they veri veri veri good

englig faning si ineteresing s mis Sandra veri well si class

I live English. mi like miss Sandra becos she funny i live English becos there har good cheater

exelend, funny, and mi very like solove of English

Mai like vis leson. englis bicos she interesting very very gug lices. i very like English tongue

we utilizion con and books and is good teacher.

lesson it is good about he is hard. i interested English

engliosh interesting i get knowledge

actitudy gud very

beautiful guud

English this is good

I like English bus i understand little

I like English and Mrs Sandra

relatively wel

i liketo study in engli sh i him respect

I belong to lesson English tongue very good

I lake English lesson becose  he vere interesting here becose i lak anglish lesson

heri good languge

my attitude to English is fine, good I'm glad we studi English

 

Many of these had duplicates due to cheating off each other. Can't even do THIS without cheating. EYES ON YOUR OWN PAPER PLEASE GOD JUST STOP I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE......

And there you have it - one year down - one year to go.

And now finely the summer.... 29 days through EE and the Balkans (A group trip with a company called GAdventures - for those who want vacations off the "tourist track"). 10 countries, hiking, kayaking, river rafting, tours....and as a bonus I am thrilled the tour is taking me through Serbia where I will spend 2 days to spend with my good friend Ivan, my on-line friend for 4 years after meeting for only 30 mins. on a  beach in Greece. THIS is what will make this year worth it. I am terrified of the International travel alone. But what choice do I have? I will be switching in Romania, Croatia, Rome. Deep breath....I wanted adventure!? I GOT IT! Now I'm afraid of it.... I can't win....

 

Russian names usually have a nickname -  after a year together I just remembered to tell my partner Masha (Maria) that my middle name is Marie "Why didn't you tell my your middle name is Marie?" This means my middle name is "Masha"  as is about 25% of the women in Taraclia. She said "my sister's name is Alexandra - Sandra/Sasha". WHAT!? "Well why didn't you tell me you have a sister named SANDRA"!!

 

So "Sasha Masha Gross" is signing off.... thanks for taking an interest in my life and reading my blog.